New York State Archives |

Exploring Greater Binghamton!

Our records document functions & activities of State government, but with them we can also see local communities from different perspectives. Explore the Greater Binghamton Area using archival records, like this film imagining of The Thruway and Binghamton Tomorrow!
Before there was Binghamton

Until the 1789 Sullivan-Clinton Campaign, the Haudenosaunee nations thrived in the area where the Susquehanna & Chenango rivers meet. This map illustrates the boundaries of the Six Nations following the eradication of Otsiningo, or the Nation's "the southern door."
An Agricultural Community

Did you know that Binghamton started as a tiny agricultural village when it was incorporated in 1834? That changed with the 1836 opening of the Chenango towpath canal which set the stage for major changes to the area. See how it all began in this 1838 digitized survey map!
The Hill

Referred to locally as "the Hill," this gothic structure opened in 1864 as the NYS Inebriate Asylum, the first institution in the US designed to treat alcoholism as a mental disorder. The institution's evolution to Binghamton Psychiatric Center is documented in several groups of records in the archives.
Military Contributions

We hold WW I veterans' service data & photographs, including this photo of Pvt. First Class Roy G. Gardinier, an "exceedingly bright and promising young man" who was killed in action on Oct. 13, 1918. You can learn more about him in a related biography & its addendum in our Digital Collections
The Square Deal

In the early 20th century, Binghamton was known as the Valley of Opportunity in part because of the "Square Deal" version of welfare capitalism instituted by the Endicott-Johnson shoe manufacturing company. Discover more about the company in records preserved in the archives.
Transportation Hub

In 1848 the first New York & Erie Railroad train arrived in Binghamton, establishing the area as a transportation hub, with north-south & east-west lines delivering goods throughout NY & PA. This image illustrates the railroad's continued significance into the 20th century.
Natural Beauty

Binghamton was known as a manufacturing center, but the area is also surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty. This image of Lily Lake State Park, now Chenango Valley State Park was created to record the sites overseen by the Conservation Department's Division of Parks.
Big Blue

The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) was established in Endicott, NY in 1924. Throughout the 20th century, the global technology leader was central to the Binghamton area's economy. You can find records related to the company by searching our finding aids for "IBM."
Community

The Broome County Victory Canning Caravan was a joint project of Emergency Food Bureau & IBM. It carried information to homemakers on canning, freezing, dehydration & the brining of Victory Garden products. See more photos from the War Council in our Digital Collections.
Binghamton in the Records

The evolution of the Greater Binghamton Area from an agrarian Nation to an industrial manufacturing center is documented using hundreds of records in the Archives. Start exploring the records by entering "Binghamton" into our online finding aid search!