Indiana County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Indiana
Organized: March 30, 1803
Parent County(s): Lycoming, Westmoreland[1]
Neighboring Counties
Jefferson  • Clearfield  • Armstrong  • Westmoreland  • Cambria
See County Maps
Courthouse
Indiana County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Indiana County PA Map.png
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County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county is located in the midwest-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Indiana County Courthouse
825 Philadelphia Street
Indiana, PA 15701
Phone: 724-465-3805
Prothonotary/Clerk of Court Phone: 724-465-3855 Email: pcc@indianacountypa.gov
Register of Wills/Recorder of Deeds/Clerk of Orphan's Court Phone: 724-465-3860
Indiana County Website

Prothonotary and Clerk Courts have divorce, land, and court records from 1807, and naturalization records 1806-1958
Register of Wills has probate records[3]

Indiana County, Pennsylvania Record Dates[edit | edit source]

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 Major County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
bef 1906 1803 bef 1906 1807 1807 1807 1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

For animated maps illustrating Pennsylvania county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Pennsylvania County Boundary Maps" (1673-1878) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Indiana 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

 

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Federal Census

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1810 6,214 —
1820 8,882 42.9%
1830 14,252 60.5%
1840 20,782 45.8%
1850 27,170 30.7%
1860 33,687 24.0%
1870 36,138 7.3%
1880 40,527 12.1%
1890 42,175 4.1%
1900 42,556 0.9%
1910 66,210 55.6%
1920 80,910 22.2%
1930 75,395 −6.8%
1940 79,854 5.9%
1950 77,106 −3.4%
1960 75,366 −2.3%
1970 79,451 5.4%
1980 92,281 16.1%
1990 89,994 −2.5%
2000 89,605 −0.4%
2010 88,880 −0.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. For members, they may contain: age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage date and maiden name; death/burial date. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, see Pennsylvania Church Records.

Indiana County Churches and Church Records, Indiana County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Project

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational

Indiana county pennsylvania churches.png
Contains church records of:
  • Canoe: United Church of Christ - Hungarian Reformed
  • Homer City: Brush Valley United Methodist Church
  • Saltsburg: Saltsburg United Presbyterian Church

Catholic

  • "100 Years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843 -1943," Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. FHL Book 974.8 B2wg. Chronology, map, county-by-county information.

Presbyterian
This denomination arrived in the Indiana area in the early 1800s.[8]

First United Presbyterian Church, Homer City

First United Presbyterian Church, Indiana

Presbyterian Church, Homer City

Presbyterian Church, Indiana


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

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.

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

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

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

The Orphan's Court ensures the best interests of those not capable of handling their own affairs: minors, incapacitated persons, decedents' estates, and more.[10]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

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 Indiana County began in 1803. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Landowner Maps

  • Beers, F.W. Atlas of Indiana County, Pennsylvania Indiana, Pennsylvania Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, 1998. Original published New York F.W. Beers, 1871. FHL Q book 974.889 E7b

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Westmoreland CountyArmstrong CountyJefferson CountyClearfield CountyCambria CountyPA INDIANA.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Maps

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Civil War

World War

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

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

  • 1806 -1902 Naturalization Index FHL Film 1317396 Item 1 – index to certificates granted; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
  • 1885 -1906 FHL Film 1317396 Item 3 – includes index; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
  • 1903 -1906 Naturalization Docket FHL Film 1317396 Item 2 – petitions, oaths of witnesses, and court orders with index; images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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 Indiana County


Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers online 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

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

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.

Obituary Excerpts and Abtracts

  • Given, James, A Register of the Names of those Married, baptized, and Received to the Communion of the Church (SLC, Utah, 1966) FHL film 500944 item 2 Marriages in a newspaper clipping.
  • Haver, Fern Rebecca and Indiana Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania), Obituaries from the Indiana Gazette (Indiana, Pennsylvania):1987-1993 (SLC, Utah, 1995) FHL film 1698097
  • Obituaries of South Bend and surrounding Areas 1960 -1970 - 1980: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Armstrong County, Pennsylvania; Indiana County, Pennsylvania: probably copied from Simpson's Daily Leader Times newspaper (200-?) FHL book 974.88 V4o

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate matters in Indiana 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[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For more information, see Pennsylvania Vital Records. Birth records for Indiana County began in 1893. The Indiana County Clerk of the Orphan's Court maintains the birth records from 1893–1906. To obtain a copy of birth record in the 1893–1906 time period you may contact the Register and Recorder at the Indiana County Courthouse.

Marriage[edit | edit source]

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

Indiana County began recording marriages in 1885 although some registrations took place from 1852 -1854. Marriage licenses from 1885 are available from the Indiana County courthouse.

Death[edit | edit source]

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

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary.

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

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

  • National Archives at Philadelphia
    14700 Townsend Road
    Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
    Phone: 215-305-2044
    Fax: 215-305-2052
    website

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

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

  • Family History 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 family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

  • Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County
    200 S. 6th Street and Wayne Avenue
    Indiana, PA 15701
    Phone: 724-463-9600
    Website
    Facebook

Websites[edit | edit source]

  • USGenWeb May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
  • Indiana County PA Genealogy
  • FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_County,_Pennsylvania accessed 2/12/2017
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002) Indiana County, Pennsylvania, p.590
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Indiana County, Pennsylvania," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_County,_Pennsylvania, accessed 22 January 2020.
  8. ↑ Clarence D. Stephenson, "Indiana County 175th Anniversary History" (Indiana, Pennsylvania: A.G. Halldin Publishing Company, 1978), 287. WorldCat 4426313; FHL book 974.889 H2s vol. 1
  9. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/9/92/Igipennsylvaniaf.pdf.
  10. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at Common Pleas accessed 10 July 2012
  11. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/9/92/Igipennsylvaniaf.pdf.
  12. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/9/92/Igipennsylvaniaf.pdf.
  13. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/9/92/Igipennsylvaniaf.pdf.
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Repositories
American Swedish Historical Museum · Bristol Public Library (Bristol, VA) · Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh · Citizens Library · Erie County Library · Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society · Franklin and Marshall College Library · Free Library of Philadelphia · Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania · German Society of Pennsylvania · Handley Regional Library (Winchester, VA) · Haverford College Library · Historical Society of Pennsylvania · Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania · Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia · Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society · Library Company of Philadelphia · Library of Congress (Washington, DC) · Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia · Luzerne County Historical Society Bishop Library · National Archives at Philadelphia · New York Public Library (New York City, NY) · Pennsylvania Department of Health · Pennsylvania State Archives · Philadelphia City Archives · Presbyterian Historical Society · State Library of Pennsylvania · SUNY Fredonia Reed Library (Fredonia, NY) · Swarthmore College Friends Historical Library · Temple University Urban Archives · University of Pennsylvania Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center · Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland, OH)
Migration
Routes
Beaver and Erie Canal · Bethlehem Pike · Braddock's Road · Burd's Road · Canada Road · Centre Turnpike · Culbertson's Path · Delaware and Raritan Canal · Delaware River · Fall Line Road  · Southern Road · Forbes Road · Gist's Trace  · Great Indian Warpath · Great Island Path · Great Shamokin Path · Great Trail · Great Valley Road · Philadelphia Wagon Road · King's Highway · Kittanning Path · Lake Erie · Lake Shore Path · Lake Trail · Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths · Memacolinis Path · Minsi Path · National Road  · Cumberland Road · Ohio River  · Pennsylvania Road · Philadelphia Lancaster Turnpike · Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road · Pennsylvania Railroad · Schuylkill Canal · Tuscarora Path · Union Canal · Venango Path Philadelphia

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