top of page

UCHS Office/Courthouse Research Records

The Union County Historical Society office is located on the first floor of the Union County Courthouse, one floor up from the ground floor entrance. Our staff is eager to advise and assist in your search.
Please send inquiries before visiting or sending payment. Researchers will be able to serve you more effectively and efficiently.

Below is a listing of research sources available at the Courthouse.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESOURCES IN THE UCHS OFFICE

     CENSUS RECORDS - microfilmed; organized by year and county
         - Union County, 1820-1903
         - Snyder County, 1860-1920
         - Northumberland County, 1790-1920
         - Schuylkill County, 1880-1920
         - Philadelphia County, 1950

    1790-1840 CENSUSES
         - Heads of Household only
         - Age & Sex of household members
         - Slave or "Other"
         - Trade (in later censuses)

    1850-1880 CENSUSES
         - Full name of everyone enumerated
         - Trade
         - Property
         - Place of residence
         - Place of Birth

    1900-1930 CENSUSES
         -
Head of household, wife, children
         - Owned or Rented Property
         - Personal description (sex, color, age, marital status)
         - Citzenship
         - Education
         - Place of Birth
         - Occupation

 

    Direct Tax of 1798 for Northumberland County
           (includes present-day Union and Snyder counties)            
         - Property owners                                                                                                                                              - Description of property                                                                                                                                  - Tenants                                                                                                                                                              - Building descriptions                                                                                                                                      - Value

 

    Tax Assessments for Union County and Snyder County (1792-1881)                                                      - Occupation                                                                                                                                                      - Ownership of property                                                                                                                                  - Horses, cows, etc.                                                                                                                                            - Single men/tenant or owner                                                                                                                        - Widows (property owners)
 

    Agricultural Censuses (1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880)                                                                                     -  Shows what individual farmers were raising

    SANBORN FIRE INSURANCE MAPS for Lewisburg (1885-1925) & Mifflinburg (1887-1943)

          -  Streets

          -  Log/Brick/Frame Structures

          -  Utilities

    MANUFACTURER'S REPORTS

          - Employees

          - Months Operating

          - Materials Used

          - Goods Made     

    UNION COUNTY ANNUAL ENUMERATION & ASSESSMENT (1883-1946)                                       

    UNION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MINUTES (1813-1894)

          - Treasurer's Books (1822-1836)

          - License Books (1836-1856)

    MORTALITY REPORTS (1850-1880) - by county                                                                                             - Name                                                                                                                                                                 - Age                                                                                                                                                                     - Date of birth                                                                                                                                                     - Place of birth                                                                                                                                                   - Date of death                                                                                                                                                   - Cause of death

    BURIALS OF DECEASED SOLDIERS (1885-1915)

    PENNSYLVANIA VETERANS CENSUS (1890)                                                                                                  - Applications for Civil War pensions

     NEWSPAPERS on microfilm                                                                                                                               - 1808 (May 4) - 1812 (July 15) "Republican Argus"

          - 1816 “The Union” (New Berlin)                                                                                                                       - 1834-1835 “Union Annalist” (New Berlin)                                                                                                     - 1834-1855 “Union Times” (New Berlin)                                                                                                         - 1835-1837 “Anti-Masonic Star” (New Berlin)                                                                                                 - 1838-1841 “The Milton Ledger”                                                                                                                       - 1838 (May 12) - 1944 (Feb 13) "Sunbury Gazette & Miner's Register"

          - 1839 “Lewisburg Standard”                                                                                                                             - 1841 “The Union Star” (New Berlin)                                                                                                               - 1843-1848 “Clinton County Democrat”

          - 1845 (May 3) - 1849 (Mar 18) "Sunbury American & Shamokin Journal"

          - 1847-1912 “Lewisburg Chronicle”                                                                                                                   - 1847 “Good Samaritan” (New Berlin)                                                                                                           - 1850-1852 “Der Christliche Botschafter”

