Created on September 25, 1786 from part of Northumberland County and named for the Chevalier de la Luzerne, French minister to the United States. Wilkes-Barre, the county seat, was laid out in 1772 and named for two members of the English Parliament, John Wilkes and Isaac Barre, both advocates of American rights. It was incorporated as a borough on March 17, 1806 and as a city on May 4, 1871.
Pennsylvania settlers, Indians, and a Connecticut settlement company engaged in a three-way struggle for the Wyoming Valley. The Yankee Pennamite Wars were fought here from 1769 to 1782. In 1786 Connecticut’s acceptance of the federal award to Pennsylvania allowed Pennsylvania to form the county, and a 1799 statute compromised the land titles claimed by Connecticut families. Led by the Delaware, “King” Teedyuscung, Indians committed the first Wyoming Massacre of settlers on Oct. 15, 1763; with British assistance Indians perpetrated the second Wyoming Massacre on July 3, 1778. In 1808, Judge Fell proved anthracite coal’s burning potential, and in 1834 the North Branch Canal began to make coal exporting practical. Many canals and railroads followed, and Luzerne’s two anthracite fields flourished. In time the city of Scranton rivaled Wilkes Barre, which led to the creation of Lackawanna County in 1887. Textiles and metal products manufacturing developed. Textile factories depended on miners’ families for their laborers. Coal strikes of 1902 and 1925–1926 were so bitter that consumers sought alternate fuels, and mining declined. World War II revived anthracite prices, but the Knox Mine disaster of January 22, 1959, was the death knell of deep anthracite mining. Presently, Luzerne produces about one-fourth of the anthracite coal in the state, mostly by surface operations. Economically, the county has had heavy unemployment since World War II, although new mining machines had made mining labor-efficient long before the market diminished in the 1960s. Only about one-eighth of Luzerne is farmed; harvested crops are more valuable than animal products, especially potatoes.
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. See the County Maps & Atlases section below for Map of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Boroughs, Townships, and Census-designated places.
The following Cities, boroughs and townships can be found in Luzerne County:
Cities that reside in Luzerne County are Hazleton, Nanticoke, Pittston, Wilkes-Barre
Boroughs that reside in Luzerne County are Ashley, Avoca, Bear Creek Village, Conyngham, Courtdale, Dallas, Dupont, Duryea, Edwardsville, Exeter, Forty Fort, Freeland, Harveys Lake, Hughestown, Jeddo, Kingston, Laflin, Larksville, Laurel Run, Luzerne, Nescopeck, New Columbus, Nuangola, Penn Lake Park, Plymouth, Pringle, Shickshinny, Sugar Notch, Swoyersville, Warrior Run, West Hazleton, West Pittston, West Wyoming, White Haven, Wyoming, Yatesville
Townships that reside in Luzerne County are Bear Creek, Black Creek, Buck, Butler, Conyngham, Dallas, Dennison, Dorrance, Exeter, Fairmount, Fairview, Foster, Franklin, Hanover, Hazle, Hollenback, Hunlock, Huntington, Jackson, Jenkins, Kingston, Lake, Lehman, Nescopeck, Newport, Pittston, Plains, Plymouth, Rice, Ross, Salem, Slocum, Sugarloaf, Union, Wilkes-Barre, Wright Township
Pennsylvania Archives (Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents from The Pennsylvania State Archives which published 10 series of historical records in 135 volumes, covering the initial colonial settlement through the Civil War. More than 100,000 pages from 1664–1880. If you're interested in Pennsylvania history and want information relating to historical events, facts about ancestors, or original documents to support a research paper, the Pennsylvania Archives is an important publication to explore. THIS IS A FREE DATABASE
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Luzerne County Register of Wills/ Orphan's Court Clerk has Marriage Records from 1786 and Probate Records from 1786 and is located at Luzerne County Courthouse, Penn Place Annex, 20 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702; (570) 825-1668 . The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphan's Court is an elected official who serves as a dual officeholder and whose primary function is to determine whether the document offered for probate should be received as the last will of the decedent. When disputes arise at the time of probate, the Register, as a quasi-judicial officer, is empowered to hold hearings, take testimony, review evidence and render decisions on how the administration of the estate shall proceed.
Luzerne County Recorder of Deedshas Land Records from 1786 and is located at Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 North River Street, Wilkes Barre, PA 18711; Telephone: (570) 825-1641, Fax: (570) 970-4580 . The Recorder of Deeds is responsible for recording documents related to property. Documents recorded in the office consist of, but are not limited to, deeds, mortgages, releases, easements (rights-of-way), subdivisions, restrictions, notaries, public and elected county officers. Other documents, such as Military Service Discharges, foreign birth certificates, as well as obscure documents like cattle brands, are also recorded here. All document, except Military Service Discharges, are public record and are readily available.
Luzerne County Prothonotary / Clerk of Courts has Court Records from 1786 and is located at
Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 North River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711; Telephone: (570) 825-1745, Fax: (570) 825-1757. The prothonotary has been the clerk of court of common pleas since 1707. Court records here include divorces, naturalizations, peddlers' licenses, registration of attorneys, oaths of county officers, equity, sheriff's sales, juror lists, some tax records, and some civil court records. Other court records are with the clerk of courts.
