Indiana County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States  Pennsylvania  Indiana County


 * This article is about central western Pennsylvania county. For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation).

Historical Facts

 * Named for Indian inhabitants of the county.
 * Birthplace of Jimmy Stewart (in Borough of Indiana).

Wikipedia

Parent Counties
30 March 1803: Indiana County was created 30 March 1803 from Westmoreland and Lycoming Counties.

Neighboring Counties
Armstrong | Cambria | Clearfield | Jefferson | Westmoreland

Church Records
Indiana County Churches and Church Records, Indiana County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Project

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.

Catholic

 * "100 Years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843–1943," Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. . Chronology, map, county-by-county information.

Prothonotary
The Prothonotary &amp; Clerk of Courts of Indiana County keeps the records of all civil and criminal procedures. One person serves in both functions. The office is located at: 825 Philadelphia St Indiana, PA 15701

Ph. (724) 465-3855 Fax: (724) 465-3968, Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:00PM E-mail: pcc@countyofindiana.org

Orphan's Court (see Vital Records)
Indiana County, Pennsylvania has one individual who serves as the Register and Recorder. This person serves as the Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, and Clerk of Orphans' Court. This office is located in the courthouse at:

825 Philadelphia St. Indiana, PA 15701 Phone: 724-465-3860 Fax: 724-465-3863

Land and Property
Land records in Indiana County began in 1803. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Indiana, 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:

Online Land Records


 * 1948–present The Register and Recorder offers access to indexes. Check their web page for current information about their online search options.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1803–1928 Deed Books, 1807-1892; Index, 1803-1928.
 * 1803–1969 Mortgage Index

Maps


 * Beers, F.W. Atlas of Indiana County, Pennsylvania. Indiana, Pennsylvania : Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County, 1998. Original published New York : F.W. Beers, 1871.

Additional Resources

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 Indiana 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.)

Probate Records
Samuelsen, David W. Indiana County, Pennsylvania Will Testators Index SAMBUPCO. Index free, $ for copies of will.

Courthouse
Indiana County Courthouse 825 Philadelphia Street Indiana, PA 15701

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers
 * Indiana Pennsylvania Family History Center

Birth

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.
 * Abstracts - Delayed Birth Certificatesat USGenWeb Archives, information for several people born between 1876 and 1905.

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

Death

 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.
 * Registration of deaths, 1893-1906 Family History Library US/CAN Film 1288594 Item 3. (County level records)
 * Registration of deaths, 1893-1906 Family History Library US/CAN Film 1288594 Item 3

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.