Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

From FamilySearch Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Guide to Lehigh County, Pennsylvania ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Allentown
Organized: March 6, 1812
Parent County(s): Northampton[1]
Neighboring Counties
Carbon  • Northampton  • Schuylkill  • Montgomery  • Berks  • Bucks
See County Maps
Courthouse
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Lehigh County PA Map.png
Adoption
Adopt-a-wiki page
Pa-rootsbuttonwiki.gif This page adopted by:
PA Roots and its members
who welcome you to contribute.
Adopt a page today

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for after the Lehigh River, whose name is derived from the Delaware Indian term Lechauweki or Lechauwekink, meaning "where there are forks". It is located in the east-central area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Lehigh County Courthouse
455 West Hamilton Street
Allentown, PA 18101-1614
Court of Common Pleas Phone: 610-782-3000
Clerk of Courts 610-782-3148
Prothonotary 610-782-3148
Orphans' Court 610-782-3220
Recorder of Deeds 610-782-3162
Register of Wills 610-782-3170
Lehigh County Website

Clerk of the Orphan Court has birth records 1895-1905, death records 1893-1904, and marriage records from 1885
Prothonotary Court has divorce and court records from 1812
Register of Wills has probate records from 1812
Recorder of Deeds has land records from 1812[3]

Lehigh County, Pennsylvania Record Dates[edit | edit source]

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1895 1885 1893 1812 1812 1812 1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

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.

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]

Cities
Boroughs
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships


History Timeline[edit | edit source]

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Biographies[edit | edit source]

Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information

 

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

Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records[edit | edit source]

For links and tips on using Federal (or United States) census records online for Lehigh County, see: Pennsylvania Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1820 18,895 —
1830 22,256 17.8%
1840 25,787 15.9%
1850 32,479 26.0%
1860 43,753 34.7%
1870 56,796 29.8%
1880 65,969 16.2%
1890 76,631 16.2%
1900 93,893 22.5%
1910 118,832 26.6%
1920 148,101 24.6%
1930 172,893 16.7%
1940 177,533 2.7%
1950 198,207 11.6%
1960 227,536 14.8%
1970 255,304 12.2%
1980 272,349 6.7%
1990 291,130 6.9%
2000 312,090 7.2%
2010 349,497 12.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Federal Census

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. For members, they may contain: age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage date and maiden name; death/burial date. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, see Pennsylvania Church Records.

Lehigh County Pennsylvania Churches
County-wide Database – Multi-denominational[edit | edit source]
Contains the church records of:
  • Jonathan Worrall, J.P./Misc. Marriage Licenses, 1890-1915
  • Alburtis: Zion Lehigh Evangelical Lutheran Church
  • Allentown: Asbury United Methodist Church; Christ Lutheran Church; Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Allentown; Jordan United Church of Christ; Salem United Church of Christ; Salem United Methodist Church; St. John's United Church of Christ; St. Joseph's Evangelical Lutheran Church; St. Paul's Lutheran Church; The Church of the Mediator; Trinity United Church of Christ; United Methodist Church
  • Catasauqua: Presbyterian Church of Catasaqua
  • Coplay: St. John's Lutheran Church
  • Emmaus: Emmaus Moravian Church; Old Moravian Cemetery; St. John's Lutheran Church; St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
  • Old Zionsville: United Church of Christ
  • Schoenersville: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church; Christ Reformed Church
  • Slatington: Christ Episcopal Church; Methodist Episcopal Church; St. John's United Church of Christ
  • Spinnerstown: Trinity Great Swamp Church
  • Wescosville: Bethany United Methodist Church
Contains the baptism records of Egypt Reformed Church in Whitehall Township; Great Swamp Reformed Congregation, Lower Milford Township; St. Paul's Lutheran and Reformed Congregations in Upper Saucon Township, also known as St. Paul's Blue Church; Jordan Lutheran Congregation in South Whitehall Township; Daniel Schumacher's baptismal register; First Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Upper Milford Township; Moravian Congregation at Emmaus in Salisbury Township; Zion's Lutheran Church in Lower Macungie Township; Ziegel Church in Weissenberg Township; Reformed Congregation in Upper Milford Township, also known as Zion's Reformed Church in Zionsville; Weissenberg Lutheran and Reformed Congregations in Weissenberg Township; Reformed Congregation in Lower Milford Township; Zion Lutheran Congregation, Zionsville, Upper Milford Township; Jerusalem Lutheran and Reformed Congregations in Western Salisbury Township; Frieden's Union Church, Friedensville, Upper Saucon Township; Schlosser's Reformed Church in North Whitehall Township, also known as Union Church in Unionville; Jordan Reformed Congregation in South Whitehall Township; Zion Reformed Church, Allentown; Jerusalem Lutheran and Reformed Congregations in Eastern Salisbury Township; Lowhill Lutheran and Reformed Congregations in Lowhill Township; Heidelberg Lutheran and Reformed Congregations in Heidelberg Township; Reformed Congregation at Schoenersville in Hanover Township; Lutheran Congregation at Schoenersville in Hanover Township; Trexlertown Union Church in Upper Macungie Township; Union Church at Neffs in North Whitehall Township; Chestnuthill Reformed Congregation in Lower Milford Township; St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Allentown; Allemangel Moravian Congregation in Lynn Township.

