Schoharie County NYGenWeb Site

Books and Materials Available Commercially

A variety of research materials are available commercially that may be of assistance to the research of Schoharie County researchers. It is the intent of this page to list those materials, with ordering information. Listing of commercially available materials on this page does not imply an endorsement by the GenWeb project or the Schoharie County GenWeb coordinator Doug Boyer.

Schoharie Co, NY Family Cemetery Inscriptions
Town of Wright, by A. Burton, 36 pp., wrapper, 1961 $ 7.00

Kinship

I have a few copies left of the book I published on the Merkley Family. 
"The American Sons of Hans Michael Mercklen/Merckle.
Hans Michael, Christopher Friedrich and Joseph Friedrich"
Price of the book is $42.00 plus $5.00 postage and handling in US and $15.00 postage for Canada.

These three brothers settled in Durloch, now Sharon, Schoharie County, New York. My German researcher located their birth place and proof that that were the sons of Hans Michael Mercklen/Merckle of Hoheneck, Wurttemberg, Germany. I have a photo copy of his will that mentions his sons names and that they now live in "New England". 
During the Revolutionary War, part of their descendants were Loyalist and moved to Ontario, others stayed in New York.

My German Researcher has found the marriage record for Christopher Friedrich and his wife, Maria Catharine in Germany. She was not a member of the Sittnich/Sidney family of Schoharie County as recorded in so many pedigrees found on the Internet.

Ejvor Merkley

The Palatine Families of New York - 1710 (2 volume set)
More Palatine Families
Westerwald to America: Some 18th Century German Immigrants
Even More Palatine Families (3 volume set)

by Henry Z. Jones, Jr., Fellow, American Society of Genealogists

Dear Doug:

Just a note to congratulate you on the fine job you have done and are doing with the Schoharie County NY GenWeb Site. It's so well put together and well organized. Lots of good information. Great job!

If possible, I'd appreciate your listing my own several volumes on the Palatines of colonial New York in your section on the site regarding books pertinent to Schoharie families. As you may know, I've been tracing all New York Palatines pre-1776 since I started the project at Stanford back in the early 60s. Happily, my The Palatine Families of New York - 1710 was awarded the "Best Genealogical Book of the Year" (the Donald L. Jacobus Prize) when it was published a few years back. My latest three volume set, Even More Palatine Families, which has lots on Schoharie families, was just released last year. The German origins of well over 600 of the 847 NY Palatine families who arrived in colonial NY in 1710 are now set forth via my forty years of overseas German village-to-village searches and in my books, and over 1500 later arrivals (also many of whom ended up in Schoharie) have now been documented also in their ancestral European towns and are included in my publications. It's been fun.

My website is http://www.hankjones.com for more information on all my books. 

Thanks for letting your site-users know about the site and my books. Much appreciated!

Best wishes,

Hank Jones
{Henry Z Jones, Jr., Fellow, American Society of Genealogists}

by Gary L. Donhardt, Ph.D.

Donhardt and Daughters Publishers is pleased to announce the publication of Indian Ladder; A History of Life in the Helderbergs by Gary L. Donhardt. The book is a history of the settlement of the Helderberg Mountains near what is presently the John Boyd Thacher State Park outside of Albany, New York. The work starts with a broad sketch of the early period of Native American occupation and European settlement, and narrows in the final chapter to the development of the Indian Ladder community through the first two decades of the twentieth century. Intervening chapters examine the events of the Revolution in the Helderbergs and the Anti-renter War that brought about the collapse of the manorial system. The Second Dutch Reformed Church of Berne and the first camp established exclusively for young women, Camp Pinnacle, had an impact on the area and their stories are presented. The growth and decay of tourism on Thompsons and Warners lakes are also examined. Finally, the development of the John Boyd Thacher Park with its impressive escarpment is the focus of an instructive narrative on the geography of the region.

The author has spent over twelve years researching the history of the Helderbergs in upstate New York. After visiting the Albany area for the first time in 1975, he became interested in the geographical formations along the Helderberg escarpment and the rich cultural history of the region. In the late 1980s when he began his research it became evident that little had been written on the area and the need to record the history of this region became very important to him. After more than a decade of digging through archives and recording oral traditions, the result of a well researched manuscript is now available.

This softcover book is concisely written with numerous maps, photos, and an extensive bibliography. One hundred sixty-four pages in length, Indian Ladder; A History of Life in the Helderbergs sells for $26.95. The book can be obtained directly from the publisher for $26.95 + $4.00 shipping and handling. Mail your check to:

Donhardt and Daughters Publishers
737 Gable Lane
Collierville, TN 38017
901-854-8617

Gary Donhardt's book is an outstanding volume, an excellent work of scholarship based largely on primary sources and documentation. Fully referenced and footnoted, it fills a need for historical documentation of high quality for an area of Albany County about which relatively little serious research, analysis, and writing has been done.
Paul Huey, Ph.D. Scientist (Archeology)
Bureau of Historic Sites New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

THE DESCENDANTS OF JOHANN CONRAD KILTS
Emigrant to America
A Genealogy of the Kilts Family

This is the story of the many descendants of Johann Conrad Kilts, Emigrant to America, who arrived in Colonial New York about 1743.

