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Adams County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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Guide to Adams County, Pennsylvania ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Gettysburg
Organized: January 22, 1800
Parent County(s): York[1]
Neighboring Counties
Cumberland • York • Franklin • Frederick (MD) • Carroll (MD)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Adams County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Adams County PA Map.png

County Information

Description

Adams County is named after the second President of the United States, John Adams. On 1–3 July 1863, Gettysburg and its vicinity was the site of the pivotal battle of the American Civil War, and as a result is a center for Civil War tourism. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Adams County Courthouse
111 Baltimore St.
Gettysburg, PA 17325-2312
Phone: 717-334-6781
County of Adams Prothonotary 717-337-9834
County of Adams Clerk of Courts & Orphans' Court 717-337-9806
Adams County Website

Clerk Court has birth and death records 1852-1855 and 1893-1905 and marriage records 1852-1855 and from 1856.

Prothonotary Office has divorce and court records from 1800
County Recorder has property and land records from 1800[3]

Accounts, Adoptions, and Guardian records are filed in the Orphans' Court. The court maintains records from 1800 to the present.

Adams County, Pennsylvania Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1852 1852 1852 1800 1800 1800 1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]

Boroughs
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships
Historic communities


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Adams County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information


Additional Cemetery Resources

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The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.



Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1800 13,172 —
1810 15,152 15.0%
1820 19,370 27.8%
1830 21,379 10.4%
1840 23,044 7.8%
1850 25,981 12.7%
1860 28,006 7.8%
1870 30,315 8.2%
1880 32,455 7.1%
1890 33,486 3.2%
1900 34,496 3.0%
1910 34,319 −0.5%
1920 34,583 0.8%
1930 37,128 7.4%
1940 39,435 6.2%
1950 44,197 12.1%
1960 51,906 17.4%
1970 56,937 9.7%
1980 68,292 19.9%
1990 78,274 14.6%
2000 91,292 16.6%
2010 101,407 11.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census

state census

Church Records

Court Records

For information about records kept in the Orphan's court, Prothonotary Court, Court of Common Pleas, and other courts in counties of Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Court Records Wiki page.

  • 1800-1959 Adams County Court Records, Vol. 1. By Daughters of the American Revolution, Gettysburg Chapter and Historical Society of York County. Adams County, Pennsylvania : Adams County, Pennsylvania, 1906. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

For online resources, passenger lists, and specific groups coming to Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration.

The Scotch-Irish made settlements at the "Marsh Creek Settlement" and the "Great Conewago Settlement" about 1740 in what was a predominantly German area.[8]

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

For groups that came, see People section of the Pennsylvania Emigration page.

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

The Orphan's Court ensures the best interests of those not capable of handling their own affairs: minors, incapacitated persons, decedents' estates, and more.[9]

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a specific location and reveal family relationships. Records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, maps and more. For more information, see Pennsylvania Land and Property.

Land records in Adams County began in 1800. These records are filed with the Register of Wills/Recorder of Deeds office in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Indexes and Records

  • 1800–1936 Adams County offers online access to indexes and images. Fees apply. Refer to the website for current availability and fees.
  • Rev. Neal Hively has done extensive land record compilations and land mapping of York and Adams counties. Information concerning his work can be found online.
  • 1800-1934 Deeds, 1800-1851; Index 1800-1937. FS Library films 20666–20676 - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
  • Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

Local Histories

Maps and Gazetteers

Franklin CountyCumberland CountyYork CountyWashington CountyFrederick CountyCarroll CountyPA ADAMS.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

See more databases at Pennsylvania Military Records and US Military Records.


Revolutionary War
Men from what is now Adams County (then York County) served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment.[10]

Civil War
Regiments. Men in Adams County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (part of a large regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Adams County:

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Adams County:[11]

  • July 1-3, 1863 - Gettysburg.
  • Battles of the American Civil War maps - filter by state or by battle name.
  • Pennsylvania. General Assembly. House of Representatives. Select Committee relative to the Soldiers' National Cemetery. Revised report of the select committee relative to the Soldiers' National Cemetery together with the accompanying documents as reported to the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.' (Washington [District of Columbia] Library of Congress, Photoduplication Service, 1988), FS film 1486517.
  • Pennsylvania. Surveyor General's Office. List of soldiers, (prisoners of war), belonging to Pennsylvania regiments, who died at the military prison, at Andersonville, Georgia : from February 26, 1864, to March 24, 1865.' (Bethesda, Maryland : University Publications of America, c1992.), FS film 6083894(*).

