New York (State). Office of State History.

The position of State Historian was created by statute in 1895 (Chapter 393) and filled by appointment of the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The State Historian's official duties were to "collect, collate, compile, edit and prepare for publication all official records, memoranda and data" relative to the wars and state relations of the Colony and State of New York. For nearly two decades he carried out this mandate by collecting and publishing records on the history of the state.

The State Historian was placed under the Education Department in 1911 and made director of the newly created Division of History (Chapter 380). The same laws also created in the Education Department a Division of Public Records under a supervisor appointed by the Governor. The Supervisor of Public Records was charged with examining the condition of records kept in the public offices of counties, cities, villages, and towns, or kept by any organization created under state law. Under the law, the Education Department also had "general and exclusive supervision, care, custody and control" of all public records of any discontinued public office, institution, or organization.

The functions of the Division of Public Records expanded in 1913 to include supervision of local records management (Chapter 424). The Supervisor provided advice and made recommendations, enforceable by the courts, for the proper care of local records.

The Board of Regents merged the divisions of History and Public Records in 1915 as the Division of Archives and History with the State Historian serving as director. At the same time the Board transferred the New York State Library's archivist to the division. The archivist's duties primarily consisted of translating for publication the records of the Dutch colony of New Netherland.

The division's supervision of local historical activities increased in 1919 with a law requiring the appointment of a local historian by every city, village, and town outside of New York City (Chapter 181). The local historians were to cooperate with the State Historian to preserve historical materials, and were required to submit annual reports to the State Historian. In 1921 the five boroughs of New York City also were required to appoint local historians (Chapter 634).

During the 1920s and 1930s the division continued its publication program, but also planned and coordinated statewide celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the American Revolution. These included reenactments of battles and the placement of markers at historic sites around the state.

A major new function of the division began in 1944 with the transfer of all state historic and scientific sites to the Education Department from the Conservation Department (Chapter 603). The division had direct control of thirteen sites and indirect control of twelve sites operated by other organizations or associations as agents of the Education Department.

In 1966, custody of historic and scientific sites was transferred to the newly created New York State Historic Trust in the Division of Parks (Chapter 815). The Education Department retained responsibility for certain activities at historic sites: preparing interpretation, providing advice on the care of documents and artifacts, evaluating sites' historic significance, and recommending site development, acquisition, and designation (Chapter 816).

The division acquired another custodial function in 1955. During a reorganization of the New York State Museum, the Board of Regents transferred the museum's Section of History (excluding the Indian collections) to the custody of the State Historian. This gave the division responsibility for collecting and curating the State's collection of historic artifacts.

The Board of Regents upgraded the State Historian to Assistant Commissioner for State History in 1966. The following year the Board renamed the Division of Archives and History the Office of State History. In 1971 the Legislature officially established the Office of State History and enumerated its functions (Chapter 869): edit and publish records relating to the history of the state; prepare written works on the history of the colony and state; acquire, preserve, and exhibit historical artifacts, and advise state agencies, organizations, and individuals on the preservation and disposition of historical artifacts; provide advice concerning state historic sites; assist state agencies and organizations in planning and conducting commemorative events; and examine conditions of and provide advice and enforceable recommendations concerning the preservation and disposition of local records.