"Conrad Kilts acquired land at Stone Arabia in 23 September 1743 from Adam Walrath (Schedule of Titles of the Stone Arabia Patent). Conraeth Kulz was a witness to the division of lot #20 between the Lutheran and Reformed congregation in Stone Arabia 27 March 1744 (Vosburgh's Transcription of the Stone Arabia Chbk.) Conradt Kults was naturalized 14 November 1750 (Scott & Stryker-Rodda, p. 41). Conrad Kilts and wife Zuzanna Margaretha sponsored Johannes Kilts in 1754 (Trinity Lutheran Churchbook, Stone Arabia). Coenrat Kitts and Peter Kells were freeholders at Stonerabie in 1763 (Albany Co. Freeholders)." (MORE PALATINE FAMILIES, Henry Z. Jones, Jr., Universal City, CA, 1991)

In 13 generations, Johann Conrad Kilts has 6,438 descendants enumerated in this book. If you count spouses, too, there are 9,825 descendants listed.

This book is about 1,500 pages in length, printed in 2 volumes and includes an index. There are personal notes on many entries, giving available data as birth, baptismal and marriage records, military history, personal anecdotes, obituaries, occupation, education and more.

This book has been researched and written by Herman W. Witthoft, Sr., with the assistance of his wife, Doris, his daughter, Melissa and his sisters, Florence L. Hulsizer and Martha A. Kopra.

Copies of the book are available, $55.00 (USA), plus $5.00 shipping (USA), or $15.00 shipping (Canada) from: Herman W. Witthoft, Sr., 141 Hudson A ve., Chatham, NY USA. (Telephone: 518-392-4544. E-mail: hw15)

THE DESCENDANTS OF MARIA ELIZABETH SCHAFFER
Emigrant to America
A Genealogy of the Schaffer Family

This is the story of the many descendants of Maria Elizabeth Schaffer, Emigrant to America, who arrived in Colonial New York in 1710.

Maria and her two sons, Johannes and Henrich, were of hardy stock and settled in the area which is now known as the Village of Schoharie, Schoharie Co., NY USA. Pastor Berkenmeyer mentioned Johannes Schaffer often in ALBANY PROTOCOL. Johannes signed as a Justice on the call from the Lutheran Church at Schoharie to Rev. Dr. Gerdes in London 25 August 1741 (Luth. Church in N.Y. and N.J., p. 171). His family appears on Pastor Somer's Family List ca. 1744 (Schoharie Luth. Chbk.) Pastor Berkenmeyer called Henrich the brother of (Jo)hannes in 1736 (Albany Protocol, p.189).

In 14 generations, Maria Elizabeth Schaffer has 8,168 descendants enumerated in this book. If you count spouses, too, there are 12,241 descendants listed. In the past few months a branch of the family which uses the surname, "Shaver," those who remained loyal to England in the Revolutionary War, has been discovered in Canada through the efforts of Gordon Stinson, Edward Kipp and Lynn Cook. Some of them have been included in this book, but there are many, many more, a very prolific family. Maybe in the future a book on the Canadian family can be compiled.

This book is about 1,585 pages in length, printed in 2 volumes and includes an index. There are personal notes on many entries, giving available data as birth, baptismal and marriage records, military history, personal anecdotes, obituaries, occupation, education and more.

This book has been researched and written by Herman W. Witthoft, Sr., with the assistance of his wife, Doris, his daughter, Melissa and his sisters, Florence L. Hulsizer and Martha A. Kopra.

Copies of the book are available, $55.00, plus $5.00 shipping, total $60.00 (American) from: Herman W. Witthoft, Sr., 141 Hudson Ave., Chatham, NY USA. (Telephone: 518-392-4544. E-mail: hw15)

The following books by Edward A. Hagan, Editor of the Schoharie Review, are available at the Old Stone Fort Museum among other places.

War in Schohary - 1777-1783 The Revolutionary War 

Pride of the Valley - Railroading in Schoharie County 1828-1942 

Hot Whiskey for Five - Schoharie County and the Civil War 

An Alarm of Fire - Fire Fighting in Middleburgh, 1855 - 1926

History of the Town of Carlisle, Schoharie County, New York

Available from: The Carlisle Historical Society
518-234-3041 or Carlisle Historical Society

350-page book on the history of the town - from its founding families (including some genealogical information) to an extensive chapter on the caves of Carlisle.  Also:  weather events, wars, buildings, churches, schools, mills, cemeteries, geology, nature, people, patents, folklore and approximately 250 pictures.  Includes Table of Contents, Chronology and References.

 Soft-bound, color cover.  $27 including tax.  Postage extra.

Schoharie County NYGenWeb Site
This page established June 7, 1999 and last updated July 07, 2009