Blair County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

Description
Blair County is located in the central section of the state.

County Courthouse
Blair County Courthouse 423 Allegheny St. Hollidaysburg, PA 16648-2022 Phone: 814-693-3050 Clerk of Courts: 814-693-3080 Orphan's Court: 814-693-3080 Recorder of Wills and Deeds: 814-693-3095 Prothonotary: 814-693-3080 Blair County Website

Prothonotar Office has divorce, probate and court records from 1846, naturalization records from 1848, marriage records from 1885, birth and death records 1893-1905

Populated Places
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:

Biographies

 * Blair County Biographies at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives Includes: Samuel T. Wiley's Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair County, 1892 including index. Jesse C. Sell's Twentieth Century History of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, 1911 including index. Tarring S. Davis' History of Blair County, 1931 Includes index of biographies.


 * Wiley, Samuel Thomas, and Garner, Winfield Scott. Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Blair County, Pennsylvania. Gresham Publishing Co., 1892.

Cemeteries
Additional Cemetery Resources
 * 1700-1950 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Woodbury Township
 * at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images (incomplete)
 * Pennsylvania Genealogy
 * Biddle Farm Cemetery: on Clover Creek across the street from Snively Cemetery. Not to be confused with the Biddle Farm Cemetery on Plum Creek. Biddle Farm Cemetery on Clover Creek: Latitude 402553 N. Longitute 0781205 W. Transcription available (ca 1930/1970) in the George Liebegott Collection housed in the Martinsburg Public Library and also available on microfilm at the Family History Library. Cemetery restored in 2001 by Ramona Householder who published her findings in The Biddle Family Cemetery . Copies of the book The Biddle Family Cemetery are housed in the Blair County Genealogical Society and the Family History Library in Salt Lake.
 * Dell/Smith Farm Cemetery: on Clover Creek three miles east of Williamsburg. In very poor shape. Transcription available on Family History Library US/CAN Film 833,492. Not to be confused with another Smith Cemetery, also located in Blair County that no longer exists.

Saint John's Cemetery: at Shellytown near Clover Creek. Transcription (ca 1950/1970) available in the George Liebegott Collection housed at the Martinsburg Public Library, Martinsburg, PA and also on microfilm through the Family History Library.

Snively Cemetery: on Clover Creek. Cemetery in great shape (2001). Transcription available at the Martinsburg Public Library in Martinsburg, PA in a brownish folder/book titled Snively Cemetery and published 1983 in Williamsburg, PA.

Huston Township
 * Ditch Cemetery: Transcription available in Ditch Cemetery File at the Blair County Genealogical Society.

Taylor Township
 * Biddle/Hoover/Smith Farm Cemetery: located near East Sharpsburg, Taylor Twp, on left side of road (back behind house) down Plum Creek. Further down Plum Creek Road than Snowberger Cemetery. In poor shape (2001). Won't be able to see it from the road unless you have been there before. 1936 transcription done by George Liebegott and deposited in the George Liebegott Collection at the Martinsburg Public Library, Martinsburg, PA and also on microfilm through the Family History Library.

''East Sharpsburg/St. John's Reformed Church/Umbower Cemetery:'' located by St. John's Reformed Church in East Sharpsburg, PA. Transcription available in the Martinsburg Public Library Genealogical Room. Transcription for oldest section done in 1979, the remainder in 1992.

Snowberger Cemetery: located near East Sharpsburg, Taylor Twp, on left side of road down Plum Creek. 1936 transcription done by George Liebegott and reposited in the George Liebegott Collection at the Martinsburg Public Library, Martinsburg, PA and also on microfilm through the Family History Library. Cemetery in good shape (2001).

Census Records
Federal Census
 * 1850-1880  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1620-1991  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images



County-wide DatabaseMulti-denominational

Denominations in Blair County include Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, and others.


 * 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry $


 * Contains church records of:
 * Altoona: First United Methodist Church; First United Presbyterian Church; St. James Evangelical Lutheran Church
 * Barnesboro: Duncansville Presbyterian Church
 * Hollidaysburg: First Presbyterian Church; First United Methodist Church; Martinsburg Methodist Episcopal Church
 * Tyrone: First Presbyterian Church
 * Williamsburg: St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church; Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Presbyterian List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1860-1879  First Presbyterian Church, Duncansville, Baptism Index 1860-1879 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch
 * FamilySearch Places

Emigration and Immigration

 * 1798-1828  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Alphabet index then by numbered entry
 * 1900-1923  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * 1952-1957   at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Land and Property Records
Land records in Blair County began in 1846. These records are filed with the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds office in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Blair County Genealogical Society holds the original deed books from 1846-?. (The most recent deed books are at the courthouse.)

Online Land Records


 * 1973 – present Blair County offers online access to land records. Fees apply.

Land Warrants


 * Warrantees of land in the County of Blair, 1846-1890 at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives


 * FamilySearch Catalog

Local Histories

 * A History of Blair County, Pennsylvania : Fifty Years. 1886. By Charles B. Clark. Altoona, Pennsylvania : n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; . Also known as A History of Blair County, Pennsylvania. From its Earliest Settlement, and More Particularly from its Organization, in 1846 to June 1896.
 * History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania. 1883. By J. Simpson Africa. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : L.H. Everts. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.
 * A History of the Juniata Valley. 3 volumes. 1936. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : National Historical Association, Inc. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 3 - FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Twentieth Century History of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania. 1911. By Jesse C. Sell. Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Publishing.  Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * James H. Ewing's ''History of the city of Altoona and Blair County: including sketches of the shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co, 1880.
 * ''Know Your Blair County

