In case it is not clear, the folks at BuffaloResearch do not own any city directories. Instead, we watch for when various providers digitize them. Then we collect the links here. Every directory below is online in full text for free, though FamilySearch will require you to register for a free account.
Directories are shown one year per row. As you’ll see, some years have been digitized by more than one provider. Some years have not been digitized at all. Most directories newer than 1925 are still protected by copyright, which is why they are not online via these providers.
The Address Books, Blue Books, and Social Registers are limited to upper-income households.
We have some directories from Erie County, too.
Erie County & Beyond
Compared to Buffalo, few directories were published for the suburbs, towns & villages of Erie County. The Polk Company, who is still the nation’s dominant city directory publisher, didn’t offer coverage outside of Buffalo until 1957. A few County directories do exist, though. We’ll add links when we find that they’ve been digitized.
| Archive .org | Family Search | Google Books | Hathi Trust | NY Heritage | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 Business | |||||
| 1884 Great Lakes | |||||
| 1891 Great Lakes | |||||
| 1898-1899 Business | |||||
| 1902-1903 Business | |||||
| 1917 | |||||
| 1924 | |||||
| 1940 | 1940 | ||||
| Archive.org | Family Search | Google Books | Hathi Trust | NY Heritage | Other |
