Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania  Dauphin County

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Lancaster County 4 March 1785.
 * County Seat: Harrisburg
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Northumberland (north) • Perry (west) • York (south) • Lebanon (east) • Lancaster (southeast)  • Cumberland (southwest)  •  Schuylkill (northeast)

Named for Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France, first son of Louis XVI. The title "Dauphin" signified heir-apparent.

Many Scotch-Irish immigrants settled in what is now Dauphin County (then Lancaster County) in the early eighteenth century. It was predominantly a German area of settlement.

Boundary Changes
16 Feb 1813: Lebanon County was created from parts of Dauphin and Lancaster counties.

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

Church Records


The Historical Society of Dauphin County has an excellent collection of records and photographs for many local area churches. Their records include baptisms, marriages and death records for many Dauphin County churches, some dating back to the 1700's. The society also maintains an archive with hundreds of manuscript items. Details of their manuscript holdings are available on their website. For information about research services and fees, see the "Research Fees" page.

The Capital Area Genealogical Society in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has some published Dauphin County church records. See the Research Library Holdings page for a 2010 pdf. list of all their holdings.

For a good history concerning early churches of Dauphin County, see History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The religion section is divided into town and township and discusses the denominations in each of the areas.

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 church records of:
 * Jonathan Worrall, J.P./Misc. Marriage Licenses, 1890-1915
 * Berrysburg: PA Conference Evangelical Association
 * Elizabethville: Trinity United Methodist Church
 * Harrisburg: Harrisburg First Church of God; Lutheran Church; Lutheran Church of the Redeemer; Memorial Lutheran Church; Park Street United Methodist Church; Rev. Nathaniel R. Snowden Records; St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church; St. Paul's Episcopal Church; St. Stephen's Episcopal Church; United Church of Christ; Zion German Lutheran Church
 * Hummelstown: Hummelstown United Church of Christ; Trinity United Methodist Church
 * Millersburg: St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Oberlin: Neidig Memorial United Methodist Church
 * Philadelphia: Cooper Memorial United Methodist Church
 * Steelton: St. John's Lutheran Church
 * Susquehanna: Paxton Methodist Episcopal Church
 * Williamstown: Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church


 * 1744-1844 - Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Church Records at Ancestry ($). Includes records from Salem Reformed Church (Harrisburg, Pa.), Lykens Valley Lower Church (David's Reformed) (Killingern, Upper Paxtang, Pa.), Fetterhoff's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Fredricktown Church (Hummelstown, Pa.), Hoffman Reformed Church, Lykens Valley Lower Church, Middletown Church, Paxtang and Derry Presbyterian Churches, Reformed Church (Hummelstown, Pa.), St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Salem Reformed Church (Harrisburg, Pa.), Shoop's Reformed Church, Wenerich's Reformed Church, Zion Church.


 * 1757-1825 - Humphrey, John T. Pennsylvania Births, Dauphin County, 1757-1825. Washington, D.C.: PA Genealogy Books, 2005..


 * Contains church records of Hill or "Maxe" Lutheran Church, Derry Township; Middletown Lutheran Church, Middletown, Lower Swatara Township; Hummelstown Lutheran Congregation, Derry Township; Evangelical Reformed Church, Lykens Valley, Upper Paxton Township; Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Killinger, Lykens Valley; Shoop's Church or Paxton Church, Lutheran and Reformed, Lower Paxton Township; Klinger's Church, Erdman, Lutheran and Reformed, Lykens Township; Salem Reformed Church, Harrisburg; Fetterhoff's Church, Lutheran and Reformed, Halifax Township; St. John's Lutheran Church, Lykens Valley, Upper Paxton Township; Hoffman's Reformed Church, Lykens Township; Zion Lutheran Church, Harrisburg; Wenrich's Church, Lutheran and Reformed, Lower Paxton Township; and St. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal Church, Harrisburg.


 * Dauphin County Church Records at Dauphin County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives Includes Church histories and records.

Lutheran

 * Records of the Hill Lutheran Church in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at Ancestry ($).

Methodist

 * 1860-1997 - Saint Paul's United Methodist Church, Harrisburg, Pa. at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, and deaths.

Presbyterian
The first three churches established in the county were the Hanover, Paxtang and Derry Churches. These were organized prior to 1730.


 * 1741-1810 - Marriage Record of Paxtang and Derry Churches, 1741-1810 (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 2, Vol. 8, Part 10) at Ancestry ($); Google Books - free.

The Hanover Presbyterian Church was built in 1736 in a Scotch-Irish settlement in what is now Lebanon County. This settlement was previously in Lancaster County, before Dauphin County was formed.


 * Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1800-55: Hoffman Reformed Church at Ancestry.com - ($); Includes more than 8,400 records of baptisms, marriages, and burials for the Hoffman Reformed Church located in the Lykens Valley.

Reformed

 * 1800-1855 - Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1800-55: Hoffman Reformed Church at Ancestry ($). Baptisms, marriages, burials.

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. has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.

Land and Property
Land records in Dauphin County began in 1785. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Harrisburg, 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


 * 1979–present Dauphin County offers online access to records. Fees apply for copies. Check the website for current information on availability and fees.

