Local Genealogical Gems : John M. Foll Funeral Home Records

This week's local genealogical gem is the John M. Foll Funeral Home Records. These ledger book records are housed at the Albany County Hall of Records. The books are a great find for those who are searching their "South End" Albany ancestors/relatives; especially those with German ancestry. It appears that Foll catered to the large German population within the "South End." His business locale was in the heart of Albany's Germantown, situated at 434 South Pearl Street. Records for later burials are much more detailed than earlier entries, see examples below.

Title: John M. Foll Funeral Home Records, 1891 - 1951
Compiler: Foll Funeral Home
Repository: Albany County Hall of Records
Boxes: 10
Inventory Numbers: 1204172000, 1204173000, 1204174000, 1204175000, 1204176000, 1204177000, 1204178000, 1204179000, 1204180000, 1204181000

The Albany County Hall of Records is located at
95 Tivoli Street, Albany, NY 12207
Phone: 518.436.3663
Email: achor@albanycounty.com
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Henry Albert funeral expenses 1895

Lucy van Wagner funeral expenses 1933 

Local Genealogical Gems : Albany Hall of Records Naturalization Index

The naturalization index on the Albany Hall of Records website is this week's local genealogical gem. These records are only for naturalization that took place in Albany County between 1821 and 1991. The older records do not hold as much information as the newer ones.

The search window is simple to use. For example; one of my great great great grandfathers was Michael Behrhof. His surname was spelled many different ways over the years. In the search window the complete name does not need to be filled out. After many attempts of finding him in the index, he was found by simply typing Ba in the surname field and he appeared as Michael Barhoof. Awesome.

After finding your ancestor/relative in the index, write down the date, petition number, book, and page number. Now you can go to the Hall of Records and request the actual document or view it on their computer. Below is a scan of my ancestor's naturalization paper. His declaration of intent was filed on 11 July 1854 and he was naturalized and became a United States citizen on 24 October 1859.

The Albany County Hall of Records is located at
95 Tivoli Street, Albany, NY 12207
Phone: 518.436.3663
Email: achor@albanycounty.com
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday's Society : Albany County Hall of Records

This week's blog is not on a society but on a local historical records holding facility. And for those who have yet to use the Albany County Hall of Records (ACHOR) for their genealogical pursuits, you are missing out! The ACHOR holds numerous city and county records that are stored at its facility. ACHOR records are vast. It is best to check the ACHOR website for its holdings. A few examples of important genealogical items of interest hold include naturalization and marriage records, city directories, Almshouse, census, church, and cemetery records, deeds, maps, and military discharges. This list is just the tip of the iceberg here.

The ACHOR has an extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff. Many of them have worked at ACHOR for long time.

The Albany County Hall of Records is located at
95 Tivoli Street, Albany, NY 12207
Phone number: 518.436.3663
Email: achor@albanycounty.com
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30AM - 4:30PM