Erie County, New York Genealogy

Guide to Erie County, New York ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

New York Online Genealogy Records



Description
The County was named for Lake Erie. The County is located in the west area of the state.

Parent County
Created 2 April 1821 from Niagara County.

Neighboring Counties
Cattaraugus· Chautauqua· Genesee· Niagara· Wyoming· Ontario Canada counties: Welland· Lake Erie

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating New York County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation New York County Boundary Maps" (1683-1915) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.


 * No, City Hall Has Not Lost Records in a Fire: A blog post countering a newly emerging urban legend, courtesy of BuffaloResearch.com

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:


 * Black Rock Village, 1795-1854: History & Genealogy by The Buffalo History Museum, about the former town that was annexed by Buffalo in 1854

Adoption Records
Effective January 1, 2020, adoptees born in New York State may request their original birth certificates from the New York State Health Department.


 * Adoption & Orphanage Resources for Genealogists and Historians - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
 * Adoptions Recorded in Erie County Hall, 1872-1900: These two volumes are not online but the WorldCat link shows you which libraries have them
 * Orphan Homes Records: A List in the collection of The Buffalo History Museum
 * Guardianship records, approximate 1810-1900 courtesy of FamilySearch

Bible Records

 * 1581–1917 New York, Family Bible Records at Ancestry– ($); Index. Database is a collection of genealogically important records taken from the Bibles of colony and state residents. Reveals the Bible's original owner, brief record of descendants, and a particular event such as birth or marriage as recorded in Bible.

Biography

 * Biographical Resources for Buffalo and Erie County - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
 * Buffalo Digital Library: Biographies, Genealogies, Memoirs: Over 200 full text books about Buffalo & Erie County figures, courtesy of BuffaloResearch.com at Raindrop.io

Business Records and Commerce

 * Buffalo Business History - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * Business Records: A Bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, death, relationship, military, and religious information.


 * 1800-1965 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1850-1982 - St. Francis Xavier Cemetery Records - index from The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1855-1965 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1901-2012 - Ridge Lawn Cemetery Burials - index
 * 1903-2012 - United German and French Cemetery Burials - index
 * 1925-2012 - Mount Cavalry Cemetery Burials - index
 * Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Cemetery Record Holdings: A list
 * Cemetery Records: A list from The Buffalo History Museum, with a map of past and present cemeteries in Erie County
 * Forest-Lawn Locate-a-Loved-One Free searchable index of burials, giving the plot number, with the option of viewing of documents such as purchase of the lot and burial details.

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see New York Census.

Federal

 * The 1890 Census was destroyed by a fire in the Commerce Building in Washington, DC in 1921. For a substitute, see directories.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

"Many Buffalo church records have been microfilmed and are available in the Grosvenor Room at the main branch of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, the Research Library of the Buffalo History Museum, and from any local Family History Center."


 * Church Records A list from the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
 * Church Records A list from The Buffalo History Museum, with links where available and a map of Buffalo churches in 1900
 * African American Churches in Buffalo: List and Map - by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * Cornell University's Study Center for Early Religious Life in Western New York has an online guide to Erie County church records housed in their collection.

Catholic


 * Ann Mensch's Local Catholic Church and Family History &amp; Genealogical Research Guide is a free online resource that identifies the parishes of Erie County, years parishes were created, contact information, as well as links to online records and research tips. Erie County parishes fall under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Buffalo.
 * Brief histories of local Catholic churches are available at Buffalo Roman Catholic Parishes, courtesy: NYGenWeb.

Episcopal


 * 1872-1963 Episcopal Diocese of Western New York Church Records: Multiple parishes and dates, with a link to the digitized microfilm. Courtesy of The Buffalo History Museum.

Lutheran


 * 1829-1933 St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Eggertsville Records include list of pastors; births and baptisms 1844-1880, 1829-1865, 1880-1932; confirmations; communicants; marriages 1843-1932; deaths 1844-1933.


