Local History
Orange County, NY & Middletown, NY
- Assessment Rolls for Orange County (1775)
- Audio Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Middletown
- Provided by Middletown Rotary Club in cooperation with Frontier Communications. Direct link to printable PDF (view with the free Adobe Reader).
- Chester Historical Society
- Includes exhibits, history of Chester, photos, videos, etc.
- The Concise History of Orange County
- D & H Canal Historical Society, High Falls
- The Digital Archives of Josephine Louise Public Library
- Searchable digitization of the Citizen Herald newspaper of Walden, NY from 1926 through 1972.
- Erie Railway, Middletown Station Photographs
- From the Library of Congress: a collection of seven public domain images documenting the railroad station (now the Thrall Library) as it was in 1971.
- The Erie Railroad - "The Work of the Age"
- Greater Hudson Heritage Network
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- History of Orange County by Russel Headley
- A digitized book that was first published in 1908, located on Archive.org.
- The History of Orange County Fair Speedway Middletown, New York
- Articles and photographs of the "oldest continuously operating dirt track in the United States." From Victory Speedway.
- The History of Orange County, New York (1881) by Edward Manning Ruttenber and Lewis H. Clark
- Published in 1881, and contributed to Archive.org by the Library of Congress. Available to read online or to download in a number of formats.
- History of the Town of Wallkill
- By Dorothy Hunt-Ingrassia, Historian
- Local Newspapers on Microfilm Reels at Middletown Thrall Library
- Historical newspapers include: Banner of Liberty, City Directories, Middletown Argus, Middletown Daily Press, Middletown Daily Herald, Middletown Daily Record, Middletown Evening Press, Middletown Independent, Middletown Orange County Times, Middletown Times Herald, Middletown Times Herald Record, Middletown Times Press, Orange County Press, Orange County Star Eagle, Whig Press.
- Making of America Journals Collection: A History of Deerpark
- View entire Making of America collection at this link.
- Middletown, A Photographic History
- "Middletown: A Retrospect of the Years"
- A concise history of Middletown, New York.
- "Middletown Firsts"
- Learn about when many things first came to be in Middletown, NY, such as the first school, first road, and first settler.
- "Middletown, New York: A Historical Sketch"
- A brief history of Middletown, NY from Peter Laskaris, Middletown City Historian.
- Middletown: Metropolis of Orange County
- A booklet from 1960 created by the Business Men's Association of Middletown highlighting many of the prominant features of the city.
- Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital (Middletown Psychiatric Center)
- This page has a collection of digital documents relating to the history of the State Hospital in Middletown, New York.
- Middletown Thrall Library, Local History
- The 124th New York State Volunteers "Orange Blossoms"
- Orange County Fair Speedway History
- "A calendar with a list of events that have happened over the years at the Orange County Fair Speedway. The list runs from January 1st to December 31st and in between is some important achievements and dates of things that happened concerning the Harry Clay Oval, Victory Speedway and OCFS - the Orange County Fair Speedway." From Jeff Lambert's Dirt Track Racing. See also their page on Harry Clay.
- Orange County Historic Sites and Attractions
- An Outline History of Orange County by Samuel W. Eager
- A digitized book originally published in 1846, located on Archive.org.
- "Post Cards" - from the Centennial Celebration of Middletown, NY, 1888-1988
- Scotchtown Highlander
- Archived website (via archive.org). History, maps, news, government and other information concerning the area in the Town of Wallkill known as Scotchtown. Some of the site is still under construction.
- State of New York State Hospital Bulletin" (on Google Books)
- This collection of newsletters printed between 1912- 1915 contains a great deal about the cases and treatments involved in the Middletown State Hospital, including case histories that occurred prior to the newsletter's printing. To find specific information use the "Search in this book" bar. Information about specific individuals who were treated are only referred to by their initials rather than first name and can be searched by entering them in with a period and space after each letter; their identity can be confirmed if other information about their personal history is known and matches up with the case description. Information on Middletown State Hospital in general can be found by searching for "Middletown."
