Wayne County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States

Pennsylvania

Wayne County

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

Pennsylvania Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Honesdale Organized: March 21, 1798 Parent County(s): Northampton Neighboring Counties Delaware (NY)  • Monroe  • Susquehanna  • Sullivan (NY)  • Lackawanna  • Pike  • Broome (NY) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: PA Roots and its members who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

The county was named for the Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. The county is located in the northeastern tip of the state.

County Courthouse

Wayne County Courthouse
925 Court Street
Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: 570-253-5970
Recorder of Deeds: 570-253-5970 Ext. 4040
Prothonotary: 570-523-5970 ext. 4030
Register of Wills: 570-253-5970 Ext. 4040
Wayne County Website

Prothonotary Office has birth and death records 1893-1906, marriage records from 1885, divorce records from 1900, court records from 1798, school records from 1912-1971, and 1180 county tax assessment census
County Registrar and Recorder has probate and land records from 1798

Wayne 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 Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1893	1885	1893	1798	1798	1798	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

Formed from Northampton County 21 May 1798. County seat: Honesdale 26 March 1814: Pike County set off. 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

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:

Boroughs
Bethany Hawley	Honesdale Prompton	Starrucca Waymart
Unincorporated communities
Damascus Equinunk Galilee Hamlin Hollisterville Jericho Lake Ariel	Lake Como Lakeville Lakewood Milanville Newfoundland Orson	Pleasant Mount Poyntelle Rileyville South Sterling Starlight Tanners Falls
Census-designated places
Big Bass Lake Gouldsboro	Pocono Springs Hideout	Wallenpaupack Lake Estates White Mills
Townships
Berlin Buckingham Canaan Cherry Ridge Clinton Damascus Dreher Dyberry	Lake Lebanon Lehigh Manchester Mount Pleasant Oregon Palmyra	Paupack Preston Salem Scott South Canaan Sterling Texas

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Wayne County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com HomeTownLocator PAGenWeb Archives Interment PAGenWeb Pennsylvania Genealogy BillionGraves (name)
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com BillionGraves Linkpendium PAGravestones Access Genealogy FamilySearch Places
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information

 

• Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Additional Cemetery Resources

• ca.1700-ca.1950 - Pennsylvania Cemetery Records, ca. 1700-ca. 1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
• PA-Roots
• Names in Stone
• Ancestry($)

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	2,562	—
1810	4,125	61.0%
1820	4,127	0.0%
1830	7,663	85.7%
1840	11,848	54.6%
1850	21,890	84.8%
1860	32,239	47.3%
1870	33,188	2.9%
1880	33,513	1.0%
1890	31,010	−7.5%
1900	30,171	−2.7%
1910	29,236	−3.1%
1920	27,435	−6.2%
1930	28,420	3.6%
1940	29,934	5.3%
1950	28,478	−4.9%
1960	28,237	−0.8%
1970	29,581	4.8%
1980	35,237	19.1%
1990	39,944	13.4%
2000	47,722	19.5%
2010	52,822	10.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

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.

Wayne County Pennsylvania churches

• Linkpendium

• USGenWeb. Wayne County PA, Churches gives name, contact information, Website and other information.

Baptist
Baptists arrived in the area in 1795. Eventually there were two groups, the Free Communion Baptist Church at Mount Pleasant and the Honesdale Baptist Church.

Catholic
Irish Catholics lived in Mount Pleasant, Preston, Buckingham, Carbondale, Honsdale, Ledgedale, and White Mills townships. Many people were Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. employees. The German Catholic Church was organized 1853 .

Episcopal
Honesdale Grace Episcopal Church and Dyberry Parish in Bethany were both established in1832. St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church in Hamlin was established in 1844.

Jewish
The Temple Beth Israel synagogue was established 1849 from land donated by Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. The Sherith-Israel Synagogue. Russian and Polish Jews 1880's established the Sherith-Isreal synagogue.

Lutheran
Honesdale German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was established in 1845.

Methodist
The first group organized in 1825; by 1900 the Methodist outnumbered the other denominations. Members could attend in Salem Corners, Pleasant Mount, and Honesdale.

Presbyterian
There were five churches organized between 1829 and 1849.

• 1829 Hensdale (Dyberry Forks)
• 1835 Waymart
• 1842 Prompton
• 1842 -1900 Prompton Sessions Records Available from the Wayne County Historical Society, Research Library. You may view it at the library for free if a member or for a $5.00 charge. You may hire a professional from their web page.
• 1848 Lebonon
• 1849 Hawley

First Presbyterian Church, Honesdale

• 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry $

Contains the church records of:

• Honesdale: First Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant Township

• 1841-1875 Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant Township, Baptism Index 1841-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C538891.
• 1841-1888 Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant Township, Marriage Index 1841-1845 and 1857-1888 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch M538891.Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/2/20/Igipennsylvaniat.pdf.</ref>

Presbyterian Church, Prompton

• 1842-1873 Presbyterian Church, Prompton, Baptism Index 1842-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch C000534.
• 1842-1873 Presbyterian Church, Prompton, Marriage Index 1842-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.

Russian Orthodox
Russians settled in South Canaan and had a monastery and school.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

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.

• 1824-1912 Miscellaneous Records FHL Film 954315 (first of 2 films)

Emigration and Immigration

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

Many early residence came from New England, New York, and New Jersey. (Ref. History of Wayne County Pennsylvania 1798-1998 by Walter B. Barbe and Kurk A. Reed. Wayne County Historical Society C 1998.)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

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

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.