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps
 * Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
 * The 1873 Atlas of Blair and Huntingdon Counties From actual Surveys by and under the direction of Beach Nicholas, Published by A. Pomeroy Co. has been placed online at the usgenwebarchives. The atlas shows many landowners, populated places, and landmarks, and is invaluable when used with the 1860, 1870 and 1880 censuses.
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records
Civil War
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1865-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images


 * Floyd G. Hoenstine's Military services and genealogical records of soldiers of Blair County, Pennsylvania, 1940 PA's Past, Digital Bookshelf at Penn State

World War II
 * 1933-1947  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1795-1931  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1795-1952  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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 $
 * 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 $

Newspapers
Newspapers of Blair County


 * Pennsylvania Newspapers
 * Christian Family Companion (1866)- a newspaper from the Church of the Brethren. Available at the Internet Archive.
 * Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

Online Newspapers

To learn if there are newspapers on line for a specific town or city in Pennsylvania, see Google Newspaper listings and search for the town or the name of a newspaper.

Online Newspaper Abstracts and Indexes
 * Birth Index: This is a work in progress and is in the beginning stages. The birth notices from the Altoona Mirror that have been added may be searched by the child's last name, Mother's maiden or married name, Father's last name or the date of birth. Unlike the Obituary index which is only an index, complete information is contained in a Birth Index entry.
 * Blair County Newspaper Articles at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts 1947-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Claar, Archie C., WWII Newspaper Clippings, Blair County, Pennsylvania (SLC, Utah, 2004)

Obituaries

 * 1885-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1947-2021  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1977-2010  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images

Online Obituary Abstracts and Index
 * Obituary Index: The Obituary Index lists the dates that local obituaries appeared in the Altoona Mirror. It is searchable by last name or maiden name. It currently covers the period from 1936 to the present. Once an obituary date is located a patron can visit the library and print it from the library's microfilm or patrons who cannot visit the library may order prints from the library to be mailed to the patron for a nominal fee.
 * Blair County Obituaries at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives Includes: Archie Claar Obituary Collection 1934-1942 Altoona Mirror Obituaries 1998-2003 Morrisons Cove Herald Obituary Abstracts 2006-2007 Miscellaneous Obituaries

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts


 * Claar, Archie, edited and indexed by Jan Oberle and James D. Boor, Obituary Clippings [in Blair and Bedford Counties, Pennsylvania] (Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania:Hoenstine's, 1990-1996) Photocopy of newspaper clippings. Each volume contains an index.
 * Altoona Mirror, Altoona Mirror Obituary Collection; Also Known as Old Greenfield Township Obituary Collection (SLC, Utah, 2001)
 * Weston, June L. Hoffman (editor), Civil War Veterans' Obituaries, Articles, Letters and Photographs (Hollidaysburg, PA:Blair County Genealogical Society [Pennsylvania], 2005-2010)

Probate Records
Online Probate and Indexes Records
 * 1683-1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
 * 1683-1994  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only (by county)
 * 1846-1882 Will Books  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; Index included, 1846-1980
 * 1846-1980 Estate and Proceedings Indexes  - images only; click on the camera icon to view images

Will Abstracts
 * Complete Transcribed Wills for Blair County Not complete, but does contain many wills for residents of Blair County.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014  at FamilySearch] - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1520-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1726-1930  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1941-1976  at FamilySerch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Delayed Birth Index: Individuals who were born before 1906 at Blair County Genealogical Society website.

Marriage

 * 1512-1989  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1677–1950  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1682-1976  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
 * 1709-1940  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
 * 1885-1890 Marriage Application Records, Vol. 1: Oct. 1885 - 1890 at Blair County Genealogical Society website.
 * 1885-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1947-2021  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * Individual Marriage Notices at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archvives

Death

 * 1720-1999  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index, some images
 * 1856-1971  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1875-1935 Death Reports and Lists at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives for select years and towns from 1875 - 1935
 * Blair County Death Indexes at Blair County Genealogical Society website.

Divorce
Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary, Blair County Courthouse.

Archives

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

Family History Centers

 * Altoona, Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

 * Blair County Library System 1600 Fifth Avenue Altoona, PA 16601 Phone: (814) 946-0417 ext. 132 Website
 * Martinsburg Community Library 201 South Walnut Street Martinsburg, PA 16662-1129 Phone: 814-793-3335 Fax: 814-793-9755 Email: [mailto:mclibrary@atlanticbbn.net mclibrary@atlanticbbn.net] Website

Museums

 * Railroaders Memorial Museum 1300 Ninth Ave. Altoona, PA 16602 Phone: (814) 946-0834 Website

Societies

 * Blair County Genealogical Society Roller-Hojeth Memorial Library 431 Scotch Valley Rd. Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 Phone: 814-696-3492 Website Collection covers Blair and surrounding counties, particularly Huntingdon, Cambria, and Bedford Counties.


 * Blair County Historical Society 3419 Oak Lane Altoona, PA 16602 Phone: (814) 942-3916 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1083 Altoona, PA 16603 E-mail: [mailto:bchs@hotmail.com bchs@hotmail.com] Website


 * Tyrone Area Historical Society P.O. Box 1850 Tyrone, PA 16686-0102 Phone: (814) 684-5141 Website
 * The Office/Research Library of the Tyrone Area Historical Society is located in the northeastern end of the Tyrone Shopping Center. The library contains a sizable collection of books, newspapers, genealogies, historical maps, and other reference materials pertinent to all areas of Tyrone History. Several Tyrone-related artifacts also are on display.

Websites

 * Blair County PAGenWeb
 * Blair County PA USGenWeb Archives
 * Blair County PA Genealogy
 * Linkpendium - Blair County
 * USGenWeb project
 * – 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.

Research Guides

 * Floyd G. Hoenstine's Guide to Historical and Genealogical Research in Pennsylvania