- Sugar Loaf Historical
- Includes photographs, one of which is a painting by Jasper Cropsey, of Sugar Loaf, postcards, history, maps, etc.
- U.S. Military Academy Library Digital Collection
- Warwick Valley Facts and History
- Warwick Valley History (Town of Warwick & Sugar Loaf)
- From the Albert Wisner Library
Hudson Valley
- The Catskills Institute
- Non-profit organization dedicated to understanding the past and perserving the record of Jewish life in the Catskills
- DigitalHudson (Fordham University)
- A repository of resources on the Hudson River
- Historic River Towns
- Historic Sites of the Hudson Valley
- History Keepers' Companion
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- The History of Hudson River Ferry Service
- Historic Hudson Valley
- Historic Hudson Valley Manuscript Collections, 1585-1938
- Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area
- A federally funded program created by Congress in 1996.The mission of the Heritage Area is to recognize, preserve, protect, and interpret the nationally significant cultural and natural resources of the Hudson River Valley for the benefit of the nation.
- Hudson River - History
- The Hudson River PCB Story
- Hudson River Valley Heritage
- The Hudson River Valley Institute (Marist College)
- The digital library contains documents, lesson plans, and related links.
- Hudson Valley Ruins
- Local Newspapers
- The Loyal American Regiment
- New York Loyalists from lower Dutchess and Westchester counties.
- Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project
- History of antislavery in the Mid-Hudson Valley, with special emphasis on the Underground Railroad.
- New Paltz History
- Rockland Room at the New City Library
- A Virtual Trip on the Historic Hudson River
- Westchester County Archives
Maps - Historic Maps
From the Library of Congress:- "Map of that Part of Orange County lying to the north of the mountains of the highlands..."
- (177?-?).
- (Parts of) Orange and Rockland Counties (1779)
- Orange County (before 1810)
- Middletown (1874)
- Middletown (1887)
- Middletown (1921)
- Middletown (1922)
Other Maps:
- Atlas of Orange County
- An atlas from 1903 digitized by the Tuxedo Park Library, originally published by A. H. Mueller & Co.
- County Atlas of Orange, New York (1875)
- An atlas from 1857 digitized by the Tuxedo Park Library, from surveys by or under direction of F. W. Beers.
- Minisink Valley Historical Society - Maps of the Minisink Region
New York State
- Albany Institute of Historical Art
- Colonial Money of New York
- Existing Railroad Stations in New York
- Historical Newspapers from New York State
- Official name of site is Old Fulton New York Post Cards. "Search Over 21,790,000 Old New York State Historical Newspaper Pages." Full text search with advanced options. Pages are presented as PDF files. An index of newspapers can be found at this link.
- A History of Kingston
- Local Histories by the New York State Library
- Making of America
- New York Heritage
- "NewYorkHeritage.org is a research portal for students, educators, historians, genealogists, and others who are interested in the Empire State's history."
- New York History Net
- New York State Archives
- View digital copies of some photograghs, documents, and videos from the collections of the New York State Archives. Guides, fact sheets and finding aids to the records in the New York State Archives and other repositories can be found from here also.
- New York State Hall of Governors
- New York State Historical Literature
- A collection of historical texts about New York, digitized by Cornell University Library.
- NYS Historic Newspapers
- "The NYS Historic Newspapers project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York's unique history. To search the entire collection, use the Search Tab. Or, click on a county to search or browse geographically." From the Northern New York Library Network. (Also available at www.nyshn.org).
- Trolley Museum of NY
- Kingston
- Two Hundred Years on the Erie Canal
- "The Erie Canal is one of the most famous man-made bodies of water in the world. Designed, financed, built, operated, and maintained by the people of New York, the canal was one of the largest public works projects ever attempted anywhere in the world when the first shovel of earth was turned near Rome, New York, on July 4, 1817." Digital exhibit from the Digital Public Library of America.
Historical Societies
- Columbia County Historical Society
- This website includes sections on collections, research,etc. with genealogical resources and an online index to cemetery books.
- Drowned Lands Historical Society
- History of the Black Dirt Region in the Hudson Valley.
