Welcome to the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives

You can also reach us via our e-mail address: historian@montgomerycountyny.gov

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Click here to make an appointment

Appointments are encouraged.

If appointments cannot be made online, please call (518)853-8186 to schedule an appointment.

NOTE: If you are UNABLE to keep your appointment, please cancel online or call the above number to cancel so that the slot is available for another patron. PLEASE NOTE when booking your appointment(s) please make sure to include your start time and end time; which might require you to book more than one 1-hr slot.

Montgomery County, first named as Tryon County in 1772, in its original formation had its boundaries extending as far north as the St. Lawrence River, as far south as the Pennsylvania border, and as far west as the territories of the Six Nations. Prior to the settlement of the Europeans, Native Americans inhabited the lands throughout the valley named for the Mohawks, one of the six Iroquois tribes. Native Americans were the principal inhabitants in the area until attempts were made to civilize them. Early settlers to this area included the Dutch, in search of trapping and the fur trade, and the Palatine Germans, in search of religious freedom.

The Revolutionary War had significant impact upon the residents of Montgomery County. Four regiments, consisting of enlisted men throughout the valley, made up the Tryon County militia. Blood was shed on the lands within the county during this time. The battles that took place at Klock's Field and Stone Arabia, not to mention the horrendous incursions by Johnson's raiders, wreaked havoc. Lives and homes of area residents were ravaged and terrorized by groups that included their former neighbors.

The Erie Canal was constructed through Montgomery County. The development of a number of its towns can be attributed to "Clinton's Ditch." In fact, the proximity of the Erie Canal was one of the factors supporting the move of the county seat from Johnstown to Fonda.

Principal farming products in the Mohawk Valley during the colonial period and immediately after the Revolutionary War centered around grains. Evidence of this type of farming was visible in the construction of the numerous Dutch barns. However, with the advent of the Erie Canal, farming changed from production of grains to dairy farming since the grains could now be transported from farms in the west. With the railroad, agriculture changed once again. As milk was not yet transportable in the rail cars, production turned to cheese.

Montgomery County Department of History & Archives was formed in 1934 by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. Housed in the 1836 Old Courthouse, seen above, the department currently has one full-time County Historian/RMO, a full-time Records Management Clerk and two part-time staff. The genealogical and historical research library contains a voluminous amount of records that are accessible to the public. Not a lending library, the Dept. of History & Archives welcomes visitors from all over the country in search of their heritage.

The Department of History & Archives operates on three levels: (1) County Historian; (2) research library; and (3) records management.

1. County Historian -- In 1927, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors established the Office of Historian , recognizing, that "Montgomery County ... with a historic background of over three hundred years, needs someone to further its interests and keep alive its history and traditions, by preserving its records, and directing work of this kind that will benefit the county." New York State Education Law, March 1933, Section I, #1198 and 1199 delineate the local historian appointment and duties. From this law the duties of the County Historian state, "to collect and preserve, to supervise the activities of the local historians in towns and villages."

   As the County Historian, the principal duties and functions include:

   • Research and writing on aspects of Montgomery County's history
   • Interpreting Montgomery County history through teaching and public presentations
   • Serving as a resource for local and regional teachers
   • Historic preservation -- as an advocate and resource for preparing cultural resource surveys; identifying historic structures/districts and preparing nominations to the State & National Register of Historic Places
   • Organization, advocacy and tourism promotion
   • Providing guidance and support to the town/village/city historians and serving as liaison to the NYS Historian in Albany

2. Research Library and Archives -- In 1934, the Department of History & Archives was established by Resolution #104. The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, during the worldwide Great Depression, recognized their county as "one of the oldest counties in the State of New York [having] numerous public and private historic records" and resolved "to create a Department of History and Archives in said county to preserve the same." Through the help of Works Project Administration, many volumes of town, village, church and various records were copied, filed and rebound. The organization of these early records has made the department a Mecca for researchers and has encouraged people and municipalities to deposit their records in the Archives. The library contains over 5,000 books; the archives have expanded to about 900 cubic feet. Associated duties of the office include preserving and cataloging items in the collection. Additionally, the historian is called upon by various entities to answer factual questions. (Ex. Judge needs list of past County Judges, television station requests background for a documentary.) As someone once stated, "the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives is internationally renowned for the archival collection it maintains and the accuracy of the research it is willing to undertake within that collection."

3. Records Management Program -- The third function of the Montgomery County Department of History & Archives is records management.

   Montgomery County established its Records Management Program with the passage of Local Law #11 in 1988, following the New York State Local Government Records Law. The County Historian/Records Management Office (RMO) oversees inactive county records, determines their historical value, and manages their disposition based on approved retention schedules.

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We have recently been added to the New York Haunted History Trail* (4/2023)