          - 1850 (Jan. 26) - 1855 (Apr 21) "Sunbury American"                                                                                    - 1862-2002 “Mifflinburg Telegraph” (no issues available from 1868-1872)    

          - 1882 (Jan. 3) - 1924 (Dec. 24) "Saturday News"

          - 1910 (September)-1952 (December) “Lewisburg Journal”                                                                         - 1999 (January)-2020 (December) “Union County Times”

    LOCAL PHONE DIRECTORIES                                                                                                                                 1899, 1901, 1910, 1944-2012

    CEMETERY LISTINGS                                                                                                                                             - Tombstones in Union County cemeteries                                                                                                   - Tombstones in Lewisburg cemeteries

     Indexes for the following on office computer                                                                                             - Births from Prothonotary records, late 1800s                                                                                           - Deaths noted in newspapers, late 1800s                                                                                                   - Marriages,circa 1845-1895 (male and female indexes)                                                                             - Strunk Funeral Home records, 1908-85                                                                                                       - Contemporary obituaries

    GENERAL REFERENCE BOOKS                                                                                                                             - Annals of Buffalo Valley, 1755-1855,  Linn, plus Index                                                                               - Civil War Soldiers of Union County, Lontz                                                                                                     - Commemorative Biographical Record, Beers, 1898                                                                                     - General and Biographical Annals of Northumberland County                                                                     - Guide to Burials in Northumberland County (Milton)                                                                                   - Guide to Union County Cemeteries, Finsterbush, et al.                                                                               - History of the Susquehanna & Juniata Valleys,  1886                                                                                   - Revolutionary War Soldiers of Union County, Lontz                                                                                     - Snyder County Marriages,  Fisher, plus Index                                                                                               - Snyder County Pioneers                                                                                                                                   - Snyder County Tombstones                                                                                                                             - Soldiers of the War of 1812, Philippines, Mexico, Spain, WWI and WWII, Lontz                                         - The Story of Snyder County, Dunkleberger                                                                                                   - Tombstone Inscriptions, Lontz                                                                                                                         - Town on the Susquehanna, Kalp                                                                                                                     - Union County History, C. M. Snyder                                                                                                               - Union County Marriages, Fisher, plus Index                                                                                                 - Veterans Graves Registrations                                                                                                                         - Wills and Administration of Northumberland County (index)                                                                     - World War II Commemoratives

    Union County Heritage 1968-2014, Indexed

    New Berlin Heritage Bulletins 1972-2003

    Snyder County Historical Society Bulletins 1913-1997

    Northumberland County Historical Society Proceedings

BOXED MATERIALS

     Amish/Mennonite*Bridges*Bucknell*Canals*Cemeteries*Census Records*   

     Churches*Deaths/Marriages*Heritages*Historical Markers* 

     Immigration/Emigration*Lewisburg*Logging*Maps/Atlases*Mifflinburg*                 

     Military History*Miscellaneous*Native Americans*New Berlin, Vicksburg, West End,

     Centre County*Northumberland County*Pennsylvania Germans*   

     Preservation*Prisons*Schools*Snyder County*Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys*

     Union County*Women*White Deer Township, Gregg Township, Allenwood

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESOURCES IN THE

REGISTER & RECORDER'S OFFICE  

The Offices of the Prothonotary and the Recorder of Deeds are also located on the

first floor of the Courthouse, one floor up from the ground floor entrance.

 

    WILLS & LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION - may include the following:

          - Date of Death

          - Place of Residence

          - Spouse, children & relatives

          - Inventory of possessions

          - Value of Estate

          - Possessions given to others

          - Business

          - Dower/Dowry responsibilities

    GRANTOR/GRANTEE RECORDS-  deeds may include the following:

          - Title to Property

          - Spouse's name

          - Location of seller/property being sold

          - Previous residence of buyer

          - Existence of house/building (not construction dates)

    ESTATE INVENTORIES & ESTATE AUCTIONS- 

          - List of possessions and value

          - Purchaser at sale (vendue)

     Additional estate information may be in Orphan's Court Records.

