Seneca County, New York Genealogy

United States

New York

Seneca County

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

New York Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Waterloo Organized: March 24, 1804 Parent County(s): Cayuga Neighboring Counties Cayuga • Ontario • Schuyler • Tompkins • Wayne • Yates See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

The county was named for the Iroquois (Seneca) that occupied part of the region. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Seneca County Courthouse
48 West Williams St
Waterloo, NY 13165
Phone: 315-835-6229
Seneca County Website

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

Seneca 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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1880	1880	1880	1900	1804	1804	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

Parent County(s): Created from Cayuga on March 24, 1804. County Seat: Waterloo New York Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county New York Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating New York 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:

Towns
Covert Fayette Junius Lodi	Ovid Romulus Seneca Falls Tyre	Varick Waterloo
Villages
Interlaken Lodi	Ovid	Waterloo (county seat)
Hamlets
Border City Bridgeport Canoga Caywood Covert Dobbins Corner Dublin	East Geneva East Varick Fayette Kendaia MacDougall Magee Malcom	Mays Point Townsendville Tyre Varick Willard
Census-designated places
Romulus	Seneca Falls

History Timeline

• 1817 - Land loss as Tompkins County is created from part of Seneca County and Cayuga County.
• 1819 - Some land regained from Tompkins County.
• 1823 - Land loss as Wayne County and Yates County are created.

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.
  

Biographies

• 1871 History of Seneca County with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, palatial residences, public buildings, and important manufactories. Everts, Ensign, and Everts Publishing, Philadelphia, PA, 1876. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Seneca County, New York online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave Tombstone Transcription Project BillionGraves Interment.net New York Gravestones NYGenWeb Cemeteries Names in Stone Linkpendium
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find A Grave FamilySearch Places
See New York Cemeteries for more information.

• 1800-1965 New York, Cemetery Abstracts, 1800-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	16,609	—
1820	23,619	42.2%
1830	21,041	−10.9%
1840	24,874	18.2%
1850	25,441	2.3%
1860	28,138	10.6%
1870	27,823	−1.1%
1880	29,278	5.2%
1890	28,227	−3.6%
1900	28,114	−0.4%
1910	26,972	−4.1%
1920	24,735	−8.3%
1930	24,983	1.0%
1940	25,732	3.0%
1950	29,253	13.7%
1960	31,984	9.3%
1970	35,083	9.7%
1980	33,733	−3.8%
1990	33,683	−0.1%
2000	33,342	−1.0%
2010	35,251	5.7%
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.
• 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.

State

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

Church Records

• See New York Church Records for more resources
• 1640-1962 New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1795-1952 New York Deaths and Burials, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1853-1879 Isaac Easterbrook, Account Book of the Reverend Isaac Easterbrook (198-). FS Library Book 974.7 K2e and Fiche 6047981. Consists of a record of the marriages and funerals of the Rev. Isaac Easterbrook in southern Seneca County, Schuyler County and nearby areas 1853-1879 with some account of the activities of this minister and fees paid him.
  
• Seneca County church records at Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York
• Church Records at NYGenWeb - Baptist, Catholic, Congregationalist, Disciples of Christ, Episcopal, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant, Presbyterian, Reformed, and Society of Friends

Baptist

• 1854-1855 Seneca County Members of the New York Baptist Union for Ministerial Education 1854-1855, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
  

Reformed

• Mac Neal Dutch Reformed Cemetery, Seneca County, N.Y.: Vital Records. 1986. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Bradley, A. Day. "Records of Junius Friends Monthly Meeting, Seneca and Wayne Counties, New York," National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 69, No. 1 (Mar. 1981):15-26. Digital version at National Genealogical Society website ($); FS Library Book 973 B2ng v. 69 (1981).
  

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places

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.

• 1892-1893 Reports of Coroners, Seneca County N.Y., 1892-93 at Archives.
  
• 1895 Reports of Coroners, Seneca County N.Y., 1895 at Archives].
  

Emigration and Immigration

• 1906-1942 New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Funeral Homes

Coe-Genung Funeral Home in Waterloo Covert Funeral Home in Ovid Doran Funeral Home in Seneca Falls Doran Funeral Home in Waterloo Hurlbut Funeral Home in Interlaken Mull Funeral Home in Waterloo Sanderson-Moore Funeral Home Inc in Seneca Falls

Land and Property Records

• See New York Land and Property for more resources.

Local Histories

In 1848, Seneca County New York was the site of the first Women's Rights Convention. Abolitionist and Quaker women of Seneca County met together and called for the convention. Five women organized the First Women's Rights Convention - Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Martha Wright, Mary Ann M'Clintock, and Jane Hunt. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Mary Ann M'Clintock met in the M'Clintock home to write the first draft of the Declaration of Sentiments, a document modeled after the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Sentiments declared men and women as created equal and called for women to receive the right to vote. In addition, the M'Clintock family used their home as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of New York (1683-1915)
• 1850 Gibson Map of Seneca County Shows Towns - May need highspeed internet connection. You must zoom into the image with your browser. (Cayuga County NYGenWeb)
  
• Seneca County Towns 1847 - Geography of the state of New York, 1847 Seneca County (Source: Google Books)
  
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration

Early migration routes to and from Seneca County for European settlers included:

• Great Genesee Road 1794
  
• Erie Canal 1825

Military Records

Civil War

• 1861-1865 New York, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch —How to Use this Collection; index & images at partner site

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: Fayette · Junius · Lodi · Ovid · Romulus · Seneca Falls · Varick · Waterloo.

