Step-by-Step Pennsylvania Research, 1880-Present
Step 1. Find out everything possible from living relatives and their family records.
Every good genealogy project starts with finding all the clues that can be gathered from living relatives — both from their memories and from documents or memorabilia in their homes.
What are the best questions to ask?
In order to extend research, ask for names, dates, and places. Everything about who a relative was and when and where they lived is a clue to a new record search. For ideas, see :
- 50 Questions to Ask Relatives About Family History at ThoughtCo.com
- Creating Oral Histories at FamilySearch Wiki
What documents should be collected or copied?
Because these records cover names, dates, places, and relationships, they are a valuable source of clues. Look for them in your home, your parents' home, and ask living grandparents to check for them.
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Step 2. Find ancestors in every possible census record, 1850-1950, online.
- A census is a count and description of the population for a given date. A census took a "snapshot" of a family on a certain day.
- For each person living in a household (depending on the year), their name, age, birthplace, relationship to head of household, place of birth for father and mother, citizenship status, year of immigration, mother of how many children and number of children living, native language, and whether they were a veteran of the military can be listed.
- Searching for a family in census records every ten years can identify all the children in a family.
- Searching in earlier census records to find someone as a child can identify parents.
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Assume this obituary clipping is found in old home papers. It gives clues to which census records to begin searching. Bernard J. Kelly was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1921. He graduated from high school in 1941, so he could still be living with his parents in 1940. |
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Use the clues found through family sources to lead to census record searches.
Bernard Kelly's parents were John and Catherine Rogan Kelly. Look for details about their birth year, state, and parents' names.
Research should start with the 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950 censuses of Pennsylvania, probably for Wilkes-Barre, for Bernard living in his parents' home.
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Here is the Kelly family, John J. and Catherine Kelly, and their children: Sarah A., , Edward J., John J., Jr., Bernard, Mary, Francis, Nancy, and Clara, as detailed in the 1920, 1930, 1940, and 1950 censuses of Pennsylvania.
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In this 1920 census, John and Catherine are living in the home of her mother, Mary Rogan. This will help when we begin searching the Rogan line, but for now we will focus on the Kelly line.
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Researching the older generation.
Next, look for John J. Kelly in earlier census records as a child in his parents' home. Census records show he was born in about 1892.
- In the 1910 census of Luzerne County (where the family has been in each census), he is an 18-year-old youth, living with his parents, John P. and Anna Kelly.
- In the 1900 census, he is an 8-year-old child, in the home of his parents, John P. and Anna Kelly.
- Listed in these two censuses are 9 of the 10 children born to this couple.
- It is important that the census states that they immigrated to the U.S. in 1883.
Look for ancestors in as many censuses as possible. Use the clues from each census for hints where to find families in both earlier and later census records.
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For more information, see Pennsylvania Census and United States Census.
Step 3: Find birth, marriage, and death certificates for ancestors and their children.
States, counties, or even towns in some states recorded births, marriages, and deaths. In addition to the child's name, birth date, and place of birth, a birth certificate may give the birthplaces of the parents, their ages, and occupations. A death certificate may give the person's birth date and place, parents' names and birthplaces, and spouse's name.
Using census clues to lead to a birth certificate.
Census information gives approximate birth years and probable birth places, and that information leads to finding important birth records.
Notice that the certificate gives the mother's maiden name and the birth places and ages of the parents.
Using census clues to lead to a marriage certificate.
Finding marriage records can:
- establish the full identity of the wife, with her maiden name and possible birth details.
- find the names of the parents of the bride and groom.
Using the census clues to lead to a death certificate.
Moving forward in time, older generations stop showing up in the census. That is a clue that they probably died in the last 10 years. The death certificate is important because of all the possible secondary data beyond just the date and place of death:
- birth date and place of the deceased
- maiden name of the wife
- names of the deceased's parents
- birth places of the deceased's parents.
Notice that this death certificate gives us the names of John P. Kelly's parents: Peter Kelly and Bridget Mulgrew.
It also gives their birth place.
Gather as many birth, marriage, and death records as possible.