- Historical Society of Rockland County
- The Historical Society of the Town of Warwick, NY
- Includes Warwick history, photo gallery, archival materials.
- Historical Society of Walden & the Wallkill Valley
- The website includes a tour of Walden House, where the His. Soc. is located, and a reprint of a booklet on the history of Walden.
- Huguenot Historical Society
- Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz.
- Middletown & New Jersey Railway Historical Society
- Minisink Valley Historical Society
- New York State Historical Association
- North Jersey Highlands Historical Society
- Ontario & Western Railway Historical Society
- Sullivan County Historical Society
- Sussex County Historical Society
- Large collection of genealogical material related to families from Sussex County and the surrounding area)
Museums / Historic Sites
Orange County
- Bull Stone House
- Bull Stone House is a living museum that has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Gomez Mill House Virtual Museum
- Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame
- History and other information on racing horses. The Museum is located in Goshen, NY.
- History Keepers' Companion
- The subtitle is "Guide to Sites and Sources of the Greater Hudson Heritage Network". Includes a brief history, historic sites, area historians, and libraries for the counties of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Ulster, Westchester and Western Connecticut.
- Hoffman Lodge No. 412, F&AM, Free & Accepted Masons
- This website includes "A History of the Hoffman Lodge No. 412 F & AM The First 150 Years" which was written to commemorate the sesquicentennial on April 21, 2007.
- Museum Village (Monroe, NY)
- New York State Museum
- Albany, New York.
- Neversink Valley Area Museum
- O & W Museum
- Orange County Firefighters Museum
- The museum website includes firematic exhibits, a list of Orange County Fire Departments/Companies, stories and memories, and links to other fire museums.
Hudson Valley
- Columbia County, NY
- Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill
- Hudson River Maritime Museum
- Mount Gulian
- Includes history of the Wappinger Indians and of the Dutch family Verplanck. Mount Gulian was used during the Revolutionary War by Gen. Von Steuben, who helped to create the Society of the Cincinnati.
- Revolutionary War Heritage Trail Sites in the Hudson Valley
- Roscoe O&W Railway Museum
New York State
- Empire State Railway Museum
- Old Rhinebeck Museum
- Antique Aeroplanes
- Susan B. Anthony House
- (Rochester, NY)
- Women's Rights National Historical Park
- (Seneca Falls, NY)
Newspapers
Newspaper Databases
- Newspaper Databases
- Available to members of Thrall. Historical and select contemporary New York / national newspapers. Includes Newspaper Archive.
Newspapers Online
- Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers
- Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
- Historical Newspapers from New York State
- Official name of site is Old Fulton New York Post Cards. "Search Over 21,790,000 Old New York State Historical Newspaper Pages." Full text search with advanced options. Pages are presented as PDF files. An index of newspapers can be found at this link.
- NYS Historic Newspapers
- "The NYS Historic Newspapers project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York's unique history. To search the entire collection, use the Search Tab. Or, click on a county to search or browse geographically." From the Northern New York Library Network. (Also available at www.nyshn.org).
- Other Newspapers Online
- As listed in our Ready Reference Center.
Genealogy
Introduction to Genealogy & Genealogical Research
- Bibliographies and Guides
- "Guides to the genealogy collections of the Library of Congress, compiled by reference librarians and available in full text by selecting the desired link." From the Library of Congress. See also their main Genealogy page.
- Cyndi's List: Genealogical Information for Beginners
- Hints, tips, research topics, and more.
- Family History and Genealogy Resources
- "Find Census, immigration, and military records, and record-finding aids for genealogists and family historians." From USA.gov. See also their Vital Records / Documents page.
- "Browse hundreds of online genealogy courses to help you discover your family history." Choose courses by geographical location and topic. Includes introductory/beginners courses as well as advanced video lessons. From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Genealogists/Family Historians - Start Your Genealogy Research
- Information, documents, and tips and other information for both beginning and experienced genealogists. Provided by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
- Genealogy Research in Military Records
- From the U.S. National Archives.
- How Genealogy Works
- From How Stuff Works.