Lutheran
Lutheran churches in Lehigh County were German in respect to the language used in the services and to the origin of the clergy. Congregations were established as early as 1734 in Upper Milford. Reformed and Lutheran congregations often shared a building. Union organizations were two congregations who purchased property and erected a church shared by both organizations. Fifteen Lutheran congregations existed in 1784.

Early records of the "Blue Church" have been published:

Christ Church, Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Congregation, Shoenersville

Ebenezer Union Church

Ebenezer Union Church 1740-1990 -- Stones of Help. Appendixes B and D have lists of baptisms with names of children with their dates of birth and baptism and names of their parents. Also lists of confirmations, marriages, and funerals.

Jerusalem Lutheran and Reformed Congregation

St. John's Reformed and Evangelical Lutheran Church, Laury's Station

Ziegel's Lutheran and Reformed Church, Weisenberg Township

Mennonite
The first Mennonite congregation was established in 1738 in Upper Saucon. Two congregations existed after 1784.

Moravian
Moravians established a settlement at Bethlehem in 1741. The Bethlehem Digital History Project (winner of a National Endowments for the Humanities prize) includes community records, Bethlehem diary, bills of sale and manumissions, business activity, meeting minutes, Moravian Indian diaries 1763-1765, registers of baptisms, marriages, and deaths, and church regulations.

There was also a Moravian congregation at Emmaus:

Reformed
As early as 1747 there were at least ten Reformed congregations in Lehigh County. By 1784 there were seventeen congregations.

Ebenezer Union Church

Egypt Reformed Church

Jerusalem Lutheran and Reformed Congregation

Jordan Reformed Congregation, South Whitehall Township

Reformed Church, Lowhill

Schlosser's or Union Reformed Church, Unionville, North Whitehall Township

Upper Milford Reformed Congregation


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

For information about records kept in the Orphan's court, Prothonotary Court, Court of Common Pleas, and other courts in counties of Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Court Records Wiki page.

Prothonotary
In Lehigh County the Prothonotary is known as the Civil Division

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

For online resources, passenger lists, and specific groups coming to Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

For groups that came, see People section of the Pennsylvania Emigration page.

Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]

Genealogies[edit | edit source]

Guardianship[edit | edit source]

The Orphan's Court ensures the best interests of those not capable of handling their own affairs: minors, incapacitated persons, decedents' estates, and more.[9]

Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a specific location and reveal family relationships. Records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, maps and more. For more information, see Pennsylvania Land and Property.

Land records in Lehigh County began in 1812. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Records

  • 1812 -1911 Deed Records 1812-1901; Index 1812-1911 FHL films 2108782 (first of 73 films) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
  • 1812 -1911 Mortgage Records, 1812-1886; Mortgage Index 1812-1911. FHL film 2108789 (first of 20 films) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
  • 1984–present Images are available online using the Landex system. There is a fee to view the images.
https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/6/6a/Lehigh_county_pennsylvania_townships.pngLehigh county pennsylvania townships.png
About this image

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Bucks CountyMontgomery CountyBerks CountySchuylkill CountyCarbon CountyNorthampton CountyPA LEHIGH.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Maps

Migration[edit | edit source]

Early migration routes to and from Lehigh County, Pennsylvania for settlers included:[10]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

Civil War

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Naturalization records can contain information about immigration and nativity. Prior to 1906, it is rare to find the town of origin in naturalization records. For more information, see Pennsylvania Naturalization

Naturalization records for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania include the following:

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Newspapers may contain obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings. Newspapers are often found in local or university libraries, historical or genealogical societies, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published. See Pennsylvania Newspapers for more information.

Newspapers of Lehigh County

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

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died or where family members lived. Local libraries or societies may have indexes or other sources.

Online Obituary Abstracts

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate matters in Lehigh County are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates; appointments of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills; inheritance tax appeals, and various petitions and motions.

Online Probate Index and Records

School Records[edit | edit source]

Social Security Records[edit | edit source]

Tax Records[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Vital records are handled by the County Orphans' Court. Between the years 1852-1855 Pennsylvania made a failed attempt to record birth, marriage and death events at the county level. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. For the most complete set of records, contact the County Orphans' Court.

Birth[edit | edit source]

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For more information, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.


Marriage[edit | edit source]

Pennsylvania marriages were created by county officials. Contact Lehigh County Courthouse


Death[edit | edit source]

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For indexes and records, 1906 and later, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

Divorce[edit | edit source]

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary.

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Lehigh County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

National Archives at Philadelphia
14700 Townsend Road
Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
Phone: 215-305-2044
Fax: 215-305-2052
Website

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Listed below are libraries in Lehigh County. For state-wide library facilities, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

Allentown Public Library
1210 W. Hamilton St.
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610-820-2400
Website
Collection includes a number of family histories.