 * Records of Trinity Lutheran Church, Akron, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Methodist Episcopal


 * 1867-1948 Methodist Episcopal Church. Williamsville and Bowmansville Charge Contains history of the church 1844-1946; record of probationers including a few deaths 1869-1925, 1930-1936; class record including deaths 1869-1909; alphabetical record of members in full connection including deaths 1873-1948; record of official members 1867-1889; baptisms 1869-1941; marriages 1869-1946; appendix with a few deaths 1881-1883, 1902-1904.

Presbyterian


 * 1812-1961 Records, First Presbyterian Church of Buffalo: This book is not online but the WorldCat link shows you libraries who have it

Court Records

 * Miscellaneous Records in the Grosvenor Room - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Directories

 * The Buffalo & Erie County Public Library has digitized Buffalo city directories from 1832-1913. A detailed guide to the library's print holdings is available online.
 * BuffaloResearch.com: City Directories has links to all known online directories for Buffalo, 1828-1923, plus a few for Erie County and other western New York locales.
 * Directories for Buffalo: A Bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum. Includes city, social, professional, charitable, and other kinds of directories, member lists, and rosters

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

 * Ethnic and Immigrant Genealogy Guides by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
 * Immigrants in Buffalo: A Short Reading List by The Buffalo History Museum
 * African American history research guides by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
 * Black History in Buffalo: A Bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum
 * Hispanic/Latino History in Buffalo: A Bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum
 * Irish Americans and Buffalo's Old First Ward: A Bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum
 * Native American Genealogy: With a Focus on Seneca Ancestry: by the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
 * Polish-American Heritage in Buffalo and Erie County, New York includes libraries and archives with Polish collections
 * Seneca Indian Collections A bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum

Genealogy

 * Early Genealogy Sources for Buffalo & Erie County - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * Genealogy Pamphlets on Microfilm at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
 * Genealogy Research: A Brief Overview from the Buffalo History Museum

History

 * Adventures in Western New York History: Short, readable online booklets on 25 important topics in Buffalo history, including Buffalo grain elevators, the Pan-American Exposition, and Erie County in the Civil War
 * Buffalo & Erie County history research guides by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * General Histories: Links to full-text online local history books for Buffalo and Erie County, courtesy of BuffaloResearch.com via Raindrop.io
 * Publications of The Buffalo History Museum: A bibliography with links to over 30 volumes of local history scholarship by what was then called the Buffalo Historical Society, 1879-1941

Immigration

 * Barnette, Mic. "Southerners in Erie County in 1850," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 141, No. 4 (Oct. 2010):274-291. Digital version at New York Family History ($);.
 * Ethnic and Immigrant Genealogy - Research guides by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * 1906-1942 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Land and Property
Original land records in began in 1808. These records are housed at the Erie County Clerk's office in Erie County Hall.

Online



Microforms


 * 1808-1964 Deed Records 1808-1927 - Index included: 1808-1964
 * 1808-1856 Mortgage Records 1808-1856 - Index included: years undetermined.

Books




 * 1804-1824 - Livsey, Karen E. Western New York Land Transactions, 1804-1824. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1991. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * 1825-1835 - Livsey, Karen E. Western New York Land Transactions, 1825-1835. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1996. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps & Gazetteers

 * 1866 - New Topographical Atlas of Erie Co., New York, from Actual Surveys Especially for This Atlas- free; A name and business index by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * Buffalo and Erie County Atlases in Our Collection by The Buffalo History Museum, with links
 * Buffalo & Erie County Atlases: Best Bets for Genealogists and House Researchers - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
 * BuffaloResearch.com Maps - Over 200 online maps of Buffalo, 1785 to the present
 * Cemeteries in Erie County: A Google Map by The Buffalo History Museum
 * Churches in Buffalo, 1901: A Google Map by The Buffalo History Museum, with links to pictures and church records, where available
 * Maps of New York (1683-1915)

Migration
Migration routes for early European settlers to and from included:


 * Lake Erie
 * Catskill Road 1750s from Springfield, Massachusetts to Catskill, New York
 * Catskill Turnpike  (aka Susquehannah Turnpike ) from Catskill, NY to Unadilla, NY; route travelled by Europeans by the 1750s; toll booths opened by 1804.
 * Erie Canal, 1825 from Albany, New York to Buffalo, New York
 * Great Genesee Road, 1794 from Utica, New York to Buffalo, New York
 * Lake Shore Path 1792 from Buffalo, New York to Sandusky County, Ohio
 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
 * Ulster and Delaware Turnpike 1802 from Salisbury, Connecticut to Bainbridge, New York

