Historical Records Survey (N.Y.) Inventory of Town, Village, and City Records

Alphabetic by county; thereunder by type of municipality (town, village, city); then alphabetic by name of municipality.

This series consists primarily of inventory forms completed by Historical Records Survey workers for each series of records surveyed in town, village, and city offices in upstate counties.

The initial survey of town, village, and city records was undertaken in 1936-1937 and forms were prepared for most series at that time. In preparation for publishing town, village, and city inventories the forms were reviewed, information rechecked in the field, and some new forms prepared in 1938-1942. The review process included "condensing" the information on survey forms into entries for the published inventories. Condensed entries were prepared for only a few municipalities and are attached to the appropriate survey forms. Previously unsurveyed municipalities were also surveyed until 1942.

The files for towns, villages, and cities in each county contain all or some of the following: handwritten copies of survey forms prepared by field workers; typewritten copies of field workers' survey forms (often in multiple copies); typewritten copies of survey forms prepared after review and field checking (often in multiple copies); historical sketches of town, village, and city offices; and correspondence concerning transmittal of survey forms.

Five different forms were used to record information on series: 1) Volumes Form (12 HR); 2) Unbound Records Form (13 HR); 3) Volumes and Unbound Records Form (12-13 HR); 4) Maps and Photographs Form (15 HR); and 5) Buildings Form (10 HR).

Separate forms for volumes and unbound records were used during the initial survey in 1936-1937; in 1938 these forms were combined. These forms provide the following information about a single series of records: creating agency and subdivision; title; dates and quantity; dates of gaps; sizes of storage containers, bundles, or volumes; description of contents; indexing and arrangement; physical condition; and location (buildings and rooms).

The maps and photographs form provides similar information, although it contains additional information on authorship, publication, and format of the records.

The buildings form provides information on the size, construction, and storage conditions of rooms or vaults used for records storage. Some include floor plans or diagrams.

Filed with the Monroe County forms is an updated map of school districts in the county.

The survey of town, village, and city records reached different stages of completion in different counties and municipalities. For example, only one inventory form exists for all of Madison County. No inventories of town, village, or city records were published.

Container list.

These records were deposited by the Historical Records Survey in the State Library in 1942. Subsequently they were transferred to the State Archives as boxes 31-42, 44-45, 47-77, 79-88 of old collection #550E, accession number -372.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.