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Cambria County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Ebensburg
Organized: March 26, 1804
Parent County(s): Somerset, Huntingdon[1]
Neighboring Counties
Clearfield • Blair • Indiana • Somerset • Westmoreland • Bedford • Centre
See County Maps
Courthouse
Cambria County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
Cambria County PA Map.png

County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for the nation of Wales, which in Latin is known as "Cambria". The county is located near the center of the state.[2]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Cambria County Courthouse
200 South Center Street
Ebensburg, PA 15931
Phone: 814-472-5440
Clerk of Courts: 814-472-1540
Prothonotary: 814-472-1638 Fax: 814-472-5632
Register of Wills/Orphan's Court: 814-472-1440
Cambria County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records 1893-1906, marriage records from 1885, divorce records from 1866, probate from 1819, court records from 1849, and land records 1846[3]

Cambria 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 1849 1846 1819 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]

Changes per Pennsylvania Line:[7]

  • Prior to 1771: Future Cambria County was part of Cumberland County.
  • 9 March 1771: Bedford County (including the area of future Cambria County) was created from Cumberland County.
  • 20 September 1787: When Huntingdon County was carved from Bedford County, half of Cambria County was part of Huntingdon County and half remained in Bedford County.
  • 17 April 1795: When Somerset County was formed from Bedford County, half of Cambria became part of Somerset County while the other half stayed in Huntingdon 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[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:[8]

Cities
Boroughs
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships


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 Cambria 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


Additional Cemetery Resources

Census Records[edit | edit source]

Federal Census

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1810 2,117 —
1820 3,287 55.3%
1830 7,076 115.3%
1840 11,256 59.1%
1850 17,773 57.9%
1860 29,155 64.0%
1870 36,569 25.4%
1880 46,811 28.0%
1890 66,375 41.8%
1900 104,837 57.9%
1910 166,131 58.5%
1920 197,839 19.1%
1930 203,146 2.7%
1940 213,459 5.1%
1950 209,541 −1.8%
1960 203,283 −3.0%
1970 186,785 −8.1%
1980 183,263 −1.9%
1990 163,029 −11.0%
2000 152,598 −6.4%
2010 143,679 −5.8%
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.[9]

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 Cambria County began in 1804. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania.

Click the image to view an enlarged version
Media:Cambria county pennsylvania townships.pngCambria county pennsylvania townships.png
About this image

Land Records Online


Local Histories[edit | edit source]

Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Clearfield CountyBlair CountyBedford CountySomerset CountyWestmoreland CountyIndiana CountyPA CAMBRIA.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.


Civil War

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 Cambria 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

Newspaper Excerpts and 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

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts

Other Records[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Probate matters in Cambria 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]

School 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 Cambria 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, Cambria County Courthouse.

Research Facilities[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

Listed below are archives in Greene 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 Cambria County. For state-wide library facilities, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

Cambria County Library System
248 Main St
Johnstown, PA 15901-1677
Phone: 814-536-5131
Email: campub@cclsys.org
Website
Facebook

Multiple locations.

Roller-Hojeth Memorial Library
Blair County Genealogical Society, Inc.
431 Scotch Valley Rd
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
Phone: 814-696-3492
Email: administrator@bcgslibrary.org
Website
Facebook

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

Museums[edit | edit source]

Johnstown Flood Museum
304 Washington St
Johnstown, PA 15901
Phone: 814-539-1889
Website
Facebook

Societies[edit | edit source]

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

Blair County Genealogical Society, Inc.
Roller-Hojeth Memorial Library
431 Scotch Valley Rd
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648
Phone: 814-696-3492
Email: administrator@bcgslibrary.org
Website
Facebook

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

Cambria County Historical Society
615 N Center St
PO Box 278
Ebensburg, PA 15931
Phone: 814-472-6674
Email: awbuck@verizon.net
Website
Facebook

Nant-Y-Glo Tri Area Museum and Historical Society
929 Roberts St
Nanty Glo, PA 15943
Phone: 814-322-6977
Email: ngtamhs@itxbb.net
Facebook

Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society
4400 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080
Phone: 412-687-6811
Email: info@wpgs.org
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/Cambria_County,_Pennsylvania accessed 2/1/2017
  3. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists : United States of America, 10th ed., (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002)Cambria County, Pennsylvania, p.588
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Page 588-593 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 579-581.
  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. ↑ Pennsylvania line : a research guide to Pennsylvania genealogy and local history, 1990 ed. (Laughlintown, Pa.: Southwest Pennsylvania Genealogical Services, 1990), [FS Library book 974.8 D27p 1990].
  8. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cambria County, Pennsylvania," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cambria_County,_Pennsylvania, accessed 15 January 2020.
  9. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at Common Pleas accessed 10 July 2012
  10. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/img_auth.php/2/23/Igipennsylvaniac.pdf.
v • d• e
Links to Pennsylvania-related articles
Topics
Counties
Extinct Co.
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)
Migration
Routes

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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