Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

Guide to Luzerne 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.

Luzerne County Pennsylvania Historical Facts
Parent Counties: Formed from Northumberland County 25 September 1786.

County Seat: Wilkes-Barre

Neighboring Counties: Luzerne County residents may also have records in


 * Wyoming
 * Monroe
 * Columbia
 * Schuykill
 * Lackawanna
 * Carbon
 * Sullivan

Named for Anne-Cesar, Chevalier de la Luzerne, a most popular minister from the French court during the American Revolutionary War.

Luzerne County is the only county in the United States where a plurality of residents state their ancestry as Polish (per Census 2000 report).

Description
It's county seat is Wilkes-Barre and was founded September 25, 1786. It is located in the East Central area of the state.

Boundary Changes

 * 21 Feb 1810: Ontario and Susquehanna Counties were set off.
 * 4 April 1842: Wyoming 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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Biographies

 * Selected Biographies:History of Luzerne County, by H.D. Bradsby, 1893. Courtesy USGenWeb Archives

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

County-wide Database – Multi-denominational



 * 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com–$; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.


 * Contains the church records of:
 * Jonathan Worrall, J.P./Misc. Licenses, 1890-1915
 * Avoca: Langcliffe Presbyterian Church
 * Forty Fort: Presbyterian Church
 * Freeland: Slovak Lutheran Church; St. John's United Church of Christ; St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Hazleton: Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church; Trinity Lutheran Church
 * Nanticoke: Primitive Methodist Church Nanticoke
 * Pleasant Valley: United Methodist Church
 * Shickshinny: United Methodist Church
 * Sweet Valley: Pleasant Valley Sunday School
 * West Hazleton: Christ United Church of Christ; St. Paul's United Church of Christ; Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * West Pittston: First United Methodist Church; First United Presbyterian Church
 * White Haven: St. Paul's Lutheran Church
 * Wilkes-Barre: Central United Methodist Church; First Presbyterian Church; Holy Resurrection Russian Orthodox Cathedral; St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
 * Wyoming: Presbyterian Church

African Methodist Episcopal
The African Methodist Episcopal and the African Methodist Episcopaln Zion congregations were established in Wilkes-Barre in 1842.

Baptist
The first Baptist services were held in Wilkes-Barre in 1842. The Kingston congregation was eventually absorbed in the Wilkes-Barre and Pittston churches. The Centennial Baptist was organized in 1874.

Catholic
St. Mary's was established in 1847 and the St. Nicholas German Catholic church was established in 1856.

Episcopal
The first Episcopalian services were held in 1814 in Wilkes-Barre. The church was chartered in 1817, as St. Stephen's Church. In 1869, St. Clement's was established.


 * St. Stephen's Episcopal Church Records, Wilkes Barre, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Greek Orthodox
The Greek community purchased the Lutheran Church on 32 East Ross Street in Wilkes-Barre on May 29, 1924.


 * History of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church of Wilkes-Barre

Lutheran
Lutheran congregations were primarily German until 1857. St Pauls and St. Johns were the early congregations.


 * 1813-1876 Wapwallopen Union Reformed &amp; Lutheran Church (Old River Church) Baptismal Records 1813 to 1876 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania at The USGenWeb Project - free.
 * St. John's Lutheran Church Records, Butler Township, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Nanticoke
 * Plymouth

Methodist Episcopal
Methodism was first preached by Anning Owen in 1788 in Luzerne County. Congregations were in Wilkes-Barre, Hanover, Newport, and the Plains. The Methodists purchased the old building on the square in Wilkes-Barre from the Presbyterians in 1831. This church was called the First Methodist Episcopal. A new building was completed in 1847. The Ross Street Methodist Episcopal was formed and built in 1855. Lists of leading members are found in Munsell's history.

Moravian
The Moravians were in the area very early, before 1763. The outbreak of the French War forced the missionaries from the county.

Presbyterian
The Presbyterian congregation was first served by Jacob Johnson from Groton, Connecticut in 1773. He helped begin the construction of the First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes Barre. It was finally completed in 1812 and was called "The Old Ship Zion". Other Connecticut ministers who served were Jabez Chadwick and James W. Woodworth. The congregation was partially Congregationalist until about 1829 when it became fully Presbyterian.Other early congregations were found in Nanicoke, Pittston and Ashley. Some lists of members are found in the Munsell history of Luzerne County.

Hazleton Presbyterian Church


 * Hazleton Presbyterian Church Records, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Presbyterian Church, Conyngham


 * 1842-1875 Presbyterian Church, Conyngham, Baptism Index 1842-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1846-1886 Presbyterian Church, Conyngham, Baptism Index 1846-1886 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Snowden Memorial Presbyterian Church, Larksville


 * 1871-1875 Snowden Memorial Presbyterian Church, Larksville, Baptism Index 1871-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1870-1881 Snowden Memorial Presbyterian Church, Larksville, Marriage Index 1870-1881 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Orphans' Court

 * 1787–1866 Orphans Court Dockets (Index 1787–1874)

Published Histories

 * History of Luzerne County, H.D. Bradsy, Editor, 1893, courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * History of Lackawanna Valley, H. Hollister, M.D., 1869, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

Land and Property
Land records in Luzerne County began in 1786. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Wilkes Barre, 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:

Online Land Records


 * 1968–present Images are available online using the Landex system. There is a fee to view the images.

