Document Archives
The De Kalb Museum has hundreds of documents in the historical archive. Call 315-347-1900 or 315-347-2178 to make an appointment.
This document is a list of male residents of the Town of De Kalb between the ages of 18 and 45 made at the request of New York State at the outbreak of World War One. It was to determine who was eligible for the draft so it includes prior military service if any. The document includes the age date of birth and occupation of each person on the list.
The list is alphabetical so it is possible to manually scroll through the document to find particular individuals.
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Pages one through the end are the actual text describing property owners in the survey. The final portion lists the predominant tree species and soil types in each section of the town in 1814.
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Pages A through Q of the Classification are the index part of the original document indicating which proprietor was to hold the mortgage on that property.​
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This "Social Ball" document is a great starter to get students speculating on the circumstances of this gala event.
The Classification of De Kalb was written in 1814 by Potter Goff and Silas Spencer. The document and accompanying map was written to allow the absentee investors in the town divide the lands held in common by them. The original contracts let by William Cooper in 1803, as lead proprietor, were for 10 years. By 1814 they had expired and the Landlords wanted their money in the midst of the War of 1812. The classification lists settlers names, where they lived, buildings they had erected and land cleared. it also included a description of the character of the settler.