How to Find the Records
There are basically three ways to find these indexes or full original certificates:
- online databases
- writing to a county courthouse (prior to the beginning of state civil registration)
- purchasing them through the mail at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
Online databases, usually indexes, with some images.
Records at the County Courthouse.
These records were originally created by county clerks, and then copies were sent to the state. County clerks can be willing to help find all the birth records for one family or perform other searches that the state would not do. To contact county clerks by e-mail or telephone, go to the Wiki article for each county. Links to the county Wiki articles are found at the end of this page or by clicking here: Pennsylvania Counties.
Order Certificates from Pennsylvania Vital Records Department.
Almost always the full original certificate will contain information not contained in the index. Although it costs money, consider sending for the full original certificates, particularly for direct line ancestors (grandparents, great-grandparents, etc).
- Where to Write for Pennsylvania Birth, Marriage, Death and Divorce Records at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov
Step 4: Try to find additional details about ancestors in obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records online.
There are additional record collections available, based upon a person's death: obituaries, cemetery records, and Social Security records. These are a great source for more details about a person. Here are some examples; notice the level of details.
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Social Security example.
Obituaries
- 1870-1905 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., Deaths, 1870-1905 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1930-Current U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1947-2010 Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Collection, 1947-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1977-2010 Pennsylvania Obituaries, 1977-2010 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1980-2014 United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- Find Online Obituaries, Newspapers, Cemetery and Death Records at Archives.com — index & images ($)
- Pennsylvania Genealogy Data at GenealogyBuff.com — index
- Pennsylvania Newspapers and Obituaries at LDS Genealogy — index
- Pennsylvania Obituaries at ObitsArchive.com — index & images ($)
- Pennsylvania Obituaries Help and Genealogy Resources at Pennsylvania Newspaper Obituaries — index
Cemeteries
- 1949-1969 United States, Cemetery Abstracts, 1949-1969 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- BillionGraves — index & images
- BillionGraves Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Findmypast ($)
- FindaGrave — index & images
- Find a Grave Index at FamilySearch — How to Use This Collection; index; Also at: Ancestry ($)
- Pennsylvania Cemeteries at I Dream of Genealogy — index
- Pennsylvania Cemeteries at PAGenWeb Archives at USGenWeb Tombstones — index
- Pennsylvania Cemetery Records at LDS Genealogy — index
- Pennsylvania Death Records and Pennsylvania Cemetery Records at Interment.net — index
- Pennsylvania Gravestone Photo Project at PennsylvaniaGravestones.org — index & images
- Online Pennsylvania Death Records, Indexes and Obituaries at DeathIndexes.com — index
U.S. Social Security Death Index and Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- The U.S. Social Security program began in 1935 but most deaths recorded in the index happened after 1962.
- The Social Security Death index includes those who had a Social Security number and/or applied for benefits.
- You can search these records online at
- 1935-2014 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry — index ($); Picks up where the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) leaves off by providing information filed in the application or claims process
- 1962-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- If you find an ancestor in the SSDI index, you can order a copy of their original Social Security application (SS-5). If you can prove the individual has died (by sending an obituary or copy of their cemetery headstone), the application will also give the deceased's parents' names, if listed.
For more information, see Pennsylvania Obituaries and Pennsylvania Cemeteries.
Step 5: Search military records: World War I and World War II draft cards.
There are many different types of military records: draft records, enlistment records, service records, pension records, etc. Information in military records can vary from a simple lists of name, age, and residence, to more detailed records including name, residence, age, occupation, marital status, birthplace, physical description, number of dependents, pensions received, disabled veterans, needy veterans, widows or orphans of veterans, and other information.
Example of a World War II draft card.
Search the World War I and World War II Draft Collections for male relatives.
- 1917-1918 United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1942 United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
For more information and additional collections, see Pennsylvania Military Records.
Step 6: Look for church records.
Church records function as vital records.
- An infant christening or baptism record documents a birth.
- Many, if not most, people are married in a church, and then a record is created by the minister.
- Likewise, ministers presided over funerals, then creating a burial record, which documents a death.
