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Franklin County, New York Genealogy

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Guide to Franklin County, New York ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Malone
Organized: March 11, 1808
Parent County(s): Clinton[1]
Neighboring Counties
Clinton • Essex • Hamilton • Ontario (Canada) • Quebec (Canada) • St. Lawrence
See County Maps
Courthouse
New York, Franklin County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Ny-franklin.png


County Information

Description

The county was named for the Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. The county is located in the northeast area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Franklin County Courthouse
355 West Main St
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: 518-353-7340
Franklin County Website

The Franklin County Clerk's office has marriage, divorce and court records. The Surrogate Court has probate records.

Franklin County, New York Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1880 1908 1880 1808 1808 1809 1663
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1880. General compliance for births by 1915 and deaths by 1890.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[5]

Towns
Villages
Hamlets
American Indian Communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

  • Franklin was taken from the western part of Clinton county in 1808, organized by act of March 11. At this time it consisted of 3 civil subdivisions: Chateaugay, Constable and Harrison (Malone.) The Revised Statutes of The State of New-York...1828 to 1835...Volume 3, (Albany: Packard and Van Benthuysen, 1836), p. 305, retrieved from google.books

Find boundaries and boundary changes of towns by tract and township numbers in the county of Franklin in The Revised Statutes of The State of New-York...1828 to 1835...Volume 3,p. 65-66. Retrieved from google boks

Resources

Bible Records

  • 1581-1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry – ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.
  • 1881-1934 Watson H. Harwood and Austin M. Gowan, Dr. Watson H. Harwood's Records of Births He Attended in Area of Chasm Falls, Owls Head, and Mountain View in Towns of Malone, Brandon, and Duane in the State of New York, Franklin County from 1881-1934 (Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980). FS Library film 1292041 Item 3

Biographies

  • History of Clinton and Franklin Counties, New York by Duane Hamilton Hurd, J. W. Lewis & Co., 1880. Google eBook
  • A History of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, New York: from the earliest period to the present time, by Franklin Benjamin Hough, Little & Co., 1853. Google eBook
  • Historical Sketches of Franklin County and its several towns: with many short biographies by Frederick Joel Seaver, J.B. Lyon Company, 1918. Google eBook

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Franklin County, New York online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See New York Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1810 2,617 —
1820 4,439 69.6%
1830 11,312 154.8%
1840 16,518 46.0%
1850 25,102 52.0%
1860 30,837 22.8%
1870 30,271 −1.8%
1880 32,390 7.0%
1890 38,110 17.7%
1900 42,853 12.4%
1910 45,717 6.7%
1920 43,541 −4.8%
1930 45,694 4.9%
1940 44,286 −3.1%
1950 44,830 1.2%
1960 44,742 −0.2%
1970 43,931 −1.8%
1980 44,929 2.3%
1990 46,540 3.6%
2000 51,134 9.9%
2010 51,599 0.9%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal
U.S. Census Mortality Schedules for New York, 1850-1880:

  • Available online at Ancestry ($).
  • Deaths are included for the 12 months prior to the census, 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, and 1879-80 beginning 1 June and ending 31 May of the census year.[6]
  • Basic contents of the records include: Name, sex, age, color, marital status, place of birth, month of death, occupation, and cause of death. 1870 also has parents' birthplace. 1880 lists how long a resident of the county.
  • Also on FS Library Films 1415128–42.
  • The 1890 Census is lost. For a substitute, see Franklin.
  • The 1810 Census for Franklin County has an issue. The county name was only identified on the first and last pages by the enumerator. The pages inbetween were possibly miscategorized and indexed as being pages from Essex County, New York, see United States Census, 1810 - FamilySearch Historical Records / Known Issues

State

Source 1825 1835 1845 1855 1865 1875 1892 1905 1915 1925
Ancestry.com - - - - Lost Yes Lost - Yes Yes
FamilySearch Library - - - Yes Lost Yes Lost Yes Yes
FamilySearch Images - - - Yes Lost Yes Lost Yes Yes Yes
New York State Library - - - - Lost Yes Lost Yes Yes Yes

New York State 1865 and 1875 Census Marriage, Mortality; and 1865 Soldier Mortality records:

  • Images available online at New York State Census, 1865 and New York State Census, 1875. Click on the link to go to the page, then click on the ‘Browse through images’ link and select your county, then select an ancestor's town and browse to the end of the population schedule until you find the Marriage, Mortality, and 1865 soldier mortality schedules.
  • Includes marriages and deaths for the 12 months prior to the census, ending 1 June of the census year.
  • Marriage entry content: Husband's name, wife's name, ages and previous marital status, month and day and place of marriage, and church or civil ceremony.
  • Death entry content: Name, age, sex, color, marital status, month and day of death, native state or country, occupation and cause of death.
  • 1865 deaths of officers and enlisted men entry content: Name, age, marital status, citizenship status, enlistment date, original regiment, original rank, regiment at death, rank at death, promotions, death date and place, manner of death, surviving associates, and burial place.
  • Also on microfilm. See the FamilySearch Library line in the above State Census Chart.
  • 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Franklin for death information.
  • 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Franklin for death information for 1874-5.
  • 1874-5 1875 Deaths by Surname, Franklin, New York at USGenWeb Archives] - free.

Church Records

Episcopal

Catholic


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Ancestors may have been involved in municipal, state, or federal court cases and actions. See also New York Court Records and United States Court Records.

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Online Land Indexes and Records
Original land records in Franklin County began in 1808. These records are housed at the Franklin County Courthouse in Malone. Volunteers from the Franklin County Historical Society will search and copy for a small fee. Records prior to 1808 are in Clinton County, New York Land Records.

Local Histories

Franklin County is part of Macomb's Purchase of 1791.

Maps and Gazetteers

Clinton CountyEssex CountyHamilton CountySt. Lawrence CountyOntarioQuebecNY FRANKLIN.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Franklin County for European settlers included:[7]

Military Records

War of 1812
Austin, John M., Soldiers of the War of 1812 who were residents of Franklin County, New York at the time of their service (J.m. Austin, c1999) pages 31.FS Library book 974.755 M2

Civil War

Town registers. The New York town clerks kept a bound register of all soldiers from their town serving in the Civil War 1861-1865. Registers are arranged by county, and town. Some town registers are missing. The registers include an index at the start of each town.

Content. Many register entries include full name, residence, date and place of birth, parents names, marital status, date of enlistment and muster and rank, discharges, death, or promotion.

Access. The original registers are at the New York State Archives in Albany, New York. Microfilm copies are found at the FamilySearch Library (FS Library Film 1993401-37). They are also indexed and available at Ancestry.com ($). Available towns. Registers are available for: Bangor, Bellmont, Bombay, Brandon, Brighton, Burke, Chateaugay, Constable, Dickinson, Duane, Fort Covington, Franklin, Harrietstown, Malone, Moira, Santa Clara, Tupper Lake, Waverly, Westville.

Regiments. Service men in Franklin County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Franklin County:[8]

- 12th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company F.
- 13th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies G and H.
- 16th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company I.
- 26th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies I and L.
- 60th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
- 92nd Regiment, New York Infantry
- 96th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.
- 98th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, G and H.
- 98th Regiment, New York Infantry National Guard (100 days, 1864), Companies A, B, C, D, E, G and H.
- 106th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies H and I.
- 142nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, F, G and H.
- 164th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.
- 193rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies F and G.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Search historical newspapers of Franklin County, 1849-2002 at Northern New York Historical Newspapers:

  • Adirondack News St. Regis Falls NY 1887-1930
  • Chateaugay Journal & Chateaugay Record 1881-1995
  • Fort Covington Sun 1887-1987
  • Malone Farmer 1900-1936
  • Malone Franklin Gazette 1876-1899
  • St. Regis Falls Adirondack News 1887-1933
  • Tupper Lake Free Press and Herald 1911-2005
  • Saranac Lake Adirondack Daily Enterprise 1948-1976

Obituaries

Other Records

Franklin County, NY - Saranac Lake

Periodicals

Central New York Genealogical Society has indexed Tree Talks periodicals according to counties, surnames, and given names. Use this Central New York Genealogical Societyto search for ancestors who lived in the Franklin County area.

