Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States

Pennsylvania

Huntingdon County

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

County Facts County seat: Huntingdon Organized: September 20, 1787 Parent County(s): Bedford Neighboring Counties Centre  • Mifflin  • Juniata  • Blair  • Bedford  • Fulton  • Franklin 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

The county is located in the Southwest corner of the state.

County Courthouse

Huntingdon County Courthouse
223 Penn Street
Huntingdon, PA 16652
Phone: 814-643-2740
Fax: 814-643-8152
Huntingdon County

Register and Recorder/Register of Wills/Orphan's Court Phone: 814-643-2740 Fax: 814-643-6849 Email: regrec@huntingdoncounty.net
Prothonotory/Clerk of Court Phone: 814-643-1610 or 814-643-5511 Fax: 814-643-4271 Email: kcoons@huntingdoncounty.net

Huntingdon 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	1787	1786	1787	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 Bedford County 20 September 1787. County seat: Huntingdon 26 March 1804: Cambria County was set off from one part of Huntingdon County along with other parts from Bedford and Somerset Counties. 26 February 1846: Significant parts of both Huntingdon and Bedford Counties were taken to create Blair County. This was the last and most significant change to take place in the geography of the Central Pennsylvania region. 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

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:

Boroughs
Alexandria Birmingham Broad Top City Cassville Coalmont Dudley	Huntingdon Mapleton Marklesburg Mill Creek Mount Union Orbisonia	Petersburg Rockhill Saltillo Shade Gap Shirleysburg Three Springs
Unincorporated communities
Calvin	Entriken
Census-designated places
Allenport	McConnellstown
Townships
Barree Brady Carbon Cass Clay Cromwell Dublin Franklin Henderson Hopewell	Jackson Juniata Lincoln Logan Miller Morris Oneida Penn Porter Shirley	Smithfield Springfield Spruce Creek Tell Todd Union Walker Warriors Mark West Wood

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com HomeTownLocator PAGenWeb Archives Tombstone Photos PAGenWeb Pennsylvania Genealogy BillionGraves (name)
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com BillionGraves Linkpendium PAGravestones Epodunk Access Genealogy
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information

 

Census Records

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

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.

• Church Locations, Huntingdon County PAGenWeb

Finding Church Records at Other Repositories

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania Genealogy Church Records  in online catalogs like:

• Historical Society of Pennsylvania
• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

Huntingdon county pennsylvania churches.png

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 $

Contains church records of:

• Cassville: Cassville Lutheran Church
• Huntingdon: St. John's Episcopal Church; United Methodist Church
• Mount Union: St. Luke's Lutheran Church
• Orbisonia: First United Methodist Church; Otterbein United Methodist Church
• Woodward: Birmingham Presbyterian Church

Catholic

• "100 Years of the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese 1843 -1943," Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 17, No. 1. FHL Book 974.8 B2wg. Chronology, map, county-by-county information.
• St. Mary's Catholic Church Shade Valley, Cromwell Township, Huntingdon County PAGenWeb

Lutheran

• Selected Baptisms, 1857-1860, First Lutheran Congregation, Penn Township at USGenWeb Archives
• Selected Baptisms, 1857-1860, First Lutheran Congregation, Penn Township, Huntingdon County, PA, USGenWeb Archives

Presbyterian

• 1834 Membership of Presbyterian Church of Shavers Creek Manor, USGenWeb Archives

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.

Some of the Continuence Dockets and the Quarter Session Books are stored in the basement of the Huntingdon County Court House. The Continuence Dockets have been microfilmed and are at the Huntingdon County Pennsylvania Courthouse.

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 Huntingdon County began in 1803. These records are filed with the Register and Recorder office in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.

Land Records on Microfilm

• 1786 -1972 Deeds, 1786-1866; Index to Deeds, 1786-1972; Misc. Index to Deeds, 1790- 1877. FHL film 900605 (first of 47 films)
• 1803 -1969 Mortgage Index FHL film 902449

Land Abstracts

• 1787-1889 Pennsylvania Archives Land Warrant Lists at Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

Maps

• Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)

Military Records

• 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

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.

Newspaper Excerpts and Abstracts

• McFarland, K.T.H., Hollidaysburg Records Marriages, Deaths & Partitions from Weekly Newspapers of Hollidaysburg, Huntingdon/Blair Cos., Pa., 1836-1852 (Apollo, Pennsylvania:Closson Press, c1994) At various libraries (WorldCat; FHL book 974.875/H1 B3m

Newspapers of Huntingdon County

• Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory
• Pennsylvania Newspapers
• The Blair County Genealogical Society has a copy of the book Huntingdon County Newspaper: A Finding List which was compiled by M. M. Faust and Nancy S. Shedd for the Huntingdon County Historical Society. Also available at various libraries (WorldCat
• The Pennsylvania State Library has a book entitled Huntingdon County Newspapers, Vol I that contains notices from the Huntingdon Gazette 1806-1811. This book is not indexed. It's call number is 929.37484 NW1001 and is found in Form Room 101.

Newspapers on Microfilm

The Blair County Genealogical Society and the State Library of Pennsylvania has the Huntingdon Gazette on microfilm.

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.

• Newspaperarchive.com has the Huntingdon County News online.

Online Newspaper Abstracts

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

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.

