The following documents will provide you with more information about the holdings of the Albany County Hall of Records.

Chattel Mortgages, 1833-1904
This series contains handwritten and typed chattel mortgages. A chattel mortgage is a loan arrangement in which an item of movable personal property ("chattel") is used as security. The bulk of these records provide rich and detailed information regarding business and personal transactions that took place throughout the 19th century in and around Albany, including: breweries; steam boats; barges; pharmacies; blacksmith shops; railroads; hotels; and more.

Inside/Outside: Finding a Sense of Place. A Building Research Manual for Albany County
A guide to researching the history of a building: when it was built, the changes and additions to the structure over the years, and information on its past occupants. This finding aid includes a manual illustrating how to conduct the research as well as guide to those records stored at the Hall of Records used in the research.

Off the Record: A Guide to the Special Research Collections of the Albany County Hall of Records
This guide includes an alphabetical listing of 1500 subject files pertaining to the history of Albany County compiled by the Bureau of Historical Services as well as a guide to the oral histories held at the Hall of Records.

Vestiges of Antiquity and Truth: A Guide to the Court Records at the Albany County Hall of Records
This guide provides a history of all Albany County courts past and present with a descriptive listing of all records for each court.

World Our Fathers Made: A Survey of the Records in the County of Albany During the Constitutional Era. 1783-1815
A guide to all the records at the Albany County Hall of Records that pertain to the Constitutional Era (1783-1815). It also includes records of the towns and cities of Albany County for this time period.

Downloadable Listings

Albany County Almshouse Records, 1806-2004
The following collection of records consists of record series created by the Albany County Almshouse as well as related records from various city and county agencies that interacted with the Almshouse.

Albany County Jail and Penitentiary Records, 1825-1976
This group of records consists of admission and discharge registers and financial ledgers for the Albany Penitentiary (Albany County Correctional Facility) during the 19th and early part of the 20th century.

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