ORANGE COUNTY NY HISTORY RESOURCES: Local Websites
Web-based research sources, organizations, and contacts for exploring the history of Orange County, New York
General Resources on Town Histories
1. Search the Local History books of each town and special history topics in the RCLS Library Catalog: http://www.thrall.org/lh/
- Many of the local libraries have local history collections, and not all materials are cataloged; call or email ahead to see if they have what you need, and to arrange for an appointment. The largest Orange County local history collections are held at Middletown Thrall Library, Newburgh Free Library, and the Orange County Historian's office in Goshen.
2. Multi-town sites:
- Town Scrapbook of the '40s, 50's and 60s by Ed Winchester (Memoirs and photos, covers primarily Warwick and Goshen)
Local Content Sites
Town Specific Resources -- Websites that have substantial content other than organization name, directions, etc.
Alphabetical by town or village name:
- Chester HIstorical SocietyInformation about the Town of Chester including Sugar Loaf hamlet.
- Chester Historical Society - ArchiveSelections from the archive, scanned documents & photos.
- Chester - Sugar Loaf Historical SocietyPhotos, stories of the Sugar Loaf Hamlet
- Cornwall -- Sands Ring Homestead MuseumLocal historic homestead focusing on Sands family and colonial era lifestyles.
- Deerpark - Town of Deerpark MuseumWebsite for the 1863 schoolhouse museum; includes archive of local historian's newsletter articles. TowniIncludes hamlets of Cahoonzie, Cuddebackville, Godeffroy, Huguenot, Rio, Sparrowbush and Westbrookville.
- Deerpark - Neversink Valley Area Museum at CuddebackvilleInformation on their historic canal-era buildings in the Delaware & Hudson Canal Park on the Neversink River, early film making in Cuddebackville, Native American archaeology, and an archive of articles from their newsletter, 'The Towpath'.
- Deerpark - See Port Jervis (Minisink Valley Historical Society)
- Goshen Obituary Finder
Index to many historical obituaries that may be found in the local newspaper on microfilm.
- Greenville -- See Port Jervis (Minisink Valley Historical Society)
- Highlands - Constitution Island AssociationInformation about Constitution Island, part of the United States Military Academy (West Point). Information on the history of the island and the Warner family.
- Highlands - U. S. Military Academy (West Point) Digital CollectionsHistory of military academy, documents, archives, etc.
- Middletown - Images from the Historical Society of Middletown & the Wallkill PrecinctSlideshow of photos from the collection hosted by Thrall Library.
- Middletown - Orange County Community College (SUNY Orange)Historic images of the campus, information on the Horton family.
- Middletown - Thrall Library's Local History PageTopics & exhibits in local history.
- Minisink - Town of MInisink MuseumSlide show of museum exhibits, newsletter.
- Montgomery -- Maybrook Railroad Historical SocietyA selection of images and documents from the collections of the Maybrook Railroad Historical Society. Maybrook is a village located in the Towns of Montgomery and Hamptonburgh.
- Montgomery - Coldengham Preservation & Historical SocietyHistory of Cadwallader Colden and his family, and efforts to preserve the Coldenham historic site.
- Monroe - History of MonroeHistory of Monroe, includes book on Monroe history.
- Newburgh - Newburgh Free Library Local History ArchiveSpecial topics and collection in Newburgh History, such as the Hudson-Fulton celebration.
- Port Jervis - Minisink Valley Historical SocietyCovers Port Jervis, Deerpark, Cuddevackville, Rio, Huguenot, Westbrookville, Greenville, and other towns in tri-state area. with sections on railroads, Revolutionary War, Fort Decker, Battle of Minisink, Delaware & Hudson Canal.
- Tuxedo - Tuxedo Park LibraryItems contained in the Local History Room of the Tuxedo Park Library, including photographs, maps, scrapbooks and other materials
- Wallkill - The Scotchtown HighlanderSalvator Labruna's content-packed site of the history of the Scotchtown hamlet of the Town of Wallkill.
- Warwick - Albert Wisner Library & Warwick Historical SocietyWebsite with articles, maps, documents, and a database of information on Warwick. Cooperative project of the library and the historical society.
- Warwick - Drowned Lands Historical SocietyArticles and links about the history of the Drowned Lands Region and the hamlet of Pine Island in the Town of Warwick.
- Warwick - Greenwood Lake Public Library Digital ArchiveScanned scrapbooks & documents about Greenwood Lake history.
- Warwick - Hometown Warwick BlogMemoirs, photos, stories by Robert Schmick
- Warwick - Local History BlogPhotos & articles by Terry Hann
- Warwick - New Milford HamletBlog by Anita Panas on history of the hamlet, includes historical images.
- Warwick - William H. Seward Homestead in the Village of FloridaInformation on William Henry Seward, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State, and on the ongoing efforts to restore his birthplace.