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Wyoming County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Tunkhannock
Organized: April 4, 1842
Parent County(s): Luzerne[1]
Neighboring Counties
Bradford • Lackawanna • Luzerne • Sullivan • Susquehanna
See County Maps
Courthouse
Wyoming County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.png
Location Map
Wyoming County PA Map.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county is located in the northeastern area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Wyoming County Courthouse
1 Courthouse Square
Tunkhannock, PA 18657
Phone: 570-836-3200
Prothonotary, Clerk of Courts, Clerk of Orphans Court: 570-996-2232
Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds: 570-996-2235
Wyoming County Website

Clerk of Courts has birth and death records 1893-1905, marriage records from 1885, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1842.[3]

Wyoming 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 Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1893 1885 1893 1842 1842 1842 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]

  • Formed from Luzerne County 4 April 1842. [5]
  • County seat: Tunkhannock[6]
  • 1752-1772 Northampton County - The future Wyoming County was included in Northampton County until Northumberland County was created in 1772.
  • 1772-1786 Northumberland County - The future Wyoming County was included in Northumberland County until Luzerne County was created in 1786
  • 1786-1842 Luzerne County

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]

Boroughs
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships
Ghost towns


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 Wyoming 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]

Federal Census

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1850 10,655 —
1860 12,540 17.7%
1870 14,585 16.3%
1880 15,598 6.9%
1890 15,891 1.9%
1900 17,152 7.9%
1910 15,509 −9.6%
1920 14,101 −9.1%
1930 15,517 10.0%
1940 16,702 7.6%
1950 16,766 0.4%
1960 16,813 0.3%
1970 19,082 13.5%
1980 26,433 38.5%
1990 28,076 6.2%
2000 28,080 0.0%
2010 28,276 0.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records[edit | edit source]

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.

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.[8]

Orphans Court

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 Wyoming County began in 1842. These records are filed with the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds office in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Indexes and Records


Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Bradford CountySusquehanna CountyLackawanna CountyLuzerne CountySullivan CountyPA WYOMING.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Maps

Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

See more databases at Pennsylvania Military Records and US Military Records.


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

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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming 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 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 Wyoming 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. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

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

National Archives at Philadelphia
14700 Townsend Rd
Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
Phone: 215-305-2044
Fax: 215-305-2052
Email: philadelphia.archives@nara.gov
Website
Facebook

FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]

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

  • FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Tunkhannock Public Library
220 W Tioga St
Tunkhannock, PA 18657
Phone: 570-869-1677
Email: tunkhannocklibrary@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Wyoming County Genealogical Library
11 E Harrison St
PO Box 309
Tunkhannock, PA 18657-03209
Phone: 570-836-5303
Email: society@epix.net
Website
Facebook

The Library is run by the Wyoming County Historical Society. They have a great collection of cemetery records, and numerous books on New England ancestry as well as records for the Wyoming County area.

Museums[edit | edit source]

Wyoming County Historical Museum
11 E Harrison St
PO Box 309
Tunkhannock, PA 18657-03209
Phone: 570-836-5303
Email: society@epix.net
Website
Facebook

The Museum is run by the Wyoming County Historical Society. Collection includes items from Wyoming County and the surrounding area, military artifacts from Civil War as well as World War I and II, and a collection from the Indians in the area.

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Northeast Pennsylvania Genealogical Society, Inc. (NEPGS)
Kirby Annex II
57 N Franklin St
Wilkes-Barré, PA 18701
Phone: 570-829-1765
Email: nepgsmail@gmail.com
Website
Facebook

Susquehanna County Historical Society
18 Monument St
Montrose, PA 18801
Phone: 570-278-1622
Email: info@susqcohistsoc.org
Website
Facebook

Wyoming County Historical Society
11 E Harrison St
PO Box 309
Tunkhannock, PA 18657-03209
Phone: 570-836-5303
Email: society@epix.net
Website
Facebook

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); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming_County,_Pennsylvania accessed 2/12/2017
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), p. 593.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Pennsylvania.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wyoming County, Pennsylvania," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming_County,_Pennsylvania, accessed 5 February 2020.
  8. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at Common Pleas accessed 10 July 2012
  9. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/2/20/Igipennsylvaniat.pdf.
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Topics
Counties
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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)
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This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

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