I believe when this was done in Rensselaer County, the Rensselaer
County Historical Society asked for them and were given them. If
these are a government generated record, why do they not have to
be given to the NYS Archives?

I have used both Surrogate Court records that were microfilmed
and Deeds that were microfilmed and some are not legible. The
Saratoga County Clerk's office has the original deed books in
shelves that are above the reproduced deed books. If there is a
question, they are readily available. Once gone, this information
cannot be replaced.

I think some of this has gotten out of hand by some counties
who do not want those "dusty old books that no body ever looks
at" in their nice modern county courthouses. If they were legible
it might be one thing but no one has checked to see if it is all
there and unfortunately some of it is not. I called a lady about
something else and she told me her town had her making
a list of the books stored off site so they knew what they were
throwing away and then she was to get rid of them. They were
the original old town records, tax and voter records and other
records that would document their town. I put her in touch with
the NYS Archives so she knew what they were suppose to do.


On Mon, 13 Aug 2001 09:51:28 -0400 Tom Perrin <[log in to unmask]> writes:
> See if they can be given to the Historical Society.
>
> In each and every case, original records should never be destroyed
> until
> and unless they have been compared to the originals and found to be
> accurate copies in all respects.  St. Lawrence County and Clinton
> County  (NY) court houses have found that microfilming has been
> terrible
> in providing readable copies.
>
> Perhaps publicity would give the powers that be second thoughts.
>
> Tom
>
> Chester Historical Society wrote:
> >
> > I was at a talk given recently by the Chief Clerk of our local
> Surrogate's
> > Court in which mentioned that she is under orders to send out
> records for
> > microfilming.  What is most disturbing is that these original
> documents
> > are then destroyed by the microfilm contractor and many of these
> > microfilmed records are not readable!
> >
> > Thus the information is lost for ever!
> >
> > What can be done to save these original documents?
> >
> > Clifton Patrick
> > Chester Historical Society
> > Chester, NY 10918
> >
> > Direct voice and fax:  845-469-7645
> >      1915 Erie Station:  845-469-2591