Chartered in 1939 by
The Regents of the University
of the State of New York



    Welcome to
    Vedder Research Library
         The Greene County Historical Society
Subject Pathfinders Genealogy Local History Archives Books by Staff Volunteering Disclaimer

Visit Bronck Museum, a National Historic Landmark that reflects 276 years of family ownership beginning in 1662.


Research Services

Library Rules

Index to GCHJ

Historical Register

Family & Friends

Supporters

Links
Greene History Notes
Online Catalog

Catalog updates

Acquisitions & Gifts

CD-ROM Collection

Photographs

Postcards

Maps

Vedder Research Library,    90 County Road 42,    Coxsackie, New York 12051
Travel Directions to the Vedder Research Library are the same as for Bronck Museum.
Phone: 518-731-1033 We are unable to return long-distance phone calls.
Hours: Tues & Wed 10am - 4pm; Saturday 9am - Noon
Volunteers are available to answer questions and give general guidance. Appointment is needed to see a specific staff member.

Vedder Research Library (VRL) collects, preserves, interprets, and makes accessible original material which records the history of Greene County, N.Y. It is not a lending library. VRL promotes public interest, understanding and enjoyment of the county's rich heritage. The Library aims to be a repository of selected materials, including: Our holdings are continuously enriched by the donations of many generous individuals and organizations who place single items and entire collections in the care of this research library. If you are unsure about the records in your home, office, church or group, please contact VRL before discarding.

Due to the generosity of Kenneth Van Vechten Parks, the Vedder Research Library is supported in part by an endowment fund. If you are interested in contributing to or establishing an endowment fund please contact   The G.C.H.S., Financial Secretary, 164 High Hill Road, Catskill, NY 12414    The Greene County Historical Society is a recognized IRS not-for-profit educational corporation and donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. The Regents of the University of the State of New York, on June 16, 1939, granted absolute charter to The G.C.H.S. You can get a Greene County Historical Society membership online right now!
Note, the items listed on this page are not all of the resources available. The remainder will be phased in and will be available by the fourth quarter of next year, along with a computerized catalog. Meanwhile, library staff members will provide on-site assistance in the use of the collection, and suggest research strategies - free of charge. For those who are unable to visit the library, we will do research for a fee. VRL will consider requests for limited reproduction of material when such duplication can be done without injury to the material and when duplication does not violate donor agreements or copyright restrictions. In citing materials from manuscript collections located in this library, the form should be as follows (after identification of the item and title of collection): Vedder Research Library, Coxsackie, New York.

VRL publishes books and Greene County Historical Journal ISBN 0894-8135, conducts educational programs, holds special events and exhibits, and shares its archival resources with national museums, e.g. Smithsonian.

Dr. Clesson S. Bush is Vedder Research Library Cataloger
and New Baltimore Town Historian     Recent New Baltimore article
He currently is researching for a book on the history of the Town.
For the history, he would appreciate hearing from anyone with
recollections, correspondence, photographs, or other papers on the Town.


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    Subject Pathfinders
    The following Subject Pathfinders will help you find background information on your topic as well as identify the various Vedder Research Library holdings that will provide in-depth analysis of your topic.

  1. Subject Pathfinder: Researching the History of Your House
  2. Subject Pathfinder: Genealogy
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    Genealogy
    The VRL's collections include printed genealogies, guides compiled by local genealogists, published vital records, cemetery inscriptions, and military records.

