If you’re new to the topic, city directories and telephone books are not the same thing. City directories, also called Polk directories, long predate the invention of the telephone and attempted to list all adults (or adult men), businesses, churches, charities, clubs, schools, government offices, etc., in a specific community. Phone books list only those who were telephone customers. Even though the telephone was invented in 1876, a phone in every home didn’t occur until the mid-20th century.
In case it is not clear, the folks at BuffaloResearch do not own any 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 requires you to register for a free account.
This page features multiple kinds of directories: city, social, business, ethnic, and more, shown one year per row. Some years have been digitized by more than one provider. Some years have not been digitized at all. Most directories newer than 1927 are still protected by copyright, which is why only a few of them are online.
Offline, hard-copy Buffalo directories can be browsed in the Grosvenor Room of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and by appointment in the Research Library at The Buffalo History Museum.
One great feature in Buffalo city directories is the address section in the back, usually on pink or green paper. Every street is listed in A-Z order, with every house or building number and every occupant. This section first appeared in the 1929 directory and has been a standard feature ever since. Great for figuring out who lived in your house. Some social directories also have address sections.
No Buffalo city directories were published in the years 1829-1831, 1833, 1834, 1843, 1845, 1846, 1943-1945, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1973, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1994, and 1995.
| Type of Directory | Code | Years Published |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo city/Polk | [no code] | 1828 to present with a few gaps |
| Address Book and Family Directory* | AB | 1883-1916. These have an address section. |
| Blue Book* | BB | 1898-1940. These have an address section. |
| Businesses only, no individuals | BU | First known edition was 1851, then randomly thereafter |
| Erie County | EC | First known edition was 1870, followed by a few random editions, then 1957 to present |
| Ethnic, nationality, or racial community | ET | Random |
| Great Lakes: includes Buffalo and vicinity marine trades & businesses | GL | First known edition was 1861 |
| Musicians | MU | 3 editions from 1941-1950 |
| Organization, club, society, association, group, fraternal organization, etc. | OR | |
| Regional business: multiple cities and/or counties | RB | First known edition was 1880, then randomly thereafter |
| Social Register* and its competitors | SR | 1903-1974 |
| Telephone book | TB | 1880 to present |
| Type of Directory | Code | Years Published |
*Please be aware that the Address Books, Blue Books, and Social Registers are limited to upper-income, presumably white households. Most notably, they omit Buffalo’s immigrant East Side.
Online Buffalo & Erie County Directories
Related Links
- Additional contemporary and/or single organization, single purpose, or single town online directories, courtesy of our Buffalo Digital Library
- Additional offline Buffalo directories, member lists, rosters and the like
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