Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for the Lackawanna River. The county is located in the northeast corner of the state.

County Courthouse
Lackawanna County Courthouse 200 North Washington Avenue Scranton, PA 18503 Phone: 570-963-6773 FAX: 570-963-6477 Register of Wills / Clerk of Orphan's Court Phone: 570-963-6702 Recorder of Deeds Phone: 570-963-6775 Email:  mcnultye@lackawannacounty.org Lackawanna County Website County Comm Office has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1878

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
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

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:
 * Carbondale: Clarks Green United Methodist Church; First Presbyterian Church; Peckville United Methodist Church
 * Jermyn: Trinity Church Carbondale and St. James Church; Worth Baptist Church
 * Newton: United Methodist Church
 * Scranton: Dallas United Methodist Church; Elm Park United Methodist Church; Emmanuel Lutheran Church; Hyde Park Presbyterian Church; Petersburg Presbyterian Church; Providence United Methodist Church; St. David's Episcopal Church; St. John's Lutheran Church; St. Luke's Episcopal Church; St. Mary's Greek Catholic Church; Westminster Presbyterian Church

Because Lackawanna County was not formed until 1878, many early congregations are discussed in the Luzerne County church records.

Baptist The Baptist church was first organized in Scranton in 1859.

Catholic An early church and cemetery was built near Roaring Brook. Later the congregation moved to Scranton in the Hyde Park area. The Cathedral was erected in 1865. The property included a convent and college.


 * Diocese of Scranton: Parish directory, and a Directory of diocesan cemeteries. Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, Inc. has digitized the Sacramental Records of every chapel, church, mission, and parish within the Diocese of Scranton, now open and closed. This includes over three hundred churches encompassing eleven counties in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Scranton
 * Scranton Dist

Episcopal Early services were conducted by the Wilkes-Barre leaders. A congregation was organized in 1851, with service in the Methodist church. A frame church was built in Scranton in 1853 and, later a new edifice was completed in 1871.


 * 1894-1910 Baptisms, marriages, and burials of St. David's Episcopal Church, West Scranton, Pa. at The USGenWeb Project

Lutheran
 * 1897-1933 Baptisms and deaths of Immanuel Lutheran Church, North Scranton, Pa. at The USGenWeb Project

Methodist Methodism was first introduced into Luzerne County in about 1787. Meetings were held in homes and shops. By 1800, monthly meetings were held in Providence. he first meetinghouse was erected in 1828 in Carbondale. Most early preaching was done by traveling circuit-riding ministers. Later congregations were found in Hanover, Newport and the Plains.

In the 1840's the Methodist congregation built a church in Scranton. This building was used every other week for Methodist services and for various other congregations the other weeks.


 * 1851-1913 Baptisms and marriages of Providence Methodist Church at The USGenWeb Project
 * Primitive Methodist Church, Taylor, Pennsylvania, most records before 1936 were destroyed. See History for more information about this church.

Presbyterian Presbyterians met in Scranton in the Methodist church in the 1840's. In 1845 they moved their meetings to the Odd Fellow's Hall. A new building was completed in 1852.

Presbyterian Church, Baldmount

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1842-1876 Presbyterian Church, Baldmount, Baptism Index 1842-1876 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1995–present Clerk of Judicial Records' dockets for both Civil and Family Courts are available online.

Directories

 * Scranton Directory (1859) - via the Internet Archive

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 Lackawanna County began in 1878. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Records


 * The Recorder of Deeds offers online access to land records. Log in is required. (IQS Lackawanna County web access technical support 800-320-2617.)
 * Merrifield, Edward. "The Territory of Scranton Immediately Prior to the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Co. Purchase." Lackawanna Institute of History and Science. Historical series, no. 4. Scranton, 1896. Digital version at Internet Archive.

Local Histories

 * History of Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming Counties, PA. 1880. By W.W. Munsell & Co. New York, New York : Munsell. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * History of the Lackawanna Valley. 1869. By Horace Hollister. New York, New York : C.A. Alvord. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive.


 * Early History of Scranton and The First Presbyterian Church (1948) - via the Internet Archive
 * Founders of Scranton(1916) - via the Internet Archive
 * History and directory of Newton and Ransom townships, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania (1912)
 * History of Scranton Post Office (1901) - via the Internet Archive.
 * History and Geography of Scranton and its Vicinity (1957) - via the Internet Archive
 * Reminiscences of The Early History of Dark Hollow, Slocum Hollow, Harrison Lackawanna Iron Works, Scrantonia and Scranton, Pa. (1889) - via the Internet Archive

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
The migration routes used by early European settlers to and from Lackawanna County included:


 * Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths 1766 from Unadilla, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Catskill Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.
 * Minsi Path from Kingston, New York to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that is, from the Ulster and Delaware Turnpike  to the Great Valley Road.

Military Records
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

Naturalization records for Lackawanna 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 $

Newspapers
Newspapers of Lackawanna County

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 Scranton Tribune 1891-1910 Scranton, Pennsylvania.
 * The Aquinas - The Student Newspaper of the University of Scranton
 * Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers

Online Newspaper Abstracts
 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.
 * USGenWeb Lackawanna County Newspapers

Obituaries

 * 1947-2021  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 Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.
 * USGenWeb Lackawanna County Obituaries

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * 1683-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * 1878-1885 Lackawanna County Probate Records  at FamilySearch
 * 1878-1939 Will Indexes for Lackawanna County 1878-1939 at PAGenWeb
 * 1878-1885 Lackawanna County (Pennsylvania) Probate Files  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1878–present Searchable digital images of will and probate records are available online through the office of the Register of Wills

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
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Births Ancestry $
 * 1893-1905 Births (excluding city of Scranton) prior to 1906 at county government website
 * 1941-1976  at FamilySerch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Marriage
*1885-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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-present Searchable digital images of marriage applications are available online through the office of the Clerk of the Orphans Court.
 * 1885-1914 Lackawanna County Marriage Licenses Index at The USGenWeb Project
 * 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
 * 1878-1905 Deaths for Scranton are located at the Lackawanna.
 * 1893-1905 Deaths prior to 1906 at county government website

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary Lackawanna County Courthouse.

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

Family History Centers

 * Scranton Pennsylvania Family History Center
 * Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Family History Center
 * Barrett Paradise Friendly Library - an affiliate library.
 * Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society - an affiliate library.

Libraries


Albright Memorial Library 500 Vine Street Scranton, PA 18509 Phone: 570-348-3000 Website The Albright Library remains in its original 1893 building and has a genealogy research room which includes census records, vital records, newspapers, family surname files, a biographical index to their local history collection, some church records, and Scranton city directories. The library will do research for a fee. The library is housed in its original building built in 1893.

Museums
Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum 22 Bald Mountain Road McDade Park Scranton, PA 18504 Phone: 570-963-4845 Website

Societies
Lackawanna Historical Society The Catlin House 232 Monroe Ave. Scranton, PA 18510 Phone: 570–344–3841 Website Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, Inc. (NEPGS) 57 North Franklin Street Wilkes-Barré, PA 18701 Phone: 570-829-1765 Email: [mailto:nepgsmail@gmail.com nepgsmail@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Lackawanna County, PAGenWeb genealogical resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * Lackawanna Valley Digital Archives
 * Lackawanna 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.