Military

 * Buffalo & Erie County Military Research Guides by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Revolutionary War

 * Revolutionary War Veterans in Western New York: An Index by The Buffalo History Museum

War of 1812

 * Register of Soldiers in the Williamsville Hospital, 1814-1815 courtesy of the U.S. National Archives and The Buffalo History Museum
 * War of 1812 in the Buffalo/Niagara Area: A Bibliography by The Buffalo History Museum

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index

Available towns. Registers are available for: Amherst· Aurora· Boston· Brant· Buffalo· Clarence· Colden· Eden· Elma· Evans· Grand Island· Hamburg· Holland· Lancaster· Marilla· Newstead· North Collins· Sardinia· Tonawanda· Wales.

Regiments. Service men served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Erie County:


 * - 1st Battalion, New York Light Artillery, Battery I.
 * - 1st Battalion, New York Sharpshooters, 8th Company.
 * - 1st Regiment, New York Light Artillery, Battery I.
 * - 2nd Regiment, New York Mounted Rifles, Companies A, C, D, E, H, K and M.
 * - 8th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company M, 2nd Companies I and L, 3rd Company K.
 * - 9th Regiment, New York Infantry (New)
 * - 10th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies B, C, D, E, F, L and M.
 * - 11th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies L and M.
 * - 12th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies D, E, H, K, L and M.
 * - 13th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company I.
 * - 14th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies H and I.
 * - 16th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies B, C, D, E, G, H, I and L.
 * - 18th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company I.
 * - 21st Regiment, New York Infantry
 * - 23rd Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 24th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Companies C, D, F, K and M.
 * - 26th Regiment, New York Cavalry, Company K.
 * - 33rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company G.
 * - 35th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company D.
 * - 36th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.
 * - 44th Regiment, New York Infantry, two companies.
 * - 49th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, D, E and F.
 * - 64th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company A.
 * - 69th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 78th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company E.
 * - 93rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
 * - 100th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, G, H, I and K.
 * - 116th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
 * - 132nd Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies D, G and H.
 * - 151st Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 155th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies I and K.
 * - 160th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K.
 * - 164th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies B, C and D.
 * - 176th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies C, G and H.
 * - 179th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies A, D, E, F and G.
 * - 194th Regiment, New York Infantry, Companies G and I.

Vietnam War

 * Vietnam War Casualties from Western New York: An Index by The Buffalo History Museum

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1791-1980 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1907-1966 - at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.

Newspapers

 * Blasdell NY Frontier Herald 1956-1966
 * Buffalo NY Daily Courier 1847-1888
 * Buffalo NY Evening Courier and Republic 1862-1884
 * Buffalo NY Polish Weekly Review 1929-1930
 * Buffalo NY Morning Express 1880-1924
 * Hamburg NY Front Page 1964-1979
 * Hamburg NY Photo News 1970-1976
 * Hamburg NY Erie County Independent 1875-1944
 * Hamburg NY Sun 1945-1988


 * FultonSearch.org offers an alternative search interface to these newspapers.

New York State Historic Newspapers


 * Erie County Newspapers - Free, growing collection of online newspapers for Buffalo and Erie County.

Other Resources


 * Buffalo Newspapers on Microfilm at The Buffalo History Museum
 * Buffalo Newspapers: Online and Offline from BuffaloResearch.com
 * Buffalo, Western New York and New York State Newspapers - A research guide to newspapers held by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Obituaries

 * Buffalo History Museum Obituary Index: A guide with a link to the online version at FamilySearch
 * BuffaloResearch.com: Deaths has links to online name lists and necrologies
 * Death Notices & Obituaries - A guide to finding deaths in Buffalo & Erie County Newspapers by the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library

