Snyder County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Snyder County, Pennsylvania ancestry, family history and genealogy in courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

Snyder County Pennsylvania Historical Facts
Parent Counties: Formed from Union County 2 March 1855.

County Seat: Middleburg

Neighboring Counties: Snyder residents may also have records in:


 * Union
 * Perry
 * Juniata
 * Mifflin
 * Northumberland

Named for Simon Snyder, Governor (1808-1817), of Pennsylvania.

Description
The county was named in honor of the famous citizen and political figure Simon Snyder, who was governor of Pennsylvania. It's county seat is Middleburg. It was organized March 2, 1855. It is located in the Mid-central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
1855 - Snyder County created from Union County.

1813 - Union County created from Northumberland County.

1772 - Northumberland County created from Cumberland County.

1750 - Cumberland County created from Lancaster, Cumberland and Berks Counties.

1682 - Lancaster County created from Chester County which was one of the 3 original counties.

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.

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

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

Church Records


The Snyder County Historical Society has various records for churches throughout the Snyder County area. However, the society has not put the records on-line and to view the records one must go to the society. The society will do research for a fee. For more details see their website.

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.


 * Contains the church records of:
 * Penns Creek United Methodist Church
 * Selinsgrove Wesley United Methodist Church

Lutheran
The first church building in Selin's Grove was the Union Church (later known as the First Lutheran Church). The Evangelical Lutheran Church was created from members of the First Lutheran Church in 1843.

Botschaft Lutheran and Reformed Church, Chapman Township


 * 1792-1876 Botschaft Lutheran and Reformed Church, Chapman Township, Baptism Index 1792-1876 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Rows or Salem Lutheran Church, Penn Township


 * 1774-1832 Rows or Salem Lutheran Church, Penn Township, Baptism Index 1774-1832 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Trinity Lutheran Church, Selinsgrove

Zion Lutheran Church
 * 1849-1875 Trinity Lutheran Church, Selinsgrove, Baptism Index 1849-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1849-1875 Trinity Lutheran Church, Selinsgrove, Marriage Index 1849-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.


 * 1889-1943 Zion Lutheran Church, Snyder County, Pennsylvania at Ancestry.com – ($), includes baptism, marriages, and burials

Zion's or Moor's Lutheran Church, Freeburg


 * 1781-1809 Zion's or Moor's Lutheran Church, Freeburg, Baptism Index 1781-1809 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Methodist
It is unknown when the Methodist Episcopal Church was first organized, but they errected their own church in 1848.

Reformed
The Reformed congregation met as early as 1780. In 1802 they met in a union church with the Lutherans until 1855 when they built their own church.

Botschaft Lutheran and Reformed Church, Chapman Township


 * 1792-1876 Botschaft Lutheran and Reformed Church, Chapman Township, Baptism Index 1792-1876 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Court of Common Pleas
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, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Snyder County shares its judicial district with Union County. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district. The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.

Land and Property
Land records in Snyder County began in 1855. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Middleburg, 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.

Note that the "Maps" section below also 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 Snyder County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


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

Maps

 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the Pomeroy &amp; Beers 1868 Atlas of Union &amp; Snyder Counties, Pennsylvania. This atlas 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 be used commercially.  We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records available for Snyder County, Pennsylvania include the following: Online Naturalization Indexes and Records


 * 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 - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records
 * 1901-1930 Middle District, US Circuit and District Courts: Naturalization petitions, 1906-1930 located in U.S. Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1795-1972 (World Archives Project) database on Ancestry.com - ($), indexed, 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 Snyder County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
 * Snyder County Newspaper Resources at USGenWeb.org

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 Post (Middleburg, Snyder County, PA) 1864-1883, Chronicling America.
 * The Middleburgh Post (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., PA) 1883-1916, Chronicling America.

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Snyder County, Pennsylvania.

Obituaries
Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Online Obituary Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Snyder County, Pennsylvania]

Probate Records
Online Probate Records Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at FamilySearch.org. The dates vary significantly for each county and not all counties are listed. Some counties may only have probate indexes. This Pennsylvania collection of images may be browsed through the links listed below: Complete Collection:


 * 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1683-1994  at FamilySearch.org

Snyder County Only:


 * 1816-1980  Snyder County Probate Records
 * 1855-1871  Index to Snyder County Will Book 1 (1855-1871) at PAGenWeb - free.

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1855-1883 Orphans court dockets
 * 1855-1882 Will Books

Repositories

 * List of Pennsylvania Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Archives

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

Courthouse

 * Snyder County Courthouse P.O. Box 217 9 West Market Street Middleburg, PA 17842 Phone: 570-837-4208
 * Copies of documents including birth, marriages, deaths, divorces, land, and probate records can be obtained by using: Pennsylvania Public Record. Click on the link for the record you wish to request.


 * Office of Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Snyder County Courthouse P.O. Box 217 9 West Market Street Middleburg, PA 17842 Phone: 570–837-4202 E-mail: [mailto:prothonotary@snydercounty.org prothonotary@snydercounty.org]


 * Office of Register and Recorder/Orphans' Court Snyder County Courthouse Phone: 570–837-4224

Libraries
The Snyder County Libraries have four branches. The main library is temporarily located in the Jackson Penn Elementary School, 297 Route 204, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, 17870. Their phone number is (570) 374-7163. Call to verify location and hours. They have access to Ancestry.com, if you visit the library.

Societies

 * Synder County Historical Society 30 East Market St P.O. Box 276 Middleburg, PA 17842 Phone: 570-837-6191 Email: [mailto:schs@snydercounty.org schs@snydercounty.org] Library collection includes family genealogies, local histories, church records, pastoral records, funeral records, microfilm of historical newspapers and U.S. census records. Hours are posted on the website. Visitors will be charged a $2.00 user fee, with no charge for members of the society. The fee for research requests by mail, phone or e-mail is $20.00 plus copy costs.

Research Guides
Woodroofe's guide to Snyder County "hidden sources" at The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania is available online:


 * Woodroofe, Helen Hutchison. "A Genealogist's Guide to Pennsylvania Records," The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 34, No. 3 (1986):250-251. For free online access, see WeRelate.

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Birth

 * 1852-1854  Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.
 * 1942-1962  Snyder County Birth Index 1942-1962 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Marriage

 * 1677–1950  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1700-1821  Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976   - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
 * Pre-1810  Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1852-1854  Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
 * 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.

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Death

 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.
 * 1893-1905 Snyder County Death Index 1893-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Yearbooks

 * Susquehanna University Yearbooks - 1898-2010 (almost all inclusive) via the Internet Archive

Snyder County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

 * Snyder County, PA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Susquehanna PAGenWeb - free genealogy resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * Snyder County PA Genealogy