Tioga County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Tioga 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 Tioga River. It is located in the northcentral area of the state.

County Courthouse
Tioga County Courthouse 118 Main Street Wellsboro, PA 16901 Telephone: 570-723-8191 Clerk of Orphans Court: 570-724-9260 Protonotary Court: 570-724-9281 Tioga County Website Registrar and recorder has birth and death records from 1893-1905, marriage records from 1885, probate records from 1806, land records from 1807, and military records from 1868 Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts has divorce and court records from 1813 and naturalization records from 1818

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit [HOMETOWN URL HomeTown Locator]. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Bible Records

 * Bible Records at USGenWeb Archives
 * Family Bibles Section at Tri-Counties Genealogy and History by Joyce M. Tice
 * (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Cemeteries

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

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)
 * PA-Roots
 * Names in Stone
 * Ancestry ($)

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



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 $
 * Contains records of:
 * Arnot: Arnot Presbyterian Church
 * Ash Brook: Ash Brook/Pine Creek Baptist Missionary Society
 * Mansfield: First Baptist Church; First United Methodist Church; St. James Episcopal Church
 * Millerton: United Methodist Church
 * Wellsboro: First Presbyterian Church; United Methodist Church
 * Whitneyville: United Methodist Church

Lutheran

Salem Lutheran Church, Hartsfield


 * 1831-1858 Salem Lutheran Church, Hartsfield, Baptism Index 1831-1858 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.

Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sebring


 * 1837-1871 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sebring, Baptism Index 1837-1871 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.
 * 1838-1846, 1871 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sebring, Marriage Index 1838-1846, 1871 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.

Presbyterian

First Presbyterian Church, Elkland


 * 1834-1842, 1852-1870 First Presbyterian Church, Elkland, Baptism Index 1834-1842 and 1852-1870 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

First Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook


 * 1861-1875 First Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook, Baptism Index 1861-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.
 * 1861-1874 First Presbyterian Church, Fallbrook, Marriage Index 1861-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.

Presbyterian Church of Farmington


 * 1847-1885 Presbyterian Church of Farmington, Baptism Index 1847-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.

Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceville

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1885 Presbyterian Church, Lawrenceville, Baptism Index 1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch.
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1908-1909 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — 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
All the records for the Orphan's court are handled by the Prothonotary, who is also the clerk of the courts. All the Orphan's Court records are open except adoptions.

Land and Property Records
Land records in Tioga County began in 1806. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Indexes and Records


 * 1806 - present Images are available on-line from 1806 to the present using the Landex system. There is a fee to view the images.

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

Local Histories

 * History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania. 1883. New York, New York : W.W. Munsell. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Tioga County, Pennsylvania. 1897. Harrisburg : R.C. Brown. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library; 2 vols. in 1 - Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.
 * An Outline History of Tioga and Bradford Counties in Pennsylvania. 1885. By John L. Sexton. Elmira, New York : Gazette Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive. Title also known as History of Seven Counties.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the County Atlas of Tioga, Pennsylvania from Recent and Actual Surveys and Records under the Superintendence of G.H. Walker and C.F. Jewett (published by F.W. Beers and Company, 1875). This atlas found in the files of 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

 * Archibald Laird, Twentieth Century Wildcats : a history of the Pennsylvania National Guard medical units in Tioga County, 1920-1963 Wellsboro? Pennsylvania : s.n., 1966?

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
 * 1795-1990 Tioga County: Abstracts of Naturalization Records on Tri-Counties genealogy &amp; History website, index and abstracts.
 * 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 $

Newspapers
Newspapers of Tioga County


 * Newspapers of the Area
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers

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.
 * Newspaper Archives of the Green Free Library containing a number of newspapers covering Tioga, Bradford and Wellsboro.
 * Pennsylvania Newspaper Archive
 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Tioga County, PA newspapers at the State Library of Pennsylvania: Historic Newspapers Collection.

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * Tioga county Newspaper Abstracts A very large collection of abstracts from newspapers of the early, mid and late nineteenth century.
 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

Newspaper and Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Collected and compiled by Rhoda E. Ladd, Tioga County Pennsylvania Records, Newspaper File (Wellsboro, Pennsylvania:R.E. Ladd, 1981)

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
 * Tioga County Obituary Abstracts including many thousands of transcribed newspaper clippings.
 * PA-roots Obituaries for Tioga County, Pennsylvania.

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
 * 1804-1880 Tioga County, Pennsylvania Records : Helpful Genealogical Data Abstracted from Docket Books A, B, C, 1804-1880. By Franke, Lola Wetherbee and Hilda Nancy Ersula Snowberger Chance. Wellsboro, Pennsylvania : Mrs. A. Wm. (Rhoda) Ladd, 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * 1806-1934 (*); Register of Wills at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1806-1934 Tioga County Probate Records at FamilySearch
 * 1812-1886 Abstracts of Wills and Administrations of Tioga Co., Pennsylvania : Book One, 1812-1833, Registers A-D, 1833-1886. By Franke, Lola Wetherbee; Hilda Nancy Ursula Snowberger Chance; Daughters of the American Revolution, Wellsboro Chapter (Pennsylvania). Wellsboro, Pennsylvania : D.A.R., 1976. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Also at:

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1520-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1709-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Births Ancestry $
 * 1941-1976  at FamilySerch - 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  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 $
 * 1885-1926 Wellsboro, Tioga County, Marriage Index 1885-1926 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1885-1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1947-2010  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
 * 1890-1906 Tioga County Death Index 1890-1906 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

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

 * Towanda Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Williamsport Pennsylvania FamilySearch Center
 * Cameron County Historical Society - an affiliate library.
 * Steele Memorial Library - New York - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Green Free Library 134 Main St Wellsboro, PA 16901 Phone: 570-724-4876 Fax: 570-724-7605 Email: [mailto:frontdesk@greenfreelibrary.org frontdesk@greenfreelibrary.org] Website Facebook
 * Resources include history books, cemetery inscriptions, vital record abstracts, and historical newspapers. With a library card or in person you will have access to Heritage Quest. Also, through the library's website, archives of local newspapers may be accessed.

Knoxville Public Library 112 E Main St PO Box 277 Knoxville, PA 16928 Phone: 814-326-4448 Email: [mailto:kpblibrary@gmail.com kpblibrary@gmail.com] Website Facebook
 * This library maintains an extensive genealogical section.

Societies
Tioga County -PA Historical Society 120 Main St Box 724 Wellsboro, PA 16901 Phone: 570-724-6116 Email: [mailto:tiogachs@gmail.com tiogachs@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Tioga County PA Genealogy
 * Tri-Counties Genealogy and History
 * – 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.