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Tioga County, New York

County Court, Probate, Land & Tax Records  •  County Census Records
County Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
County Cemeteries & Graveyards  •  County Church & Bible Records

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Tioga County was created in 1791 and formed from Montgomery County . Tioga County was named for a Native American word meaning "at the forks," describing a meeting place and the County Seat is Owego.

The Tioga County Courthouse is located atlocated on Courthouse Square, between Main & Front Streets, with Court Street to the east and Park Street to the west. and the Official County Website is located at http://www.tiogacountyny.com/.

Tioga County Borders Cortland County (Northeast), Broome County (East), Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, Bradford County, Pennsylvania (South), Chemung County (West), Tompkins County (Northwest) .

Tioga County Municipalities: Apalachin (hamlet), Barton (town), Berkshire (town), Candor (town), Candor (village), Newark Valley (town), Newark Valley (village), Nichols (town), Nichols (village), Owego (village), Owego (town), Richford (town), Spencer (town), Spencer (village), Tioga (town), Waverly (village) . Town Clerks are responsible for vast amounts of local information from deeds, property transfers, and genealogical materials. Research on place and road names, the history of property transfers and much more are available through your Town Clerk. They are a tremendous resources.

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County Court, Probate and Tax Records

See Also New York Court, Land, Tax & Probate Records and Marriage Records

Tioga County Clerk has Land & Court Records from 1791 and is located at 16 Court St., P.O. Box 307, Owego, NY 13827; Phone: (607) 687-8660, Fax: (607) 687-4612   .

The county clerk is the keeper of most civil and criminal trial court records for Supreme Court and County Court, naturalizations, marriages (1908–35), censuses (Some county clerks' offices hold duplicate copies of some of the State censuses taken periodically between 1825 and 1925 and copies of the federal census), as well as deeds and mortgages.

Land conveyances (deeds and mortgages) are recorded in the county clerks' offices or in the New York City Register's Office. Recording of deeds became mandatory statewide in 1840. Before that many deeds were not recorded.

Marriages Prior to 1784 couples intending to marry were required to obtain licenses from and file bonds with the provincial secretary, if the impending marriage was not announced in a church. These Marriage Bonds were mostly destroyed in the 1911 Capitol fire. Published abstracts are available in Names of persons for whom marriage licenses were issued by the secretary of the province of New York, previous to 1784. (Albany: 1860; repr. with supplements 1984); and in New York Marriage Bonds, 1753-1783, comp. Kenneth Scott (New York: 1972).

Naturalization records are created by the Federal and State courts. State court naturalization records generally remain in custody of the county clerks. Older Federal court naturalization records have been transferred to the National Archives. Photocopies of naturalization documents and indexes for New York City for the period 1792-1906 (both Federal and State courts) are held by the National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.

Tioga County Surrogate Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1798 and is located at Court Annex Building, 20 Court St, P.O. Box 10, Owego, NY 13827; 607-687-1303 .

The Surrogate's Court in each county generally has records dating back to the establishment of the county or 1787, whichever was later. Record keeping was systematized by an 1830 statute. Surrogate's Courts maintain records of wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, orders and decrees, and appointments of guardians; and filed papers, including original wills, petitions for probate (gives date of death and lists next of kin), performance bonds, property inventories (seldom found after ca. 1900), administrator's or executor's accountings, etc. Surrogate's Courts create comprehensive indexes to records and files.

In recent decades many courts have ceased recording documents in books and substituted microfilm recording. Some courts have disposed of old property inventories, which have no continuing legal value. Most Surrogate's Court records are retained permanently because they may document title to real property or the legal status of individuals. Surrogate's Court records statewide occupy over 200,000 cubic feet, with over half a million record retrievals yearly. The court is authorized to charge substantial fees for records searches conducted by court staff. Prior to that time most estates were handled in New York City, the capital until 1797. Before 1787, some wills were recorded in the counties and occasionally in town records.

Tioga County Historian is located at PO Box 307, 16 Court Street, Owego, NY 13827 .In New York State, every municipality (town, city, village, county) must have an appointed historian. Most of the towns have their own historians as well and each can be contacted. A county historian may be appointed for each county, check for availability.

Below is a list of online resources resources for Tioga County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Research In Vital Records or Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in New York

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! The New York State Department of Health does not file records of births and deaths that occurred in New York City and marriage licenses that were obtained in New York City. To obtain information about genealogy services available for New York City records, please visit the New York City Municipal Archivesweb page.

