Venango County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States Pennsylvania  Venango County

Guide to Venango 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.

Venango County Pennsylvania Historical Facts
The origination of the name "Venango" comes from as it was known to Native Americans of the region as Onenge, meaning Otter. This was corrupted into English as the Venango River.
 * Parent Counties: Formed from Allegheny and Lycoming Counties 12 March 1800.
 * County Seat: Franklin
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Crawford (north)  •  Butler (south)  •  Warren (northeast)  •  Mercer (west)  •  Forest (east)  •  Clarion and Armstrong (southwest)

Boundary Changes



 * 1784: The future Venango County was part of the area secured by the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, also known as the "Last Purchase"


 * 1785-1788: The eastern part of the future Venango County was annexed to Northumberland County; the western portion was part of the Donation Lands


 * 1788-1795: The eastern part of the future Venango County remained part of Northumberland County; the western portion became part of the newly created (1788) Allegheny County.


 * 1795-1800: The eastern part of the future Venango Co. became part of newly created Lycoming County which was carved out of Northumberland County in 1795; the western portion remained part of Allegheny County.


 * 11 March 1839: Clarion County set off.
 * 11 April 1848: Forest County 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 of for Venango 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.

Methodist
Methodist Church, Plumer


 * 1867-1894 - Methodist Church, Plumer, Baptism Index 1867-1894 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Methodist Episcopal Church, Rouseville


 * 1877-1900 - Methodist Episcopal Church, Rouseville, Baptism Index 1877-1900 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1877-1900 - Methodist Episcopal Church, Rouseville, Marriage Index 1877-1900 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Presbyterian
Amity Presbyterian Church, Irwin Township


 * 1867-1904 - Amity Presbyterian Church, Irwin Township, Baptism Index 1867-1904 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Presbyterian Church, Nickleville


 * 1856-1909 - Presbyterian Church, Nickleville, Baptism Index 1856-1909 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Presbyterian Church, Utica


 * 1859-1905 - Presbyterian Church, Utica, Baptism Index 1859-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Scrubgrass Presbyterian Church


 * 1837-1892 - Scrubgrass Presbyterian Church, Baptism Index 1837-1892 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1852-1853 - Scrubgrass Presbyterian Church, Marriage Index 1852-1853 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

United Presbyterian Church, Emlenton


 * 1873-1888 - United Presbyterian Church, Emlenton, Baptism Index 1873-1888 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. 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.

Land and Property
Land records in Venango County began in 1800. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Franklin, 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:

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1800–1925 Deeds, 1805-1889; Deed Index, 1800–1925.

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 Venango 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 of the 1857 Map of Venango County, Pennsylvania Compiled from Official Surveys by R. Irwin, C.H. Heydrick, and C. Heydrick and Hunt's Improved Map of Venango County Oil Regions, published by John P. Hunt in 1865. These maps located in the Library of Congress show major landowners and geographic sites at the dates 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.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records available for Venango County, Pennsylvania include the following:

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.com - ($), National Archives publication M1208


 * 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.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1537

Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm


 * 1806-1906 - Naturalization docket, 1806-1906,

Newspapers
Newspapers of Venango 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.

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Venango County, Pennsylvania.
 * Newspaper Abstracts including abstracts from The News Herald, Oil City Blizzard, Oil City Derrick News, Plain Dealer Bellaire and Citizens Press

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 Venango County, Pennsylvania.
 * Venango Pennsylvania Obituaries at USGenWeb.org
 * Venango County Obituaries courtesy USGenWeb Archives.

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Venango County Genealogical Club, Rockland Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church of Tionesta, Clapp Farm Cemetery and the Methodist Church of Franklin, Venango County Records, Volume 1 (Oil City, PA:Venango County Genealogical Club, 1984)
 * Romig, Nancy Byers, Scrips and Scraps; Scrapbook Abstracts, Venango County and Surrounding Areas (Apollo, PA:Closson Press, c1995)
 * Collected by Sarah E. Milford, Carol H. Jamison and Marilyn Q. Gerhold, Obituaries from Venango and Butler Counties (S.I.:s.n., 2006) Digital version available at catalog entry.