Periodicals

 * A Select Index to the Bellringer, 1940-1945 - A publication by the Bell Aircraft Corporation. The index was created by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * A Select Index to the Curtiss WrightER, 1943 to 1944 - A publication by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation. The index was created by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * Marriages and Deaths in the Pierce Arrow Newsletter, 1918 to 1922 - A publication by the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company. The index was created by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

 * Erie County Poorhouse Ledgers at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. The collection consists of 15 ledgers recording children “bound out”/adopted (1863-1868), intake registers (children 1829-1841-1852, adults/families 1829-1845, 1861-1864, 1871-1889, 1908-1923), and hospital and death registers (1854-1867,1897-1952). Nine of the ledgers have been digitized; the additional six acquired by the Library in 2019 are available in the Grosvenor Room.

Probate Records
The petitions for are also available on microfilm at the Family History Library and its centers:


 * 1799–1905 Listed as "Surrogates Records" Includes film index.

Online Probate Abstracts and Indexes


 * 1629-1971 - at FamilySearch.org — index and images
 * 1659-1999 - New York Wills and Probate Records 1659-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1787-1835 - Abstracts of Wills, Administrations and Guardianships in NY State, 1787-1835 at American Ancestors ($); includes.
 * 1819-1865 - SAMPUBCO Browsable index of letters testamentary.


 * Erie County Estate Index, 1800-1929; : Letters of administration, 1826-1901; Letters of testamentary, 1832-1900; Wills and Administrations, 1819-1832

Probate Records on Microfilm

The probate records described above may also be on microfilms like these:


 * 1800-1929 Surrogate's records.

Repositories
Erie County has more than 25 intriguing historical societies and museums. For a list, visit History Museums, courtesy of Visit Buffalo Niagara.

County & Town Historians

 * Erie County Historian Doug Kohler 95 Franklin Street, 16th Floor Buffalo, NY 14202 716–858–8500 Email: doug.kohler@erie.gov


 * Town Historians of Erie County: A list

Courthouses
The Erie County Clerk's office has some marriage, divorce, court and land records. The Surrogates Court has probate records. For further information about where the records for Erie County are held, see the Erie County Courthouse page. Most birth, marriage, and death records are held by city, town, or village clerks, not the county clerk.

Family History Centers

 * Buffalo New York - Inner City Family History Center
 * Buffalo New York Family History Center
 * Orchard Park New York Family History Center


 * Buffalo and Erie County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Richmond Memorial Library - an affiliate library

Social Groups Online

 * BuffaloHistory at Groups.io: A successor to the Buffalo History Yahoo group
 * New York Genealogy Research Community (FamilySearch on Facebook)
 * Rootsweb message board for has many information threads about Erie County families, with a search engine that allows you to search by surname and topic.


 * Erie County Legislature Proceedings, 1853-1926 are online in full text courtesy of HathiTrust.org. Prior to 1967, the County Legislature was known as the Board of Supervisors
 * Miscellaneous records, 1808-1907 from the Erie County Clerk's Office

Vital Records

 * BuffaloResearch.com: Vital and Archival Records: A chart showing 27 kinds of vital and other genealogical records in the 7 largest repositories in Buffalo and Erie County, with links


 * Early Erie County Vital Records, 1847-1848: An Index from The Buffalo History Museum, with births, marriages, and deaths from a few towns in Erie County


 * Government Sources of Vital Records For Buffalo and Erie County - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library


 * Vital Records in the Grosvenor Room - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library

Birth

 * 1847-1848 Early Erie County Vital Records: An Index from The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1881-1942 New York, Birth Index, 1881-1942 at Ancestry — index, ($)


 * 1881-1942 Reclaim the Records: New York State Birth Index at Archive.org - images of index

Birth Substitutes


 * 1640–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index.
 * See Town Clerks' Registers of Men who Served in the Civil War in  in the Civil War section of Military for birth information.