Regiments. Service men in Seneca County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county.

- 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company G.

- 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company K.

- 14th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company E.

- 22nd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company I.

- 33rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C and K.

- 55th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, F, G and I.

- 75th Regiment, New York Infantry

- 85th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.

- 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company B.

- 126th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, F and I.

- 148th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E and H.

- 160th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.

- 175th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D and E.

- 189th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company C.

- 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1791-1980 New York, County Naturalization Records, 1791-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1872-1878 New York, Record of Naturalized Voters Registered, 1872-1878 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1907-1966 New York, Western District, Naturalization Index, 1907-1966 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images at partner site

Newspapers

• 1800-1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry ($) – index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.
  
• 1801-1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry ($) – index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."
  
• Old Fulton Postcards; Free search-able web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York.
• 1813-1850 Fred Q. Bowman,10,000 Vital Records of Central New York, 1813-1850 (Baltimore, MD:Genealogical Pub. Co., 1986). FS Library Book 974.7 V2bf; At various libraries (WorldCat); Online at: Ancestry ($); MyHeritage ($); Abstracted from newspaper marriage and death columns.
  
• 1822-1869 Finch, Jesse Howell. Vital Records from the Ovid Bee: Published at Ovid Village, Seneca Co., N.Y., 1822-1869. The J. Finch Committee, 1971. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1856-1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry ($) – index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
  

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. See New York Probate Records for online resources, details, links, and more.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

• 1830-1911 Listed as "Stanley I. Reynolds Collection" (transcript). FS Library Film 812847.
  
• 1626-1836 Calendar of Wills On File and Recorded in the Offices of the Clerk of the Court of Appeals, of the County Clerk at Albany, and of the Secretary of State, 1626-1836 at FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at: Ancestry ($), American Ancestors ($)
• 1629-1971 New York Probate Records, 1629-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
• 1659-1999 New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
• 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at American Ancestors ($).
• 1804-1813 Wills and Letters of Administration, 1804-1813 Book A, Surrogate's Office, County Court House, Waterloo, courtesy: NYGenWeb.
  
• 1804-1904 SAMPUBCO Browsable index of testators of wills (1804-1904).
  
• 1866-1923 New York, Kings County Estate Files, 1866-1923 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1629-1971 New York Probate Records, 1629-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
• Probate Records on Microfilm
  
• 1804-1923 Probate Records FS Library Film 843627 (35 films)

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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

• See New York Vital Records for more databases and information about obtaining 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.

Birth

• 1640-1962 New York Births and Christenings, 1640-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1881-1942 New York, Birth Indexes Outside of New York City, 1881-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1881-1942 New York, Birth Index, 1881-1942 at Ancestry ($) — index
• 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive - images of index

Marriage

• 1639-1962 New York, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
• 1664-1784 Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784, by New York. Secretary of State. Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1860. FS Library Film 514675 Item 1 or 930131 Item 2; At various libraries (WorldCat); Online at: Cornell University, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.
  
• 1686-1980 New York Marriages, 1686-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1847-1936 New York, County Marriages, 1847-1848; 1908-1936 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive - images of index
• 1908-1935 New York Marriages, 1908-1935 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Death

• 1824-1962 New York, Church and Civil Deaths, 1824-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
• 1880-1956 New York, State Death Index, 1880-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1880-1956 New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry ($) — index only
  
• 1880-1956 Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive - images of index
• 1892-1893 Reports of Coroners, Seneca County N.Y., 1892-93 at Archives.
  
• 1895 Reports of Coroners, Seneca County N.Y., 1895 at Archives].
  
• 1957-1963 New York State Health Department, Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index

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

• 1872-1878 New York, Record of Naturalized Voters Registered, 1872-1878 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Research Facilities

Archives

• See New York Archives and Libraries for state-wide archive facilities.

Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Seneca County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1980). At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 974.769 A3g. Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

County Historian
Seneca County Historian
1 DiPronio Drive
Waterloo, New York 13165
Phone: 315-539-1785
Email: wgable@co.seneca.ny.us

Genealogical Resources: 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.

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

• Auburn New York FamilySearch Center
• Fayette New York FamilySearch Center
• Geneva Public Library - an affiliate library
• Wood Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

• See New York Archives and Libraries for state-wide library facilities.

Waterloo Library and Historical Society
31 E. Williams St.
Waterloo, NY 13165
Phone: 315-539-3313
Website

The Waterloo library is the oldest library building in the state that has had continuous use. The Terwilliger Museum is an annex of the library.

Museums

The National Memorial Day Museum
35 East Main Street
Waterloo, NY 13165
Phone: 315-539-9611
Website

Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry
89 Fall Street
P.O. Box 388
Seneca Falls, NY 13148
Phone: 315-568-1510
Email: staff@senecamuseum.com
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Seneca County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see New York Societies.

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; publishes 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

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

• Seneca County USGW Archives
• Ancestry
• Seneca County NYGenWeb
• Seneca County Links (GenealogyLinks)
• Seneca County Links (New York Genealogy)
• Seneca County Genealogy (ldsgenealogy.com)
• Seneca County Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.