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:


 * 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1683-1994 – at FamilySearch.org

Venango County Only:


 * 1800–1916 – Venango County Probate Records
 * 1800–unknown – County of Venango, Pennsylvania Wills ($) on Ancestry. Taken from County of Venango, State of Pennsylvania, Will Book Number 1. unknown: 1900. You will find an names and page numbers to wills and administrations. There are no images of wills the wills.

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1806–1870 – Orphans' Court Records Each volume is indexed.
 * 1819–1916 – Will Dockets with Index (1800–1968)

Repositories

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

Courthouse
Venango County Courthouse 1168 Liberty Street Franklin, PA 16323 Hours: Monday through Friday 8:30–4:30


 * Prothonotary and Clerk of Courts Phone: 814-432-9577
 * The office is on the main floor.


 * Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court Phone: 814-432-9539 FAX: 814-432-9569
 * The office is on the main floor.

Libraries
Franklin Public Library 421 Twelfth St. Franklin, PA 16323 Phone: 814-432-5062 Fax: 814-432-8998 Email: FranklinPL@FranklinLibrary.org Library Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00 AM- 8:00 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM-5:00 PM Genealogy and Local History Hours: Monday through Wednesday, Friday: 12:00 PM–5:00 PM


 * The Genealogy and Local History Room is located in the basement of the library. The have a large collections of local and Pennsylvania History as well as obituaries.
 * Visiting Before planning your research trip, please contact them ahead of time by phone or e-mail.


 * 2008–2011 – Venango Obituaries (PDF version)

Oil City Library 2 Central Ave. Oil City, PA 16301 Phone: 814-678-3072 Fax: 814-676-8028 Hours: Monday through Wednesday: 8:30 AM–9:00 PM Thursday through Saturday: 8:30 AM–5:00 PM


 * The library offers local history and genealogy to their patrons. The Venango County Genealogical Club meets in the library. The library has newspapers on microfilm, offers interlibrary loans, and access to Heritage Quest.

Museums
Venango County Pennsylvania Historical Society Facebook 301 S. Park St. P.O. Box 301 Franklin, PA 16323-1238 Phone: 814-437-2275 E-mail: vchistory@csonline.net Summer Hours: May through December: Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM Winter Hours: January Through April: All: Saturday 10:00 AM–2:00 PM


 * See Societies for complete information.

Societies
Rich in history, contains a number of societies dealing with the history of the area.

Venango County Pennsylvania Historical Society Facebook 301 S. Park St. P.O. Box 301 Franklin, PA 16323-1238 Phone: 814-437-2275 E-mail: vchistory@csonline.net Summer Hours: May through December: Tuesday through Thursday, Saturday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM Genealogical Library: Wednesday and Thursday: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM Winter Hours: January Through April: All: Saturday 10:00 AM–2:00 PM


 * The Research Library has a list of research, photocopy, and scanner fees. The Archival Resource Center has wills, estates, and naturalizations records from 1800 to 1900. Also, records for collections for businesses, churches, clubs, and organizations, families and individuals are housed in the Archival Resource Center. This room is not availbable to the public only to Archivist who will assist you.

Venango County Genealogical Club 2 Central Ave. Heritage Room in the Oil City Library Oil City, PA 16301-3122 Phone: 814-678-3072 E-mail: vengen@csonline.net Hours: Tuesdays and Saturdays: 1:00 PM-5:00 PM


 * The Genealogy Club has newspapers and censuses. The previous links will show what newspapers and census are available at the Geneagical Club, Franklin Library, and the Historical Society.

Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society (WPGS) c/o PA Department, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh 4400 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080


 * The focus of the WPGS 26 counties west of Centre County including Venago County. They are based out of Pittsburgh, PA in the Pennnsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library.
 * The Research Request lists fees for research and look ups in indexes, naturalizations, WPA Home Survey, and more.

Taxation

 * Early Tax Roll Residents courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Birth

 * 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.
 * 1837–1915 – - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * 1852–1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – $ Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1677–1950 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976 - - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 1833–1976 — - free index. Not complete for all years.
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
 * 1885-1950 - Extracted marriage records – free. Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Clerk of Orphans Court Union County Courthouse, First Floor 1168 Liberty Street Franklin, PA 16323 Phone: 814-432-9539 Fax: 814-432-9569 Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

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.
 * '1893-1905 - Venango County Death Index 1893-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Venango County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

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