The Hilton family of early Albany traces its roots to the marriage of widower and soldier-turned-innkeeper William Hilton and Anna Van Berkhoven in 1693. The family prospered in the city of Albany over the next century.

By 1720, William "the elder's" Southside inn was a pillar of the Anglo-Albanian community.

In 1756, five Hilton-named households were listed on the census including the establishment of innkeeper Benjamin Hilton.

In 1790, eight Hilton-named households were living in the the first ward of the city of Albany.

In 1815, eleven Hilton homes remained in the city.

Sources: These Hiltons do not appear to be closely connected to a contemporary New England-based family. Community-based resources have provided most of the information we use on the Albany Hilton family. Chief among the family-based resources is an unattributed typescript entitled "The Hilton Family of Albany, N. Y." filed in the New York State Library in Albany. But Internet resources should become more useful in the future!