  1. Vital statistics: 18th, 19th and early 20th century; 14,000+ records
  2. Family names: various content and format filed by family name; 1,300+ folders
  3. Master Index to Certain Volumes of Vital Notices from, 1810-1885, Greene County Newspapers; 64,000+ names
  4. General Index to Greene County Surrogate Court Records 1800-1930. (1931 to present are located in the Greene County Courthouse)
  5. Greene County Cemeteries Index, 18 volumes
  6. Funeral Home Records: Brady (1890-1935), Deane and Deane (1885-1940), Millspaugh (1926-1940), Stevens (1888-1891)
  7. Indexes to Brady Funeral Home Records, years 1876 ? 1969
  8. State Censuses of Greene County: 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925
  9. Federal Censuses of Greene County: 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930
  10. Quaker Census: 1828
  11. Civil War Veterans ? Greene County: unit, rank, date enlisted and discharged; 1,570+ names
  12. Ashland and Jewett townships genealogical data; 2,000+ 5x8 index cards For content see Alfred Hartwig Collection Index.
  13. Bronk Family Manuscripts ? Surname Guide; 800+ names
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Shirley McGrath volunteer since February 1995,
supervises researchers and library daily bookkeeping,
performs genealogy research and family history.
Genealogy questions e-mail: gchsvl@mhcable.com
    Local History
    Books, periodicals, newspapers, manuscripts, ephemera, photographs and archival collections. Selected material from surrounding counties is also available.

  1. Holdings include local authors as well as books owned by local residents.
  2. Geographical & Proper names: village activities and events; 800+ folders Main vertical file folders
  3. Personal albums, family histories, diaries, notes; & Business, Church, Hotel, School records; 1,350+ volumes Manuscript volumes
  4. Newspapers loose and bound 200+ boxes
  5. Newspapers on Microfilm: Cairo Herald (1924-1967); Catskill Record (1807-1895, 1987-1900, 1902-1905); Catskill Examiner (1858-1938); Greenville Local (1884-1917); Western Constellation (1800-1805); Windham Daily Journal (1857-1949)
  6. Maps and Atlases: including 1856 map of Greene County from actual surveys, a valuable resource
    measuring approximately six feet by three feet and documenting property owners throughout the County at that time.
  7. Photographs: nineteenth and twentieth century, arranged by subject; 10,000+ photos
  8. Postcards: arranged by subject; 6,000+ postcards
  9. EXTRAS from the Greene County Historical Journal! These files show color details from the Green Lake article in the Spring 2008 edition of the Greene County Historical Journal. (You'll need the Acrobat Reader to open the files.) To subscribe to the Greene County Historical Journal. become a member...
  10. County Towns, Villages, and Hamlets - selected resources
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Stephen Schwebler
is a library volunteer who is involved in setting up computer databases of collections
such as the Photo Collection, Civil War Veterans of Greene County,
and early periodicals such as The Weekender.
Steve is a former research chemist who is listed in
Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, and Who's Who in Science & Engineering.
    Archives
    The archival collections contain wide-ranging assortment of items such as business and farm ledger books, church and school records, local clubs and organizations records, diaries, letters, maps, menus, minutes, photographs, programs, scrapbooks, and telephone directories. It can be as small as one item and as large as dozens of boxes of material.

  1. Accumulations created by private individuals and/or by VRL staff, various content and format; 600+ boxes. Library oversize boxes
  2. Private accumulations, memorial Collections; 200+ boxes: photos, diaries, letters, documents, clippings Manuscript boxes
  3. Scrapbooks created by private individuals; 120+ Scrapbooks
  4. Various oversize documents, maps; 100+ items
  5. Bronck family 18th century papers; 500+ folders
  6. Guide to the Bronk Manuscripts; 91 pages, content arranged by subject in alphabetical order
  7. Personal and family papers of such Greene County families like Austin, Borthwick, Beach, Allen-DuBois-Decker, Dolan, Howland, Fox-Clark, Stone, Thomson-Cole, and Van Gelder-Pine
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Harvey Durham
is Greene County Historical Society Trustee and Library Volunteer,
life-long resident of Greene County with an enthusiastic interest in local history.
Kathleen Durham
is Library Volunteer and life-long resident of Greene County
who shares her husband's interest in all things local.



David Dorpfeld
is the Treasurer of the Greene County Historical Society and joined the library staff when he retired in August 2006.