Bethlehem Area Public Library
11 West Church Street
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Phone: 610-867-3761
Website

The Mennonite Heritage Center Library
565 Yoder Road
Harleysville, PA 19438-1020
Phone: 215-256-3020
Website
The Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania support the the John L. Ruth Historical Library and Museum at the Mennonite Heritage Center. Located in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania the records and resources of this treasure also cover the counties of Bucks, Chester, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, and Philadelphia. The library's genealogy resources include online cemetery database, list of early Mennonite church records available for onsite research, inventory of family registers, and descriptions of many other materials available.

Scott Andrew Trexler II Research Library and Archives
Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 West Walnut Street
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610-435-1074
Website
Collections include:
Church and cemetery records – includes records of neighboring counties; early county records including Orphans' Court, tax and prison records; compiled family histories; newspapers – local German and English-language newspapers; marriage records on film and card index for newspaper obituary and marriage announcements; city directories for Allentown; wills on film, with translated German text; land, census and original survey maps.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W. Walnut Street
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610-435-1074
Website

Museum of Indian Culture
2825 Fish Hatchery Road
Allentown, PA 18103
Phone: 610-797-2121
Email: info@museumofindianculture.org
Website
Facilities include an onsite research library about the Lenape Indians.

Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W. Walnut St.
Allentown, PA 18102
Phone: 610–435-1074
Website
The museum is managed by the Lehigh County Historical Society.

The Mennonite Heritage Center
565 Yoder Road
Harleysville, PA 19438-1020
Phone: 215-256-3020
Email: library@mhep.org
Website
View exhibits about the unique heritage of Mennonites in eastern Pennsylvania.

Societies[edit | edit source]

Listed below are societies in Lehigh County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Pennsylvania Societies.

The Mennonite Heritage Center
565 Yoder Road
Harleysville, PA 19438-1020
Phone: 215-256-3020
Website
Center has materials relating to local history and culture in Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton and Philadelphia counties in eastern Pennsylvania.

Websites[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehigh_County,_Pennsylvania accessed 2/12/2017
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002) Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, p.591
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Lehigh County, Pennsylvania," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehigh_County,_Pennsylvania, accessed 25 January 2020.
  8. ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/1/10/Igipennsylvaniall.pdf.
  9. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at Common Pleas accessed 10 July 2012
  10. ↑ Handybook, 847-61.
v • d • e
Links to Pennsylvania-related articles
Topics
Counties
Adams · Allegheny · Armstrong · Beaver · Bedford · Berks · Blair · Bradford · Bucks · Butler · Cambria · Cameron · Carbon · Centre · Chester · Clarion · Clearfield · Clinton · Columbia · Crawford · Cumberland · Dauphin · Delaware · Elk · Erie · Fayette · Forest · Franklin · Fulton · Greene · Huntingdon · Indiana · Jefferson · Juniata · Lackawanna · Lancaster · Lawrence · Lebanon · Lehigh · Luzerne · Lycoming · McKean · Mercer · Mifflin · Monroe · Montgomery · Montour · Northampton · Northumberland · Perry · Philadelphia · Pike · Potter · Schuylkill · Snyder · Somerset · Sullivan · Susquehanna · Tioga · Union · Venango · Warren · Washington · Wayne · Westmoreland · Wyoming · York
Extinct Co.
Major
Repositories
American Swedish Historical Museum · Bristol Public Library (Bristol, VA) · Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh · Citizens Library · Erie County Library · Evangelical and Reformed Historical Society · Franklin and Marshall College Library · Free Library of Philadelphia · Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania · German Society of Pennsylvania · Handley Regional Library (Winchester, VA) · Haverford College Library · Historical Society of Pennsylvania · Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania · Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia · Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society · Library Company of Philadelphia · Library of Congress (Washington, DC) · Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia · Luzerne County Historical Society Bishop Library · National Archives at Philadelphia · New York Public Library (New York City, NY) · Pennsylvania Department of Health · Pennsylvania State Archives · Philadelphia City Archives · Presbyterian Historical Society · State Library of Pennsylvania · SUNY Fredonia Reed Library (Fredonia, NY) · Swarthmore College Friends Historical Library · Temple University Urban Archives · University of Pennsylvania Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center · Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland, OH)
Migration
Routes
Beaver and Erie Canal · Minsi Path · Braddock's Road · Burd's Road · Canada Road · Centre Turnpike · Culbertson's Path · Delaware and Raritan Canal · Delaware River · Fall Line Road  · Fall Line Road · Forbes Road · Gist's Trace  · Great Indian Warpath · Great Island Path · Great Shamokin Path · Great Trail · Great Valley Road · Great Valley Road · King's Highway · Kittanning Path · Lake Erie · Lake Shore Path · Lake Shore Path · Lehigh and Lackawanna Paths · Gist's Trace · Minsi Path · National Road  · Cumberland Road · Ohio River  · Pennsylvania Road · Philadelphia Lancaster Turnpike · Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road · Pennsylvania Railroad · Schuylkill Canal · Tuscarora Path · Union Canal · Venango Path Philadelphia

Due to contractual agreements, some images and/or databases on FamilySearch.org may only be viewed at a Family History Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.

Retrieved from "https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/index.php?title=Lehigh_County,_Pennsylvania_Genealogy&oldid=4765927"