Church records are particularly helpful prior to the advent of civil registration in 1906.
Search for church records that can provide additional birth, marriage, and death information.
FamilySearch Indexes
- 1512-1989 Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Marriage Records, 1512-1989 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1520-1999 Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms, 1520-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1620-1991 Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Congregational Records, 1620-1991(*) at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1709-1940 Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1709-1950 Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1720-1999 Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1856-1971 Pennsylvania, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Deaths and Burials, 1856-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
Ancestry.com
- 1664–1902 Pennsylvania, Published Archives Series, 1664–1902 at Ancestry — images ($)
- 1669-2013 Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1700-1821 Pennsylvania, U.S., Compiled Marriage Records, 1700-1821 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Findmypast Indexes
- 1709-1760 Pennsylvania Baptisms 1709-1760 at Findmypast — index ($)
- Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Births and Baptisms at Findmypast — index ($)
- Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Deaths and Burials at Findmypast — index ($)
- Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms at Findmypast — index ($)
- Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- Philadelphia Roman Catholic Parish Registers Browse at Findmypast — index ($)
Catholic
- Catholic Heritage Archive at Findmypast — index ($)
Church of the Brethren
- 1884-1902 Church Records, 1884-1902 (Pennsylvania Conference United Brethren in Christ)(*) United Brethren in Christ, Pennsylvania Conference at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1924 Index of Names, A History of the Church of the Brethren in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1924, by Eby, Lela. Mill Valley California: Lela Eby, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- 1941 Every Name Index, A History of the Church of the Brethren of Southern District of Pennsylvania, 1941, by Eby, Lela. Mill Valley California: Lela Eby, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Index of Names, History of the Church of the Brethren of the Western District of Pennsylvania, byEby, Lela. Mill Valley California: Lela Eby, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
- Surname Index to History of the German Baptist Brethren, n.p.: n.p., n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
Congregational
- Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Congregational Records at Findmypast — index ($)
Dutch Reformed
- 1639-1989 U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1701-1995 U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1769-1800 Church Records of the Dutch Reformed, 1769-1800(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Episcopal/Anglican
- 1911-1950 Diocesan Confirmation Registers, 1911-1950(*) Episcopal Church, Diocese of Pennsylvania at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Births and Baptisms at Findmypast — index ($)
- Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Congregational Records at Findmypast — index ($)
- Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Deaths and Burials at Findmypast — index ($)
- Pennsylvania, Episcopalian Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
Lutheran
- 1730-1799 Pennsylvania, U.S., Lutheran Baptisms and Marriages, 1730-1799 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800-1947 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Mennonite
- 1750-2014 Lancaster, Pennsylvania, U.S., Mennonite Vital Records, 1750-2014 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Presbyterian
- 1701-1970 U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Quaker (Society of Friends)
- 1607-1943 U.S., Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, Vol I–VI, 1607-1943 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1680-1940 U.S., Hinshaw Index to Selected Quaker Records, 1680-1940 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1681-1935 U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1682-1750 Quaker Arrivals at Philadelphia 1682-1750 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800-1990 U.S., Quaker Cemetery Records, 1800-1990 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- The Early Welsh Quakers and Their Emigration to Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 17, No. 4 (1893), pp. 385-413, by James J. Levick. n.p.: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1893. Online at: JSTOR
- U.S., Surname Index to Quaker Records at Ancestry — images ($)
Other
- Pennsylvania Church Records at I Dream of Genealogy — index
- For help with church records kept in Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania Church Records.
- To search records by denomination, if you know an ancestor's religion, go to Searching for Church Records by Denomination.
Step 7: Search for online wills and probate packets.
- County probate records include probate proceedings, petitions, affidavits, orders for sales, reports of sales, administrators' and executors' bonds, guardianship papers, wills, and letters of administration.
- In a will book, usually just a transcription of the will is recorded. But all of these other records are kept in a probate packet.
- Administrations are probate proceedings that handled an estate if no known will existed.
Search these indexes and images for probate records.
