Local History

The Local History/Genealogy Collection includes print and online resources for Genesee County, Western NY and the Finger Lakes Region

  Local History/Genealogy Consulations are available by appointment.  Email btvgenealogy@nioga.org  or contact the Reference Desk at (585) 343-9550 x3 to schedule an appointment. 

Visit the Events Calendar for lectures, displays, author visits and more that feature local, state, national people and events.

FamilySearch -- The library has Affiliate Library designation, giving patrons greater and more convenient access to the wealth of genealogical resources available through FamilySearch.  It's the world’s largest repository of genealogical records and manages the famous Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It has amassed billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land, and court records of genealogical significance from over 130 countries.

 

HeritageQuest is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources—rich in unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids.  The database provides genealogical and historical sources for more than 60 countries, with coverage dating back as early as the 1700s.

Coming soon! Fold3 provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served.  The database will be available in the Library and remotely.

National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency of the executive branch of our government that is responsible for the preservation of government and historical  records. The database is available in the Library and remotely..

Daily Morning News (full text) - 1878-1879, published in Batavia, NY. Issues may be missing.

Batavia Daily News (full text) - 1880-1909. Published in Batavia, NY  Issues may be missing.

Daily News (full text) - 1882-1923, 1965.  Published in Batavia, NY.  Issues may be missing.

People's Press - 1825-1826 index to The People's Press newspaper, published in Batavia, NY.

Spirit of the Times - 1830-1845 index to The Spirit of the Times newspaper, published in Batavia, NY.

Palmyra Freeman (full text) - A weekly newspaper published in Palmyra, NY from 1828-1829:

3_Feb_1829, 21 Apr 1829, 12_May_1829, 9_Jun_1829, 16_Jun_1829, 30_Jun_1829, 7_Jul_1829, 14_Jul_1829, 18_Aug_1829, 25_Aug_1829, 1_Sep_1829, 22_Sep_1829, 27_Oct_1829, 29_Oct_1829, 10_Nov_1829, 24_Nov_1829, 1_Dec_1829, 15_Dec_1829, 22_Dec_1829
Also available at the library are issues for: 14 Apr 1829, 28 Apr 1829, 5 May 1829, 21 Jul 1829, 28 Jul 1829, 11 Aug 1829, 15 Sep 1829, 29 Sep 1829, 13 Oct 1829, 3 Nov 1829, 17 Nov 1829, 8 Dec 1829, 22 Dec 1829.

Old Fulton New York Postcards Support Forum  - Contains over 34,000,000 indexed New York State historical newspaper pages.  Coverage includes Genesee County, Central and Western New York. 

Genesee County Newspapers available on microfilm:

• Republican Advocate, 1822-1876
• Progressive Batavian, 1868-1895
• Spirit of the Times, 1825-1901
• Batavian, 1895-1897
• Genesee County Herald, 1857-1861
• Morning Call, 1881-1882

New York State Library Newspaper Collections

Castle Gardens, NY, NY:

Between 1790 and 1820, an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people freely immigrated to the United States each year. They traveled on sailing ships that were often dangerously overcrowded and without adequate provision for passengers’ health and comfort. Starting in 1820, to ensure safer traveling conditions, ship captains had to provide passenger lists to U.S. customs officials.  In the 1850s, New York City and state officials pooled their efforts to create a more protective landing experience. Their solution was the country’s first immigration station: the Emigrant Landing Depot at Castle Gardens:

Castle Gardens Immigration Records

Ellis Island, located in New York City, did not open its doors until 1892.  The following sites will offer name, age, date of entry into to the United States, and last residence for thos processed through Ellis Isand:

Ellis Island Foundation: Passenger Lists

Ellis Island Foundation:  Ship Listing

National Archives:  - National Archives Passenger Arrival Records Online  - Includes New York arrival of Irish Famine immigrants, Germans to America passenger data file, Italians to America, and more:

 Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild - More than 14,000 passenger manifests from ports around the country.

Immigrant Ancestors Project - Sponsored by the Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University, uses emigration registers to locate information about the birthplaces of immigrants in their native countries.

New York State Health Department Genealogical Research Death Index, 1957-1963

Vital Records - Addresses, prices, and availability of birth, marriage, and death records in the 50 states.

As we digitize our collection contact the Reference Desk at (585) 343-9550 x3 or email btvgenealogy@nioga.org for assistance.

Diary of Dean Richmond Jr. (in whose memory the library was founded)

• Batavia High School Yearbooks (full text)

  1913    1915    1916    1918    1920    1922    1923    1924    1925    1926    1927    1928 1929    1930    1931 1932

  1933    1934    1935    1936    1937    1938    1939    1940 1941 1942    1943    1944    1945    1946 1947    1948

  1949    1950    1951    1952 1953    1954    1955 1957  1958   1959   1960   1961   1962   1963  1964  1965

Genesee County is located in the heart of western New York.  Nicknamed the "Mother of Counties," it originally encompassed an area stretching from Lake Ontario on the north to the Pennsylvania state line in the south and from the Genesee River in the east to Lake Erie on the west.

Genesee County History

As we update out website contact the Reference Desk at (585) 343-9550 x3 or email btvgenealogy@nioga.org for assistance.

Military Records:

Civil War Soldiers & Sailors System -  Contains over 6.3 million names from both North and South and regimental histories.