Marriage

 * 1639-1962 New York, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1686-1980 at FamilySearch Historical Records –  Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
 * 1800-1855 New York Marriage Notices at Ancestry– ($); Index. This database is a collection of marriage notices published in newspapers around the state. Contains name of bride and groom, marriage date, marriage location, residence, and newspaper citation.
 * 1811-1833 The Why of This Book - Index is in the back of the book. Transcribed by Buffalo Public librarian William Ives (1817-1916), The Why of This Book compiles records of marriages and deaths which occurred in Buffalo and surrounding communities from 1811-1833, as transcribed from newspaper notices.
 * 1811-1901 Names of Persons and dates of marriages from Elma, Erie County, New York website. Extracted from the book History of the Town of Elma, Erie County, NY, 1811-1901, Chapter XVII, Page 157.” Index gives: • Groom Name • Bride Name • Date
 * 1841-1884 Marriages in Williamsville, NY: An Index from The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1847-1848 Early Erie County Vital Records: An Index from The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1856-1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($) These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Marriage Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for marriage information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
 * 1870s-1950s Births, Deaths and Marriages Found in Local Publications - Index. Buffalo & Erie County Public Library librarians identified several historic publications that include information about Erie County births, marriages, or deaths. These early sources are often overlooked, or may be difficult to search.
 * 1881-1964 Reclaim the Records: New York State Marriage Index at Archive.org - images of index

Death

 * 1795-the present - BuffaloResearch.com: Deaths - a page of links to online lists and necrologies
 * 1795–1952 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The entries are primarily from the IGI along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as Family Records, Church Records, and Civil Registration. There may be entries that cite a specific source.
 * 1824-1962 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1833-1883 - Death Record of Old Settlers: An Index by The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1847-1848 - Early Erie County Vital Records: An Index by The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1849-50, 1859-60, 1869-70, 1879-80 See Mortality Schedule information in the Federal Census section of Census for death information.
 * 1856–1863 Index to Marriages and Deaths in the New York Herald at Ancestry– ($); Index. These newspaper notices refer to people up and down the East Coast as well as midwesterners and persons from as far west as the State of California. Also browsable.
 * 1864-5, 1874-5 See Mortality Schedule information in the State Census section of Census for death information for 1864-5, and 1874-5.
 * 1870s-1950s Births, Deaths and Marriages Found in Local Publications - Index. Buffalo & Erie County Public Library librarians identified several historic publications that include Erie County births, marriages, or deaths. These early sources are often overlooked, or may be difficult to search.
 * 1880-1956 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1883-1889 - Undertaker Records: An Index from The Buffalo History Museum
 * 1880-1956 - New York, Death Index, 1880-1956 at Ancestry — ($), index only
 * 1880-1956 - Reclaim the Records: New York State Death Index at Archive.org - images of index
 * 1882-1892 - Buffalo Deaths 1882-1892 - Index. Deaths transcribed from Buffalo city directories by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
 * 1957-1963 - at FamilySearch — Index only
 * Deaths in Buffalo & Erie County: Selected Sources in the Grosvenor Room - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Additional Resources

Voting Registers
Published official lists of registered voters for the City of Buffalo (1919-1961; 1969-1971) and for Erie County towns (1926-1961; 1969-1971) are available in the Grosvenor Room at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. The listings are arranged by city/town --> ward--> district --> street address. There is no alphabetical index. These are a great substitute for city directories for Erie County towns which didn't start having their own city directories until the 1950s or later.


 * City of Buffalo ... official list of registered voters: A list of libraries who own these volumes, courtesy of WorldCat.org
 * Official list of registered voters, towns of Erie County: A list of libraries who own these volumes, courtesy of WorldCat.org

Yearbooks

 * Buffalo Digital Library: Yearbooks: Links to over 80 online Buffalo & Erie County yearbooks, courtesy of BuffaloResearch.com via Raindrop.io
 * Yearbooks & School Publications, Buffalo & Erie County - A research guide by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

Erie County New York Genealogy Websites

 * BuffaloResearch.com Research Buffalo, NY ancestors and buildings, includes the Buffalo Digital Library
 * Erie County, NY History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * The Erie County NYGenWeb Project, an member of The NYGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Erie County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Erie County. (Backup site)
 * Erie County, New York Cemeteries Past and Present More links than just cemeteries
 * LDS Genealogy: Erie County
 * Linkpendium: Erie County has genealogy links sorted by category