Research

Administrative Summary of the Tobacco Institute

History:

• Incorporated in 1958 as principal trade association intended to foster public understanding of smoking and health controversy, to "increase awareness of historic role of tobacco and its place in the U.S. economy"; consisted of 11 companies that manufacture/market cigarettes, other tobacco products. Intended to speak as one voice for the industry.

Council for Tobacco Research Administrative History

Organizational history:

Researchers are welcome to search probate records held by the State Archives onsite free-of-charge. Numerous indexes are available onsite to assist in this process. There is no charge for self-service copies made from microfilm. Copies of records available in paper format only may be ordered (no self-service copying of paper records is allowed) at a fee of $.25 per page. Use of personal digital cameras in the reading room, using available light (no tripods), is strongly encouraged.

Naturalization Pathfinder
Tool that helps determine where to locate New Yorkers' naturalization records.

Probate Pathfinder
Tool that helps determine where to locate New Yorkers' probate records including wills, property inventories, and other court records created after an individual's death.

Whenever possible, the State Archives and the State Library capture the sites documenting the work of prominent elected officials just prior to their departure from office. These sites either disappear from the Web or undergo radical change after the departing official’s successor takes office.

Unfortunately, technical problems prevented capture of the Web site of the Office of the State Comptroller before or immediately after the December 22, 2006 resignation of Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi.

Article 18 of the 1777 New York State Constitution authorized the governor to grant pardons and reprieves to convicted criminals. This power was continued in the state constitutions of 1821 and 1846 and was expanded to include commutations by Article IV, Section 5 of the Constitution of 1894.

The site maintained by the Office of the Governor highlights both the speed with which sites can change and the importance of preserving older materials that are no longer part of the live site:

State commissions, authorities, and other government bodies are sometimes merged with other entities or simply phased out of existence. The State Archives and State Library archive the Websites of such organizations before they cease to exist and their sites vanish from the live Web.

Access Problems Affecting All Archived Websites

When you visit these archived sites, keep in mind that some types of site content cannot be archived properly:

The State Archives and the State Library are pleased to provide access to archived copies of State government Websites that are no longer available on the live Web:

The State Archives holds thousands of maps and surveys dating from before the Civil War. Among the records are surveys of lands granted to individuals or groups by the Colony and State of New York.  On rare occasions, these records show the occupants of lands.