Carbon County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for its coal deposits. The county is located in the eastern center section of the state.

County Courthouse
Carbon County Courthouse 4 Broadway Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 Court of Common Pleas Office of the Prothonotary, P.O. Box 130, (570) 325-2481 Register of Wills/Orphan's Court, 1 Hazard Square, P.O. Box 286, (570) 325-2261 Recorder of Deeds, P.O. Box 89, (570) 325-2651, Email: [mailto:anitadietrich@carboncounty.net anitadietrich@carboncounty.net] Carbon County Website

County Clerk has birth records 1894-1905, death records 1890-1904, marriage records from 1885, and probate records from 1843 Prothonotary Office has divorce records Clerk Courts has court records Recorder of Deeds has land records

The Register of Wills/Orphans Court is responsible for probating wills, appointing administrators, issuing marriage licenses, and more. Recorder of Deeds Preserves all Land Records including Deeds, Mortgages, Easements, Right-of-Ways, etc. The County Archives holds birth/death records (1894-1905), naturalization records (1843-1958), estate files (1843-present), marriages (Oct 1885-present), and more.

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:

Cemeteries
Cemetery
 * 1700-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1747-2007  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images (incomplete)
 * Pennsylvania Genealogy

Census Records
State Census
 * 1850-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records


County-wide Database - Multi-denominational
 * 1620-1991  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1708-1985 - Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry $


 * Contains church records of:
 * Lansford: St. John Evangelical Slovak Lutheran Church
 * Lehighton: All Saints Episcopal Church; Wesley United Methodist Church; Zion United Church of Christ
 * Parryville: United Methodist Church
 * Summit Hill: First Presbyterian Church of Panther Valley; St. Paul's United Church of Christ


 * 1795-1825 - Humphrey, John T. Pennsylvania Births, Carbon County, 1795-1825; Monroe County, 1741-1825; Schuylkill County, 1755-1825 Washington, D.C.: PA Genealogy Books, 2006..
 * Contains church records of Towamensing Lutheran and Reformed Church, Towamensing Township; Ben Salem Lutheran and Reformed Church, East Penn Township; St. John's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Lausanne Township; and St. Matthew's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Packer Township.

Evangelical Mauch Chunk Mission of the Evangelical Association
 * 1870-1875 - Mauch Chunk Mission of the Evangelical Association Baptism Index 1870-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1870-1885 - Mauch Chunk Mission of the Evangelical Association Marriage Index 1870-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Presbyterian First Presbyterian Church, Mauch Chunk
 * 1835-1873 - First Presbyterian Church, Mauch Chunk, Baptism Index 1835-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1836-1873 - First Presbyterian Church, Mauch Chunk, Marriage Index 1836-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, and more.

The office of the Prothonotary is the custodian of all civil matters in the county. This includes naturalization, immigration, equity actions, judgements, and more.

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1798-1828  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Alphabet index then by numbered entry
 * 1900-1923  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * 1952-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Land and Property Records
Land records in Carbon County began in 1843. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

Land Indexes and Records
 * 1843 -1934 Deeds 1843-1902, 1922-1923; Index 1843-1934. - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Local Histories

 * History of Carbon County, Pennsylvania. 1913. By Fred Brenckman. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : James J. Nungesser. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * History of Northampton, Lehigh, Monroe, Carbon, and Schuylkill Counties. 1885. By I. Daniel Rupp. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : Hickok and Cantine. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.
 * History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1884. By Alfred Mathews and Austin N. Hungerford. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Everts & Richards. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has posted and downloadable images from the Map of the Counties of Munroe and Carbon, Pennsylvania from Surveys under the Direction of H. F. Walling (New York, 1860). This wall map located in the library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. While the physical maps are in the puiblic domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks
 * 1875 County Atlas of Carbon, Pennsylvania by F. W. Beers has been posted on Rootsweb.com site.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Civil War
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

World War II
 * 1933-1947  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1795-1931  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1901-1930 – Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930; and 1901-1906 on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records
 * 1901-1930 - Middle District, US Circuit and District Courts: Naturalization petitions, 1906-1930 located in U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) database on Ancestry $ National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records

Newspapers
Newspapers of Carbon 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 Carbon Advocate of Lehighton, Pennsylvania 1872-1924.

Online Newspaper Abstracts
 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles of Carbon County.

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts
 * USGenWeb Carbon County Newspaper Tidbits From the Evening Star Saturday, January 27, 1945.

Obituaries

 * 1947-2010 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1977-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Carbon County.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1683 - 1993 - Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * 1683 - 1994 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * 1843 - 1948 - Probate Records - images only; click on the camera icon to view images, Index included
 * 1843 - 1948 - Carbon County Probate Records - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1520-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1726-1930 - - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Births Ancestry $
 * 1941-1976 - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage

 * 1512-1989  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1626-2016 - Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1677-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1682-1976 FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $ This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1709-1940  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $ This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images (incomplete for all counties. May contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
 * 1885-present - Original records located at the Carbon County Archives.
 * 1947-2021  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Death

 * 1720-1999 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1856-1971  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
 * 1893-1905 - Carbon County Death Index 1893-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

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

Archives

 * National Archives at Philadelphia 14700 Townsend Road Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 Phone: (215) 305-2044 Fax (215) 305-2052 Website


 * Carbon County Archives 44 Susquehanna St Jim Thorpe, PA Phone: (570) 325-5713 Email: [mailto:ccarchiv@ptd.net ccarchiv@ptd.net] Website
 * The County Archives holds birth/death records (1894-1905), naturalization records (1843-1958), estate files (1843-present), marriages (Oct 1885-present), and more.

Family History Centers

 * Allentown Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

 * Dimmick Memorial Library 54 Broadway Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 Phone (570) 325-2131 Fax (570) 325-9339 Email: [mailto:thorpepl@ptd.net thorpepl@ptd.net] Website
 * This library has federal censuses (1790 to 1930), plus a nearly complete set of Mauch Chunk newspapers on microfilm from 1829 to the present and The Valley Gazette (a local monthly paper devoted to the area’s history). Also have many books pertaining to Carbon Co. History, plus a cheerful and helpful staff of experts!

Societies

 * Mauch Chunk Historical Society P.O. Box 273 Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 Phone: (570) 325-4439 Website
 * The Mauch Chunk Historical Society was founded in 1973 and primarily works to preserve two historic buildings in Jim Thorpe including the Mauch Chunk Museum.

Websites

 * Carbon County PA Genealogy
 * – 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.