Orphans Court

• 1803-1869 Orphans Court Dockets FHL Film 955011 (first of 2 films) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

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.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• 1795-1941 Deeds, 1796 to 1866; Indexes, 1795 to 1941 FHL film 354579 (first of 28) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1798-1941 Mortgages, 1798-1834; Index, 1798-1941 FHL films 954305–954309 - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Local Histories

• Centennial and Illustrated Wayne County. 1902 (2nd edition). Honesdale, PA : Benjamin F. Haines. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• History of Wayne County. 1880. By Phineas G. Goodrich and George W. Woodward. Honesdale, Pennsylvania : Hines & Beardsley. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books ; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• History of Wayne, Pike and Monroe Counties, Pennsylvania. 1886. Ed. by Alfred Mathews. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : R.T. Peck. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Maps

• Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
• Ancestor Tracks has a CD of the First Landowners of PA: Warrantees of Wayne Pike Counties, Map Index by Jason Torrey, 1814 ($). The CD contains first landowner names and tracts, the warrant register index for Northampton County (the source for both Pike and Wayne Counties), and the warrant registers for both counties.
• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Migration

The migration routes used by early European settlers to and from Wayne County included:

• Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike to the Great Valley Road.
• Minsi Path from Kingston, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Ulster and Delaware Turnpike to the Great Valley Road.
• Delaware River.

Military Records

• 1861-1865 - Pennsylvania, Register of Military Volunteers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

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

• 1799-1906 - Pennsylvania, Wayne County, Court of Common Pleas, Naturalization Records, 1799-1906 at FamilySearch — index
• 1799-1906 Naturalizations, 1799-1906, FHL film 955022 (first of 14 films) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1820-1906 Index to Declarations and Petitions in the Western District of Pennsylvania, US Circuit and District Courts located in US Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 database on Ancestry $
• 1820-1930 Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1537, incomplete for all counties
• 1820-1930 Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania located in Selected US Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974 database on Ancestry $

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 Wayne County

• Pennsylvania Newspapers
• Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

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.

• The Honesdale Citizen (Honesdale, PA) 1873-1908 at Chronicling America
• The Citizen (Honesdale, PA) 1908-1914 at Chronicling America

Online Newspaper Abstracts

• PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
• Wayne County, PA Historical Newspapers including The Forest City News and The Honesdale Citizen 1873-1908
• 1947-2010 Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Collection, 1947-2010 at FamilySearch

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

• PA-Roots Obituaries for Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
• Wayne County Obits part of a USGenWeb Project.
• 1947-2010 Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Collection, 1947-2010 at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records

Probate matters in Wayne 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

• 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
• 1683-1994 Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch
• 1798-1906 Wayne County Probate Records
• 1798-1906 Will Books, includes Index 1801 -1915. FHL film 954310–954314 - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Tax Records

• 1798 Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

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.

• 1824-1930 Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709 -1950 – free index. Not complete for all years.In Wayne county, the Prothonotary's office has: *1893–1906 Birth records (see above for address)

Marriage

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

• 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
• 1677-1950 Pennsylvania Civil Marriages, 1677-1950 at FamilySearch
• 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
• 1725-1976 Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 index. Not complete for all years. This index is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections. In Wayne county, the Prothonotary's office has: *1885–present - Marriage records (see above for address)
• Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
• 1885-1950 Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – free. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Death

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

• 1720-1999 Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
• 1850-1880 Pennsylvania Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $

Divorce

• Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Wayne 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

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.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

• Scranton Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

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

• Wayne County Library Alliance operates 7 public libraries in Wayne County.

Visit website for individual library locations and contact information, hours and services

• Wayne Public Library
  1406 Main Street, Honesdale, PA
  Phone: 570-253-1220
  FAX: 570-253-1240
  Facebook

Visit website for individual library locations and contact information, hours and services

• Bethany Public Library and Historical Society
  RR3 Box 650
  Bethany
  Honesdale, PA 18431

Museums

• Wayne County Historical Society
  810 Main St.
  Honesdale, PA 18431
  Phone: 570-253-3240
  Fax: 570-253-5204
  website
  

There are four museums available for touring and gatherings. The main museum is the society's headquarter.

Visit website for museum locations and hours. Website also maintains a list of historical sites and information about their research library.

• Equinunk Historical Society Museums
  1972 Pine Mill Road
  P.O. Box 41
  Equinunk, PA 18417-0041
  Phone: 570-224-6722
  Email: ehs22@verizon.net
  website
  

Website also maintains a list of historical sites and information about their research library.

Societies

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

• Bethany Public Library and Historical Society
  RR3 Box 650
  Bethany
  Honesdale, PA 18431
  

• Wayne County Historical Society
  (WCHS)
  810 Main Street
  P.O. Box 446
  Honesdale, PA 18431-1847
  Phone: 570-253-3240
  Fax: 570-253-5204

Email: wchspa@ptd.net
website

There are four museums available for touring and gatherings. The main museum is the society's headquarters. Visit website for hours and services.

• Genealogical Research Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Inc
  (GRSNP)
  1100 Main Street
  Peckville, PA 18452
  Phone: 570-383-7661
  FAX: 570-383-7466
  Email: info@grsnp.org
  website

The GRSNP serves northeastern counties:

• Lackawanna
• Luzerne
• Monroe
• Pike
• Susquehanna
• Wayne
• Wyoming

Visit website for hours and services

Websites

• PAGenWeb
• USGenWeb archives
• Wayne 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.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.