Allegany County, New York Guide

Allegany County is located in the southwestern part of New York State, along the border with Pennsylvania. Contrary to its name, the Alleghany River is not in Allegany County, although the county gained its name from a trail that ran alongside the Alleghany River and extended into the area. Allegany County is bordered by Cattaraugus County to the west, Livingston County to the northeast, Wyoming County to the northwest, and Steuben County to the east. It is bordered by Potter and McKean counties in Pennsylvania to the south. Allegany County is bisected by the Genesee River from south to north. The county seat is Belmont.

County Formed: 1806

Parent County: Genesee

Daughter Counties: None

Major Land Transactions: Phelps and Gorham Purchase 1788; Morris Reserve 1791; Holland Land Company Purchase 1792-1796

 

Allegany County Map
Map of Allegany County

Table of Contents

 

History

Allegany County was created from Genesee County in 1806. It was named after the Allegwi, early inhabitants who were driven out by the Iroquois. In 1797 the Native American population living in Allegany gave up title to their lands to white intruders in the Treaty of Big Tree. Many of the first white settlers were of English descent and immigrated from New England and Pennsylvania. Later, the Irish immigrated in order to work on railroad construction and the Genesee Valley Canal.

The Encyclopedia of New York State, 53-56

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies - County

Allegany County – All Municipal Historians

While not authorized to answer genealogical inquiries, county, town and village historians can provide historical information and research advice; some maintain collections and webpages which may include transcribed records, local histories, and other genealogical material. See contact information at the Government Appointed Historians of Western New York at www.gahwny.org/p/allegany.html or at the website of the Association of Public Historians of New York State at www.aphnys.org.

 

Allegany County Clerk

Website: Allegany County Clerk

Address: 7 Court Street, Belmont, NY 14813

Phone: (585) 268-9270

 

Allegany County Historian

Website: Allegany County Historian

Address: 7 Court Street, Belmont, NY 14813

Phone: (585) 268-9293

Email: braackc@alleganyco.com

 

Allegany County Historical Society

Website: Allegany County Historical Society

Address:  11 East Greenwood Street, Andover, NY 14806

Phone: (607) 478-5390 or (585) 610-8668

 

Allegany County Public Libraries

Allegany is part of the Southern Tier Library System; see www.stls.org/libraries to access each library. Many hold genealogy and local history collections, including maps and newspapers. For example, Andover Free Library has digitized the Andover Advertiser, 1867–1978, available on their website www.andoverfreelibrary.org; Belmont’s local history collection includes the Belmont Dispatch, 1900–1966.  Also see listings below for the Bolivar Free and David Howe Libraries.

 

Allegany County Surrogate's Court

Website: Allegany County Surrogate’s Court

Address: 7 Court Street, Belmont, NY 14813

Phone: (585) 449-3416

 

Alfred State College: Jean B. Lang Western New York Historical Collection

Address: Hinkle Memorial Library,10 Upper College Drive, Alfred, NY 14802

Phone: (607) 587-4313

Email: haggstdg@alfredstate.edu

 

Alfred University: Herrick Memorial Library: Alfred Collection

Website: Alfred University: Herrick Memorial Library: Alfred Collection

Address: Alfred University, One Saxon Drive, Alfred, NY 14802

Phone: (607) 871-2184

Email: herricklibrary@alfred.edu

 

The Bolivar-Richburg-Alentwon-Genesse Historical Preservation Society (B.R.A.G)

Website: The Bolivar-Richburg-Allentown-Genesse Historical Preservation Society (B.R.A.G.)

Bolivar Free Library, 390 Main Street,  Bolivar, NY 14715

Phone: (585) 928-2659

Email: Email Access on Website 

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies - Regional

Milne Library at Suny Geneseo: Special Collections: Genesee Valley Historical Collection

Website: Milne Library at SUNY Geneseo: Special Collections: Genesee Valley Historical Collection

Address: One College Circle, Geneseo, NY 14454 

Phone: (585) 245-5194

 

SUNY Fredonia: Daniel A. Reed Library: Archives & Special Collections

Website: SUNY Fredonia: Daniel A. Reed Library: Archives & Special Collections

Address: Fredonia, NY 14063 

Phone: (716) 673-3184

 

University of Rochester: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation

Website: University of Rochester: Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation: Manuscript and Special Collections: Rochester, Western New York, and New York State

Address: Rush Rhees Library, Second Floor, Room 225, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627-0055

Phone: (585) 275-4477

 

Western New York Genealogical Society

Website: Western New York Genealogical Society

Address of Library: Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Grosvenor Room, One Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY 14203

Phone: (716) 858-8900

Address of Society: PO Box 338, Hamburg, NY 14075-0338

Email: info@wnygs.org

 

Western New York Heritage Press

Website: Western New York Heritage Press

Address: 495 Pine Ridge Heritage Boulevard, Cheektowaga, NY 14225-2503

Phone: (716) 893-4011

Email: emaillist@wnyheritagepress.org

 

 

Repositories, Resources, and Societies - Local

 

Alphabetized by location

Alfred Historical Society

Address: PO Box 1137, Alfred, NY 14802

Phone: (607) 587-8358 

 

Almond Historical Society

Website: Almond Historical Society

Address: 7 Main Street, Almond, NY 14804 

Phone: (607) 276-6324  

Email: almondhistoricalsociety@gmail.com

 

David A. Howe Public Library: Genealogy Resources

Website: David A. Howe Public Library: Genealogy Resources

Address: 155 North Main Street, Wellsville, NY 14895 

Phone: (585) 593-3410

Email: wellsville@stls.org

 

Town of Hume Museum

Website: Town of Hume Museum

Address: 10842 Claybed Road, Hume, NY 14735

Phone: (585) 567-8399

Email: museum@humetown.org

 

 

Civil, Pulblic, and Vital Records

Civil Records are those created, recorded and/or maintained by a governmental body and include births, marriages, deaths, censuses, property, and probate. NB: The New York State government began collecting vital record data in 1880. Birth, marriage, and death records from New York State (excluding the five boroughs of New York City) after 1880 on can be obtained from the New York State Department of Health. For vital records previous to 1880, consult the municipality in which the event took place. Learn more about New York's vital records in our online guide.

