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Wayne County, NY history

 

 

Child's Gazetteer and Business Directory of Wayne County, NY for 1867 - 68        

AGAIN AVAILABLE!!  

Learn phonography in Wayne County, NY

Click the image above to see a sample ad -- an opportunity to learn "Phonography"!

 Hamilton Child's 1867-68 Gazetteer is an important book of  Wayne County history and genealogy.

It is singularly important because it both provides a history of Wayne County and its towns, and it also does what the histories do not:  it lists the people and it tells what they do.  That it also provides the information one expects from a gazetteer -- summary information about  towns, with specifics about businesses, churches, newspapers, organizations and the like -- makes it all the more necessary.

In addition to the names liberally sprinkled through the history sections, the Gazetteer offers page after page of names (and some details) of everyone in Wayne County at that time who could possibly have been considered to be "in business" -- including farmers, and for farmers it even lists the number of acres owned or under lease. 

Sample page from Wayne County Gazetteer

Child's Gazetteer is also useful in developing an understanding of rural life at the time, in the years immediately following the Civil War.   What Child considered important general information (it appears as boilerplate in all his gazetteers) is interesting:  "maxims of law", advice on succeeding in business, formulas for mixing peculiar substances, specific information about the states and territories and their attractiveness, and a discussion of how to claim the public lands are just a few of the subjects.  

While we originally issued Child's Gazetteer on CD-ROM, we have discontinued our CD line and thus it has been unavailable.  However, we've now taken the very same version that appeared on the CD and made it available as a download.  As well as the full text of the Gazetteer (all 260 pages of it).  Child included a fold-out map in his later gazetteers, but none is present in this early edition.  One page of advertisements is also missing, although we have determined the firms that advertised on these two pages.  

 Those with a spiritual or historic interest in the Mormon faith will be pleased to learn that this book documents the place in New York State where that faith developed -- and at the same time can expect to be repelled at the venomous treatment Child affords the Mormon Church editorially in his section on the history of Palmyra.  Be forewarned:  this is not for everyone.

 

Wayne County Gazetter sample page

Click the image to see a typical page from the Wayne County Gazetteer full-sized

WHO NEEDS THE GAZETTEER?

If you are working on genealogy or history with a Wayne County connection, we think that you do.  People who have worked in the area know that 19th century source material about Wayne County -- particularly material like this with information about large numbers of "ordinary people" -- is scarce. 

We think that libraries will decide that our version represents a good way to avoid further wear and tear on that carefully guarded original of Child's Gazetteer -- if they're fortunate enough to have one. 

We know that teachers, particularly in Social Studies and History, will find it useful.  You can easily store the file on a "thumb drive" or other USB device and use it in most AV facilities, uncluding those commonly used to display PowerPoint presentations in the classroom to easily display pages of the Gazetteer -- it is in PDF format.

If you're simply interested in Wayne County, NY -- even as it is today -- the Gazetteer represents an inexpensive, easy to use way of learning about the county's 19th century past.   

Just so you're aware, this book can also be found online as a free download.  You may find the free version suits your requirements and will let you save $4.  You can also find a paper reprint of this volume available from several online sources for around $45 - $50.  If you can find one, an original copy typically costs well over $100. 

We think that our version is a good compromise.  The scans are high resolution, ensuring no detail is lost.  It's in PDF format, permitting you to print individual pages if you wish.  And, of course, this version saves you lots over the price of the old CD-ROM or the print alternatives. 

 
We also offer two other Gazetteers that include Wayne County material, as well as other information about the county.  Please take a look!

To the main Wayne County page to go to our Wayne County page
 

To the main New York State page to return to our main New York State page.

 

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