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Naturalization records can contain information about immigration and nativity. Prior to 1906, it is rare to find the town of origin in naturalization records. For more information, see Pennsylvania Naturalization

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Newspapers may contain obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings. Newspapers are often found in local or university libraries, historical or genealogical societies, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published. See Pennsylvania Newspapers for more information.

Newspapers of Adams County

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers on line for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see news.google.com/newspapers and search for the town or the name of a newspaper

Online Newspaper Abstracts

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts

  • Stover, Robert, Abstracts From the Republican Compiler, Adams County, Pennsylvania 1831-1851 (Gettysburg, PA:R. Stover, c1976) At various libraries (WorldCat; FS Catalog Collection
  • Sullivan, Raymond (compiler), A collection of newspaper clippings of vital records from the Evening Sun, Gazette and Daily, Adams Co., York Co., Pennsylvania, Carroll Co., Maryland, 1968-1969; Sykesville Times Caroll County Times, Carroll Co., Maryland, 1967-1968, 1967-1969 (SLC, Utah:1969) FS Library film 599824–599829 item 1 Includes "Evening Sun," (Gazette and Daily) " "Carroll Co. Times," Sykesville Times," (Gazette and Daily) and "Evening Sun."

Obituaries

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died or where family members lived. Local libraries or societies may have indexes or other sources.

Online Obituary Abstracts

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Probate matters in Adams County are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates; appointments of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills; inheritance tax appeals, and various petitions and motions.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

  • Adams County USGenWeb Project. This site has the Returns of Taxables of the County of York for the Years 1779, 1780, 1781, 1782, and 1783 online. Adams County was a part of York County during these years.

Vital Records

Vital records are handled by the County Orphans' Court. Between the years 1852-1855 Pennsylvania made a failed attempt to record birth, marriage and death events at the county level. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. For the most complete set of records, contact the County Orphans' Court.

Birth

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For more information, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

Marriage

Pennsylvania marriages were created by county officials. Contact Adams County Courthouse

Death

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For indexes and records, 1906 and later, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

Divorce

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Adams County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

National Archives at Philadelphia
14700 Townsend Rd
Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
Phone: 215-305-2044
Fax: 215-305-2052
Email: philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Website
Facebook

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Adams County. For state-wide library facilities, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

Adams County Library System
140 Baltimore St
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-5716
Email: adams@adamslibrary.org
Website
Facebook

Museums

Appalachian Trail Museum
1120 Pine Grove Rd
Gardners, PA 17324
Phone: 717-486-8126
Email: info@atmuseum.org
Website
Facebook

Societies

Listed below are societies in Adams County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Pennsylvania Societies.

Adams County Historical Society
625 Biglerville Rd
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-4723
Email: info@achs-pa.org
Website
Facebook

Includes Battle of Gettysburg Research Center

Lutheran Historical Society of the Mid Atlantic
c/o United Lutheran Seminary
61 Seminary Ridge
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Email: info@lutheranhistoricalsociety.com
Website
Facebook

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Adams County Pennsylvania accessed 2/1/2017
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002)Adams County, Pennsylvania, p.588
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, Adams County accessed 10 January 2020.
  8. ↑ Wayland F. Dunaway, The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania (Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press, 1944), 57-58. Free digital version at PA's Past: Digital Bookshelf at Penn State.
  9. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at Common Pleas accessed 10 July 2012
  10. ↑ John B.B. Trussell and Charles C. Dallas, The Pennsylvania Line; Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783 (Harrisburg, Pa.: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1977). Digital version at Family History Archive.
  11. ↑ National Park Service, Civil War Battles. Filter by state or battle name.
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