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Research Links

The society maintains the following list of free online resources related to Western New York genealogical research. A s the web and social media continue to change and expand, researchers are encouraged regularly explore and share available resources.

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Blogs and Podcasts 
 
 
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Broad Catalog/Collection Searching 
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  • Worldcat:"WorldCat.org lets you search the collections of libraries in your community and thousands more around the world...search for popular books, music CDs and videos—all of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. You can also discover many new kinds of digital content, such as downloadable audiobooks. You may also find article citations with links to their full text; authoritative research materials, such as documents and photos of local or historic significance; and digital versions of rare items that aren't available to the public."

–  It is important to note their website can help users to locate the closest target item using their results sorting by zip code feature.  

 
Cemetery Related Resources 
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Genealogical Societies


Regional

 

State

 

Canadian - Regional

 
General Resources – Genealogy 

 

  • Cyndi's List – New York: A categorized & cross-referenced index to the vast genealogical resources on the Internet.

  • Family Search: Access the largest collection of genealogical records in the world. Free resources include records (electronic and microfilm), finding guides, and available services (online, at Family History Centers, and by phone). 

  • Steve Morse: Stephen P. Morse's site for the "one-step" finding of immigration records, census records, vital records. Also includes information on best practices for dealing with calendars, maps, foreign alphabets, and other applications. 

 

General Resources – New York State Genealogy

 

  • BuffaloResearch.com: Cynthia VanNess' quick reference of Buffalo & Erie County resources. Site includes links to vital record repositories, maps, directories, name lists, obituaries, and more. 

  • RootsWeb - New York Resources: Varied genealogical links listed by county.

  • New York GenWeb: A "Gateway to New York Genealogy and History" grouped at both the state and county levels. 

 
Historians: Village, Town, City, and County

 

 

Historical Societies

 

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Holland Land Company Specific Resources

 

 
Libraries & Research Repositories


Regional

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New York State

  • New York Public Library: The New York Public Library "holds more than 51 million items, from books, e-books, and DVDs to renowned research collections used by scholars from around the world." It "provides patrons worldwide with powerful online tools to help them discover its extensive resources and services. On nypl.org, visitors can browse the Library’s immense collections, download e-books, and view more than 800,000 items from our award-winning Digital Gallery."

  • New York State Library – Research

  • New York State Archives

  • NYHeritage: New York Heritage Digital Collections features a broad range of materials that present a glimpse into our state’s history and culture, from the colonial era to present.  Over 350 libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural institutions make their collections' primary source materials available through this website.

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Across the Country

  • Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center: Based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the ACPLGC has "one of the largest research collections available, incorporating records from around the world." 

  • Digital Public Library of America: The DPLA "brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to works of art and culture, to records of America’s heritage, to the efforts and data of science."

  • Library of Congress: The LOC "is the nation’s first established cultural institution and the largest library in the world, with millions of items including books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections."

  • National Archives and Records Administration: NARA "is the nation's record keeper...valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you."

  • National Archives and Records Administration – Resources for Genealogist

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Native American Resources – Regional

 

  • Seneca Nation of Indians

  • Tonawanda Band of Senecas, 7027 Meadville Road, Basom, NY 14013 (716) 542-4244

  • Tuscarora Nation, 2006 Mt. Hope Road, Lewistown, NY 14092 (716) 622-7061 

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Newspaper Resources

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  • Fulton History: A free searchable online collection of more than 57 million historical newspaper pages from the USA & Canada. 

  • Google Newspaper Archive: Provides searchable database of free digitized newspapers from around the world.

  • Library of Congress – Chronicling America: Site provides information about historic newspapers and free searches of and access to select digitized newspaper pages. 

  • NYS Historic Newspapers: This project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to "reflect New York's unique history." Organized by county. 

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