Online Land Record Abstracts


 * Warrantees of land, Pennsylvania Archives Series 3 Volume 24, 1785-1895 at Dauphin County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1785–1917 Deeds, 1785-1850; Index to Deeds, 1785-1917.

Maps


 * MacInnes, Sharon Cook and Angus MacInnes. Early landowners of Pennsylvania : Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Dauphin County, PA. Apollo, Pennsylvania : Closson Press, 2009.

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

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 Dauphin 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
Click the image to view an enlarged version

Ancestor Tracks has posted free, downloadable images of The Combination Atlas Map of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Compiled, Drawn and Published from Personal Examinations and Surveys by Everts &amp; Stewart, 1875. 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 be used commercially. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.

Atlas of Township Warrantee Maps of Dauphin County and a Companion Scans of Township Warrantee Maps plus Current Road Overlays CD ($) is also available from Ancestor Tracks. They show precise outlines in metes and bounds of each original tract and all surrounding tracts in the township, giving the names of the warrantee and patentee; dates of the warrant, survey, and patent; and the patent and survey book and page of the recorded patent.

French and Indian War
In 1756, Colonel Armstrong recruited many Scotch-Irish men from what is now Dauphin County (then Lancaster County). They attacked and destroyed the Indian village at Kittanning (present-day Armstrong County).

Reverend John Elder, pastor of Derry and Paxtang churches, recruited Scotch-Irish rangers from his congregation in what is now Dauphin County (then Lancaster County). Known as the Paxton Rangers or Paxton Boys, they provided security for white settlements between the Blue Mountains and the Susquehanna River. They are remembered for playing a prominent role in Pontiac's War.

Revolutionary War
Men from what is now Dauphin County (then Lancaster County) served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment.

War of 1812
Anderson, John, Dr. John Anderson papers, 1812-1814, 1819 Microfilm of original records in the Bureau of Archives and History in Harrisburg. Contains enlistment records relating to Pennsylvanians in the War of 1812. FHL Film 1032585 Item 3.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records available for Dauphin County, Pennsylvania include the following:

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records


 * 1820-1906 – Index to Declarations and Petitions in the Western District of Pennsylvania, US Circuit and District Courts located in US Naturalization Records Indexes, 1794-1995 database on Ancestry.com - ($), National Archives publication M1208
 * 1820-1930 – Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania on Fold3.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1537, incomplete for all counties
 * 1820-1930 - Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania located in Selected US Naturalization Records - Original Documents, 1790-1974 database on Ancestry.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1537.

Newspapers
Newspapers of Dauphin County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

Online Newspapers


 * Whig State Journal at Pennsylvania Dept. of Education Historic Newspapers.
 * Pennsylvania Civil War Era Newspaper Collection available through the Penn State University Library


 * Daily Patriot and Unio 15 October 1860-31 October 1863
 * Pennsylvnia Daily Telegraph 21 January 1859- 26 Nov 1862
 * Evening Telegraph 28 Nove 1862 - 11 Mar 1864
 * Pennsylvania Telegraph 12 Mar 1864 - 31 Dec 1864

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Dauphin County.
 * USGenWeb Lykens Register Newspaper tidbits.
 * Dauphin County Newspaper Articles at Dauphin County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives Includes Items from the Harrisburg Telegraph, January 4,7,8,9 1892 and Items from The Evening News

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts June - September 1918.


 * Marriages and Deaths from Dauphin Co. Newspapers, (SLC, Utah, 1980)

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 Dauphin County.
 * Dauphin County Obituaries at Dauphin County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Stroh, Alice F., Cemetery Records of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (SLC, Utah, 1978)
 * Deaths from Berks, Dauphin and Philadelphia Counties Newspapers, 1791-1864 (SLC, Utah, 1964)

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:


 * 1683-1994- at FamilySearch.org

Dauphin County Only:


 * 1785-1937-Dauphin County Probate Records

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1785-1795 Will Records
 * 1785-1875 Wills

Courthouse
Dauphin County Courthouse 101 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17101

The Register of Wills/Clerk of the Orphans' Court is located on the first floor of the Dauphin County Courthouse (rm 103) and can be reached at 717. 780.6500 (register of wills), or 717.780.6510 (Orphans' Court). The Register of Wills holds birth and death records (1893-1906), marriage records (1850-1855 and 1885-present) and estates. See their Genealogy page for more information.

The Recorder of Deeds is located on the first floor (rm 102) of the Dauphin County Courthouse or at 717.780.6560. The Recorder of Deeds holds records related to the transfer of property (including deeds and mortgages).

Dauphin County Prothonotary 101 Market Street Room 101 Harrisburg, PA 17101 Phone:717–780-6520

Societies
The Historical Society of Dauphin County 219 South Front Street Harrisburg, PA 17104 Phone: 717.233.3462 E-mail: [mailto:library@dauphincountyhistory.org library@dauphincountyhistory.org]

The Alexander Family Library holds church records, newspaper clippings, cemetery inventories, military records, and more.

Taxation

 * 1798 - Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).


 * 1800 - First Annville Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania 1800 at PAGenWeb - free.

Birth

 * 1726-1930 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic index for the years 1726 to 1930. It is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is not necessarily intended to index any specific set of records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) 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. 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.

Web Sites

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

Populated Places
Middletown Borough

Hershey