Archives & Microfilm
What is contained in this department?
This department contains records from 1794 to the present. It also supports the restoration and preservation of all maps detailing the Onondaga County area.
Where can I find information on Military Discharges?
Military discharges for Veterans of Onondaga County, which are filed by the veterans, are held in the Archives area. Veterans or their families may file their discharge papers with the County Clerk. Images of these papers are kept permanently. At any time, the veteran or their designated agent are able to obtain certified copies of these papers at no charge to the veteran.
How much research is available in the Records Department?
Storage and retrieval of over 47,320 cubic feet of active files, both legal and historical. This is a place for genealogical research and investigation. In fact, Onondaga County is where two major canals met. Our records show that 90% of the people that traveled west came through this county and left their mark in various areas of our historical records.
What are some of the oldest dated documents?
The Miscellaneous records are dated from 1794 to the present. Directories on the Syracuse area start from 1861 to the present. Census records are dated from 1850 to 1925. The Clerk’s office has records of Civil War enlistees and specific regiments, as well as the Revolutionary War ballot book showing listings of veterans and which parcels of land they received . The Clerk’s office has marriage records from 1908 to 1938 for the city of Syracuse, and Naturalization records from 1808 to the present.
How can I assess the historical value of specific property?
The Miscellaneous Record Department is also a place to date the historical values of hours of business. The land use over a historical period of time may be researched as well. There are also many interesting artifacts to discover, such as the 1938 aerial maps of Onondaga County, which were filed before the land rush of the Second World War.
If you know the address of the property:
- Look in the directories for previous owners or businesses, and check for the area to see historical significance in that area or street.
- Check out tract maps, most early builders filed the tract maps and built the houses or business buildings in a tract area.
- Check the business certificates, to see who the owners were and who the sponsors of the business were and the purpose.
If you know the area or town:
- Look in the directories for industries in the area, people and wealth in the area, what the area is near, and the when the area was built.
- Check the tract and street maps to see who built the area.
- Check deeds to see who owned the area.