We have books on local histories and genealogies, but our main interest has been cemetery records. In 1990 Historical Data Services began the systematic reading and recording of gravestones in the cemeteries of Washington County, NY. First we tried to locate as many of the old readings as possible, contacting county and town historians. We entered the old cemetery records into a data base and used them as guides when making a field study of the actual cemeteries.

     We have attempted to personally survey every cemetery, including small family burying grounds, rural grave yards, and both public and private cemeteries in county. We compare the old lists to the stones, make corrections if needed, and add any additional records that are discovered. All known existing cemeteries for these towns have been surveyed and each burial entered into the master record. Of course, mistakes can happen when reading old weathered stones, but we have made a conscientious effort to make an accurate listing.

     Washington County, New York, is divided into 17 towns (townships), and Historical Data Services has surveyed 16 of them. We have 14 books in print. Two books include two Towns. Each book is indexed and some contain a locator map for cemeteries. Directions on how to find the various cemeteries are included in the introduction. The heading also tells when this cemetery was inventoried. Maps accompany most of the larger cemeteries, and burials in most of these are indicated by plot and/or row to help the researcher determine who is buried in adjacent or nearby plots.

     Birth and death dates are recorded and in the remarks portion of the individual's record, we have indicated any genealogical information found on the stones; parents, spouses, maiden names, military service, and sometimes birth place and other bits of information. In rare cases some of the information in the remarks came to us from a descendant or from an old historical document.

     Over the years many stones have become broken, buried or lost. In some of the older cemeteries, many stones are now gone that were in inventories made only 20 years ago. Lack of maintenance, vandalism and weather have destroyed many of these historic markers. The goal of Historical Data Services has been to compile and preserve a complete record, as much as possible, of burials in the 17 towns of Washington County, NY.

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