Buffalo & WNY Newspapers at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
A detailed list of the newspapers, microfilm and hard copy, at the Central Library
Public
Pan-American Exposition Scrapbooks
The collection contains 24 scrapbooks of newspaper clippings from 1897 through 1904 that chronicle preparation for the 1901 Pan American Exposition, the event itself, the assassination of President McKinley, and the Exposition's impact on Buffalo, New York. It is believed that these were the first scrapbooks compiled at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FGettyImages-515176734-c52ba1842988412783e319815a86d085.jpg?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)
Old Stock Certificates: Lost Treasure Or Wallpaper?
Have you ever found or inherited a stock certificate for a company? What if you've never heard of the company before? Well, here we go over how you can find out whether you were left a fortune waiting to be claimed, or just a piece of paper ready for the recycling bin.
Buffalo Morning Express: Lincoln Assassination
Scans of the issues published April 15-19, 1865
Aaron Hamton Diary Transcript, 1813
Pocket diary of a journey taken by the author and several fellow Quakers from Kingswood, New Jersey to a settlement that is now in Erie County, New York. It provides detailed descriptions of frontier and pioneer life in New jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York State; the social life and customs of native peoples, particularly the Seneca Indians on the Buffalo Creek Reservation. The diary provides many details of the Quaker settlement situated along Eighteen Mile Creek in the Holland Purchase. Original is at the New York State Library.
Google News Archive
A comprehensive list of the historic newspapers that you can search at the Google News Archive
Newspapers on Microfilm at the Buffalo History Museum
A Google Doc listing names, dates, and other important notes about the newspaper microfilm at the Buffalo History Museum.
Buffalo Newspaper Timeline
This chart gives a timeline for a few key Buffalo newspapers, color-coded for their relevance to major ethnic groups. Brought to you by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
![Bound death record books, 1878-1902 [Microfilm]](https://rdl.ink/render/https%3A%2F%2Fcoverart.oclc.org%2FImageWebSvc%2Foclc%2F%2B-%2B128045093_400.jpg%3FallowDefault%3Dfalse%26client%3DWorldcatOrgUI?width=92&height=&ar=&mode=&format=avif&dpr=2)
Bound death record books, 1878-1902 [Microfilm]
From the Erie County Medical Examiner's Office. Not digitized or online; an in-person visit to the Buffalo History Museum is necessary to study these records.
Black Book Online
Black Book Online has links to various public record databases in Erie County
Underground Railroad from Delaware to Niagara Falls
A short newspaper article from the Provincial Freeman, July 11, 1857
Newlywed Project at the Buffalo History Museum
We are soliciting wedding memorabilia from same-sex couples wed under New York State's new equal marriage law. Learn more about what exact pieces we'd like to have for our Research Library.
Journal of events, principally on the Detroit and Niagara frontiers, during the War of 1812
By Captain William H. Merritt, 1793-1862.
Erie County Alms House, 1880
An artist's conception from the 1880 Beers atlas of Erie County
Buffalo Historical Society Doors
Description of our beautiful, sculpted front doors
Poverty and policy in American history
This book, published in 1983, has a chapter devoted to the Erie County Poorhouse.
Cemetery Records at The Buffalo History Museum
A list of the offline cemetery records in the Research Library at the Buffalo History Museum. These records are on microfilm and in print. An in-person visit is needed to use them.
Church Records at the Buffalo History Museum
A list of the microfilmed church records in the Research Library at the Buffalo History Museum. These records are not for the most part digitized or online, so an in-person visit is usually needed to use them. We added links for church records we found online.
What You Can Do
Intended for teachers & educators who need to know what constitutes fair use in the classroom
African American Photographs Assembled for 1900 Paris Exposition
These are the same photographs that came to Buffalo as part of W.E.B. DuBois' Negro Exhibit. They were displayed at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901.
How to use Reference USA Business database at BECPL
If you have a library card from the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, you can log into and search Reference USA, one of the most comprehensive, current business databases in the US. This video shows you how.
The Professionalization of the American Army through the War of 1812
Full text of an MA thesis by Robert L. Heiss, Buffalo State College
Cite Your Sources (Source Footnotes)
Source footnote citations help us document, organize, and analyze the evidence gathered. They are the hallmark of quality family history.
War of 1812 Letters in the collection the Young Men's Association
This collection features letters written during the War of 1812, as well as letters written after the war ended recalling war-time regional circumstances. The Young Men's Association later became the Buffalo Public Library and then the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.
State Historic Markers, New York
Searchable database of historic markers erected by the State of New York
Ansley Wilcox scrapbook, 1901
Wilcox's mansion was where Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office after McKinley's assassination. Scanned from photographs of the original volume in the collection of the Buffalo History Museum.
Researchers for Hire
Brought to you by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. The researchers are not affiliated with the library, but will work for an hourly rate to assist your in-depth research. This listing does not constitute an endorsement by the Library.
Vital and Related Records for Buffalo & Erie County
A guide to print & microfilm sources in the Grosvenor Room at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Cemetery Records for Erie County: A Bibliography
Brought to you by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
Church Records on Microfilm and Print
In the collection of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library