Research

The Archives has aerial photographs of New York State created by the Department of Transportation (DOT) from the 1930s to 2000. The images are known as CSCIC aerial photographs because prior coming to the Archives, they were transferred from DOT to the state Office for Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination (CSCIC).

Patents are lands/privileges typically granted to one or more persons by the British crown or the state of New York.  "Proprietors" were joint owners of a patent, who subdivided, surveyed, and conveyed individual allotments.  Patents are NOT deeds conveying land from person-to-person. Grants of land by the colony/state of New York since 1664 are recorded in series 12943.

The Archives has records of New York State posts of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) (Series B1706).   These are organizational records kept by the GAR posts.  These records are in 14 categories.  Among them are post charters, descriptive books, encampment records, and regimental history surveys.

State Archives holds state (1894-1954) and local government (1930s-1954) employee history cards (series 15029). The cards provide summary work history of individuals employed by New York State and local governments under the Civil Service System. There are NO records for employees of private companies, even if those businesses provided contract workers for the state or local governments.

The Archives holds campaign finance records filed by candidates for statewide elective office and organizations supporting them, including political action committees (PACs) (series 15004). Records span 1974-1996 and cover candidates for state Assembly and Senate, judgeships, and offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, and Attorney General.

The Archives has 6,000+ highway corridor maps (1942-1987) in Series B1804. These topographic maps were produced on 30" x 54" sheets using photogrammetry.  At a 1"=200' scale, individual sheets cover an area of approximately two square miles. The maps were used in planning and designing highways, so geographic coverage is of limited corridors in which highways were later built.

The Archives has tax assessment rolls of real and personal estates for the period 1799-1804 (Series B0950). Rolls list names of taxable residents, but give only the dollar value of real and personal property, and no information about buildings or moveable property.

Prior to 1784 couples intending to marry, yet not announcing the impending marriage in a church, were required to obtain licenses from and file bonds with the provincial secretary/secretary of state.  Series A1893, Marriage bonds, 1753-1783, is the sole surviving record of these bonds.  Only 19 of the 40 original volumes survived the 1911 State Capitol fire.  Little visible text remains in the surviving records.

Abstracts of muster rolls of NYS Volunteer Units that served during the Civil War (Series 13775) are available on self-service microfilm at the New York State Archives.  The Archives does NOT have original muster rolls.  

Content varies, but abstracts generally provide: enlistment date; age; place of enlistment and for how long; date mustered in; grade; company; regiment; date left organization; reason for leaving (killed, discharged, deserted, etc.); in what grade; and "remarks."

Alien depositions are statements of intent to become a US citizen, enabling an individual to buy/transfer real property. Original, signed alien depositions (Series A1869) are arranged roughly chronologically (1825-1913). They typically give the name of alien, date and place of deposition, and (sometimes) country of origin.