Probate Records

Probate records (wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions) for New York are held in the office of the county Surrogate Court beginning in 1787, or when the county was formed. Prior to 1787, most are housed at the New York State Archives.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Probate Petitions In 1830, state law required the Surrogate Court clerk to issue a probate petition for a deceased individual with property. This petition, unique to New York, usually lists the deceased's death date. It also lists the heirs, their relationship to the deceased, and their residence. These petitions are often found in the estate files.[9] See New York Probate Records for online resources, details, links, and more.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971; Franklin Includes:

  • Administration bonds 1890-1908 vol 1-2; Administration bonds 1908-1920 vol 3-4; Administration decrees 1868-1890 vol 1-2; Administration decrees 1890-1909 vol 3-4
  • Daybook 1880-1890 vol 1-2; Daybook 1890-1898 vol 3-4; Daybook 1898-1902 vol 5
  • Decrees, Orders 1847-1863; Decrees, Orders 1863-1879
  • Dower records 1839-1880
  • Estate index 1800-1900
  • Final decrees 1878-1889 vol 2; Final decrees 1888-1905 vol 3-4; Final decrees 1905-1912 vol 6
  • Guardianship records 1908-1930 vol 1; Guardianship records 1913-1930 vol 1
  • Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1847-1864 vol 2; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1864-1903 vol 3-5; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1903-1912 vol 6; Letters of administration, Letters of testamentary 1903-1919 vol 6-7
  • Letters of guardianship 1842-1913 vol 1-4
    *Orders 1892-1910 vol 1; Sales 1839-1877 1882-1906 vol 1, 3; Sales 1899-1927 vol 4
  • Will index 1809-1900 vol 1; Will index 1809-1905 vol 1-3
  • Wills 1809-1847 vol A-C; Wills 1809-1870 vol 1-2; Wills 1831-1839 vol B; Wills 1831-1839 vol C; Wills 1839-1854 vol 1-2; Wills 1854-1864 vol 3; Wills 1864-1875 vol 4-5; Wills 1875-1879 vol 6; Wills 1879-1883 vol 7; Wills 1883-1887 vol 8; Wills 1887-1890 vol 9; Wills 1890-1894 vol 10; Wills 1894-1906 vol A-B; Wills 1895-1905 vol 11; Wills 1900-1920 vol B-D; Wills 1904-1919 vol 12-13; Wills 1913-1919 vol 13
  • Wills and administrations 1879-1892 vol 1-2; Wills and administrations 1890-1909 vol 3-4; Wills and administrations 1909-1916 vol 5
  • Time-saving Tip: Estate index 1800-1900 (in the list above) seems to serve as an index for a variety of records in the Franklin County Courthouse, i.e., Letters of Administration, Dower Records, guardianship's and more, through about 1936. The set of 452 images consists of three separate quasi-chronological alphabetical indexes. You may need to check all three:
  • 1st index: "Index to Estate Files" or "Early 1800 Register" begins with image 3 of 452
  • 2nd index: "Index to Files, First Book" begins with image 39 of 452
  • 3rd index: "Index to Files, Second Book" begins with image 251 of 452

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Town Records

Town records in New York may include early births, marriages, deaths, divorces, local histories, selected military records, and town meeting minutes. Vital records from 1880/1882 are kept by town and village clerks, although some (Kent’s and Putnam Valley’s) are available in the County Historian’s Office. See:

  • New York Towns, Villages, and Cities: A Guide to Genealogical Sources by Gordon L. Remington. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2002. FS Library Book 974.7 D27r; At various libraries (WorldCat); Alphabetical list including date founded, if a town history exists, church and cemetery sources, and if a Civil War register (TCR) exists.

Vital Records

Vital records of birth, marriage or death were first recorded at the local level in the village clerk, town clerk, or city clerk’s ledger book. In 1880, town clerks were to record the marriage and a copy was sent to the New York State Department of Health (state level). The marriages in this county were recorded by the county clerk from 1908 until 1935.[10] If you know where a birth, marriage or death took place, a copy of the certificate or record may be obtained by writing to the town, village or city clerk.


Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Divorce judgment papers often include date and place of the marriage and the names and birthdates of any children. Local newspapers may publish notices of divorce actions.

