Union County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

Description
The county seat is located in the mid-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse 103 South Second Street Lewisburg, PA 17837 Phone: 570-524-8641 Fax: 570-524-8644 Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts: 570-524-8751 Register of Wills: 570-524-8762 Union County Website Prothonotary office has birth records from 1893-1905, marriage records from 1885, death records from 1898, divorce and court records from 1813 Registrar and recorder has probate and land records from 1813

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

Additional Cemetery Resources


 * ca.1700-ca.1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images (incomplete)


 * PA-Roots
 * Names in Stone
 * Ancestry($)

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

Church Records

 * 1620-1991  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images




 * Addresses for Union County Churches by USGenWeb
 * Linkpendium

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational


 * 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania ($), free to members of the society. Also available at Ancestry ($).


 * Contains the church records of:
 * Lewisburg: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church; St. John's United Church of Christ; United Methodist Church
 * Mifflinburg: St. John's United Church of Christ; United Methodist Church
 * New Berlin: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church; United Brethren in Christ

Lutheran and Reformed


 * 1772-1775, 1791-1794, 1805-1825 Dreisbachs Lutheran and Reformed Church, Buffalo Valley, Baptism Index 1772-1775, 1791-1794, 1805-1825 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Presbyterian


 * 1841-1875 First Presbyterian Church, New Berlin, Baptism Index 1841-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

List of Churches and Church Parishes


 * FamilySearch Places

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 Union County began in 1813. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Land records from 1962 and on are available at the link.

Online Land Indexes and Records


 * 1962 - present The Recorder of Deeds offers records since 1962 online. The index is free to view, but there is a charge to view the actual image.

Local Histories

 * History and Topography of Northumberland, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Centre, Union, Columbia, Juniata and Clinton Counties, Pa. 1847. By I. Daniel Rupp. Lancaster, Pennsylvania : G. Hills. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * History of [...] the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 2 volumes. 1886. By Franklin Ellis, Alfred Matthews. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Everts, Peck & Richards. Online at: Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; . Volume 2 contains histories for Perry, Union, and Snyder counties.

Maps and Gazetteers
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 to be used commercially.  We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.
 * Land Owners from 1868 Atlas courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Revolutionary War Men from what is now Union County (then Northumberland County) served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment.

Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1865-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1795-1931  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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 $

Newspapers
Newspapers of Union County
 * Newspapers of Union County A PAGenWeb Project

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.


 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory.
 * Lewisburg Chronicle and West Branch Farmer (Lewisburg, PA) 1850
 * Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Union County Star and Lewisburg Chronicle (Lewisburg, PA) 1859-1864

Online Newspaper Abstracts


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

Newspaper and Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Lontz, Mary Belle, Central Pennsylvania Deaths and Marriages, 1771-1882 Abstracts from Various Newspapers, Publications and Court Records Throughout the Area (Hollidaysburg, PA:Hoenstine Rental Library, 1987?)

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

Online Obituary Abstracts
 * PA-roots Obituaries for Union County, Pennsylvania.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * 1683-1994  at at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * Fisher, Charles A. Wills and Administrations of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Including Wills and Administrations of Union, Mifflin and Indiana Counties. 1950. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library. Abstracts and index. Specifically 1813-1818 for Union County.

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
 * 1709-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1941-1976  at FamilySerch - 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  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
 * 1709-1940  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1947-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Death

 * 1720-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
 * 1856-1971  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary which is located in the Union County Courthouse building at 103 S. Second St, Lewisburg, PA.

Archives

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

Family History Centers

 * Sunbury Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

 * Union County Library System consists of three public libraries in Union County. See website for libraries and locations in this system.
 * Herr Memorial Library 500 Market Street Mifflinburg, PA 17844 Phone: 570-966-0831 Website Email: [mailto:herr@herrlibrary.org herr@herrlibrary.org]


 * The Herr Memorial Library's Robert K. Strunk Room houses the library’s “Pennsylvania Collection", which includes material about Union County families, churches, school and histories on old family names.

Societies

 * New Berlin Heritage Association 400 Market Street PO Box 223 New Berlin, PA 17855 Phone: 570-966-1783 Association Facebook Email: [mailto:diane45@dejazzd.com diane45@dejazzd.com]


 * Union County Historical Society Union County Court House South Second & St. Louis Streets Lewisburg, PA 17837 Phone: 570-524-8666 Fax: 570-524-8743 Hours: Monday through Friday: 8:30 AM-12:00 PM; 1:00 PM-4:30 PM Website Email: [mailto:hstoricl@ptd.net hstoricl@ptd.net]


 * The UCHS has a library holding a wide variety of research material including historical research items; a large collection of newspapers dating from 1834; tax, census, marriage, cemetery records. The library is also in close proximity to the courthouse records.

Websites

 * USGenWeb archives, for Union County
 * Union 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.