Yes indeed. It is a valuable and sometimes fascinating source of
(reprinted) primary materials. Very miscellaneous, though. The fourth
volume was printed in 1851 by Charles Van Benthuysen, and is sometimes sold
separately from the other volumes. I bought a set a few years ago (all four
volumes) for $82.00, which I thought was a reasonable price and have not
regretted. The set includes a great many foldout maps and plans, so you
should check that they have not been removed.
        Other historians with greater involvement in early New York history will
probably have more detailed and better comments.

Hugh C. MacDougall
Secretary/Treasurer
James Fenimore Cooper Society
8 Lake Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326-1016
<[log in to unmask]>
<http://library.cmsu.edu/cooper/cooper.htm>

----------
> From: Nancy E. McNicol <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: 4 Volume NYS History set
> Date: Tuesday, March 23, 1999 10:34 PM
>
>  Is anyone on this list familiar with a 4 volume set of books entitled
The
> Documentary History of the State
> of New York by E.B. O'Callaghan published by Weed, Parsons & Co. ,
Albany,
> 1850?  It appears to be
> a compilation of primary source material beginning (I believe) in the
> 1600's.  If you know of the books,
> do you know if this is mostly information that can be elsewhere obtained
(in
> more recent publications).
> My main question is, is it a worthwhile purchase?
>
> Nancy McNicol