Alford, Berkshire County, Massachusetts Genealogy

United States Massachustts  Berkshire County  Alford

Town Clerk
5 Alford Center Road Alford, MA 01230 Phone: 413-528-4536 Fax: 413-528-4581 Email: [mail to:pommydoyle@gmail.com pommydoyle@gmail.com] Website

Quick History
==== Establishment and former town name(s) ====

16 February 1713: Established as the district of Alford from part of Great Barrington and certain common lands. (Province Laws, Vol. V, p. 236)

23 August 1775: Made a town, by general act under which districts became towns.

Archiac name: Podunke, Podunkville, Shawanon Purchase

Section/Villages within the town: Alford Center, East Alford, West Alford

==== Boundary Changes ====

11 February 1779: Part of Great Barrington annexed.

6 February 1790: Bounds between Alford and Egremont

18 February 1819: Part of Great Barrington

17 March 1847: Part of West Stockbridge annexed.

Maps

 * 1) USGS GNIS FID 607267
 * 2) Google
 * 3) Hometown Locator

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from included:


 * Albany Post Road from New York City to Albany, New York 1669
 * Alford and Egremont (MA) Turnpike 1812
 * Ancram (NY) Turnpike 1805, also sometimes called the Catskill Road, from Salisbury, Connecticut to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Massachusetts to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Turnpike  (aka Susquehannah Turnpike ) from Catskill, NY to Unadilla, NY; route travelled by Europeans by 1792; toll booths opened by 1804.
 * Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
 * Great Barrington and Aford (MA) Turnpike 1812
 * Greenwood Road 1799 from Hartford, Connecticut to Albany, New York
 * Hampden and Berkshire (MA) Turnpike 1826
 * Hillsdale and Chatham Turnpike 1805 from Alford, Massachusetts to Albany, New York
 * Housatonic River (MA) Turnpike 1809
 * Massachusetts 10th Turnpike 1800
 * Massachusetts 12th Turnpike 1812
 * Rensselaer and Columbia (NY) Turnpike 1799
 * Hudson River, an ancient pathway

Vital Records

 * 1) Vital Records of Alford Massachusetts to the Year 1850 Google Books