Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Dauphin 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 after Louis-Joseph, Dauphin of France, the first son of Louis XVI. The county is located in the Southeast Central section of the state.

County Courthouse
Dauphin County Courthouse- 2nd Floor 101 Market Street Harrisburg, PA 17101 Register of Wills Phone: 717-780-6500 Clerk of the Orphans' Court Phone: 717-780-6510 Dauphin County Prothonotary Phone:  717–780-6520 Dauphin County Website The Register of Wills holds birth and death records (1893-1906), marriage records (1850-1855 and 1885-present) and estates. See their Genealogy search request form to request a search.

Populated Places
Middletown Borough

Hershey

Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Indentured Servants

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * PA-Roots
 * LDS Genealogy

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 – $, to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry $


 * 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 Bindnagle Lutheran and Reformed Church, Derry Township


 * 1724-1793 Bindnagle Lutheran and Reformed Church, Derry Township, Baptism Index 1724-1793 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Hill Lutheran Church, Derry Township


 * 1752-1825 Hill Lutheran Church, Derry Township, Baptism Index 1752-1825 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * Records of the Hill Lutheran Church in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania at Ancestry ($).

Klinger's Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Church, Upper Paxton Township


 * 1787-1875 Klinger's Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Church, Upper Paxton Township, Baptism Index 1787-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

St. John's Lutheran Church near Berrysburg, Miflin Township


 * 1780-1875 St. John's Lutheran Church near Berrysburg, Miflin Township, Baptism Index 1780-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1854-1873 St. John's Lutheran Church near Berrysburg, Miflin Township, Marriage Index 1854-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lykens Township


 * 1872-1875 St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Lykens Township, Baptism Index 1872-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Middletown


 * 1783-1861 St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Middletown, Baptism Index 1783-1861 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1814-1822 St. Peter's Church, Middletown, Baptism Index 1814-1822 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1835-1858 St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Middletown, Baptism Index 1835-1838 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Killinger


 * 1770-1855 Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, Killinger, Baptism Index 1770-1855 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Derry Township


 * 1757-1866 St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Derry Township, Baptism Index 1757-1866 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Union Salem Church, Berrysburg


 * 1837-1875 Union Salem Church, Berrysburg, Baptism Index 1837-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1863-1880 Union Salem Church, Berrysburg, Marriage Index 1863-1880 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Zion Evangelical Lutheran and Evangelical Reformed Congregations, Erdman


 * 1769-1875 Zion Evangelical Lutheran and Evangelical Reformed Congregations, Erdman, Baptism Index 1769-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Zion Lutheran Church, Harrisburg


 * 1795-1809 Zion Lutheran Church, Harrisburg, Marriage Index 1795-1809 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hummelstown


 * 1753-1875 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hummelstown, Baptism Index 1753-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1823-1830, 1847, 1855-1880 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Hummelstown, Baptism Index 1823-1830, 1847, and 1855-1880 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

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.Luther Reily Kelker, "History of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania" (New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1907) 224-240. ;


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

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. Wayland F. Dunaway, The Scotch-Irish of Colonial Pennsylvania (Chapel Hill, N.C.: The University of North Carolina Press, 1944), 53-54. Free digital version at PA's Past: Digital Bookshelf at Penn State.

Derry Presbyterian Congregation, Derry Township


 * 1807-1839 Derry Presbyterian Congregation, Derry Township, Baptism Index 1807-1839 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1807-1841 Derry Presbyterian Congregation, Derry Township, Marriage Index 1807-1841 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Harrisburg Presbyterian Church


 * 1798-1803 Harrisburg Presbyterian Church Marriage Index 1798-1803 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg


 * 1858-1876 Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg, Baptism Index 1858-1876 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1865-1866 Pine Street Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg, Marriage Index 1865-1866 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Westminster Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg


 * 1889-1890 Westminster Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg, Baptism Index 1889-1890 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1873-1885 Westminster Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg, Marriage Index 1873-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Reformed Hoffman Reformed Church


 * 1800-1855 Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1800-55: Hoffman Reformed Church at Ancestry ($). Includes more than 8,400 records of baptisms, marriages, and burials for the Hoffman Reformed Church located in the Lykens Valley.

Shoop's Reformed Church, Harrisburg


 * 1771-1830 Shoop's Reformed Church, Harrisburg, Baptism Index 1771-1830 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch  Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at Media.

Land and Property Records


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

Online Land Abstracts and Records
 * 1785 -1917 Deeds, 1785-1850; Index to Deeds, 1785-1917. - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1979–present Dauphin County offers online access to records. Fees apply for copies. Check the website for current information on availability and fees.
 * Warrantees of land, Pennsylvania Archives Series 3 Volume 24, 1785-1895 at Dauphin County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)

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

Ancestor Tracks has posted 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.

Military Records
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
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 $
 * 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 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
 * 1947-2010 at FamilySearch

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts June - September 1918.


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

Obituaries
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 Indexes and Records
 * 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * 1785-1795 Will Records - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1785-1875 Wills - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
 * 1785-1937 Dauphin County Probate Records

Tax Records

 * 1798 - Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).
 * 1800 - First Annville Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania 1800 at PAGenWeb

Birth

 * 1726-1930 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 $

Marriage

 * 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast
 * 1677-1950 at FamilySearch
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
 * 1725-1976 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 $
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Death

 * 1794-1873 Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Death Index 1794-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1852-1906 Dauphin County Death Index 1852-1906 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $

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

 * Harrisburg/Hershey Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

 * Alexander Family Research Library and Archives 219 S. Front Street Harrisburg PA 17104 Phone:(717)233-3462 E-mail:library@dauphincountyhistory.org. website
 * The Library is a wonderful resource for both genealogical and local history research. It holds church records, newspaper clippings, cemetery inventories, military records, and more.If you cannot come to Harrisburg to do your own research, the Librarian can conduct on-site research for an additional fee. Please contact the Librarian if you have any questions.

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

Websites

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