Or the Village of Breesport in the Town of Horseheads, Chemung Co. Breesport has no officials. They have a post office. Then there is the Village of Horseheads that has a mayor, police force, etc. NYS can be confusing unless you live here and then other states are confusing. <grin> Pat who lives in the Town of Erin which has an Erin hamlet. On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 19:59:03 -0400 "Grant" <[email protected]> writes: > A town in New York State is similar to a township In other states. Be > careful however, as Towns and villages (which we refer to as a town > in PA) > can have the same name, Example the village of Webster, NY is in > the Town > of Webster. Grant > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > Prior 1900 - Pike, Bell, Henderson, Byers, Evans, Hart : > > Germany: Whetzel, Miller, Bungard, > > Friedline, Keffer, Grimm/Grim, Hart, prior to 1840, Conklin, > > Donlon, 1800 - Baker, Travis, Crosby > > > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== > Have you seen the USGenWeb New York Page? > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/ >

Good morning. I found this explanation of local government/postal areas on the Oneida Co., NY GenWeb site. I think it's very helpful. The LOCAL GOVERNMENT HANDBOOK, published by the State of New York Department of State provides some useful help as it has the official definition of cities, towns and villages. (Townships and boroughs do not exist in New York State and information about them is not included here.) Copies of this highly recommended publication can be obtained by e-Mailing "[email protected]". Cities, Towns, Villages, Hamlets and Postal Zones in New York State New York State is divided into counties. County A county is a municipal corporation, a subdivision of the state, created to perform state functions; a "regional" government All counties are divided into cities, towns and Indian reservations. City A city is a unique governmental entity with its own special charter. Cities are not sub-divided, except into neighborhoods which are informal geographic areas. Town A town is a municipal corporation and encompasses all territory within the state except that within cities or Indian reservations. Towns can be sub-divided into villages and hamlets. Village A village is a general purpose municipal corporation formed voluntarily by the residents of an area in one or more towns to provide themselves with municipal services. The pattern of village organization is similar to those of a city. A village is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Hamlet A hamlet is an unincorporated area in one or more towns that is governed at-large by the town(s) it is in. A hamlet is divided into neighborhoods, which are informal geographic areas. Postal Zone "City" and "Town" A postal zone "City" and "Town" is an administrative district established by the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the mail. Postal zone "City" and "Town" may not (but are encouraged to) conform to municipal or community borders. Thus, postal zone location does not always determine city, village or hamlet location. Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located. Bob Saftenberg [email protected] http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~rsaft/index.html Chenango County Genealogy Resources and Cemetery Locations ================= On 18 Jul 2002, at 22:53, Rodney A Wainwright wrote: > Or the Village of Breesport in the Town of Horseheads, Chemung Co. > Breesport has no officials. They have a post office. Then there is the > Village of Horseheads that has a mayor, police force, etc. NYS can be > confusing unless you live here and then other states are confusing. > <grin> > Pat who lives in the Town of Erin which has an Erin hamlet. > > > On Thu, 18 Jul 2002 19:59:03 -0400 "Grant" <[email protected]> writes: > > A town in New York State is similar to a township In other states. Be > > careful however, as Towns and villages (which we refer to as a town > > in PA) > > can have the same name, Example the village of Webster, NY is in > > the Town > > of Webster. Grant > > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > > Prior 1900 - Pike, Bell, Henderson, Byers, Evans, Hart : > > > Germany: Whetzel, Miller, Bungard, > > > Friedline, Keffer, Grimm/Grim, Hart, prior to 1840, Conklin, > > > Donlon, 1800 - Baker, Travis, Crosby > > > > > > > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== > > Have you seen the USGenWeb New York Page? > > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygenweb/ > > > > > ==== GEN-NYS Mailing List ==== > Visit the GEN-NYS-L web page: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~nozell/GEN-NYS-L/ > > > Bob Saftenberg [email protected] http://www.geocities.com/rsaftenberg

On the bellow comment: Please be aware: In many areas of New York State, the problem of non-conforming postal zones leads to a situation where the majority of places have a different community name in their mailing address than the community where that place is actually located." BOY! Is that ever true! In my profession as an abstractor it is such a mess. The house can be in one town, the address for the town in another because it is the closest post office. Sometimes even in a different county. It happens quite often I will drive to one county to do a property search based on the address like Murray, NY which is in Orleans County, only to find that the road (and the house)is really in Monroe County. The mail goes through the Murary post office because its the closest. -- Cindy Amrhein Town of Alabama Historian Genesee Co., NY ********************** Historian's Page - Alabama, NY http://www2.pcom.net/cinjod/historian/ Experience the town of Alabama in Genesee County, New York. History, tombstone inscriptions, census records, history of the Tonawanda Seneca Indians and the Iroquois. Enjoy a good murder mystery? Read about the murders of Polly Frisch. APHNYS (The Association of Public Historians of New York State) http://www.tier.net/aphnys/ Genesee County, NY website. Includes History Department, (under "Historian") http://www.co.genesee.ny.us/ The Genesee Area Genealogy Society lists the names and addresses for all the Genesee & Wyoming County Historians http://www.rootsweb.com/~nygags/hist.htm