Adoptions
Almshouse/Poorhouse
Autopsies
Bankruptcies
Births
Burial Permits
Cemetery Records
Censuses
Court Records
Deaths
Divorces
Funeral Home Records
Land & Property Records
Marriages
Misc. Online Records
Naturalizations
Passenger Lists
Prison Records
Tax Records
Voter Registration Records
Wills & Probate Records

Up to 1879	1880-1914	1914 to present
No statewide vital records law exists. A few cities & towns have a (very) few mid-19th century vital records. Researchers usually have to use church records instead.	First statewide vital records law passed in 1880, but Albany does not collect copies from Buffalo or Yonkers. Compliance is uneven. In Buffalo, surviving records are not comprehensive.	Vital records law is changed and all municipalities send copies to Albany. Records should be comprehensive.  However, privacy restrictions still apply.

RECORD TYPE

PLACE

DATES AVAILABLE

CONTACT

REMARKS

Adoptions & Orphans	Sealed forever except for court order. See the NY State Archives page on adoption records.
Orphanage Links	Census Citations for Orphan Listings, New York, 1900--includes St. Mary's, Ingleside Home, Catholic Protectory (Father Baker's).

Almshouse/ Poorhouse Records	Erie County	Possibly 1830 to present	Erie County Home & Infirmary 11580 Walden Avenue Alden, NY 14004 716-937-5690	The County Poorhouse, later called the Almshouse, is now called the Home & Infirmary.
Almshouse/ Poorhouse Links	Erie County	19th Century	Erie Poorhouse History

Autopsies

Erie County

1879 to present

Medical Examiner Erie County Dept. of Health 462 Grider St. Buffalo, NY 14215 Voice 716-898-3191 FAX 716-898-4181

Usually available for deaths resulting from crimes, accidents, suicides, drownings, or suspicious circumstances

Bankruptcies

Western NY

1900 to present

US Bankruptcy Court, Western District of NY Olympic Towers 300 Pearl Street, Suite 250 Buffalo, NY 14202-2501 716-551-4130

Decisions are searchable online dating back to 1986

Births	City of Buffalo	16 Sept. 1881 to 30 Dec. 1913 (incomplete)	Western NY Genealogical Society Collection at the Grosvenor Room of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Erie County Clerk Erie County Hall 92 Franklin St. Buffalo, NY 14202 716-858-8865	On 112 rolls of microfilm in sometimes random chronological order. No index. No staff available for this research.
	City of Buffalo	1878 to present	Vital Statistics Office Room 1308, City Hall Niagara Square Buffalo, NY 14202 716-851-5847 716-851-5848 Or contact Vitalchek.com	The cost for copies varies.
	City of Buffalo	1914-1932	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on microfiche from the NY State Dept. of Health
	Alden, Amherst, Aurora, Boston, Brant, Clarence, Colden, Eden, Evans, Hamburg, Lancaster, Newstead, Wales	1847-1849	Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Research Library	13 folders, Mss A67-27.
	Erie County towns	Dates of First Vital Records in Towns & Villages of Erie County	Town Clerk in the community Erie County Directory of Public Officials--includes town clerks	Records will be incomplete prior to 1914. Why is this?
	Erie County towns	1881-1932	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on microfiche from the NY State Dept. of Health
	Buffalo & Erie County	1914 to present	New York State Dept. of Health Vital Records Section Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza Albany, NY 12237-0023 518-474-3077 518-486-1863	Certified copies cost up to $15.00. Cashier’s check only.

Burial Permits

City of Buffalo

1875? to present?

Buffalo City Hall

Burial permits are obtainable only by funeral directors

Cemetery Records	Western NY	Varies	BuffaloTalks, an online phone book, lists about 80 cemeteries currently in business in Western NY. Scroll down to find the link.
Cemetery Links	Western New York	Varies	Erie County Cemeteries, Past & Present Cemeteries of Erie County, New York Military Burials for Forts Niagara, Porter, and Ontario, NY The Political Graveyard--Graves of Erie County Politicians Kenmore-Tonawanda Cemeteries Erie County New York Cemeteries--names from 15 cemeteries, brought to you by Rootsweb For cemetery histories, maps & contact info, see Local Links

