Holding a copy of the 1884 naturalization records of his grandfather, Peter Dunne, Delaware County Council Chairman Andrew Reilly said, "Each day, we work on trying to provide needs for the 21st century ..but it’s also important to provide these county records."

Having begun conceptually two years ago, the archives was realized via four state grants and a county match of $7,000.

The office in the Fair Acres complex holds 5,000 cubic feet of public records, including civil-court cases, criminal dockets, death and marriage records, naturalization records and wills, from 1790 to 1970.

More recent records are available at the Government Center in Media or from the state Department of Health’s Division of Vital Records.

The wealth of available records runs the gamut.

An April 30, 1795, document recorded Delaware County’s first naturalization, occurring to Robert Davenport of Ireland.

Another record, dated Sept. 18, 1838, stated that Peter Thomas, who was indentured to Dr. Job H. Terrill, was a "free man of color" for 10 years.

A May 1854 petition signed by 143 county residents asked the Judges of the Quarter Sessions Court "to refuse to renew the licenses to tavern keepers and store keepers to sell ‘spirituous liquors.’"

Twenty-two years earlier, Edward S. Berry swore in writing to abstain from "ardent Spirits of all kinds as also from wine, beer, cider and every liquid that will produce intoxication for the space of seven years."

Visitors said Tuesday marked a new day for county records.

"Delaware County’s records were like Third World records," said Helen Imburgia of the Delaware County Genealogy Society. "It’s like Delaware County is still looking to the radio and the rest of the world is watching T.V. and using the computer."

It took her two years to obtain birth records of her daughter’s paternal grandfather. Now, it would take minutes thanks to the organizational skills of professional archivist Robert J. Plowman.

"It will be easier for people to come and get what you need," said Billie Mniecznikowski, a volunteer for the Delaware County Historical Society.

She recalled the former process where she’d made a records request at the Government Center in Media and it would take three to four days to be processed.

Now, there’s the promise of instant gratification.

Delaware County Archives is at the Records Center on the grounds of the Fair Acres center on Route 352 in Middletown. It is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.