New York State Dept of Health, Vital Records Section, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12237; (518) 474-3077, (518) 474-3038 Information, Fax: (518) 432-6286, Vital records registration started in New York State outside of New York City in 1881. Please allow up to approximately 7-8 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. Generally, the New York State Department of Health provides uncertified copies of the following types of records for genealogy research purposes:

  • Birth, Marriage & Death Certificates: Birth, Marriage & Death records maintained by New York State Dept of Health, since 1881 through the present. Genealogy copies are available for Birth records if on file for at least 75 years and the person whose name is on the certificate is known to be deceased. Genealogy copies are available for Marriage & Death records if on file for at least 50 years and the person whose name is on the certificate is known to be deceased. Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index
  • Divorce Certificates: Divorce Certificates from Jan 1963. If the records are not available at the State office, they should be available from the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Since 1847 divorce actions in New York have been handled in the supreme court for the county in which the divorce was heard. New York divorce files, however, are sealed for one hundred years. In colonial times, petitions for divorce had to be made to the governor or legislature, and only a few were granted. The court of chancery granted divorces from 1787 to 1847. These older records are in the State Archives. Divorce records dating prior to July 1, 1847, are filed either at the New York State Archives (upstate counties) or the New York County Clerk's Office, 31 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007; phone (212) 374-4376 (downstate counties).
  • Cost: The cost of a birth, marriage or death record is $22.00, Divorce Certificates are $30 - Fee is for verification only. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $22.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
  • Processing Time: 7-8 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 days by ordering from Vital Records from Archives.com: Order Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records Online!
  • Exceptions: The New York State Department of Health does not file records of birth, death and marriage from the Cities of Albany, Buffalo and Yonkers prior to January 1, 1914. To obtain records from these municipalities contact the Local Registrar for birth and death record requests or the City Clerk for marriage record requests. The addresses follow:
    • For birth and death record requests Order Online or submit request to the Local Registrar of the appropriate city:
      City of Albany, Room 254M, City Hall, Albany, NY 12207
      City of Buffalo, Room 1308, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
      City of Yonkers, Room 107, City Hall, Yonkers, NY 10701
    • For marriage record requests Order Online or submit request to the City Clerk of the appropriate city:
      City Clerk, City of Albany, Room 202, City Hall, Albany, NY 12207
      City Clerk, City of Buffalo, Room 1308, 65 Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY 14202
      City Clerk, City of Yonkers, Room 107, City Hall, Yonkers, NY 10701
  • Ordering Vital Records - You can also order
  • Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Certificates to mail.
  • Order In Person:  The Vital Records Office provides eligible applicants with copies of birth and death certificates for births and deaths in New York State outside of New York City (1881-present), marriage licenses obtained in New York State outside of New York City (1880-present) and dissolution of marriage certificates for all of New York State (1963-present). The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office at 800 North Pearl Street, 2nd Floor - Room 200, Menands, NY 12204. The Vital Records customer service lobby is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Eastern time, excluding holidays.
  • Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "New York Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section, Genealogy Unit, P.O. Box 2602, Albany, NY 12220-2602. Please include return address on envelope and application form (Birth Certificate, Death Certificate, Marriage Certificate or Divorce Certificate.

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Census Records for New York

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Tioga County, New York are 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Tioga County, New York are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Census Records by clicking the link below:

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County Maps & Atlases

See Also Statewide Maps that exist for New York

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Maps. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Maps by clicking the link below:

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County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in New York

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other New York Genealogical Addresses

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Submit a website for Tioga Co. Genealogical Addresses
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  • New York State Archives and Records Administration, The State Education Department, Cultural Education Center, 11th Floor; Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; (518) 474-8955, [EMAIL]
    Referred to here as the New York State Archives for brevity, it was the last such archives to be established in the United States. It houses land and court records, military and tax records, New York state vital records indexes, pre-settlement survey maps, and legislative records.
  • New York State Library, Cultural Education Center, 7th Floor, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12230; The state library has a large collection of published and manuscript material on New York, including genealogies and local histories, federal and state censuses, city directories, and periodicals. It is also one of the two depositories for the State of New York DAR collection.
  • The New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 122 East 58th Street, New York, New York 10022-1939; 212-755-8532, Fax: 212-754-4218; A private society, the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society publishes the NYG&B Newsletter and a quarterly, The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Its library holds much New York State and related material, both for New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. For New York there are censuses, federal and state; a large manuscript collection of church, cemetery, Bible, and other records; and an extensive amount of published family and local histories. Nonmembers can use the library for a small fee, but only members have access to the stacks, manuscripts, and microforms. The library provides a list of area researchers.
  • New York State Historical Association, West Lake Road, P.O. Box 800, Cooperstown, New York, 13326-0800
  • National Archives--Northeast Region, 201 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014.
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • New York Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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County County Cemeteries & Graveyards

