Professional Development for Historians
For New Historians
New Historian Packet by the Livingston County Historian
NYS Historians Law, Arts and Cultural Affairs Law Section 57.07-57.09
2025 Programs and Events
NYS Council on the Social Studies Conference - March 6-8, 2025
APNYS Region 11 Spring Conference - May 17. To be held in auditorium of the County Office Building, 417 Liberty St, Penn Yan, NY. Includes morning speakers and tour of the Yates History Center in the afternoon. More details TBA.
NYS History Conference - June 5-6, 2025. Currently accepting proposals. Proposals due December 15, 2024.
World Canals Conference - Buffalo, NY. September 21-25, 2025. Registration open.
GAHWNY 2025 Conference - Fall, TBA
Always Free and Available:
Organizations and Support
Association of Public Historians of New York State (APHNYS) - a statewide professional organization for government-appointed historians.
Documentary Heritage and Preservation Services for NY (DHPSNY) - Engage in webinars, read relevant blogs, and get help with archives assessment and conservation. Great resources for historians!
National Association for Interpretation (NAI) - The Certified Interpretive Guide or Certified Interpretive Host training courses may be especially relevant to historians, educators, and docents. In-depth courses are available in person and fully online.
NYS Archives Partnership Trust - The NY Council for History Education provides information for historians, librarians, and archivists working with educators and students.
NYS Archives Larry J. Hackman Research Residency Program - an annual award that supports advanced work using historical records in the state archives.
New York Genealogical and Biographical Society (NYG&B) - hosts the annual NYS Family History Conference in Albany, NY.
Western NY Genealogical Society, Inc. - Regular programming and workshops for genealogists and historians.
William G. Pomeroy Foundation - municipalities and not-for-profit organizations may apply here for a grant for a new historical marker. Grants do not cover repairs to existing markers. For more information on existing historical markers, visit the NYS Museum site.
Resources for Research
Census
Census of Agriculture - research agricultural statistics from 1840-2017.
Census Reporter - see current population statistics for any place in the US
FamilySearch - many resources, including original images of all census schedules 1790-1950, including:
NYS census 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892,
1890 US Census of Veterans and Widows of the Civil War
1915 and 1925 NYS schedule transcriptions (see NYS Archives below for directions to access these in full via Ancestry.com New York)
Church Records
We recommended that you contact local historians and churches themselves, if still extant, for church records.
General Resources and Databases
FamilySearch - many resources of interest to genealogists and researchers. Some highlights include:
Passport Applications and passenger lists
County marriages, 1847 to 1848 and 1908 to 1936
Births and christenings
Original images of all census schedules 1790-1940
Much more!
Find A Grave - represents user-added data and images of burials all over the world
Library of Congress - incredible digital collections and finding aids
New York State Archives
Some great NYS resources are hosted through Ancestry.com for free. Here's how to access them:
Click on Ancestry.com New York
Enter NYS zip code (any one will work)
Search by name or browse databases
You will be prompted to make a free account with Ancestry.com for the purposes of viewing these record collections, but you do not have to pay Ancestry or get a free trial. If you are led to a paywall page, begin your search again and be careful not to click links that take you away from the New York records.
New York State Library - another database of material on every topic of New York State history, especially State governmental information and documentation.
Immigration
Castle Garden (Immigration Center) - c. 1820-1892, when Ellis Island became New York’s official immigration center, this NY port kept records of immigrants.
NYS Archives helpful information on naturalizations in New York State and women and naturalization.
National Archives' immigrant passenger lists
Maps
Early Western New York maps:
Library of Congress - many high-quality digitized maps available
US Geological Survey - excellent images of topographic maps
Military
New York State Military Museum and Veteran's Research Center - military rosters from the Adjutant General’s Report, information on flags and forts, and more.
National Archives - a database packed with military-related information and much more. Full military records may be available by submitted request.
Newspapers
Chronicling America - Search newspapers from across the country and research newspaper lineages at this Library of Congress site.
Fulton History - one of the largest searchable collections of digitized New York State newspapers from the early 1800s to present. Tip: try various specific search terms within quotation marks for better results.
New York State Historic Newspapers - a growing site of digitized NY newspapers, searchable by county.
Seneca and Haudenosaunee History
American Philosophical Society - browse their guide for scholarly work and finding aids related to indigenous cultures all over the Americas, including Seneca and other Haudenosaunee tribes
Ganondagan State Historic Site - located on the original site of a 17th-century Seneca town, the Seneca Art and Culture Center and the reproduction bark longhouse help interpret traditional Seneca life for visitors. The cultural center programming also helps keep Haudenosaunee traditions and culture alive for members of the nations. Online resources are also available.
Iroquois Genealogy Society - an incredible collection of census records, maps, images, church records, and Seneca stories
Seneca-Iroquois National Museum - visit the galleries and Onöhsagwë:de’ Cultural Center in Salamanca, NY, one of the capitals of the Seneca Nation of Indians, and explore their extensive exhibits documenting Hodinöhsö:ni’ history.
Vital Records
After about 1880, birth and death records are available from the clerk of the municipality where the event occurred. Marriage records are available from the town clerk where the marriage license was issued. Applying to a town or city clerk for these records is highly recommended.
Reclaim the Records can help you determine where the birth, marriage, or death certificate is filed.
Vital records may also be available through the New York State Department of Health, but very long wait times should be anticipated.