  • Pre–1787 All divorces were granted by the governor or legislature and were very rare.
  • 1787–1847 All divorces were granted by the court of chancery. These records are found in the New York State Archives or for the New York City area at the New York County Clerk's office.These divorces were granted only on the grounds of adultery.
  • 1847–present All divorces are handled by the county Supreme Court where the divorce was granted. Divorce files in New York are sealed for 100 years. Contact the County Clerk for information about divorce records.

Voting Records

Research Facilities

Archives

Cornell University. New York Historical Resources Center, Guide to Historical Resources in Essex County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1987). At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.755 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

County Historian
Franklin County Historian
51 Milwaukee St
Malone, NY 12953
Phone: 518-483-2750
Website

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area. The Historical Society collections: 16th Regiment Civil War Papers, Adirondack history, Cemetery information, Census records, Town Directories and Phone Books, Early assessment rolls, Family folders with individual genealogies, Published/Bound Genealogies, Rep. Clarence Kilburn papers – 48 linear feet, Maps, Obituaries, Pre-1900 newspapers, Scrapbooks, School yearbooks, Town and county histories, and Vital records. See online information.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Clinton Essex Franklin Library Systemconsists of 34 public libraries in the counties of Clinton, Essex, and Franklin. Each library has access to genealogical databases - especially newspaper sites. Many are accessible with your library card from home. A list of the libraries in this system and their
Website and contact information is found here.

Akwesasne Library and Cultural Center
321 St. Rt. 37
Hogansburg, NY 13655
Fax: 518-358-2649
Phone: 518-358-2240
Website

Has a large Native American collection which contains information on native people throughout the United States and Canada, has local history books and newspapers and a large collection of photographs.

Chateaugay Memorial Library
4 John Street
P.O. Box 10
Chateaugay, NY 12920
Phone: 518-497-0400
Website

Has the records of Chateaugay from 1881–1995 on microfilm, scrapbooks, pamphlets, clippings, archival records, pictures, and cemetery records.

Saranac Lake Free Library
109 Main Street
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
Phone: 518-891-4190
Website

Has federal data for Essex, Franklin, Clinton, and St. Lawrence counties for 1850-1920. Also has state census data for 1855-1925. The Adirondack Research Center is found in the basement of the library. It houses many Adirondack historical materials, including books of cemetery inscriptions for southern Franklin County. One microfilm reader is available. Some church records and an obituary index for the Tri-Lakes area.>

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Franklin County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see New York Societies.
Franklin County Historical and Museum Society
51 Milwaukee Street
P.O. Box 388
Malone, New York 12953
Phone: 518-483-2750
Website

Collection includes: Cemetery information, census records, town directories and phone books, family folders with individual genealogies, obituaries, pre-1900 newspapers, school yearbooks, town and county histories, early assessment rolls, and vital records.

The Adirondack Genealogical – Historical Society
Phone: 518-891-0807

they have an obituary database extracted from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and will search for you by phone. They also have some church records, census records on Franklin and surrounding counties, local directories, and cemetery information up to 2000.
Website

Chateaugay Historical Society
191 East Main St
P.O. Box 123
Chateaugay, NY 12920
Phone: 518-497-6685
Open April to October on Wednesdays and Saturdays Has local church vitals, cemetery listings, family genealogies, historical photographs and documents relating to town history.

Central New York Genealogical Society
Box 104, Colvin Station
Syracuse, NY 13205
Email: contact@cnygs.org
Web Contact Form
Website

Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks (At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.7 B2t) quarterly with annual index.
Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 489. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Franklin County, New York" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_County,_New_York, accessed 19 Nov 2018
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Franklin County, New York. Page 488-493 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 490-492.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 489. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Franklin County, New York," in "Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_County,_New_York, accessed 10 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Arlene Eakle, and Johni Cerni, The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1984), 103. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27ts.
  7. ↑ Handybook, 847-61.
  8. ↑ Frederick Phisterer, New York in the War of the Rebellion, 3rd ed. (Albany, N.Y.: J. B. Lyon Company, 1912). Internet Archive digital copy; At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Film 1486494-96; Fiche 6083559-64; Book 974.7 M2p.
  9. ↑ Alice Eichholz, Red Book: American State, County and Town Sources, 3rd ed. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Pub., 2004), 479. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27rb 2004. Henry B. Hoff, "Navigating New York Probate," American Ancestors 12 (Fall 2011): 54.
  10. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 488-493. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
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