Allegany County, New York Genealogy

''This article is about a southwestern New York county. For other uses, see Allegany''.

United States New York  Allegany County



Parent County

 * 7 March 1806: Set off from Genesee County.

Neighboring Counties
Cattaraugus· Livingston· Steuben· Wyoming· Pennsylvania counties: McKean· Potter

Boundary Changes
1683: Allegany County was part of Albany County.


 * 1808: a portion transferred from Steuben County.
 * 1811: a portion transferred to Genesee County.
 * 1812-1816: Cattaraugus County was included in Allegany County. Some of records kept at Belmont.
 * 1822: a portion transferred to Tioga County.
 * 14 May 1841 a portion was set off to create Wyoming County.

Bible Records

 * 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants,and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

LDS Cemetery Records (in rural areas)


 * Vol. 1
 * page 41 - Kenyon Family Cemetery, near Nile
 * page 52 - Lattice Bridge Cemetery
 * page 65 - Norton Cemetery
 * page 79 - Swift Family Cemetery, near Cuba Lake
 * page 80 - Van Campen Creek Cemetery

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

1890
Loss of 1890 Census records. City directories may serve as substitutes.

Church Records

 * 1910-1917 - University Mission Episcopal Church Records, Allentown, New York, courtesy: NYGenWeb. Baptisms, Confirmations, Burials.

Court Records
USGen Web has A Digital Library on line of indexes ot Allegany County, New York Court Records, including Guardianship Orders 1852-1864, Indexes Guardianship 1829-1895, Declarations of Intent 1866-1929; and Petitions 1907-1930.

Directories
Allegany County, New York City, County, and Rural Directories (Source: Online Historical Directories)

Gazetteer and Business Directory of Allegany County, NY for 1875 (Source: Internet Archive)

History
The southern part of the county lies within the oil field where the petroleum was first discovered in the USA at Titusville, Pennsylvania. Names such as Wellsville, Petrolia and Olean were oil-based. Oil played out but the natural gas is still an important resource.

Maps

 * Map of Allegany County Towns - Regional Knowledge Network
 * Map of Allegany County Towns - Painted Hills Genealogy Society
 * Outline of Allegany County Over Google Map - NY Home Town Locator
 * Allegany County Map Links - Linkpendium (84 maps)

Migration
Early migration routes for European settlers to and from included:


 * Catskill Turnpike, trail 1760s; turnpike 1804, from Catskill to Bath, New York with extensions to Buffalo, New York, or Erie, Pennsylvania
 * Forbidden Path, 1767 from Athens, Pennsylvania to Salamanca, New York

Civil War
Available towns. Registers are available for: Alfred· Allen· Alma· Almond· Amity· Andover· Angelica· Belfast· Birdsall· Bolivar· Burns· Caneadea· Centerville· Clarksville· Cuba· Genesee· Granger· Grove· Hume· Independence· Rushford· Scio· Ward· Wellsville· West Almond· Willing· Wirt.

Regiments. Service men in Allegany County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were formed in Allegany County.


 * -104th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * -130th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * -136th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * -160th Regiment, New York Infantry
 * -189th Regiment, New York Infantry

List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 (Source: Internet Archive)

World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Coorps (Source: AccessGenealogy)

Naturalization and Citizenship
SAMPUBCO Browsable index of applicants.


 * 1907-1966 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Newspapers

 * Andover Free Library Newspaper Archive- a few newspapers online from Allegany County 1860-1980
 * Old Fulton Postcards - Free search-able web site which holds newspapers from upstate New York.

Probate Records
The petitions for are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:


 * 1897–1930 Listed as "Surrogates Records".

Online Probate Indexes


 * 1787-1835 Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787 - 1835 at New York Ancestors ($); includes.
 * 1804-1906 - SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
 * 1829-1895 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of guardianships (names of children).
 * 1831-1841 - Allegany Co., New York Will Bk 1 - Index &amp; Will Abstracts (1831-1841), courtesy: NYGenWeb.
 * 1852-1889 - SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of letters of administration.
 * Every Name Index to Allegany County, New York Surrogate Court Records, Box 1, courtesy: NYGenWeb.

Online Probate Records

Original Allegany County probate records are available online at FamilySearch. To access these records choose "browse through images", then choose your county name, then choose the probate record of interest.


 * 1831–1906 – free
 * 1807–1907 – free
 * 1890–1907 – free

Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1831–1906
 * 1807–1930 Record of wills, other miscellaneous surrogate records
 * 1852–1920

Repositories
Cornell University, Guide to Historical Resources in Allegany County, New York Repositories. ([Ithaca, New York]: New York Historical Resources Center, Olin Library, Cornell University, 1980). ; . Includes index. Includes references to some family histories and genealogies.

