TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

Central New York, An Inland Empire, Comprising Oneida, Madison, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango Counties and Their People Voume 1 by Galpin, William Freeman (1941) – 344 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.17.2040.AR

Central New York, An Inland Empire, Comprising Oneida, Madison, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango Counties and Their People Voume 2 by William Freeman Galpin (1941) – 360 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.17.2036.AR

Central New York, An Inland Empire, Comprising Oneida, Madison, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango Counties and Their People Voume 3 by William Freeman Galpin (1941) – 470 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.17.2032.AR

Central New York, An Inland Empire, Comprising Oneida, Madison, Onondaga, Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango Counties and Their People Voume 4 by William Freeman Galpin (1941) – 748 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.17.2028.AR

History of Tioga, Chemung, Tompkins and Schuyler Counties, New York by H. B. Peirce, D. Hamilton Hurd (1879) – 1110 Pages
Source: Internet Archive
Book ID: CH.2025.09.18.1936.AR

Tompkins County, New York: A Genealogical Overview

Nestled in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region, Tompkins County is a landscape defined by the deep, glacier-carved basin of Cayuga Lake and the dramatic gorges and waterfalls that feed into it. Its history is a blend of post-Revolutionary War settlement, agricultural development, and its transformation into a world-renowned hub of academia and innovation, being home to both Cornell University and Ithaca College. For the genealogist, research in Tompkins County involves exploring records created in the wake of the Central New York Military Tract and understanding the influence of its major educational institutions on its population and growth.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Tompkins County was created from existing counties as settlement in the Finger Lakes region expanded. Identifying these parent counties is the first step for any pre-1817 research.

  • 1817: County Formed: Tompkins County was established on April 7, 1817.
  • Parent Counties: The county was created from southern portions of Cayuga County and Seneca County. Any civil records for settlers in this area prior to 1817 will be found in the archives of these two parent counties.
  • Subsequent Formations: The county’s boundaries have been relatively stable, with one notable exception. In 1854, the town of Hector was removed from Tompkins County and annexed to the newly formed Schuyler County. Therefore, records for Hector residents are in Tompkins County from 1817-1854 and in Schuyler County thereafter.
  • Name Origin: The county was named for Daniel D. Tompkins, a prominent political figure who was the governor of New York from 1807 to 1817 and was serving as the Vice President of the United States at the time of the county’s formation.
  • County Seat History: The city of Ithaca, located at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, was designated the county seat upon its formation in 1817 and has remained so ever since.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The region was the traditional homeland of the Cayuga Nation, a member of the powerful Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. Cayuga villages, including a major settlement at the site of Ithaca, were located along the shores of the lake until the time of the Revolutionary War.
  • Pioneer Settlement and Economy: Following the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign of 1779 which displaced the Cayuga people, the area was designated as part of the Central New York Military Tract to pay soldiers for their service in the Revolution. The first permanent American settlers, primarily from New England, eastern New York, and Pennsylvania, arrived in the 1790s. The economy was built on agriculture and the abundant water power from the region’s creeks, which powered numerous gristmills and sawmills. Ithaca’s position on the lake made it a key inland port, especially with the opening of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which connected to the Erie Canal system.
  • Key Historical Events:
    • Founding of Cornell University (1865): The establishment of this major land-grant university by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White fundamentally transformed Ithaca and the county, attracting a diverse, international population of students and scholars and making it a center for scientific research and progressive ideas.
    • Silent Film Era: In the 1910s, before Hollywood’s rise, Ithaca’s scenic gorges and natural beauty made it a major center for the silent film industry, with studios like the Wharton, Inc. producing dozens of popular serials and motion pictures.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

Research in Tompkins County is well-supported by an excellent historical society and several strong archival collections.

  • County Clerk’s Office: Located at the Tompkins County Courthouse, 320 N. Tioga St., Ithaca, NY 14850, this office is the main repository for records from 1817, including land records (deeds, mortgages) and court records.
  • Vital Records:
    • Birth, Marriage, and Death Records: Statewide registration in New York began in 1880. For records created after this date, researchers should contact the clerk of the specific town or city where the event occurred. For records prior to 1880, researchers must rely on non-governmental sources such as church registers, cemetery records, newspapers, and family bibles.
  • Surrogate’s Court: This court, also located at the county courthouse, holds all probate records, including wills, estate administrations, and guardianship papers, from 1817 to the present.
  • Libraries and Societies:
    • The History Center in Tompkins County: This is the most important destination for genealogical research in the county. It serves as the county archive and historical society, holding an extensive collection of manuscripts, genealogical files, maps, photographs, and local government records.
    • Tompkins County Public Library: The library has a significant local history and genealogy collection, including city directories, census records, and local newspapers on microfilm.
    • Cornell University Library: The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections holds vast archives related to the history of New York State and the region, including the papers of many prominent local families, businesses, and organizations.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Cayuga County (north)
    • Seneca County (northwest)
    • Schuyler County (west)
    • Chemung County (south)
    • Tioga County (southeast)
    • Cortland County (east)

Please share any resources you have and will do lookups or links to resources you are aware of. Thanks