Land Records on Microfilm


 * 1780–1907 Deeds, 1787-1901; Indexes to Deeds, 1780-1907 The earlier indexes for what would become Luzerne County are for the most part in Northumberland County.
 * 1788–1924 Mortgage Indexes.

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 Luzerne 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
Click the image to view an enlarged version


 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)

World War II

 * World War II Newspaper Clippings, Par 1-3, courtesy USGenWeb Archives

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

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records


 * 1795-1951 Some Naturalization Records, East PA 1795-1951 at PAGenWeb - free.
 * 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
 * 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.com - ($), indexed, National Archives publication M1622, Middle District court was created in 1901, for earlier dates try the Eastern and Western District court records

Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm


 * 1830-1906 Naturalization records, 1830-1906. Includes index.
 * 1912-1942 Naturalization petitions, 1912-1942. Index 1912-1944.
 * 1850-1894 Declarations of intention, 1812-1906. Index 1850-1906.
 * 1850-1906 Admissions, 1850-1906. Index 1850-1997.
 * 1897-1906 Naturalization dockets and index, 1897-1906.

Newspapers
Newspapers of Luzerne County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
 * The Luzerne County Historical Society also holds many local newspapers on microfilm. List of county newspaper holdings. Scroll to the bottom of the linked online page.

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 Extracts


 * PA-Roots Newspaper Articles of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
 * Luzerne County PAGenWeb Newspaper Extracts

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 Extracts


 * PA-Roots Obituaries for Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
 * Obits of Luzerne County at PAGenWeb.org

Probate Records
Some Luzerne County probate records were destroyed in the flood following Hurricane Agnes in 1972. According to sources in the county offices, of the county's earliest probate records, the estate files were destroyed but bound books generally survived.

Online Probate Indexes


 * Will Index 1, 1787-1918, located on PAGenWeb - also includes year will was probated and residence of deceased.


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

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:


 * 1683-1994  at FamilySearch.org

Luzerne County Only:


 * 1787–1916 Luzerne County Probate Records

Original Probate Records on Microfilm


 * 1787-1894 Will Records of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania  - Index included: 1787-1894

Repositories

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

Archives

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

Courthouse

 * Luzerne County Courthouse 200 N. River St. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711


 * Clerk of Courts Phone: 570–825-1585


 * Prothonotary Phone: 570–825-1745


 * 1830 – 1906 Naturalization (after 1906, held by U.S. Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization)
 * Pre–1950 Military Discharge Records


 * Orphans' Court/Register of Wills Penn Place Annex 20 N. Pennsylvania Ave. Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 Phone: 570-825-1668


 * 1893 – 1905 Births
 * 1893 – 1905 Deaths
 * late 1700’s – Present Wills
 * 1885 – Present Marriages

Family History Centers
The main FHC for Luzerne County is the Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society. The Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society is an affiliate of the Family History Library, located in Salt Lake City, Utah. As an affiliate, patrons of the NEPGS Family History Research Library can rent most microfilms and microfiche that are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory.

Libraries

 * Osterhout Free Library 71 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701 Phone: 570-823-0156 Email: [mailto:tlukashefski@osterhout.lib.pa.us tlukashefski@osterhout.lib.pa.us]


 * The library collection includes local newspapers, city directories, newspapers clippings file, a local history collection, and county census records for Luzerne and some neighboring counties. The library will do limited research for a fee. Online obituary and article request form.

Societies
Luzerne County Historical Society 49 South Franklin Street Wilkes-Barré, PA 18701 Phone: 570–823–6244


 * The society collection includes:


 * Surname files
 * City directories
 * Wilkes–Barre Record Almanac Newspaper 1886–1962, which includes a death record for anyone over 10 who died in the county during this time period
 * Microfilm of births and deaths (1893–1905), delayed births (1877–1905), index to marriages (1885–1950), Deed indexes, index to Orphans' Courts records
 * Local newspapers on microfilm. List of county newspaper holdings. Scroll to the bottom of the linked page online.


 * The Historical Society will do research for a fee.


 * Genealogical Research Society of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. (GRSNP) 1100 Main Street Peckville, PA 18452 Phone: 570-383-7661 FAX: 570-383-7466 Email: [mailto:info@grsnp.org info@grsnp.org]
 * The GRSNP serves northeastern counties:
 * Lackawanna
 * Luzerne
 * Monroe
 * Pike
 * Susquehanna
 * Wayne
 * Wyoming

Taxation

 * 1796, 1799 Taxables in Luzerne County. courtesy USGenWeb Archives
 * 1798 Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

Vital Records
See also How to order Pennsylvania Vital Records

Birth

 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Marriage

 * 1677–1950  at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
 * 1725-1976  - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
 * Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
 * 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.

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.
 * 1886-1905 Luzerne County Death Index 1886-1905 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.

Luzerne County Pennsylvania Genealogy Websites

 * Luzerne County, PA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * USGenWeb
 * Luzerne County PA Genealogy