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Guide to Columbia 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 for Columbia, a poetic name for the United States that alludes to Christopher Columbus. It's county seat is Bloomsburg. It was organized March 22, 1813. It is located in the Central section of the state.

County Courthouse
Columbia County Courthouse 35 West Main Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 Columbia County Website
 * Columbia County Courthouse 35 West Main Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 Phone: 570-389-5600
 * Register and Recorder's Office Columbia County Courthouse 35 West Main Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 Phone: 570-389-5632
 * Office of the Prothonotary Columbia County Courthouse 35 West Main Street Bloomsburg, PA 17815 Phone: 570-389-5614

History Timeline
Additional Information {| cellspacing="1" cellpadding="1" border="1" County Seat: Bloomsburg Neighboring Counties: Columbia County residents may also have records in:
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1893
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1888
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1893
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1814
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1813
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1813
 * width="14.2%" align="center" |1790
 * colspan="7"| Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.
 * Sullivan
 * Montour
 * Schuylkill
 * Northumberland
 * Luzerne
 * Lycoming

Biographies

 * Columbia County Biographies at Columbia County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives]

Cemeteries

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

Additional Cemetery Resources
 * Pennsylvania Genealogy
 * PA-Roots
 * Ancestry($)

Church Records


The Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society maintains files on over 300 area churches. The files are comprised of church histories, membership rolls, marriage records, and more. An index to the files can be accessed by going to the "Resources" tab on the home page and then clicking on the "Churches and Cemeteries (Files)" link. Society volunteers will search the files for others. Those interested are encouraged to contact the society by telephone (570-784-1600).

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:
 * Berwick: First United Methodist Church; St. Paul Methodist Church; United Methodist Church
 * Bloomsburg: First Presbyterian Church; Lutheran Church; Trinity Reformed Church (United Church of Christ); Wesley United Methodist Church
 * Catawissa: First United Methodist Church
 * Espy: St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Fowlerville: Lutheran Church
 * Millville: United Methodist Church
 * Philadelphia: Columbia Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church; Covenant United Presbyterian Church

Lutheran

St. John's Lutheran Church, Catawissa


 * 1789-1864 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Catawissa, Baptism Index 1789-1864 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * 1840-1873 - St. John's Lutheran Church, Catawissa, Marriage Index 1840-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Court Records
Court of Common Pleas 1814-1861 Common Pleas dockets. Includes naturalizations, divorce petitions, deeds, insolvency, contracts, and lunacy.

Land and Property Records
Land records in Columbia County began in 1800. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder's office in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Records


 * 1974–present Columbia County offers online access to indexes. Fees apply to view images.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1813 -1973 Deeds, 1813-1866; Index, 1813-1973.
 * 1813 -1973 Mortgages, 1813-1830; Index, 1813-1973.

Click the image to view an enlarged version Note that the "Maps" section below includes maps related to land ownership.

Maps and Gazetteers


Maps


 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * Ancestor Tracks has posted downloadable images from the 1876 Atlas of Columbia &amp; Montour 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.

Naturalization and Citizenship
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 $

Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm


 * 1814-1861 Common Pleas Dockets
 * 1814-1847 Naturalization Papers

Newspapers
Newspapers of Columbia 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 Columbia County.
 * The Columbia Democrat Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 1837-1850.
 * The Columbian Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 1866-1910.
 * The Campaign Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 1866-1866.
 * Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg General Advertiser Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 1850-1866.
 * Local Newspaper Collection, Bloomsburg University, Harvey A. Andruss Library.
 * USGenWeb WPA Project 5175 Columbia County Marriages

Obituaries
Online Obituary Abstracts

PA-Roots Obituaries for Columbia County.

Other Records
Clerk of the Court

Orphans
 * 1814-1869 Orphans' Court dockets . Indexes are found at the beginning of each volume.

Published Histories
 * Freeze, John G. A History of Columbia County, Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, Pa.: Elwell and Bittenbender, 1883. Digital version at Internet Archive

Poorhouse, Almshouse %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Probate Records
Online Probate Records

Complete Collection:


 * 1683-1994- at FamilySearch.org

Columbia County Only:


 * 1773-1974-Columbia County Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes


 * 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1773-1833 Indexes to Mortgages, Wills and Administrations, and Miscellaneous Records
 * 1814-1869 Orphans' Court Dockets
 * 1813-1912 Wills and Administrations - Includes Index 1813-1974

Tax Records

 * 1778-1787 - Columbia County, Pennsylvania Tax Lists 1778-1780, 1781, 1783 &amp; 1784, 1785, 1787 at PAGenWeb

Vital Records

 * 1893-1905 - All genealogical requests to the county clerk for birth or death information are forwarded to the Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Birth

 * 1852-1856 - Columbia County Birth Index 1852-1928 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Births Ancestry $
 * 1893-1905 - USGenWeb indexes several birth lists for Columbia County.

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.
 * 1895-1907 - USGenWeb indexes several marriage lists for Columbia County.
 * Marriage Records of Columbia and Montour Counties at Ancestry $
 * 1947-2010 - at FamilySearch

Death

 * 1852-1873, 1893-1905 - Columbia County Death Index 1852-1873 and 1893-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch
 * 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
 * 1893-1905 - USGenWeb indexes several death lists for Columbia County.
 * 1947-2010 - at FamilySearch

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

Genealogy Societies and Libraries

Societies

 * List of Pennsylvania Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies Website
 * Columbia County Historical and Genealogical Society 225 Market Street P.O. Box 360 Bloomsburg, PA 17815-0360 Phone: 570–784 -1600 Website
 * Montour County Genealogical Society, MCGS 205 Ferry Street Danville PA 17821 Phone: 570-275-6177 Genealogy Room: Thomas Beaver Free Library, 2nd Floor The Room collection includes records for Columbia, Montour and Northumberland Counties. Research requests may be submitted in writing using a printable form which includes the fee schedule.

Websites

 * Columbia 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.