- How to Begin Tracing Your Family Tree
- From ThoughtCo.com.
- Research Tips: First Steps in Family History
- From The Federation of Family History Societies (FFHS).
New York State & Local
- Census Online - New York
- Cyndi's List: New York
- Ellis Island: The American Family Immigration History Center
- A free, searchable database of immigrants who came through the Port of New York from 1892-1924.
- Goshen Public Library: Obituaries
- Index to obituary listings of the Goshen Independent Republican from 1813 through the present.
- Hints for Starting Your Family Tree
- (NYSL)
- Long Island Genealogy
- The Making of America
- "The Cornell University Library Making of America Collection is a digital library of primary sources in American social history from the antebellum period through reconstruction. The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology."
- Middletown Thrall Library: Family Genealogies
- A bibliography of genealogical works available at Middletown Thrall Library's Local History Department. Adobe PDF format.
- Middletown Thrall Library: Local Family Names
- A list of local names of families maintained in our Local History Department's vertical file. Adobe PDF format.
- New York Heritage
- This site brings together accessible digital collections from libraries, museums and archives from all over NYS.
- New York State Department of Health: Genealogy Records & Resources
- Information about vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce certificates).
- New York State GenWeb
- New York State Library's Genealogy Gollection
- New York State Military Records
- Civil War, Mexican Border Conflict, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam.
- New York: Where History Goes on Record
- Free access to some New York State records for New York State residents. Enter your New York State zip code. "For free access to New York records, start your search then click on your results. You will be prompted to "Create a Free Account." DO NOT click on the "Subscribe" button or the "14-day Free Trial Offer" unless you are interested in access to all of Ancestry." From New York State Archives and Ancestry.com.
- New York State Wills
- Online New York Death Records, Indexes & Obituaries
- A Genealogy Guide for New York City and State
- The Poorhouse Story
- RootsWeb.com - Mailing Lists: New York
- Directory of discussion listservs where people can correspond electronically via e-mail.
- Sullivan County, NY Genealogy Page
- Vital Records: Where to Get Copies of Birth and Death Certificates in New York State
- From the New York State Department of Health
General Genealogical Sites
- 19 Places to Research Your Family Tree for Free
- Ancestry.com
- Please click here to access the Library Edition if you using one of the computers in Middletown Thrall Library.
- Cemetery Records Online
- DAR Library
- Daughters of the American Revolution
- Family Search
- From the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-Day Saints
- Family Tree Maker
- Genealogy.com
- Includes genealogy classes and a directory containing over 72,000 genealogy websites.
- The Genealogy Home Page
- Helm's Genealogy Toolbox
- International Society of Sons & Daughters of Slave Ancestry (ISDSA)
- Their goal is to identify and preserve African American family history.
- Jewish Genealogy: The Home of Jewish Genealogy
- Library of Congress: Local History & Genealogy Reading Room
- The Olive Tree Genealogy
- Free genealogical data online
- RootsWeb.com
- The Ships List
- U. S. GenWeb
Genealogical Societies
- Delaware County, NY Genealogical and History Site
- Genealogical Societies in New York State
- Genealogical Society of Rockland County
- National Genealogy Society
- The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
- Orange County Genealogical Society
- Polish Genealogical Society of New York State
- Ulster County Genealogy & History
- Ulster County Genealogical Society
- Westchester County Genealogical Society
Preserving Family Treasures
- Cylinder, Disc and Tape Care in a Nutshell
- From the Library of Congress.
- Preserving Your Family History Records Digitally
- From FamilySearch.org.
- Family Treasures
- Steps to take before a disaster happens to protect your family treasures. From the Library of Congress.
See also:
- Ready Reference: Antiques
- Ready Reference: Books
- Ready Reference: Collectibles
- Ready Reference: Photography - Preserving
Publishers & Bookstores
- Genealogy Publishing Company - New York Books
- Heritage Books
- Major publisher of genealogical and historical books.
- Higginson Book Company
- Hope Farm Press & Bookshop
- Excellent selection of local history books
- Kinship
- Publisher of NY genealogies