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Raymond V. Beecher Teacher, historian and author
        COXSACKIE — Raymond V. Beecher, 91, of Coxsackie, died at his residence Oct. 9, 2008. Raymond was born in New York City, March 8, 1917, and was the son of the late Maude R. (Baxter) and Valentine Beecher. Besides his parents, Raymond was predeceased by his wife, Catharine S. (Shaffer) Beecher, in 1995, and his sister Gladys Lesson.
        Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend calling hours at the W.C. Brady’s Sons Inc. Funeral Home, 97 Mansion St., Coxsackie on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 from 2-4 and 6-9 p.m. The Coxsackie Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10986, of which he was a member, will hold services in his memory Sunday evening at the funeral home at 7. Funeral services will take place on Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 at 10 a.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 50 William St., Catskill with Father Sutcliffe and the Right Rev. David S. Ball officiating. Private cremation will take place at the Albany Rural Crematorium in Menands. Interment of his cremains will take place at a later date in the family plot of the Riverside Cemetery in Coxsackie. Survivors include his brother Arthur and his wife Gertrude Beecher of Coxsackie; his nieces and nephews Carolyn Fletcher of South Glens Falls, Fred Curtis of Newtonville, Stephen Beecher of Coxsackie, Timothy Beecher of Harrisburg, Pa. and Joel Beecher of Earlton.
        Raymond graduated from Greenville Central School and he earned a bachelor of science degree from Hartwick College and master’s of science degree from Boston University. Post-graduate at State University of Albany earned additional teaching and administrative certifications. He followed a teaching career, first at Oneonta High School and then as an assistant professor at Hartwick College. In later years after returning to Coxsackie, he was employed at the New York Vocational Institution as guidance supervisor until his retirement.
        During World War II Raymond Beecher served in America’s armed forces in the U.S. Army, first in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater of Operations where he earned a special commendation and was subsequently in the European Theater of Operations until the close of the war. He was discharged with the rank of technical sergeant.
        Mr. Beecher gave generously of his time and substance to a wide variety of charitable and educational causes. He was a president of the Hartwick College Alumni Association, receiving its highest Meritorious Service Award. He twice served as president of the Greene County Historical Society and more recently as chairman of its board of trustees. He was trustee of Friends of Olana, serving as its treasurer. The Vedder Research Library was of particular interest to him; he filled the unsalaried position of librarian. Several terms of service were given as the official historian of Greene County and the Town of Coxsackie. Local history was of special interest to Mr. Beecher, especially that of Greene County. During the nation’s American Revolution Bicentennial Celebration, he served as chairman of the Greene County American Revolution Bicentennial Committee. Later he coordinated the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of the Greene County Courthouse. In 2000 he chaired the county’s 200th Birthday Celebration.
        Mr. Beecher wrote and published extensively. He was the author of four books, and he established and served as the first editor of the Greene County Historical Journal. His weekly Greene Gleanings column was widely read.
        On Aug. 29, 1996, in recognition of a lifetime of scholarly achievement of his alma mater, Hartwick College awarded Raymond Beecher the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. Earlier that year, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, On-ti-Ora Chapter, presented him with their national Gold Medal of Honor for service to the state of the nation. The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development awarded him the prestigious Alf Evers Award in 2007. He was earlier honored with the first Greene Treasure Award by the Greene County Legislature on April 6, 2002.
        Mr. Beecher was single-handedly the driving force and benefactor in saving the Cedar Grove — the Thomas Cole House — when it was available for purchase, and shepherded it into the ownership of the Greene County Historical Society in 1998. Contributions in his memory may be made to The Greene County Historical Society P.O. Box 44, Coxsackie, N.Y. 12051