Obituary Indexes

• Archie Claar Obituary Collection Index, Volume 19, 20 through Blair County Genealogical Society. Online
• Wion, John H. Deaths in Central Pennsylvania; an Index to the Obituaries Appearing in the Democratic Watchman, Bellefonte, Pa (S.I.:s.n., 1969) FHL film 873814 item 2; book 974.8 V4w v.1,2

Online Obituary Abstracts

• PA-Roots Obituaries for Huntingdon County.

Probate Records

Probate matters in Huntingdon 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 Indexes

• Huntingdon County Wills and Estate Records at Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives
• 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $

Online Probate Records

• 1683-1994- Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994 at FamilySearch

Huntingdon County Only:

• Huntingdon County Probate Records

The Huntingdon County Historical Society has a wonderful every name indexed compilation by Linnaria B Wheland of Huntingdon County Will Abstracts from 1787-1846.

The original inventories for Huntington county are housed at the Huntington Historical Society.

Original Probate Records on Microfilm

• 1786 -1972 Index to Orphans' Court Dockets FHL film 900587
• 1787 -1908 Wills FHL film 854230 (first of 9 films)
• 1787 -1918 Index to Wills and Administrations FHL film 854230
• 1788 -1866 Orphans' Court Dockets FHL films 900587–900592

Tax Records

Many of the tax lists have been microfilmed, but no one repository has them all. The Huntingdon County Historical Society, State Library of Pennsylvania and the Family History Library each have collections. One can purchase a microfilm roll from the Huntingdon County Historical Society and the State Library of Pennsylvania. The Family History Library will loan their films to their various centers for a small fee.

• 1788 Returns of Taxables for the Counties of Bedford (1773 to 1784), Huntingdon (1788), Westmoreland (1783, 1786), Fayette (1785, 1786), Allegheny (1791), Washington (1786) and Census of Bedford (1784) and Westmoreland (1783) (Pennsylvania Archives, Series 3, Vol. 22). Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Google Books
• 1798 Pennsylvania, U.S. Direct Tax Lists, 1798 at Ancestry ($).

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.
• 1800-1935 - Pennsylvania, Huntingdon County, Delayed Birth Records, 1800-1935 at FamilySearch — index

Some birth records exist for the 1852 -1853 time period for Huntingdon County. Only a small percentage of births were recorded in this time period. These records are available at:

• 1852-1853 Births FHL film 900604
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Births – Ancestry $
• 1893-1905, 1941 Birth Registers FHL film 900604 The birth records for Huntingdon County were microfilmed by FamilySearch. These microfilms may be available to view at a local FamilySearch Center.

Marriage

Pennsylvania marriages were created by county officals. Contact Huntingdon County Courthouse

Huntingdon County marriages are maintained by the Huntingdon County Courthouse. The county began recording marriages in 1885. A few marriage records were created by the county in the 1853 -1854 time period. To obtain a marriage record you may go to or contact the Huntingdon County Courthouse.

• 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
• 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.
• 1787-1823 Marriages by Rev. John Johnston 1787-1823, from J. Simpson Africa's History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, (1883), PAGenWeb
• Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
• 1852-1854 Marriages FHL film 900604
• 1885-1887 Marriage Licences, contributed by Barbara Lautherboren, PAGenWeb
• 1885-1907 Marriage License Dockets films 900593–900603
• 1885-1950 Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records. 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.
• Huntingdon County Marriage Applications, Licenses & Certificates, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives
• Huntingdon County Marriage Notices, Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Death

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

Huntingdon County began recording deaths in 1893, although some were recorded from 1852 -1854. These records are available in the County Courthouse in Huntingdon. You may request a death record from the Huntingdon County Courthouse.

• 1720-1999 Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
• 1807-1827 Huntingdon County Deaths,1807-1827, PAGenWeb, extracted from J. Simpson Africa's History of Huntingdon and Blair Counties, Pennsylvania, 1883.
• 1836-1846 Huntingdon County Deaths, 1836-1846, PAGenWeb, extracted from the Hollidaysburg Record, a weekly newspaper of Blair County.
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
• Death Registers and Reports, 1894 -1896 Partial listing of P surnames – USGenWeb Archives
• 1852-1854 Deaths FHL Collection The 1852-1854 county death records were microfilmed by FamilySearch. They are available through Family History Centers and at the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Divorce

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary.

Research Facilities

Archives

• 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 and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

• Altoona Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

• Alexandria Memorial Library
  313 Main Street
  Alexandria, Pennsylvania 16611
  Phone: (814) 669-4313
  Facebook Page

Museums

• Hartslog Heritage Museum
  311 Main Street
  Alexandria, PA 16611
  Phone: 814-207-1410
  Facebook

The Museum is located on the 2nd floor of the Alexandria Memorial Public Library. It houses over 4000 artifacts that represent the area's past. Most notable is a rare historic map of Huntingdon County.

Societies

• Roller-Hojeth Memorial Library
  Blair County Genealogical Society
  431 Scotch Valley Rd.
  Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
  Phone: 814-696-3492
  Website

Collection covers Blair and surrounding counties, particularly Huntingdon, Cambria, and Bedford Counties.

• Huntingdon County Historical Society
  100 4th Street
  P.O. Box 305
  Huntingdon, PA 16652-1418
  Phone: 814-643-5449
  Website

Websites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Huntingdon County PA Genealogy
• 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.