Bolded links are off-site.
Unbolded links stay within this group of homepages.
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NEWSPAPERS
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The New York State Library in Albany, NY
posts two catalogs of archival newspaper microfilm on their Web site:
- holdings at
various libraries around the state
- holdings at
The NY State Library itself
If you'd like to borrow films from the State Library,
read the document on Inter Library Loan policies at
www.nysl.nysed.gov/ill.htm
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As of this writing (July 2003), the first Albany Newspaper catalog
did NOT include the major repository of old Queens newspapers
Queens Central Library.
However, the Queens Library's newpaper holdings are similar to
those held by the State Library itself. (second database)
Second to Queens Library is the Long Island Studies division at
Hofstra University, West Campus
which has little Queens material, but extensive newspaper
holdings relating to suburban Long Island.
Many Nassau and Suffolk Co, public libraries
carry a portion of the old newspaper titles held at Hofstra.
Usually the titles pertaining to their own locality.
Queens residents were also reported on in Brooklyn papers,
the most prominent of which was the Brooklyn Eagle.
The Brooklyn Public Library
carries that and many other old titles.
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CENSUS
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You can find all existing FEDERAL CENSUS
from 1790 to 1930 at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Washington D.C.,
and at any of NARA's regional centers.
See www.nara.gov/nara/regional.html
for regional locations. Visit the NARA Home Page (www.nara.gov)
for instructions and a full listings of reels.
You can also rent federal census reels through a
Family History Center (LDS)
and you can rent or purchase from the AGLL's
Heritage Quest
Federal census for Queens can also be found at the
Queens Central Library.
Subscription services Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest and Genealogy.com
have all federal censuses digitized,
but on each service, only certain years are indexed.
Ancestry: has head of household indexes that cover Queens County
only for 1920 and for censuses earlier than 1860. They
also have an every-name index for 1930 and 1880 that are not complete at this writing (March 2004),
and an every person index is under development for 1870.
(Hint: leave the county field blank when searching 1880).
Queens is not indexed on Ancestry for 1860, 1900, 1910.
Search tools are reasonably good and image quality varies.
Genealogy.com has early HOH indexes to censuses earlier than 1880, and also 1900 and 1910.
They have no search tools such as wildcard or soundex search and the 1900 index gives
no identifying information (such as age) in their index display.
Heritage Quest is available online through membership with
several genealogical libraries. Image quality is generally good.
Search tools do not include soundex or wildcard search, but
other devices compensate to a small extent.
As of March 2004, indexes exist for 1790, 1800
1810, 1820, 1860, 1870, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920 (incomplete), 1930 (incomplete).
Because of individual library contracts, some years may be unavailable to
some online users.
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The NEW YORK STATE CENSUS for Queens is extant for the years 1892, 1915 and 1925,
all three of which are available through LDS
film rental and at the Queens County Courthouse
along with indexes for same.
For 1892, only Long Island City is indexed.
Years 1915 and 1925 alone can be found at
Queens Central Library,
NYG&BS,
NYPL, Manhattan and NYSL, Albany.
For further information see table of census details
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VITAL RECORDS
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Summary:
Prior to its 1898 annexation by New York City, Queens vital records (and indexes)
were kept by the individual Queens towns as well as New York State.
Records and indexes for these years can be found at two primary repositories
in Albany and in two in Manhattan.
The LDS has filmed certain portions of the old Queens town material but none of Albany's.
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From 1898 forward, the former Queens towns filed records with New York City rather than the state.
For a period, two sets of marriages records were filed: one set with the city and one with the borough.
Records for this period can be found within two Manhattan repositories and one Queens repository.
The LDS has filmed some, but not all, of the post-1897 records and indexes.
Further, some of the indexes are held at various libraries in Manhattan.
See table of Queens Vital Record detail by years and repositories
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IMMIGRATION / NATURALIZATION (This section incomplete!)
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NARA Northeast Regional Center
in Manhattan has naturalization indexes and papers for all New York City
(including Queens) until 1906.
Write to them, enclosing SASE, and detailing dates, addresses and name variants for each
individual.
They will send you a xerox copy of the cards for possible candidates.
(There can be several pages for a common name)
If you find a match, send $10 for a copy of the records on file.
Warning: the earlier the naturalization, the less information that was recorded.
NARA description of Immigration and Naturalization Service RG 85
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Naturalization for the Supreme Court of Queens County from 1794-1941
are also held at the County Clerk's Office at
Queens County Courthouse in Jamaica.
However, because many immigrants filed in boroughs
other than the one in which they resided,
NARA could be your best bet when looking for
naturalizations earlier than 1906.
Hints:
the 1870 federal census logged citizenship status of adult males.
The 1892 N.Y. State censuses asked for naturalization status. (So do the
1855 and 1875 state censuses, but they do not survive for Queens County.)
The 1900, 1910 and 1930 federal census asked for year of immigration and naturalization status.
The 1920 federal census asked for year of immigration and naturalization
The 1915 N.Y. State census asked for number of years in U.S. and whether citizen or alien.
The 1925 N.Y. State census asked for number of years in U.S. and (importantly) when and where naturalized.
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LAND RECORDS
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PROBATE
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Original card file index to the Wills of Queens County, New York, 1787 - 1906
is in a file cabinet in Surrogate's court (7th floor) at
Queens County Courthouse in Jamaica.
A 33 page transcript can be found on film at
Heritage Quest and the LDS
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