Wayne County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Wayne 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 Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. The county is located in the northeastern tip of the state.

County Courthouse
Wayne County Courthouse 925 Court Street Honesdale, PA 18431 Phone: 570-253-5970 Recorder of Deeds: 570-253-5970 Ext. 4040 Prothonotary: 570-523-5970 ext. 4030 Register of Wills: 570-253-5970 Ext. 4040 Wayne County Website Prothonotary Office has birth and death records 1893-1906, marriage records from 1885, divorce records from 1900, court records from 1798, school records from 1912-1971, and 1180 county tax assessment census County Registrar and Recorder has probate and land records from 1798

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

 * 1700-1950 - 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
State 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
 * Linkpendium


 * USGenWeb. Wayne County PA, Churches gives name, contact information, Website and other information.

Baptist Baptists arrived in the area in 1795. Eventually there were two groups, the Free Communion Baptist Church at Mount Pleasant and the Honesdale Baptist Church.

Catholic Irish Catholics lived in Mount Pleasant, Preston, Buckingham, Carbondale, Honsdale, Ledgedale, and White Mills townships. Many people were Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. employees. The German Catholic Church was organized 1853.

Episcopal Honesdale Grace Episcopal Church and Dyberry Parish in Bethany were both established in1832. St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church in Hamlin was established in 1844.

Jewish The Temple Beth Israel synagogue was established 1849 from land donated by Delaware and Hudson Canal Co. The Sherith-Israel Synagogue. Russian and Polish Jews 1880's established the Sherith-Isreal synagogue.

Lutheran Honesdale German Evangelical Lutheran Congregation was established in 1845.

Methodist The first group organized in 1825; by 1900 the Methodist outnumbered the other denominations. Members could attend in Salem Corners, Pleasant Mount, and Honesdale.

Presbyterian There were five churches organized between 1829 and 1849.
 * 1829 Hensdale (Dyberry Forks)
 * 1835 Waymart
 * 1842 Prompton
 * 1842 -1900 Prompton Sessions Records Available from the Wayne County Historical Society, Research Library. You may view it at the library for free if a member or for a $5.00 charge. You may hire a professional from their web page.
 * 1848 Lebonon
 * 1849 Hawley

First Presbyterian Church, Honesdale


 * 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:
 * Honesdale: First Presbyterian Church

Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant Township
 * 1841-1875 Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant Township, Baptism Index 1841-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1841-1888 Presbyterian Church, Mount Pleasant Township, Marriage Index 1841-1845 and 1857-1888 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Presbyterian Church, Prompton
 * 1842-1873 Presbyterian Church, Prompton, Baptism Index 1842-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1842-1873 Presbyterian Church, Prompton, Marriage Index 1842-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch.

Russian Orthodox Russians settled in South Canaan and had a monastery and school. List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1824-1912 Miscellaneous Records

Emigration and Immigration
Many early residence came from New England, New York, and New Jersey. (Ref. History of Wayne County Pennsylvania 1798-1998 by Walter B. Barbe and Kurk A. Reed. Wayne County Historical Society C 1998.)


 * 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

Guardianship
Orphans Court
 * 1803-1869 Orphans Court Dockets - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1795-1941 Deeds, 1796 to 1866; Indexes, 1795 to 1941 - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1798-1941 Mortgages, 1798-1834; Index, 1798-1941 - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Local Histories

 * Centennial and Illustrated Wayne County. 1902 (2nd edition). Honesdale, PA : Benjamin F. Haines. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * History of Wayne County. 1880. By Phineas G. Goodrich and George W. Woodward. Honesdale, Pennsylvania : Hines & Beardsley. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books ;.
 * History of Wayne, Pike and Monroe Counties, Pennsylvania. 1886. Ed. by Alfred Mathews. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : R.T. Peck. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has a CD of the First Landowners of PA: Warrantees of Wayne Pike Counties, Map Index by Jason Torrey, 1814 ($). The CD contains first landowner names and tracts, the warrant register index for Northampton County (the source for both Pike and Wayne Counties), and the warrant registers for both counties.
 * 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 Wayne 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.
 * Delaware River.

Military Records

 * Wayne County, Pennsylvania, record of burial places of veterans

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

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

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records


 * 1799-1906 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1931  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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 $
 * 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 $

Newspapers
Newspapers of Wayne 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 US Newspaper Directory.
 * Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * The Citizen (Honesdale, PA), 1908-1914 at Chronicling America
 * The Honesdale Citizen (Honesdale, PA), 1873-1908 at Chronicling America

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
 * Wayne County, PA Historical Newspapers including The Forest City News and The Honesdale Citizen 1873-1908

Obituaries
Online Obituary Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Wayne County, Pennsylvania.
 * Wayne County Obits part of a USGenWeb Project.
 * 1947-2010  at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1977-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

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)
 * 1798-1906 Wayne County Probate Records
 * 1798-1906 Will Books, includes Index 1801 -1915.  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

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.

Tax Records

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

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 - 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 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 - How to Use this Collection; index and images incomplete for all counties. May contain marriage records earlier than 1885.
 * 1947-2021  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.

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
Wayne Library Alliance Website Operates seven public libraries within Wayne County.

Museums
Wayne County Historical Society 810 Main Street Honesdale, PA 18431 Phone: 570-253-3240 Fax: 570-253-5204 Website The Society maintains a historical and genealogical research library as well as four historical sites; the Main Street address houses the main museum. Equinunk Historical Society Museums 1972 Pine Mill Road P.O. Box 41 Equinunk, PA 18417-0041 Phone: 570-224-6722 Email: [mailto:ehs22@verizon.net ehs22@verizon.net] Facebook

Societies
Bethany Public Library and Historical Society RR3 Box 650 Bethany Honesdale, PA 18431 Website Wayne County Historical Society (WCHS) 810 Main Street P.O. Box 446 Honesdale, PA 18431-1847 Phone: 570-253-3240 Fax: 570-253-5204 Email: [mailto:wchspa@ptd.net wchspa@ptd.net] Website Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society 57 North Franklin Street Wilkes Barre, PA 18701 Phone: 570-829-1765 Email: [mailto:nepgsmail@gmail.com nepgsmail@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * PAGenWeb
 * USGenWeb archives
 * Wayne 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.