Erie County New York Genealogy and History
County seat: Buffalo
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Erie County, New York genealogy and family history page is a place where you can come in and research your genealogy and family history. We also do our best to provide a history of the area, to provide you with an overview of the time in which your ancestors lived.
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Erie County History
When counties were established in New York State in 1683 present-day Erie County was Indian territory and was not part of New York. Significant European settlement began ca. 1800 after the Holland Land Company extinguished Indian claims to the land, acquired the title to eight western-most counties of Western New York, surveyed their holdings, established towns, and began selling lots. At this time, all of Western New York was part of Ontario County. In 1802, Genesee County was created out of Ontario County. In 1808, Niagara County was created out of Genesee County. In 1821, Erie County was created out of Niagara County, encompassing all of the land between Tonawanda Creek and Cattaraugus Creek.
The first towns formed in present-day Erie County were the Town of Clarence and the Town of Willink. Clarence comprised the northern portion of Erie county, and Willink the southern part. Clarence still exists as a town, but Willink was quickly subdivided completely into other towns. When Erie County was established in 1821, it consisted of the towns of Amherst, Aurora, Boston, Clarence, Collins, Concord, Eden, Evans, Hamburg, Holland, Sardinia, and Wales.
In 1861, the hamlet of Town Line located in the Town of Lancaster, voted 85 to 40 to secede from the Union and join the Confederate States of America; it sent five soldiers for the Confederate Army, and did not officially rejoin the Union until January 1946. The Town Line Fire Department supports the slogan "Last of the Rebels" due to their Confederate ties.
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Genealogy Research in Erie County, New York
Erie County Clerk
92 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York, 14202
Phone: 716-858-8785
Website: Website
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library
1 Lafayette Square
Buffalo, NY 14203
Phone: (716) 858-8900
Website
Erie County Genealogical and Historical Societies
Buffalo & Western NY Italian Genealogy Society
171 Fowler Street
Kenmore, New York 14217-1503
Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Buffalo
Ms. Muriel Selling
174 Peppertree Drive #7
Amherst, New York 14228
Polish Genealogical Society of NY State (PGSNYS)
299 Barnard Street
Buffalo, New York 14206-3212
Western New York Genealogical Society
PO Box 338
Hamburg, New York 14075
Adjacent counties
- Niagara County - north
- Genesee County - northeast
- Wyoming County - southeast
- Cattaraugus County - south
- Chautauqua County - southwest
- Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada - northwest