Forest County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for the forests contained within its limits. The county is located in the northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Forest County Courthouse 526 Elm Street Tionesta, PA 16353 Phone: 814-755-3579 Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts/Register of Wills/Recorder of Deeds/Clerk of Orphan's Court: 814-755-3526 Forest County Website County Register and Recorder has birth records 1893-1906, marriage, divorce, and land records.

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)
 * Pennsylvania Genealogy LDS Genealogy

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

Some of the major religious affiliations in Forest County are: Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian. For a history of the various churches in the towns of Forest County see "History of Forest County, 1867-1967.



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 $

Catholic List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * "100 years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843–1943," Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. . Chronology, map, county-by-county information.
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1852-1904 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1855-1888 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

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

Guardianship

 * 1855–1888 Court Dockets

Land and Property Records
Land records in Forest County began in 1784. These records are filed with the Prothonotary/Recorder of Deeds office in Tionesta, Pennsylvania.

Land Indexes and Records
 * 1852–1904 Sheriffs' Deed Book  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1857–1933 Deed Books, 1857-1886; Indexes to Deeds, 1857-1933  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Local Histories

 * History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, and Forest, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Selections. 1890. By Michael A. Leeson. Chicago, Illinois : J.H. Beers. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library; 2 vols. in 1 - Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has posted downloadable images from the 1881 Map of Forest Co. Pennsylvania Compiled from Records &amp; Official Surveys by S.D. Irwin, published by J.L. Smith. 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 to be used commercially. We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks.
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1858–1906 Naturalization Docket - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Newspapers
Newspapers of Forest 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 Forest Republican, 1869-1952

Online Newspaper Abstracts
 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles of Forest County.
 * USGenWeb Forest County Historical 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 of Forest County.
 * USGenWeb Forest 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
 * 1855-1888 (*); Orphans' Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1855-1911 Forest County Probate Records at FamilySearch
 * 1855-1911 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & 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.

Birth

 * 1520-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1709-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1893-1907 Register of Births  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1941-1976  at FamilySerch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1949, 1963-1974 Forest County Birth Index 1949, 1963-1974 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

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 $
 * 1885-1928 Marriage Licenses (Forest County, Pennsylvania)  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1885-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1947-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and image

Death

 * 1720-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1856-1971  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1893-1907 Register of Deaths –  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1895-1907 Forest County Death Index 1895-1907 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

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

Archives
National Archives at Philadelphia 14700 Townsend Rd Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096 Phone: 215-305-2044 Fax: 215-305-2052 Email: [mailto:philadelphia.archives@nara.gov philadelphia.archives@nara.gov] Website Facebook

FamilySearch Centers

 * Brookville Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Franklin Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Knox Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Cameron County Historical Society - an affiliate library.
 * Monongahela Area Library - an affiliate library.

Societies
Forest County Historical Society and Museum 206 Elm St Tionesta, PA 16353-9702 Phone: 814-755-4422 Email: [mailto:forestcountypahistory@gmail.com forestcountypahistory@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project
 * Forest 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.