Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania  Lackawanna County

Guide to Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania ancestry, family history and genealogy in 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.

Lackawanna County Pennsylvania Historical Facts



 * Parent Counties: Formed from Luzerne County 21 August 1878.


 * County Seat: Scranton


 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in:


 * Susquehanna (north)
 * Wayne (east)
 * Luzerne (southwest)
 * Wyoming (west)
 * Monroe (south)

Named for the Lackawanna River.

Wikipedia

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Pennsylvania county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Pennsylvania County Boundary Maps" (1673-1878) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Records Loss
For a list of record loss in Pennsylvania counties see: Pennsylvania Counties with Burned Courthouses

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

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 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 web site has a History of the Diocese, a parish directory, and a directory of diocesan cemeteries.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * 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 - free.

Lutheran

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

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 - free.
 * 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


 * 1842-1876 - Presbyterian Church, Baldmount, Baptism Index 1842-1876 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Court Records

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

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. County 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.

Prothonotary
The Prothonotories are listed under the Court of Common Pleas.

Orphans' Court
Orphans' Court

The Scranton Electric Building Suite 400 507 Linden St Scranton, PA 18503

Phone 1-570-963-6702

[mailto:contact@lackawannacounty.org contact@lackawannacounty.org]

Directories

 * Scranton Directory (1859) - via the Internet Archive

Published Histories

 * 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

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


 * 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.

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 Lackawanna County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


 * Historical Society of Pennsylvania
 * WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog.)
 * FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search.)

Maps
Click the image to see an enlarged version


 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)

Migration
The migration routes used by early European settlers to and from 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.

Naturalization and Citizenship
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.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records

Newspapers
Newspapers of Lackawanna County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

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

Online Newspaper Abstracts


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

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 Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.
 * USGenWeb Lackawanna County Obituaries

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

Lackawanna County Only:


 * 1878-1939 - Will Indexes for Lackawanna County 1878-1939 at PAGenWeb - free.
 * 1878-1885 – Lackawanna County Probate Records
 * 1878–present - Searchable digital images of will and probate records are available online through the office of the Register of Wills

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1878-1885 Lackawanna County (Pennsylvania) Probate Files

Repositories

 * List of Pennsylvania Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Courthouse
Lackawanna County Courthouse The Scranton Electric Building Suite 400 507 Linden Street Ave Scranton, PA 18503

Clerk of Courts Brooks Building 436 Spruce Street Scranton, PA 18503 Telephone: 570-963-6723

Prothonotaries are listed under the Court of Common Pleas, as are the Register of Wills, the Orphan's Court Clerk, and the Clerk of Courts.The Prothonotary and the Clerk of Courts is the same person.

Family History Centers
(Clarks Summit)

Libraries
500 Vine Street Scranton, PA 18509 Phone: 570-348-3000

Hours: Monday through Thursday: 9AM - 9PM Friday: 9AM - 5:30PM Saturday: 9AM - 5PM Sunday: 2PM - 5PM

The Albright Library has a genealogy research room. Their collection 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
PA Anthracite Heritage Museum PO Box 20185 Steamtown Station Scranton, PA 18502 (570) 963-4845

Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum R.R. #1, Bald Mountain Rd. Scranton, PA 18504 (570) 963-4845

Societies
Lackawanna Historical Society The Catlin House 232 Monroe Ave. Scranton, PA 18510 Phone: 570–344–3841 Hours: Tues – Fri 10–5, Sat 12–3 Library with newspapers, genealogy family files, manuscripts, maps.

Genealogical Research Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. (GRSNP) 110 Main Street Peckville, PA 18452 Phone: 570-383-7661 FAX: 570-383-7466 E-mail: info@grsnp.org


 * Hours: Monday through Thursday 9:00–2:00 and Wednesday night 6:00 pm–900 pm and Saturday by appointment
 * A simple search of a dated name or event $20 - Detailed searches are at the rate of $40 an hour. Postage and photocopies up to $1 are included.

The GRSNP serves northeastern counties:


 * Lackawanna
 * Luzerne
 * Monroe
 * Pike
 * Susquehanna
 * Wayne
 * Wyoming

There resources include the research center and library, newsletters, and database queries.

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Birth
Early birth records for Scranton are located at the Scranton Public Library. Other county births (excluding Scranton) are found at the Register of Wills(or Orphans' Court).

Indexes for Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health for 1906 only. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified Birth certificate can be obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to: Division of Vital Records ATTN: Public Records P.O. Box 1528 New Castle, PA 16103


 * 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.
 * 1893-1905 - Births (excluding city of Scranton) prior to 1906 at county government website - free.

Marriage
The clerk's office has marriage records October 1885 to present.


 * 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–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 - free.

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.
 * 1878-1905 – Deaths for Scranton are located at the Scranton Public Library.
 * 1893-1905 – Deaths prior to 1906 at county government website - free.

Lackawanna County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

 * Lackawanna County, PA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Lackawanna County, PAGenWeb - free genealogical resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * Lackawanna Valley Digital Archives