Archives, Libraries and Museums
Libraries

Belfast Public Library P.O. Box 455 75 South Main Street Belfast, NY 14711 Phone 1-585-365-2072 Website: http://WWW.STLS.ORG/BELFAST

Dansville Public Library 200 Main Street Dansville, NY 14437 Phone: 1-585-335-6720 Website: http://WWW.DANSVILLE.LIB.NY.US

Hornell Public Library 64 Genesee St Hornell, NY 14843 Phone: 1-607-324-1210 Website: http://WWW.STLS.ORG/HORNELL

David A. Howe Public Library 155 North Main Street Wellsville, NY 14895 Phone: 1-585-593-3410 Website: http://WWW.DAVIDAHOWELIBRARY.ORG

Howard Public Library 3607 County Route 70A Hornell, NY 14843 Phone: 1- 607-566-2412

Whitesville Public Library 500 Main Street Witesville, NY 14897 Phone: 1-607-356-3645 Website: http://WWW.STLS.ORG/WHITESVILLE

County Historian's Office
Allegany County Department of History Craig Braack, Historian Courthouse 7 Court Street Belmont, NY 14813 Phone: 585-268-9293 E-mail: braackc@alleganyco.com

The County Historian may provide access to obituaries, vital records, church records, maps, and family files or journals. Some historians provide search services for their office records and others may refer you to local genealogists who research in the area.

Courthouses
The County Clerk's office has marriage records from 1908- 1935, land records from 1807, divorce and court records. The Surrogate's court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Allegany County are held, see the Allegany County Courthouses page.

Societies
Allegany County Historical Society 20 Willets Avenue Belmont, NY 14813 Phone: 1-585-268-7428

Central New York Genealogical Society Box 104, Calvin Station Syracuse, New York 13205 E-mail: [mailto:CNYGS@yahoo.com CNYSG@yahoo.com]


 * Member queries; surname research list; online resources; six meetings/year; publication: Tree Talks  quarterly with annual index.


 * Counties served: Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Oreleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, and Yates.

Western New York Genealogical Society P.O. Box 338 Hamburg, New York 14075-0338 Email: info@wnygs.org Directory


 * Focus is on eight Western New York counties - Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Wyoming, Orleans, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany - which comprise the area of the original Holland Land Company purchase.

Social Groups Online

 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch)

Birth
Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.


 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.

Marriage

 * 1664–1784 New York. Secretary of State, Names of Persons for Whom Marriage Licenses Were Issued By the Secretary of the Province of New York, Previous to 1784 (Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Co., 1860). At Cornell University digital library-free; Internet Archive - free; Ancestry edition($); ; . Marriage bonds issued in the State of New York prior to 1784, and the earliest record dating 1664.


 * 1908–1935 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index;

Marriage Substitutes


 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.


 * 1800–1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper found in.


 * 1801–1880 Barber Collection- Newspaper Marriages at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."


 * 1809-1850 10,000 Vital Records of Western New York 1809-1850 at World Vital Records ($).
 * 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browseable.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
 * 1874-5 Marriages from the 1875 Allegany Co., NY State Census at NYGenWeb - free.

Death
Death Substitutes


 * 1795–1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.


 * 1801–1890 Barber Collection- Newspaper Deaths at Ancestry– ($); Index. Information extracted from the "Brooklyn Eagle" and the "New York Evening Post."


 * 1800s-1900s Allegany County Deaths at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browseable.


 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War in the Civil War section of Military for death information.


 * 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.


 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.


 * 1869-70 1870 Mortality Census - Allegany Co., New York at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1874-75 Deaths from the 1875 New York State Census - Allegany Count at NYGenWeb - free.


 * 1879-80 1880 Mortality Schedule - Allegany County, new York at NYGenWeb - free.


 * Angelica Collectanea &amp; Obituaries at NYGenWeb - free; impressive obituary collection.


 * Social Security Death Index, begins about 1962 to at least 2 months ago.

Additional Resources

Websites

 * The Allegany County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Allegany County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Allegany County. (backup site)
 * Webtree.com, listing individuals who born or died in Allegany County, New York. Submitters of gedcoms may add, update or remove contents.
 * catalog for Allegany County
 * Allegany County Historical Society - a member of ALHN/AGHP, listing biographies, funeral home records, cemeteries, histories, maps
 * Painted Hills Genealogy Society - records for Allegany County and three surrounding counties
 * ancestry.com Allegany County Search - ($)
 * Allegany County Links - Linkpendium
 * Allegany County Links - Cyndi's List - Scroll or search down to "Allegany" for Allegany County Links
 * Allegany County Links - Genealogylinks.net
 * Allegany County Links - My New York Genealogy
 * Allegany County Links - Kindred Trails
 * Allegany County Links - D'ADDEZIO.com (Italian Emphasis)
 * Allegany County Links - The Record Project (Vital Record Emphasis)