Albany, Albany County, New York Genealogy

United States &gt; New York &gt; Albany County &gt; Albany

Quick Facts
Oldest surviving European settlement from the original thirteen colonies.

Indian names: Pem-po-tu-wuth-ut (Mohegan), Sche-negh-ta-da (Iroquois)

Fomer town names: Castle Island (1540), Fort Nassau (1614), Fort Orange (1624), Beverwyck (1652)

1664: When English took the area, the name was changed to Albany in honor of the Duke of Albany (later James II, King of England).

1674: The Dutch took Albany from the English.

1675: The English retook Albany as the result of Third Anglo-Dutch War.

22 July 1686: Formally chartered as a city.

1797: Albany became the state capital.

Resources
All titles, unless otherwise indicated, are Family History Library Catalog (FHL) entries.

Archives and Libraries

 * Gateway to America : genealogical research in the New York State Library, pub. 1980 (FHL)
 * Genealogical resources in the New York metropolitan area (FHL)
 * Guide to records relating to the Revolutionary War in the New York State Archives (FHL)
 * New York State Library card catalog file of vital records in the History and Genealogy section (FHL)
 * Surname card index (FHL)

Biography

 * Albany illustrated: illustrated souvenir of Albany and vicinity, commerce, trade and industries, historical, descriptive and biographical sketches, with views and portraits, pub. 1892 (FHL)
 * Geschichte der Deutschen in Albany und Troy: nebst kurzen biographien von beamten und hervorragenden buergern : illustrirtes handbuch wissenswerthen inhaltes, pub. 1897 (FHL)
 * Noted living Albanians and state officials: a series of biographical sketches, pub. 1891 (FHL)

Business and Commerce

 * Albany Savings Bank, 1820-1899 (FHL)
 * Albany Savings Bank, 1820-1920: one hundred years of faithful service, June 10th, 1920 (FHL)
 * History and development of the Albany Home Building Co., Albany, N.Y.: December, 1912 (FHL)
 * Home Savings Bank of the city of Albany: its history and achievements, 1872-1922, fifty years of faithful stewardship, May 4, 1922 (FHL)
 * Industrial Albany: manufacturing and distributing advantages (FHL)

Cemeteries

 * Albany City cemeteries, 1941 (FHL)
 * Burial records, First Dutch Reformed Church, 1934 (FHL)
 * Burials in Albany: p.56-58, 1710-1736 (First Reformed Church) (FHL)
 * Cemetery records, Albany (St. John's Evangelical Lutheran & Evangelical Protestant Church) and New Woodstock, New York, 1962 (FHL)
 * Proceedings of the Common Council, and the various religious corporations of the city of Albany, relative to the State Street burial grounds, 1867 (FHL)

Albany Rural

 * The Albany Rural Cemetery: its beauties, its memories, 1893 (FHL)
 * Albany Rural Cemetery: proprietors and lot location, 1874-1879 (FHL)
 * Individual interment records (card file), 1965 (FHL)
 * New York Gravestone Photo Project
 * map: USGS GNIS FID 942240
 * map: Hometown Locator

Beth Emmeth (Jewish)

 * Old Beth Emmeth Cemetery, Old Retreat Rd, 1985 (FHL)
 * New York Gravestone Photo Project
 * map: USGS GNIS FID 943766
 * map: Hometown Locator

Eagle Hill
aka St. Paul's German Lutheran


 * New York Gravestone Photo Project
 * Findagrave.com

Graceland

 * Cemetery records, Graceland burial grounds (FHL)
 * New York Gravestone Photo Project
 * map: USGS GNIS FID 951452
 * map: Hometown Locator

Memory's Garden

 * Cemetery office (518) 869-9506
 * Findagrave.com

1860

 * The matched mortality and population schedules of 1860 census of Albany city and county, New York, pub. 1987

1910

 * Albany, New York 1910 census enumeration district maps

1920

 * 1920 census map for Albany, New York (FHL)

Centennial Celebrations, etc
See also Church Directories, History and Records
 * Albany's tercentenary: America's oldest city, 1624-1924, historical narrative souvenir (FHL)
 * Albany, a cradle of America: founded 1614, chartered 1686 (FHL)
 * The capital centenary: report of the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the state capital in Albany : January 3, 1797-January 6, 1897 (FHL)

Church Directories, History and Records
Due to very lengthy section, please see separate page on the subject.

Jewish History and Records

 * Congregation Beth Emeth, Albany, New York, 1838-1938, 5598-5698 (FHL)