* General Guides * Maps * Statewide Genealogy Websites * Societies, Libraries and Archives *
Finding and Using Records * Queries & Help * More Links *
General Guides to Pennsylvnania Research
- First, bookmark or print out these FHL documents: Pennsylvania Research Outline.
- Each of the three books listed below has a small section covering each state that includes maps, historical information, vital records coverage and a bibliography of resources for that state.
- Clint. Pennsylvania Area Key (1976) (There are also several county area keys, which can be quite useful, despite being dated. These are out of print and you will have to do some searching to find them. )
- Crawford-Oppenheimer. Lost in Pennsylvania. (If you have early Pennsylvania families, you will want to use the Pennsylvania Archives... and if you want to do that, you may want this guide to this large set.)
- Guide to the Manuscript Collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Heisey. Handbook of Genealogical Research in Pennsylvania (1985) out of print
- Hoenstine. Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research in Pennsylvania 1978, with 1985 and 1990 supplements.
- Iscrupe. Pennsylvania Line. A Research Guide to Pennsylvania Genealogy and Local History (1990)
- Munger. Pennsylvania Land Records: A History and Guide for Research
- Parker. Pennsylvania and Middle Atlantic States Genealogical Manuscripts: A User's Guide to the Manucript Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. (1986)
- Schweitzer. Pennsylvania Genealogical Research
- Woodroofe. A Genealogists Guide to Pennsylvania Records (1995, but originally published in the Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine; still helpful, but some specifics may be out of date)
Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine -- with membership in the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
-- back run on CD
Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography
- Audio tapes from lectures given at genealogy conferences and seminars with the word Pennsylvania in the title
Atlases, Maps and Gazateers: For more information on finding and using maps, see Place Your Ancestors! on this site.
Statewide Geneaolgy Websites
Societies, Libraries and Archives
There are several major genealogical libraries in Pennsylvania.
Finding and Using Pennsylvania Records:
cemetery * census * church * land * newspaper * vital
Here is a nice overview of Pennsylvania Records
Bible Records: For general information, see Your Guide to Finding and Using Family Bible Records
These two Pennsylvania publications include some Bible records; both are indexed in PERSI
- Pennsylvania Magazine of Biography and History
- Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
Cemetery: for general information, see Your Guide to Researching Cemetery and Funeral Home Records
Census: for general information, see Your Guide to Finding and Using U.S. Census Records
Church: for general information, see Your Guide to Finding and Using Church Records for Genealogical Research
City and County Directories: for general information, see Your Guide to Finding and Using City Directories for Genealogical Research
- U.S. City Directories: Pennsylvania ; this serves as an unofficial union list of City Directories and a place where you can order lookups in the city directory by clicking the "order copy" icon on the right. The price of the lookups (plus shipping and handling) seem to me to be on the high end of a reasonable charge, but if all other efforts fail, it is good to know this service is available.
- Distant Cousin: Pennsylvania City Directories (links to online city directories)
- Philadelphia City Directories at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (a listing of what is available there)
- Historical Pennsylvania Directories at the State Library o f Pennsylvnaia (a listing; this will probably give you a fairly comprehensive listing of what historical directories are available for Pennyslvania cities, counties and regions.
County, State and Local Histories: for general information see Your Guide to Finding and Using County and Local Histories.
Land: for general information, see Your Guide to Finding and Using Land Records
Pennsylvania is a state land state.
The Pennsylvania State Library website has scanned images of the Warrent Registers for each county These Warrant Registers serve as the basic index to the original
land warrants, surveys and patents for about 70% of the land in the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania for the dates 1733-ca.1957
Military
The Pennsylvania State Archives soffer a digital archives, which provides online access to many military records availableat the archives.
Naturalization Records; for general information, see Your Guide to Finding and Using Naturalization Records
Newspapers; for general information, see Your Guide to Using Newspapers
Tax Lists
About Pennsylvania tax lists and the Septennial census records.
Vital Records For general informatin, see Your Guide to Using U.S. Vital Records
Statewide birth, death registration began 1906, marriages 1885 (earlier records may be found in some counties, where birth and death often begin ca. 1883) Access to birth records in closed.
Pennsylvnaia Dept. of Health Vital Records (official state site)
How to obrain Allegheny Co. (includes Pittsburgh) Birth and Death records 1870-1905
Allegheny Co. (includes Pittsburgh) Marriage Notices (I think reported in Pittsburgh papers). 1786-1910 can be searched and the notice provided, if one exists, for a fee.
Queries and Help
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Genealogy Lookup Volunteers
Submit queries at
Gen Forum: Pennsylvania (whole state)
Ancestry/Rootsweb message boards for Pennsylvania counties
More Links
Cyndi's List: Pennsylvania:
Linkpendium: Pennsylvania
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