     See Index in Prothonotary's Office.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESOURCES IN THE

PROTHONOTARY'S OFFICE

    ORPHANS COURT RECORDS

          - Indexed to 1998 and Microfilmed

          - On computer from 1988

          - Agreements; partitions of real estate; appointments of guardians

    MARRIAGE LICENSE APPLICATIONS

          - 1885 to present, indexed

          - Names; parents' names; addresses; birth dates & birthplaces; occupations

    DIVORCE PAPERS

          - Indexed by name

          - On microfilm/computer

          - Maiden name; Children's names & ages; relatives' names; Date & place of marriage;

             residence; occupation

    CIVIL AND CRIMINAL COURT PROCEEDINGS

          - Indexed

          - Contracts; goods levied on; charge; sentence; jury & trial lists; occupation

    DEATH INDEX (1852-1855)

          - Name; parents; occupation; birthplace; spouse; children

    BIRTH & DEATH RECORDS (1893-1905)

          - Indexed

    NATURALIZATION PAPERS

          - Country of Origin

          - Time & Place of Immigration

          - Trade

    DELAYED BIRTH RECORDS

          - Name, birthdate, court # date, docket page

    SOLDIER & MILITIA ENROLLMENT INDEX (1845-1944)

          - Name, age, year enrolled, township

    SHERIFF'S SALES

          - Existence of buildings

    TAVERN LICENSES (1814-1916)

          - Owner, Location, Date

    CENSUS INDEXES (1850, 1860, 1870, 1880)

          - Actual census date is on microfilm in the UCHS office

CHRONOLOGY OF BIRTH, MARRIAGE & DEATH RECORDS IN PA

   

    1682-1790

          - Official births and deaths were not registered

          -  Some marriage license records have survived

          - See Vol. 2 of Second Series and Vol. 6 of Sixth Series of the Pennsylvania Archives

          - Note: there are non for Union/Snyder Counties

    1790-1851

          - No official state or county records were required to be kept.

    1852-1855

          - The Register of Wills in each county was required to record births, deaths and

             marriages, but only some counties complied; what records do exist are incomplete.

    1856-1884                                                                                                                                                                 - No official records were required from 1856-1884, although some large cities kept 

             some records.

    1885-present                                                                                                                                                           - Marriage licenses required for individual counties by the Clerk of the Orphans Court

             (Prothonotary).

    1893-1905                                                                                                                                                                 - Clerk of the Orphans Court (Prothonotary) was required by the counties to keep birth

             and death records.

    From 1906                                                                                                                                                                 - Birth and death records are kept by the state.                                                                                           Contact: Division of Vital Records, P.O. Box 1528, 101 South Mercer Street,

                              New Castle, PA 16101                                    

                              (724)656-3100                                                                                                                                                   www.dsf.health.state.pa.us/health

FOR MORE INFORMATION


Elaine Wintjen

Research and Outreach Specialist

info@unioncopahistory.com

 

Write or Drive to:
Union County Courthouse
103 South 2nd Street
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM, M-F
Closed noon - 1pm
(570) 524-8666 (P)

please email or call prior to visit

RESEARCH FEES

If you wish to visit our office and use our library resources: (per day)

- $5, non members

-Free with membership

If you are unable to work in our

office, additional research fees

may be negotiated by project:

- $50 for general genealogical research* (one surname/family), includes copying up to 20 pages of documents; additional $1 per page for documents exceeding 20 pages.

- We can arrange fees if extensive searches require more time.

 - $50-$200 for property/deed search

(one property), includes copying up to 20 pages of deeds; additional $1 per copied page for more than

20 pages total.

- $5 to research each will, letter of administration, or orphans court record, plus $1per copied page. 

- $5 for researching and copying each obituary - (please provide death date - month and year)

Email Our Research Office

Once fees are determined, simply click "Donate" for PayPal. If you prefer to pay by check or money order, please send payment to the Union County Historical Society, 103 S. 2nd Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837. Monetary donations are also welcome.

Revised logo-03.png
bottom of page