I spent hours upon hours at the Archives in Albany over the summer - not to mention those in the spring and I visited there again last month. ( I live only about 1 hr 20 minutes from Albany) Records begin at 1880. The records for 1880 are almost non existent - they get better in 81 - then 82 and pretty soon they become much better. The reason - many towns did not comply with the law in 1880 - it took a few years to get everybody on the same page. You go to the NYS Library - adjacent the Mall Plaza - it's on the 3rd floor - you sign in - get a locker - in the second room - someone will meet you and assign you a machine. They will show you were the records are and show you how to use the machine if needed. There are 3 boxes - Births - Marriages and Deaths - you're given a placer card - you insert in the envelope as you take a microfiche card out. When you find a record you want - you fill out a paper. New procedures from August - when you're all done - you fill out an envelope - write a check - add the paper with the info in the index and put it in a box which is taken to the new site records are kept. ( you no longer go to the concourse level like you used to before August) That's it. It takes about 2 weeks. Costs $22. In addition to the Archives you also have the NYS Library on the 7th floor. They have a nice genealogy section - including Census on some NYS census on Microfilm. You can also get some of the same - Census - and NYS Census - at the Albany Public Library. Don't know where you're coming from but NARA Pittfields is not far from Albany - probably less that an hour - or certainly not any more than an hour. An easy drive - they have all sort of things. BUT for Death Certificates - Marriage Permits & Birth - you have to go to Albany only. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Protect your identity with Yahoo! Mail AddressGuard http://antispam.yahoo.com/whatsnewfree