See Also Research In Cemetery Records or Statewide Cemetery Links for New York

There are many churches and cemeteries in Tioga County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Tioga County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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County Church & Bible Records

See Also Research In Church Records or Statewide Cemetery Links for New York

 

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

Below is a list of online resources for Tioga County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Tioga County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Extended History

Tioga County's history is well documented in the various historical societies, preservation organizations, museums, libraries, schools and communities. Tioga County and her people have played important roles in regional, state, and national events.

Trolley & Athens Tractor CoTioga County was once home to the Cayuga and Onondaga tribes of the Iroquois confederacy. Owego saw events from the American Revolution unfold as the contingents of the Sullivan and Clinton Armies burned the Iroquois villages in August 1779. By 1784, James McMaster, a veteran of the revolution who came through the area with the Sullivan and Clinton campaign, began to cultivate crops and trade with the Native Americans living on the banks of the Susquehanna River.

McMaster, and Amos Draper, an itinerant trader, and the first permanent white settler were soon accompanied by other pioneers in Tioga County. Samuel and William Ransom, Prince and Andrew Alden, Samuel Brown, Isaac Harris, Ebenezer Ellis, Pelatiah Pierce, James Cole, Daniel Ball, Elisha Wilson, Ezbon Jenks, and Asa Bement were just a few of the hearty pioneers who would clear the land and establish roots before 1800.

The Glove FactoryAs more people settled in the area, there became a need for law and order. James McMaster would become Tioga County's first sheriff in 1791. The political boundaries of the county would fluctuate through time as the state and nation began to grow, industrialize, and diversify.

As the first half of the 19th century drew to a close, Tioga County sent men to fight the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. It had established infrastructure consisting of roads, turnpikes, bridges, toll roads, steamboats, ferries, stagecoach lines, and the second oldest railroad in the state. County residents learned of events and news via newspapers, such as the Owego Gazette, or heard from family and friends through the mail service traveling along the Catskill Turnpike.

As the second half of the 19th century began the winds of controversy grew stronger over sectional diversity, states rights, taxation, and slavery. After four years of bloody strife had ended in 1865, Tioga County celebrated her heroes and mourned her losses. Men from Tioga County would serve in all branches of the military during the Civil War. Many would comprise the companies of the 109th and 137th New York State Volunteers. Men such as Generals Tracy and Catlin of the 109th, and Captain Barager of the 137th. Many of these men such as Sergeant Amos Humiston would lose their lives at Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Peach Tree Creek.

With the reconstruction of the nation came the industrial boom and new ideas about commerce, society, and the rights of women. Women who had served on the home front during the war between the states such as Sarah Palmer, affectionately known as Aunt Becky by her boys of the 109th, and Esther McQuigg Morris, the first woman to hold a public office in the U.S., began to question their status in life. Vast amounts of money were being made by the Captains of Industry, or as the newly forming labor unions called them, the Robber Barons. Men like John D. Rockefeller of Richford who would create the Standard Oil Company, becoming the richest man in the world.

The Cady HomeStill others, like Raphael Pumpelly, made contributions to the field of geology. Henry Martyn Robert would revise his Robert's Rules of Order used in parliamentary proceedings, and Thomas Collier Platt, New York State Republican Boss and later U.S. Senator, would determine who would remain in power and become the next president of the United States.

By the time Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as President of the United States after the assassination of William McKinleyin 1901, Tioga County was prospering. Men had once again answered the call of duty during theSpanish-American War in 1898, railroads spanned the country, slavery had been abolished, telephone and electric lines were being strung, the Owego Champion Wagon Works had begun building automobiles, and reunions for the veterans of the Civil War had been held on Hiawatha Island at the Hiawatha Hotel. The dawn of the 20th century would bring new challenges to the next generation.

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