This collection contains histories and directories of Chenango County, New York. These volumes provide crucial historical context that can help researchers uncover more records and develop a deeper understanding of their Chenango County ancestors.
Information about individuals can be found as well—apart from the names listed in the directories, many of the histories include biographical sketches, lists of county officers, and other details of the people that lived in the county.
Searches entered from this page will query all volumes in the collection. Read below for detailed information on the contents of each volume and waypoint links.
Gazetteer and business directory of Chenango County, N.Y., for 1869-70
This publication holds information on each town and many businesses throughout Chenango County. Researchers will also find historical advertisements that provide extra color and context to this era, and names of county and institutional officers.
Note that the business directory locations are not in contemporary address format—the directory was created before the house address format we are familiar with today was standardized and widely used.
Information that can be found for each town in the gazetteer section:
- Geography
- Types of churches in the town
- Types of businesses in the town
- Information on European settlers
- Notable residents
- Key infrastructure in the town
Information that can be found for each business in the business directory:
- First and last names
- Location of the business
- Occupation
The digital file is text searchable—searches entered from this page will query the full text of the volume. The images can also be browsed by clicking the waypoint links below.
Sections include:
Gazetteer
Afton | Bainbridge | Columbus | Coventry | German | Greene | Guilford | Lincklaen | McDonough | New Berlin | Norwich | North Norwich | Otselic | Oxford | Pharsalia | Pitcher | Plymouth | Preston | Sherburne | Smithville | Smyrna
Business Directory
Afton | Bainbridge | Columbus | Coventry | German | Greene | Guilford | Lincklaen | McDonough (Part 2) | New Berlin | North Norwich | Norwich | Otselic | Oxford | Pharsalia | Pitcher | Plymouth | Preston | Sherburne | Smithville | Smyrna
This book was written by Hamilton Child and published in 1869.
Norwich, New York (Chenango County) directory: Including Oxford and Sherburne, N.Y
This 1918 directory covers Norwich, the largest city in Chenango County.
Entries include the following information:
- First and last name
- Occupation
- Business names
- Street addresses
The digital file is text searchable—searches entered from this page will query the full text of the volume. The images can also be browsed.
Click here to browse images from this volume.
This directory was written and published by Calkin-Kelly Directory Co. in 1918.
Reminiscences, Anecdotes and Statistics of the Early Settlers and the 'Olden Time' in the Town of Sherburne, Chenango County, N.Y.
The history of the town of Sherburne in Chenango County is covered in this volume. The author, Joel Hatch Jr., was the son of one of the original settlers of Sherburne.
The digital file is text searchable—searches entered from this page will query the full text of the volume. The images can also be browsed by clicking the waypoint links below.
Sections include:
- Preface
- Introduction
- Pioneers
- The Town’s Firsts
- First Family | First Payment for their Lands | First School | First Justice of the Peace | The First Lawsuit | Judges | Circuit Court | Store | Carding Machine | Woolen Factory | Physicians | School House | Gospel and School Lands | Library | Wedding | Bridge | Ark | Chenango Canal | The Press | Census | Graduates of College | Citizens Who Became Preachers of the Gospel | Sherburneites Admitted to the Bar
- Sherburne’s Environment
- Native Americans
- Wild Animals
- Birds
- Products of the Soil
- Distilleries
- Church
- Last of the Original Proprietors
This book was written by Joel Hatch Jr. and published in 1862.
History of Chenango and Madison Counties, New York, Vol. 1
This volume focuses on the histories of Chenango and Madison counties.
Researchers can use this book to find historical information on Chenango County. Histories for some individual towns are available as well.
The digital file is text searchable—searches entered from this page will query the full text of the volume. The images can also be browsed by clicking the waypoint links below.
Please note due to its size, this volume has been split into 5 separate files, each labeled Part 1–5.
Sections include:
- History of Chenango County
- History of Towns in Chenango County
- Afton | Bainbridge | Coventry | Greene | Guilford | Oxford | Smithville | Norwich | Preston | McDonough | German | New Berlin |
This book was written by James H. Smith and published in 1880.
History of Chenango County
Information in this volume includes the divisions of each town, sketches of towns and important people of the county, and county seats in the village, towns, and cities of Chenango County. Information on the Native Americans that once lived in the area and details about Governor Clinton’s negotiation in purchasing and occupying the area that would become Chenango County are also included, among other details.
The digital file is text searchable—searches entered from this page will query the full text of the volume. The images can also be browsed.
Click here to access this volume.
This book was written by Hiram C. Clark and published in 1850.
Treasures of Chenango County
This brief volume contains information on Chenango County’s bright spots and achievements according to the Norwich Township Grange in 1962.
In this book, readers will be treated to images and sketches of some of the county’s architectural landmarks.
The digital file is text searchable—searches entered from this page will query the full text of the volume. The images can also be browsed by clicking the waypoint links below.
Sections include:
- Chenango County
- Norwich Township
- City of Norwich
- Twenty-one Townships of Chenango County
- Church and Cemeteries
- Let’s Go See
- Old Timer’s Tales
This book was written and published by the Norwich Township Grange in 1962.
Suggested citations for this collection:
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, “Chenango County Histories” digital images, New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, (www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org), 2020.