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Historically Lewis

Home of the Lewis County Historical Society

Genealogies

The Lewis County Historical Society is a great place to start your genealogical research. We have a wide variety of resources for your family research needs.

Cemeteries

Lewis County has over 140 cemeteries that we know of. The Lewis County Historical Society has bound copies of surveys for many county cemeteries. Some of these contain information on burials that was not available when later surveys were done. We also have location descriptions and written information on each of the county’s cemeteries. Beyond that, online resources can also be consulted at Lewis County cemeteries on Find-A-Grave.

Newspapers

Digitized versions of many northern New York’s historical newspapers are available through the NYS Historic Newspapers website. These papers are provided by the Northern New York Library Network to enhance access to the region’s unique local history. The online collection currently consists of almost 2,500,000 pages and included the following newspapers:

  • Adirondack Mountain Sun (1992 – 2004)
  • Black River Democrat (19?? – 1943)
  • Black River Gazette (1825 – 1833)
  • Journal and Republican (1860 – current)
  • Lewis County Banner (1856 – 1864)
  • Lewis County Democrat (1865 – 1910)
  • Lowville Herald and Lewis County Democrat (1910 – 19??)
  • Lowville Leader (1943 – 1953)
  • Lowville Leader and Lyons-Leyden Ledger (1953 – 19??)
  • Lowville Times (1876 – 1884)
  • Lowville Times and Lewis County Independent (1884 – 189?)
  • Turin Gazette (1881 – 1886)

Town Historians

Town historians maintain collections of records and other materials related to their particular village or town. See Local Historians.

Vital Records

County birth, marriage and death records are maintained by the various town clerks. Since New York State only mandated that vital records be kept by the towns in 1880, towns generally have few records prior to that year, although some do.

List of town clerks from Lewis County.

Croghan

Megan Simpson

9882 State Rt 126 Ste A
Castorland NY 13620
315-346-1212 ext 21
croghantownclerk@centralny.twcbc.com

Denmark

Prudence Greene

3707 Roberts Rd
Carthage, NY 13619
315-493-3846 ext 1
denmarkclerk@hotmail.com

Diana

Janet Taylor

P.O. Box 460
Harrisville, NY 13648
315-543-0030 ext 1
diana.townclerk@nnymail.com

Greig

Thomas Gunn

5186 Greig Rd.
Greig, NY 13345
315-348-8272
clerk@townofgreig.org

Harrisburg

Karen Bowen

7886 Cobb Rd.
Copenhagen, NY 13626
315-688-4193
harrisburgtc@ridgeviewtel.us

Lewis

Olivia Fruin

PO Box 132
West Leyden, NY 13489
315-358-0001
townoflewis@twcny.rr.com

Leyden

Janice Dosztan

6606 School Rd.
Boonville, NY 13309
315-348-6818
townofleyden@yahoo.com

Lowville

Aimee Murphy

5533 Bostwick St.
Lowville, NY 13367
315-376-8070 ext 1
tolclerk@centralny.twcbc.com

Lyonsdale

Louise A. Gozalkowski

P.O. Box 144
Port Leyden, NY 13433
315-348-8249
lyonsdaletownclerk@gmail.com

Martinsburg

Mary Kelley

P.O. Box 8
Martinsburg, NY 13404
315-376-2299
mburg@ridgeviewtel.us

Montague

Barbara Loomis

7106 Liberty Rd.
Copenhagen, NY 13626
315-376-3250
bloomis726@gmail.com

New Bremen

Elizabeth B. Jones

8420 State Rte. 812
Lowville, NY 13367
315-376-2641
nbtownclerk@gmail.com

Osceola

Virginia “Ginny” Churchill

2145 N. Oceola Rd.
Camden, NY 13316
315-599-7120
osceolatownclerk@gmail.com

Pinckney

Melissa Birchenough

587 County Rte. 194
Copenhagen, NY 13626
315-408-5032
clerkpinckney1@gmail.com

Turin

Sheena Dickinson

P.O. Box 172
Turin, NY 13473
315-942-2176
sdturin@outlook.com

Watson

Christina Merry

6971 Number Four Rd.
Lowville, NY 13367
315-376-3627 ext 3
christina_merry@townofwatsonny.com

West Turin

Beth Ann McGovern

5727 West Main St.
Constableville, NY 13325
315-397-2723

Lewis County Clerk, Surrogate’s Office

Many documents useful for genealogical research pertaining to Lewis County are available at the County Clerk’s Office in Lowville and at the Surrogate’s Office.

Lewis County Clerk
7660 N. State Street
Lowville, NY 13367

315-376-5333
315-376-3768
clerk@lewiscountyny.org

Open: Monday through Friday
8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Surrogate Clerk’s Office
Lewis County Surrogate’s Court

7660 N. State Street
Lowville, NY 13367

315-376-5345

  • Various censuses for county towns: 1905, 1915, 1925 (partial 1845, 1865)
  • Naturalization records
  • Marriages 1908-1935, 1912-1934
  • Divorces
  • Land and tax records (starting in 1805): deeds, mortgages, indices of grantors and grantees
  • Convictions books

Wills (1830-1916), probate information (bonds, letters of administration, minutes). Free digitized versions of some of these resources are also available online at the Family Search website.