 

 

Federal Census Records

Population schedules: 1790-1940 (except 1890). Online at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, and Findmypast.com (free to NYG&B members).

Access on Findmypast:

1790

1800

1810

1820

1830

1840

1850

1860

1870

1880

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

State Census Records

County originals at the Allegany County Clerk’s Office: 1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925 (1825, 1835, and 1845 are lost). 

  • State originals at the NYSA: 1915, 1925

  • Microfilm at the FHL, NYPL, NYSHA, and NYSL
  • Many years are online at FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.
  • For 1865 transcription of all towns, see Burton (below); and for online transcriptions for the towns of Friendship and Genesee, see Barrett (below).
  • 1845 census is lost except for the original for Belfast and an index for Genesee. Original for Town of Belfast at Belfast Public Library. For the index for Genesee, see DeGroff (below)

 

Other Online Resources

Ancestry.com

There are vast numbers of records on Ancestry.com that pertain to people who have lived in New York State. A search of the online card catalog by county may reveal lesser known resources that pertain to a locality, such as town records, abstracts, transcriptions, city directories, and local histories.

FamilySearch.org

FamilySearch has extensive collections of New York records, including religious records, which are searchable by name and location, but not by county. The following collections include record images (browsable, but not searchable) that are organized by county:

“New York, Land Records, 1630–1975.” Includes land and property records.

“New York, Probate Records, 1629–1971.” Includes wills, letters of administration, and guardianship papers.

For both collections, choose the browse option and then select Allegany to view the available records sets.

 

General Resources

 

Deaths and Burial Records

 

Military Records

 

Religous Records

 

Other Records

 

Ethnic Groups and Organizations

 

Maps 

 

Transportation

 

 

Selected Bibliography

  • Barber, Gertrude Audrey.  “Gravestone Inscriptions in Allegany County, New York: Including Cemeteries in Granger, East Caneadea, Allen Center, Hume, Houghton, and Centerville.” Typescript, 1933. NYPL, New York. [Ancestry.com]
  • Barber, Gertrude Audrey. “Gravestone Inscriptions of Allegany County, New York, including Cemeteries in Filmore and Hume, NY.” Typescript, 1932. NYPL, New York. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Barber, Gertrude Audrey. “Gravestone Inscriptions of Until the Day Dawns Cemetery, Angelica, NY; Pine Grove Cemetery, Filmore, NY; All in Allegany County.” Typescript, 1933. NYPL, New York. [PaintedHills.org]
  • Barrett, Charlie. “1865 New York State Census - Friendship, Allegany County.” NYGenWeb Project. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ nyallega/Friendship1865.html.
  • Barrett, Charlie.“1865 New York State Census - Genesee, Allegany County.” NYGenWeb Project.  www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyallega/Gene see1865.html.
  • Burton, Mrs. Charles. “1865 Census Index of Allegany County, New York.” Manuscript,n.d. Western New York Genealogical Society Library, Buffalo, New York.
  • County of Allegany Abstracts. Syracuse: Central New York Genealogical Society, 2000. Abstracts for a range of genealogical records originally published in the quarterly Tree Talks.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution, comps. New York DAR Genealogical Records Committee Report. Since 1913 DAR volunteers have transcribed many thousands of unpublished cemetery, church, and town records throughout New York. The reports are at the DAR Library; copies are at the NYSL and the NYPL. The DAR has a searchable name index to all the GRC reports at  http://services.dar.org/Public/DAR_Research/search/?Tab_ID=6. See Jean Worden’s index below for a listing by county of the New York record sets that were transcribed by the DAR before 1998.
  • DeGroff, Jerald S. “Index to the 1845 State Census for the Town of Genesee, Allegany Co.” Western New York Genealogical Society Journal, vol. 14, no. 2 (September 1987): 64–65.
  • Kelly, Arthur C. M. Index to Tree Talks County Packet: Allegany County. Rhinebeck, NY: Kinship, 2002.
  • Mountford, Sharon. “1855 New York State Census: Friendship, Allegany, New York.” NYGenWeb Project. www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ nyallega/1855friend.html.
  • Samuelsen, W. David. Allegany County, New York, Willbook Index, 1836–1906. Salt Lake City: Sampubco, 1992.
  • Sanford, Ilou M., and Frank L. Greene. First Alfred Seventh Day Baptist Church Membership Records, Alfred, New York, 1816–1886. Bowie, MD: Heritage Books,1995.
  • Western New York Genealogical Society Journal. Hamburg, NY: Western New York Genealogical Society, 1974–present.  An index to journal articles is at wnygs.org.
  • Wood, C. B., and Archie H. Eldridge, comps. “Some Cemeteries of Allegany County.” Typescript, n.d. Onondaga County Public Library, Syracuse. [NYG&B eLibrary]
  • Worden, Jean D. “Book 1, Subject Index.” In Revised Master Index to the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Records Volumes.
  • Zephyrhills, FL: J. D. Worden, 1998. The Subject Index includes a listing by county of the cemeteries, churches, towns, and other sources of records transcribed by the DAR.

The materials above are a compilation of resources available, with an emphasis on online resources, which might be useful to someone doing research within this county.  The inclusion of a link does not constitute an endorsement of its content or accuracy.  Please send any additions or corrections to webmaster@nygbs.org.