Currently, these records are digitized online:
- 1683-1993 Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1683-1994 Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Probate Information in County Pages
Each Pennsylvania county Research Wiki page lists additional probate sources, including where to write for records: Pennsylvania Counties
For more information, see Pennsylvania Probate Records and United States Probate Records.
Step 8: If any ancestor was an immigrant, search immigration and naturalization records online.
The census records may show that an ancestor was born in another country. It will be necessary to try to find the town or city they were born in to continue research in the country of origin. Searches of immigration records (usually passenger lists) and naturalization (citizenship) records would be the next step.
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Look for immigrant ancestors in shipping lists and citizenship sources.
Pennsylvania Immigration Records
- 1500-1999 U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1641-1819 Emigrants to Pennsylvania, 1641-1819 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1682-1750 Immigration of Irish Quakers to Pennsylvania, 1682-1750 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1682-1750 Quaker Arrivals at Philadelphia 1682-1750 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1727-1776 A Collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and Other Immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727 to 1776, by Rupp, Israel Daniel. Philadelphia: Leary, Stuart and Co., 1927. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry — index & images ($), Internet Archive
- 1727-1776 Index to the Names of 30,000 Immigrants--German, Swiss, Dutch and French--into Pennsylvania, 1727-1776. Supp. at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1771-1773 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Indentures, 1771-1773 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1795-1925 U.S., Passport Applications, 1795-1925 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1798-1828 Pennsylvania Landing Reports of Aliens, 1798-1828 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1800-1882 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1800-1882 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1883-1945 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger Lists, 1883-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1883-1948 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Passenger List Index Cards, 1883-1948 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1890-1949 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Jewish Immigrant Banks Passage Book Records, 1890-1949 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1893-1909 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Immigration Records, Special Boards of Inquiry, 1893-1909 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1900-1923 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Case Files of Chinese Immigrants, 1900-1923 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1952-1957 Pennsylvania, Crew Lists arriving at Erie, 1952-1957 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- One-Step Webpages by Stephen Morse at SteveMorse.org — index
- Philadelphia, PA Arrivals and Pennsylvania, USA Ports of Arrival at Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild — index; Online at: Vol. 1 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 2 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 3 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 4 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 5 - ImmigrantShips.net; Vol. 6 - ImmigrantShips.net
- United States, Passenger and Crew Lists at Findmypast — index ($)
Pennsylvania Naturalization and Citizenship Online Records
- 1727-1775 Names of Foreigners Who Took the Oath of Allegiance to the Province and State of Pennsylvania, 1727-1775 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1740-1773 Pennsylvania Naturalizations, 1740-73 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1740-1773 Persons Naturalized in the Province of Pennsylvania, 1740-1773 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1789-1880 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1789-1880 at Ancestry — index ($)
- 1794-1908 Pennsylvania, U.S., Naturalization Records from Supreme and District Courts, 1794-1908 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1795-1930 US, Naturalizations - PA Eastern, 1795-1930 at fold3 — index & images ($)
- 1795-1931 Pennsylvania, Eastern District Petitions for Naturalization, 1795-1931 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1795-1931 Pennsylvania, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1795-1931 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1795-1952 Pennsylvania, Eastern District Court, Naturalization Records, 1795-1952 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1820-1930 US, Naturalizations - PA Western, 1820-1930 at fold3 — index & images ($)
- 1906-1930 US, Naturalizations - PA Middle, 1906-1930 at fold3 — index & images ($)
For more information, see Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration.
Step 9: Search for printed local histories or biography collections online.
Local Histories
- Published histories of towns, counties, and states sometimes contain biographies and accounts of early or prominent families.
- Here are several websites that feature online copies of printed county histories: Pennsylvania; that will bring up too many hits. Just use the name of the county and "county": for example, "Hyde County"
- Google Books. Use keywords "Pennsylvania" and the county name. Hits will list online readable books, lists of libraries that carry the book, and purchasing opportunities.
- Family History Books
- County and Town Histories
- Internet Archive. Use keywords "Pennsylvania" and the county name.
- Ancestry.com ($). In the Card Catalog search box, use Pennsylvania and the name of the county.