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    Volunteering
    What does it take to be a Vedder Research Library volunteer?
  1. MANUSCRIPT ASSISTANT dependable, accurate and conscientious; prepares hand written listing of scrapbook, file, or box content
  2. CLERICAL ASSISTANT types, transcribes hand written notes into a computer file
  3. LIBRARY ASSISTANT enjoys working with the public, helps walk-in clients in finding and use of library collection; when needed performs tasks for position #1 or #2 above
  4. BOOK REFERENCE ASSISTANT reads shelves on a regular basis to ensure that book order on the shelf matches catalog listing, assists in re-shelving materials in the library collection
  5. MAGAZINE REFERENCE ASSISTANT checks magazine collection on a regular basis to ensure that magazine order on the shelf matches catalog listing, assists in re-shelving materials in the library collection, prepares hand written listing of library held magazines
  6. NEWSPAPER REFERENCE ASSISTANT able to climb a step ladder, identifies newspapers owned by the library: microfilm and paper (hard copy), identifies duplicates, microfilm and paper overlaps, ensures that hard copy newspaper order on the shelf matches prepared listing
  7. RESEARCH ASSISTANT experience in writing descriptive paragraphs, proofreading, familiarity with Microsoft Word or WordPerfect; writes and files finding aids such as shelf-list cards - cards in the card catalog; may assist in genealogical service
  8. CATALOGER ASSISTANT computer familiarity; creates a bibliographic record using PastPerfect Museum Software
  9. DOCUMENT REPAIR ASSISTANT detail oriented, manual dexterity; assists with basic repairs to damaged library materials: books, documents, newspaper pages
  10. GRAPHIC DESIGNER design skills; responsible for creating documents such as flyers, programs and advertisements for various programs and events as well as artwork for the library's website
  11. WEB ASSISTANT required working knowledge of HTML, Java welcomed; designs, creates and maintains library website
  12. ELECTRONIC MEDIA ASSISTANT familiarity with PC, digital camera, and basic imaging software like PhotoShop; uses digital technology to capture, enhance quality, and archive old photos
  13. OFFICE EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN familiarity with office machines, required work reference or other evidence of competence; performs hardware maintenance, diagnose hardware system problems, may involve adapting equipment to new uses
  14. ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN familiarity with PC, required work reference or other evidence of competence; service computing equipment and associated devices, performs hardware maintenance, may involve adapting equipment to new uses
  15. COMPUTER SOFTWARE CONSULTANT proficient in support software, required work reference or other evidence of competence; monitors behavior of various software and resolves software problems as they arise.
  16. To request an application or to schedule your interview, please call VRL Librarian at 518-731-1033




Charles A. Holtz, P.S.M. provides
computer hardware & software support
E-mail: c_holtz@yahoo.com
Eric Maurer, employee of
the Unified Court System,
has volunteered evenings
and weekends since 1995.

Evelyn Lein has lived in
Coxsackie for 13 years and
has been a volunteer
at the library for 2 years.


Mary Pape, employee of the
Unified Court System,
library volunteer since 2001.






Helen Mary Eckler
volunteer since 1995,
collected names and ages of all
Greene County Civil War Soldiers,
currently prepares hand written
listing of archived documents.

Jerry Sterritt
has lived in Greene County for 70+ years and has been a volunteer at the library since 1995
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Quadracentennial

Reading List 
   

Bound copies of 1987-96
Greene County Historical Journal
$74.95 (64.95 + 10.00 S/H) 
   
2009 Book $63.95
(53.95 + 10.00 S/H) 
   


Vedder Research Library Disclaimer
      We are providing the information solely for the purpose of furthering the family research of those persons who live or have lived in Greene County, New York and their relatives. If you think there is a connection to your research, please consider contributing and sharing this information. Should you find the posting of your own family information to be intrusive or containing errors or omissions, please contact the Vedder Research Library via e-mail vedderlibrary@yahoo.com Two weeks is our average response time because of the limited staff and our 2.5 day work week.
      Every effort is made to ensure that the information on the Library's website is accurate however information should be verified independently before being used or relied on. All information is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied as to the fitness of the information for any purpose, or to results obtained by individuals using the information. Any opinions and statements are those of the respective author(s) and do not necessarily state or reflect those of the Vedder Research Library and shall not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation...
      The Library makes no warranty that the website service will be uninterrupted or error free or that any defects can be corrected. The content on this website may be changed or updated without notice; these changes may or may not be incorporated in any new version of the website.

Last updated:   9 January 2010      All Rights Reserved © 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Vedder Research Library

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