Union County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania  Union County

Guide to Union 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.

Union County Pennsylvania Historical Facts



 * Parent Counties: Formed from Northumberland County 22 March 1813.


 * County Seat: Lewisburg


 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in:


 * Lycoming (north)
 * Snyder (south)
 * Clinton (northwest)
 * Centre (west)
 * Northumberland (east)
 * Mifflin (southwest)

The name is an allusion to the federal union.

Boundary Changes
2 March 1855: Snyder County was set off.

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.

Church Records


Additional church records can be located at Linkpendium and by searching the FamilySearch Catalog. The FamilySearch Catalog has a plethora offor Union County, many are limited in the time frame they cover. When searching the FamilySearch Catalog, be sure to also search at the town and township level.

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:
 * Lewisburg: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church; St. John's United Church of Christ; United Methodist Church
 * Mifflinburg: St. John's United Church of Christ; United Methodist Church
 * New Berlin: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church; United Brethren in Christ

Addresses for Union County Churches by USGenWeb

Lutheran and Reformed

 * 1772-1775, 1791-1794, 1805-1825 - Dreisbachs Lutheran and Reformed Church, Buffalo Valley, Baptism Index 1772-1775, 1791-1794, 1805-1825 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Presbyterian

 * 1841-1875 - First Presbyterian Church, New Berlin, Baptism Index 1841-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

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. shares its judicial district with Snyder County. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.

Land and Property
Land records in Union County began in 1813. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Lewisburg, 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


 * 1962 - present The Recorder of Deeds offers records since 1962 online. The index is free to view, but there is a charge to view the actual image.

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below also includes maps related to land ownership.

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 Union County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:


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

Maps

 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the Pomeroy &amp; Beers 1868 Atlas of Union &amp; Snyder Counties, Pennsylvania. This atlas 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.
 * Land Owners from 1868 Atlas courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Revolutionary War
Men from what is now Union County (then Northumberland County) served in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records available for Union 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 Union County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
 * Newspapers of Union County A PAGenWeb Project

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.


 * Lewisburg Chronicle and West Branch Farmer (Lewisburg, PA) 1850
 * Union County Star and Lewisburg Chronicle (Lewisburg, PA) 1859-1864

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Union County, Pennsylvania.

Newspaper and Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Lontz, Mary Belle, Central Pennsylvania Deaths and Marriages, 1771-1882 : Abstracts from Various Newspapers, Publications and Court Records Throughout the Area (Hollidaysburg, PA:Hoenstine Rental Library, 1987?)

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 Union County, Pennsylvania.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes


 * Fisher, Charles A. Wills and Administrations of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Including Wills and Administrations of Union, Mifflin and Indiana Counties. 1950. Digital version at - free. Abstracts and index.

Repositories

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

Courthouse
Union County Courthouse 103 South Second Street Lewisburg, PA 17837 Phone: 570-524-8751 (Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts) Phone: 570-524-8761 (Register of Wills) Fax: 570-524-8628 Hours 8:30–4:30


 * Prothonotary office is on the first floor. Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts Office
 * The Prothonotary is the Clerk for the Orphan's Court and the office archives all marriage and death certificates.
 * Register of Wills have all estate from 1813 on microfilm.

Libraries
Union County Federated Library System consists of three public libraries in Union County. Their website has the list of the libraries in this system.

The Herr Memorial Library is listed as having an extensive Pennsylvania history and genealogy collection.

Herr Memorial Library 500 Market Street Mifflinburg, PA 17844 Phone: 570-966-0831 E-mail: herr@herrlibrary.org


 * The Robert K. Strunk Room serves as the genealogical and local history room. The collection includes material about Union County families, churches, school and histories on old family names.

Museums
New Berlin Heritage Association 400 Market Street PO Box 223 New Berlin, PA 17855 Phone: 570-966-1783 E-mail: diane45@dejazzd.com


 * Bring together those people interested in the history of New Berlin. Discover and collect materials for archiving and display.

Societies
Union County Historical Society (UCHS) Union County Court House South Second &amp; St. Louis Streets Lewisburg, PA 17837 Phone: 570-524-8666 Fax: 570-524-8743 E-mail: hstoricl@ptd.net Hours: Monday through Friday: 8:30 AM-12:00 PM; 1:00 PM-4:30 PM


 * The UCHS has a library holding a wide variety of research material including historical research items and are in close proximity to the records in the court house. They have a large collection of newspapers dating from 1834. Some other records are tax records, census, marriage records, cemeteries, etc.
 * Fee Schedule: General Genealogical Search $35.00 plus cost for copies
 * Use of Library Resources: non-members $5.00, members free
 * Copy and Lookup of Obituary: $5.00 (must know death date)
 * Copy of one specific document: $3.00 for lookup, plus $0.50 per page

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Marriage

 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) 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.
 * 1852–1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years.

Clerk of Courts Union County Courthouse 103 South Second Street First Floor Lewisburg, PA 17837 Phone: 570-524-8751 Fax: 570-524-8628

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.

Union County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

 * Union County, PA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * USGenWeb project. Union County, May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.