Cayuga County Records

Its boundaries spanning from the shore of Lake Ontario to farmlands nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes, Cayuga County was, and still is, largely agricultural.  In 1917, the county was mainly comprised of relatively self-sufficient towns, villages and hamlets, while its county seat, Auburn, was a vibrant manufacturing hub, supported by a diverse labor market.  

Of the 1440 men who served in World War I from Cayuga County, 135 perished in the line of duty, whether from injuries, accidents, or disease.  They were the sons of recent immigrants, scions of century-old farms, husbands and fathers who left behind new families and infant children. The great-grandson of William Seward, former Governor of New York State, did not make it home, nor did the only son of a Polish immigrant mother, who learned of his death while on her factory shift.

For the 1000+ who made it back, who survived horrific trench warfare, the threat of gas attacks, overcrowded hospitals and raging influenza, they became the blue collar laborers and white collar entrepreneurs who helped build a modern, 20th century society – and who might well have hoped that the new world they had fought for would escape the horrors of war that they had endured.  

Its chilling to imagine the experiences of the young farmers and factory workers from Cayuga County who were sent “over there” to participate in the Great War. Their service, even on a micro-level, illustrates how individual lives are connected to the course of history, and cannot be dismissed or underestimated.
Ruth Bradley, Cayuga County Historian, 2018

Carl Hapeman Photograph

Identifier
NYSA_A0412-78_B03_F05_Hapeman
Description
Carl Hapeman sitting at the far end of a rifle range. Ranges like these were essential to training soldiers in the discipline of accuracy and marksmanship in preparation for military service. The numbers behind Hapeman are in place to correspond to a shooting position at the firing line. The large built-up hill behind Hapeman was meant to stop the bullets, while the fence by the woods was built to keep people from accidentally walking onto the range.
New York State Archives. New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Archives and History. World War I veterans' service data and photographs, 1917-1938. Series A0412-78, Box 3, Folder 5.
This image is provided for education and research purposes. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user.
Learning Activities

Pollay Brothers Photograph

Identifier
NYSA_A0412-78_B03_F05_Pollay
Description
Photograph of the Pollay brothers: (1) Hurlon, (2) Harvey, (3) Charles, and (4) Jesse.
New York State Archives. New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Archives and History. World War I veterans' service data and photographs, 1917-1938. Series A0412-78, Box 3, Folder 5.
This image is provided for education and research purposes. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user.
Learning Activities

William E. Titus and Horse Photograph

Identifier
NYSA_A0412-78_B03_F05_Titus
Description
Photograph of soldier William Titus standing next to his horse.
New York State Archives. New York (State). Education Dept. Division of Archives and History. World War I veterans' service data and photographs, 1917-1938. Series A0412-78, Box 3, Folder 5.
This image is provided for education and research purposes. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user.
Learning Activities