FamilySearch Collected Local Histories
- Local histories are extensively collected by the FamilySearch Library, public and university libraries, and state and local historical societies.
- If you have access to the FamilySearch Library or a FamilySearch center, you can find local histories by:
- Go to the FamilySearch Catalog.
- In the "Place" field, type the name of your county and click "Search".
- A list of subheadings for the county will appear. Local histories containing genealogies and biographies will be found under Biography, Genealogy, History, or History - Indexes.
Biography Collections
These collections of biographies can be searched online. Most have a table of contents and an index. Or use the "Find" function on a computer.
- American Biographical Library at Ancestry — index ($)
- Biography Project at PA-Roots — index & images ($)
- Century Cyclopedia of History and Biography of Pennsylvania, by Reed, George Irving. Chicago: Century Publishing and Engraving Company, 1904. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust
- County and Town Histories, Pennsylvania at LearnWebSkills — index & images
- Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Biography, of Pennsylvania, New York: Atlantic Publishing and Engraving Company, 1890-1898. Online at: Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust
- Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania Biography, Illustrated, by Jordan, John W. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914-1921. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust; Vol. 13 - HathiTrust
- Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania, by Jordan, John W. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1915. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust
- Memorial Encyclopedia of the State of Pennsylvania, by Ellis, James A. Philadelphia: American Historical Society, 1919. Online at: HathiTrust
- Pennsylvania Biographies at HistoricPA.net — index
- Prominent and Progressive Pennsylvanians of the Nineteenth Century, Philadelphia: Record Publishing Company, 1898. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust; Vol. 3 - HathiTrust
- Some Pennsylvania Women During the War of the Revolution, by Egle, William Henry. Harrisburg, Pa.: Harrisburg Publishing Company, 1898. Online at: HathiTrust
- The Biographical Encyclopædia of Pennsylvania of the Nineteenth Century, Philadelphia: Galaxy Publishing Company, 1874. Online at: HathiTrust
- The Progressive Men of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, by Blanchard, Charles. Logansport, Ind.: A. W. Bowen and Co., 1900. Online at: Vol. 1 - HathiTrust; Vol. 2 - HathiTrust
- Who's Who in Pennsylvania; A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporaries. V. 1, by Hamersley, Lewis R. New York: L. R. Hamersley Company, 1904. Online at: HathiTrust
Step 10: Contact a local historical or genealogical society.
- County historical societies have collections that are frequently little known and often overlooked.
- Many have a surname file, where they have collected genealogies, newspaper clippings, old photographs, etc.
- Many have a sort of "pioneer ancestor" program, where people can submit pedigrees to prove they are the descendants of an early resident of the county.
- Most keep track of queries about families that once lived in the area from other distant relatives who may actually have more family memorabilia than you.
- If you can find the society on the internet, they may list their holdings. Or call them on the phone, find out what they have, and find out what arrangements can be made to search their collection. Frequently, you can hire one of their members to search the collection for you.
- For more information, see Pennsylvania Societies.
The online directory by GenealogyInc. lists historical and genealogical societies by county: Click on the list to select a county, then scroll down to the historical or genealogical society listings.
Step 11: Use other FamilySearch tools.
Historical Images
Records collected and digitized by FamilySearch can all be found through their Historical Images feature.
- Pennsylvania, United States Historical Images, New Version
- Pennsylvania, United States Historical Images, Old Version
Pennsylvania Online Genealogy Records
Search any other online records listed in Pennsylvania Online Genealogy Records. The steps given here are intended to list record sources which can most efficiently identify descendants. Many other online records which might or might not mention descendants are listed in the Pennsylvania Online Genealogy Records page, including immigration records, land records, military records, newspapers, and probate records, and others. These can be records that cover a smaller group within the population, such as men who served in the military, etc.
Step 12: Study the Research Wiki pages for any county in Pennsylvania.
This article focused more on Pennsylvania state or state-wide records. There is a separate Wiki article for each county in Pennsylvania. These articles give information, office addresses, and links to county records.