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Pennsylvania Genealogy

Pennsylvania Genealogy Facts

Pennsylvania territory was disputed in the early 1600s among the Dutch, the Swedes, and the English. England acquired the region in 1664 with the capture of New York, and in 1681 Pennsylvania was granted to William Penn, a Quaker, by King Charles II. Philadelphia was the seat of the federal government almost continuously from 1776 to 1800; there the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution drawn up in 1787. Valley Forge, of Revolutionary War fame, and Gettysburg, site of the pivotal battle of the Civil War, are both in Pennsylvania.

  • Pennsylvania entered the union as the 2nd state on Dec. 12, 1787.
  • Pennsylvania has 66 Counties.
  • Pennsylvania’s capital is Harrisburg.
  • Pennsylvania is bordered by New York (north), New Jersey (east), Delaware (southeast), Maryland (south), West Virginia (southwest), Ohio (west)
  • Pennsylvania has a land area of 46,058 square miles making it the 33rd largest state.
  • Pennsylvania’s 2010 population was 12,702,379.
  • Pennsylvania  largest cities (2010) are Philadelphia, 1,526,006; Pittsburgh, 305,704; Allentown, 118,032; Erie , 101,786; Reading, 88,082; Scranton, 76,415; Bethlehem, 71,329; Lancaster, 56,348, Harrisburg, 48,950, Altoona, 49,523.
  • Pennsylvania comes from the Iroquois Indian word meaning “good river” or “large river.”
  • Pennsylvania State Nickname is “Quaker State” and is also referred to as the “Keystone State.” This term was apparently first used because of the state’s political importance, though it is also appropriate because of its location in the middle of the 13 original states. With six states to the north and six to the south, Pennsylvania was the keystone in an arch of states
  • Pennsylvania State Motto is “Virtue, Liberty, and Independence” .

Pennsylvania County Genealogy

The township is the basic political unit in the county and may have within its boundaries incorporated towns, boroughs, and cities, although these would have their own local governments. Useful records generated at these levels include vital records, taxes, and voter registration. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is comprised of sixty-seven counties and here are found records of land, estates, vital records, divorces, naturalizations, court records, and so forth. It is mandated that each county support a historical society. In 1952 an archives was started in Philadelphia, the oldest city archives in the country. The first county archives was established in Chester County in 1982 and is considered the model for the Commonwealth.

Select a County Below

Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Carbon, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cameron, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York


Pennsylvania has counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states. These counties need to be looked at when doing genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was abolished or combined with another county.

  • Ontario County, Pennsylvania: Formed in 1810, Renamed and organized as Bradford County in 1812

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Pennsylvania Genealogy Links

See Pennsylvania County Genealogy for County Links. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.

Pennsylvania State History

 

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