Blair County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States

Pennsylvania

Blair County

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

Pennsylvania Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Hollidaysburg Organized: February 26, 1846 Parent County(s): Huntingdon, Bedford Neighboring Counties Centre  • Huntingdon  • Cambria  • Bedford  • Clearfield See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: PA Roots and its members who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

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

Blair County, Pennsylvania Record Dates

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
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1894	1885	1894	1846	1846	1846	1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

Formed from Huntingdon and Bedford Counties 26 February 1846. County seat: Hollidaysburg 27 January 1750: Blair County was part of Cumberland County when it was created. 9 March 1771: Bedford County was created out of Cumberland County. 20 September 1787: Huntingdon County was created out of Bedford County; all but a part of Greenfield Township split into Huntingdon County while the small part of Greenfield remained in Bedford County. For animated maps illustrating Pennsylvania county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Pennsylvania County Boundary Maps" (1673-1878) may be viewed at the MapofUS.org website.

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:

Cities
Altoona
Boroughs
Bellwood Duncansville Hollidayburg	Martinsburg Newry Roaring Spring	Tunnelhill Tyrone Williamsburg
Census-designated places
Claysburg East Freedom Foot of Ten	Grazierville Greenwood Lakemont	Northwood Tipton
Townships
Allegheny Antis Blair Catharine Frankstown	Freedom Greenfield Huston Juniata Logan	North Woodbury Snyder Taylor Tyrone Woodbury

Resources

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. FHL Collection

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Blair County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com PA Cemeteries PAGenWeb Archives Tombstone Photos PA-Roots BillionGraves (name)
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat PAGenWeb
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com BillionGraves Linkpendium PAGravestones Interment FamilySearch Places
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information

 

Additional Cemetery Resources

• ca.1700-ca.1950 - Pennsylvania Cemetery Records, ca. 1700-ca. 1950 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Pennsylvania Genealogy

Woodbury Township

• 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

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	21,777	—
1860	27,829	27.8%
1870	38,051	36.7%
1880	52,740	38.6%
1890	70,866	34.4%
1900	85,099	20.1%
1910	108,858	27.9%
1920	128,334	17.9%
1930	139,840	9.0%
1940	140,358	0.4%
1950	139,519	−0.6%
1960	137,270	−1.6%
1970	135,356	−1.4%
1980	136,621	0.9%
1990	130,542	−4.4%
2000	129,144	−1.1%
2010	127,089	−1.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

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.

Blair County Pennsylvania Churches.png

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

• 1860 -1879 First Presbyterian Church, Duncansville, Baptism Index 1860-1879 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C524301

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

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.

Emigration and Immigration

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

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

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

Guardianship

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

Land and Property Records

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 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; At various libraries (WorldCat). 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; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• 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; At various libraries (WorldCat).

• 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

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

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

• Floyd G. Hoenstine's Military services and genealogical records of soldiers of Blair County, Pennsylvania, 1940 PA's Past, Digital Bookshelf at Penn State
• 1861-1865 - Pennsylvania, Register of Military Volunteers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

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

• 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 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 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

• 1947 -2010 Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Collection, 1947-2010 at FamilySearch
• PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Blair County.
• 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

• Claar, Archie C., WWII Newspaper Clippings, Blair County, Pennsylvania (SLC, Utah, 2004) FHL film 1573626

Obituaries

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 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) FHL book 974.87 V4c volume 1-66 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) FHL film 2259074 (first of 14)
• Weston, June L. Hoffman (editor), Civil War Veterans' Obituaries, Articles, Letters and Photographs (Hollidaysburg, PA:Blair County Genealogical Society [Pennsylvania], 2005-2010) FHL book 974.875 M2w 1861-1910

Probate Records

Probate matters in Blair 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 and Indexes Records

• 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
• 1683 -1994 Pennsylvania Probate Records 1683-1994 at FamilySearch
• 1846 -1882 Will Books FHL film 1289437 (first of 3 films) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images; Index included, 1846-1980
• 1846 -1980 Estate and Proceedings Indexes FHL film 1293303 items 3-5 (first of 10 films) - 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 United States Social Security Death Index 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.

Vital Records

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

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

• 1726 -1930 Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 index. Not complete for all years. This collection is an index for the years 1726 to 1930. It 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.
• Delayed Birth Index: Individuals who were born before 1906 at Blair County Genealogical Society website.

Marriage

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

• 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
• Individual Marriage Notices at Blair County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archvives
• 1677 -1950 Pennsylvania Civil Marriages, 1677-1950 at FamilySearch
• 1700 -1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
• 1725 -1976 Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 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 -1890 Marriage Application Records, Vol. 1: Oct. 1885 - 1890 at Blair County Genealogical Society website.
• 1885 -1950 Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Death

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

• 1720-1999 Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
• 1850-1880 Pennsylvania Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — 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.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Blair 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

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.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Altoona, Pennsylvania Family History Center
  

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Blair County. For state-wide library facilities, see Pennsylvania Archives and 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: mclibrary@atlanticbbn.net
  Website

Museums

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

Societies

Listed below are societies in Blair County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Pennsylvania 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: 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
• FamilySearch Catalog – 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

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.