Censuses, Federal	Erie County	1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society New York State Library also has agriculture, mortality, industry, and other special schedules	See Census FAQs. Libraries with census indexes might check the indexes for you but few have the staff to search census microfilms for a particular name. Not every federal census has been indexed.
		1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930	Capen Multimedia Center, University of Buffalo
Censuses, New York State	Erie County	1855, 1865, 1875, 1892, 1905, 1915, 1925	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Lockwood Memorial Library, University at Buffalo New York State Library	See Census FAQs. The 1855 state census is partially indexed (the towns of Erie County but not the City of Buffalo). None of the other surviving state censuses have been indexed.
Census Links	Erie County & Western NY	1810-1920	1790 Census of Ontario County, NY In 1790, Ontario County was everything west of Syracuse. However, in1790 and 1800, the census enumerators did not travel as far west as what is now Erie County. Erie County Digital Library Has downloadable text files, including 1810 census indexes for Buffalo and Clarence "Burned-Over District" Censuses, 1810 Includes Allegany, Genesee, Niagara, Ontario counties. Buffalo was in Niagara County in 1810, because Erie County was not formed until 1821. "Burned-Over District" Censuses, 1820 Includes Erie, Genesee, Ontario Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany counties. "Burned-Over District" Censuses, 1830 Includes Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Yates, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties. Indian Reservation Censuses, 1845 Includes Buffalo Creek, Tonawanda, Cattaraugus, and Allegheny reservations Alden and Darien, NY, 1850 French & German names Index to the 1850 census for Black Rock 1920 Federal Census, Erie County, Buffalo, Ward 10, Polish Names Focuses on individuals born in Poland, Galicia, or Posen, those whose native language or parents' native language is Polish, and those with Polish surnames. This is an volunteer work in progress and is not complete.

Death Certificates	City of Buffalo	1880 to present	Vital Statistics Office Room 1308, City Hall Niagara Square Buffalo, NY 14202 716-851-5847 716-851-5848 Or contact Vitalchek.com	Death certificates for genealogical purposes are released after 50 years. The exception is if you are a spouse, parent, or child of the deceased or you have a court order. City Hall does NOT have death certificates for anyone who died outside of the City of Buffalo. The cost for copies varies.
	City of Buffalo	1914-1957	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on microfiche from the NY State Dept. of Health
	Alden, Amherst, Aurora, Boston, Brant, Clarence, Colden, Eden, Evans, Hamburg, Lancaster, Newstead, Wales	1847-1849	Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Research Library	13 folders, Mss A67-27.
	Erie County towns	Dates of First Vital Records in Towns & Villages of Erie County	Town Clerk in the community Erie County Directory of Public Officials--includes town clerks
	Erie County towns	1881-1957	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on microfiche from the NY State Dept. of Health
	Buffalo and Erie County	1914 to present	New York State Dept. of Health

Divorces	Buffalo and Erie County	Early 1800s to 1963	Erie County Clerk	Sealed for 100 years except to the two parties involved & their attorneys
	Buffalo and Erie County	1963 to present	New York State Department of Health	Sealed except for the two parties involved & their attorneys, or someone with a court order

Funeral Home Records	Western NY	Unknown	BuffaloTalks, an online phone book, lists over 400 funeral directors currently in business. Just scroll down to find the link.	Until the Civil War, most people cared for their own dead. Undertaking first became a profession during the Civil and First World Wars. For what might have happened to these records, see my FAQ page.
Funeral Home Record Links	Buffalo and Erie County	Amigone Funeral Home has a look-up service for its records

Land & Property Records	Buffalo and Erie County	1808 to present	Erie County Clerk	All property transactions in Erie County are recorded at Erie County Hall.
Land & Property Record Links	Western New York	Varies	Erie County Clerk Index & Document Retrieval has searchable mortages & deeds dating back to 1980 The Holland Land Company sold lots to the original settlers of Western NY & their records are on 196 rolls of microfilm at SUNY/Fredonia's Reed Library The Holland Land Company--selected resources, including maps, bibliography, and more Holland Purchase of Western New York--a list of many deeds issued prior to 1807. Original Buffalo Lot Holders--a list of about 400 names from about 1804-1835 Town of Lancaster Original Land Owners--a list of about 350 names Built in Buffalo: How to Research Local Architecture--how to research your house, office building, or place of worship, including its original builder, owner, and/or occupants.

Marriages	Buffalo & Erie County	1811 to 1884 (incomplete)	Zintz, June Partridge Index of Marriages from Buffalo, New York Newspapers, 1811-1884 Hamburg, NY : June P. Zintz, ©1999 Zintz, June Partridge Marriages from Buffalo church records 1825-1900, volume 1: Transcribed from microfilm of English-speaking Protestant church records and compared with marriage license records in Erie County Hall Hamburg, NY : June P. Zintz, ©2004	In book form only, not online. Has index of brides' names and grooms' names. Available at: Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and through interlibrary loan.
	Buffalo & Erie County	1877 to 1935 (incomplete)	Western NY Genealogical Society Collection at the Grosvenor Room of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	On 156 rolls of microfilm in chronological order. No staff available for this research. Indexed in loose alphabetical order on the first 20 rolls of film
	City of Buffalo	1877 to present	Buffalo City Hall Marriage Bureau Room 1301 Buffalo, NY 14202 716-851-5444	City Hall's website says that marriage records are sealed. After 50 years, if both bride & groom are deceased, a marriage certificate may be requested for genealogical purposes. The cost for copies varies.
	City of Buffalo	1908-1957	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on microfiche from the NY State Dept. of Health
	Buffalo & Erie County	1914 to present	NY State Dept. of Health
	Alden, Amherst, Aurora, Boston, Brant, Clarence, Colden, Eden, Evans, Hamburg, Lancaster, Newstead, Wales	1847-1849	Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Research Library	13 folders, Mss A67-27.
	Erie County towns	Dates of First Vital Records in Towns & Villages of Erie County	Town Clerk in the community Erie County Directory of Public Officials--includes town clerks
	Erie County towns	1881-1957	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on microfiche from the NY State Dept. of Health
Justice of the Peace Marriages only	Buffalo & Erie County	1837 to 1876	Western NY Genealogical Society Collection at the Grosvenor Room of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	On one roll of microfilm. No staff available for this research.
Marriage Links	Buffalo & Erie County	Varies	Marriages in Elma, NY About 500 couples who married prior to 1901 Marriages in Chautauqua & Erie Counties, 1851-1890 Performed by Rev. Alfred J. Wilcox 1935 Buffalo, NY Marriages Almost 800 couples

