Clinton County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States   Pennsylvania    Clinton County

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Lycoming and Centre Counties 21 June 1839.
 * County Seat: Lock Haven
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Elk and Cameron (north) • Clinton (northeast) • Jefferson (west) • Cambria (south) • Blair (southeast)  •  Centre (east)  •  Indiana (southwest)

Named for DeWitt Clinton, seventh Governor of New York.

==== Boundary Changes ====


 * 27 January 1750: When Cumberland County was formed, it included part of the southern portion of today's Clinton County. The rest of today's Clinton County were not included in any county until 1785
 * 14 October 1751: When Berks County was created, a portion of southwestern Clinton County was included in it.
 * 9 March 1771: Bedford County was created taking the portion of today's Clinton County that was in Cumberland County.
 * 21 March 1772: When Northumberland County was created, the southern portion of today's Clinton County which was formerly in Bedford and Berks Counties was included in Northumberland County.
 * 1785: The northern portion of today's Clinton County was annexed to Northumberland County; thus, all of the county was part of Northumberland County.
 * 19 September 1789: When Mifflin County was formed, southern part of today's Clinton County became part of it.; the remainder (approx. 80%) stayed in Northumberland County.
 * 13 April 1795: When Lycoming County was created, the portion that was in Northumberland County was absorbed into Lycoming County; the remainder stayed in Mifflin County.
 * 13 February 1800: Centre County was created, the northern portion remained in Lycoming County while the southern half became part of Centre County.
 * 29 March 1860: When Cameron County was formed, the boundaries of Clinton County became final.

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

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational

 * 1708-1985 - Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.

Land and Property
Land records in Clinton County began in 1839. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1839–1916 Deeds, 1839-1865; Index, 1839-1916.

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below includes maps related to land ownership.

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Clinton County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


 * Historical Society of Pennsylvania
 * WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
 * (For instructions see FHL Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps
Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the 1862 Map of Clinton County, Pennsylvania from Actual Surveys under the Direction of H.F. Walling drawn by F.W. Beers. 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 public 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.

Courthouse
Clinton County Courthouse Clinton County Register and Recorders Office 230 East Water Street Lock Haven, PA 17745 (570) 893-4010

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Lock Haven Pennsylvania Family History Center (Mill Hall)

Societies
Clinton County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 393 Lock Haven, PA 17745-0393

Clinton County Historical Society 362 East Water Street Lock Haven, PA 17745 Phone: (570) 748-7254

Birth

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.

Divorce
Divorce records are handled by the office of the Prothonotary. While no on-line indexes or records are available, records may be obtained by visiting or writing to the Prothonotary at: Clinton County Prothonotary Office 230 East Water Street Lock Haven, PA 17745 Phone: (570) 893-4007 E-mail: [mailto:mvilello@clintoncountypa.com mvilello@clintoncountypa.com]

Death

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Web Sites

 * Linkpendium - Clinton County
 * USGenWeb project for Clinton Co.
 * USGenWeb project for Clinton Co.