Misc. Online Records	Erie County	None older than 1986, most from 1990s to present. See: Available Dates.	Erie County Clerk Online Document Index & Retrieval	Over 700 different kinds of legal actions and transactions are searchable by name, including deeds, mortgages, foreclosures, judgements and liens, affidavits, prenups, guardianships, building loans, incorporations, DBAs, hunting, fishing & trapping permits, pistol permits, declarations of intent, military discharges.
Misc. Online Record Links	Erie County	Varies	Searchable Databases & Name Lists for Genealogists A collection of links that do not fit into any of the categories on this page

Natural- izations	Buffalo and Erie County	1827 to 1929	Erie County Clerk	Little of genealogical value in records prior to 1900
	Buffalo and Erie County	27 Sep 1906 to present	Immigration & Naturalization Service 130 Delaware Ave. Buffalo, NY 14202 716-551-4741	Written requests only, limited to 5 free requests per day
			US District Courthouse 68 Court St. Room 304 Buffalo, NY 14202 716-551-4211	In-person requests only
	Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties	27 Sep 1906 to 1966	Grosvenor Room, Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	An index on 20 rolls of microfilm, giving name, date of petition for naturalization, and file numbers.  With this information, you can request the full papers from the government offices listed above.
Natural- ization Links	Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties	27 Sep 1906 to 1966, with a tiny number of other dates	Naturalization Index -- NY Western

Passenger Lists	Buffalo, Lewiston, Niagara Falls, Rochester	1902-1954	Manifests of Alien Arrivals National Archives & Records Administration Washington, DC Western NY Genealogical Society Collection at the Grosvenor Room of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library	On 165 rolls of microfilm.  They list those who entered the US at cities that border Canada. There are no Buffalo passenger lists for ocean-going vessels because they cannot physically bypass Niagara Falls.
	Erie Canal	1827-1829	New York State Archives New York State Education Department Cultural Education Center Albany, NY 12230 518-474-8955 At the link above, scroll down to record group A1057.	Lists of passengers submitted monthly by masters of boats travelling the Erie Canal. Legislation of 1829 (Revised Statutes, Part I, Chapter 9, Title 9, Article 7, Section 134) required masters of such boats to submit passenger lists for taxation purposes. Lists provide name of boat; period covered; date of travel; names of passengers; distance traveled; master's signature; and witnessed affidavits as to the accuracy of the list. Card index indicates names of boats in chronological and alphabetical order. Passenger lists were not required at any other time in canal history. These records are not online or on microfilm and must be consulted in person at the NY State Archives.
	Niagara River Red Jacket steamboat	1838-1839	New York State Archives New York State Education Department Cultural Education Center Albany, NY 12230 518-474-8955 At the link above, scroll down to record group A1079.	A passenger list for daily steamboat trips between Buffalo and Niagara Falls provides names; destinations; number in party; and fares paid.   These records are not online or on microfilm and must be consulted in person at the NY State Archives.
Passenger List Links	Varies	Varies	Ten Old Lutheran Passenger Lists for Lutherans that went to Buffalo Erie & Niagara Counties, NY and Dodge, Jefferson, Washington, Ozaukee, and Milwaukee Counties, Wisconsin in 1843

Prison Records	Erie County Correctional Facility (Jail)	Unknown	Erie County Correction Facility 11581 Walden Avenue Alden, NY 14004 716-937-9101 Fax: 716-937-5595	I have heard that only mid- 20th century records survive. It eventually became the Erie County Correctional Facility.
	State Prisons (Attica, Auburn, etc.)	Varies	New York State Department of Corrections Records, New York State Archives	Some privacy restrictions apply

Tax Records	City of Buffalo	1815-1997	City of Buffalo Inactive Records Center 85 River Rock Drive, Suite 301 Buffalo, NY 14207 Phone: 716-874-6401 or 716-570-8721	On microfilm and bound volumes. Available by appointment only.
	City of Buffalo, Black Rock, Tonawanda	1846-1865	Buffalo & Erie County Historical Society Research Library	Oversize Mss. A69-56.
	City of Buffalo	1846-1866	University of Buffalo Libraries	On microfiche
Tax Record Links	City of Buffalo	1800	Buffalo Tax Roll of 1800