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Naturalization Petitions for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1795-1930(The National Archives): These are Naturalization Records of the US Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. They include petitions for naturalization, 1795-1930; and declarations of intent, 1793-1818, and 1825-1836. There are some years missing from this publication within those time periods.
Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. Circuit and District Courts for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, 1906-1930 (The National Archives): These petitions are arranged by court then by year. Within each year, they are listed by the date of the record and then by petitioner's name. Typing a name in the search box directly below this title may bring the best results. Additional years prior to 1906 are also included in these naturalization records for Pennsylvania's middle district.
Naturalization Petitions of the U.S. District Court, 1820-1930, and Circuit Court, 1820-1911, for the Western District of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): These files contain declarations of intent and petitions for naturalization for the Western District of Pennsylvania, arranged by date, October 1820 through September 26, 1906. They also include records of the US Circuit Court, July 1910-1911, listed by petition number, from 1 to 1,616; and records of the US District Court, October 1, 1906 through January 27, 1931, listed by petition number, from 1 to 91,300.
Pennsylvania Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Pennsylvania Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Birth & Death Certificates before 1906: Pennsylvania birth & death records prior to 1906 can be accessed through the Luzerne County courthouse. The Division of Vital Records does not keep this information. Please write or call to 200 North River St,
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702-2685;
(570) 825-1672. Courthouse has Birth records from ?, Death Records from ?
Vital Records, State Dept of Health, P.O. Box 1528, 101 South Mercer Street,
New Castle, PA 16101; (724) 656-3100, Fax: (724) 652-8951, Please allow up to approximately 4-6 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:
Birth & Death Certificates: Birth records maintained by Pennsylvania Vital Records since Jan 1906 through the present.
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage & Divorce records are not available from the Division of Vital Records. They are usually obtained from the Luzerne courthouse (If they were issued there).
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Cost: Include $10.00 fee per copy, $17.00 (by fax) for Birth records and Include $9.00 fee per copy, $16.00 (by fax) for Death Records. Please do not send cash. Make check or money order payable to “Vital Records." Please do not send cash in the mail.
Order In Person: You may apply in person at one of our six public offices in
Erie,
Harrisburg,
New Castle,
Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh or
Scranton Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Vital Records " along with the necessary information to the following address: Vital Records, State Dept of Health,
P.O. Box 1528,
101 South Mercer Street,
New Castle, PA 16101. Birth Certificate by Mail Order Form , Death Certificate by Mail Order Form Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek Processing Time: 4-6 weeks when ordered by mail or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Pennsylvania newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Luzerne County, Pennsylvania are 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. There are three indexes for the 1800 census and two for 1810. The 1850 census also has two indexes, one arranged by county. For the 1910 Miracode, Philadelphia County is indexed apart from the rest of the commonwealth. After it was filmed by the National Archives, the 1880 census was sent to the University of Pittsburgh. The state copies of the 1840–70 censuses are no longer extant, but a few county copies are known to exist. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania areIndustry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Veterans Schedules were conducted in 1890.
State Schedules: Pennsylvania took no state censuses, but an enumeration of taxpayers compiled every seven years from 1779 through 1863 is commonly called the Septennial Census. These records have only survived in small numbers and are available at the state archives.
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Pennsylvania Census, 1772-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1772 Tax List (Northampton County); 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1842 Chester County Census Index; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1857 Chester County Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Naval Veterans Schedule; Early Census Records.
Pennsylvania Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Pennsylvania and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Pennsylvania showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Pennsylvania showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Maps. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Pennsylvania Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Pennsylvania (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Pennsylvania Pensioners, 1835: This database identifies thousands of Pennsylvania soldiers who were covered under various pension acts in the early 1800s.
Pennsylvania Volunteers in the War of 1812: Compiled from the Pennsylvania Archives collection, this database is a listing of soldiers who volunteered to fight the British during the War of 1812.
Late eighteenth-century tax records for various counties, 1765–1791, were published in Pennsylvania Archives, 3d series, vols. 11–32.
Among the few surviving 1798 U.S. Direct Tax lists are those for Pennsylvania. They were microfilmed by the National Archives and are available at the Mid-Atlantic Region in Philadelphia and at the Pennsylvania State Archives. Indexes have been published for Washington and Lancaster counties.
Tax records are typically found in the county tax assessment offices but may also be in the county commissioners' office or with the prothonotary. The state archives has microfilms for some of these records (1715–1930s). Some assessment records have found their way into manuscript collections of county historical societies and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania as well as at the Philadelphia City Archives.
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Luzerne County Historical Society, 49 South Franklin Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701; (570) 823-6244, executivedirector@luzernecountyhistory.com
The Pennsylvania Archives Online
As one of the original 13 colonies, Pennsylvania played an important part in our nation's early history. Many significant records were created and kept by Pennsylvania, as Philadelphia was both the site of the Continental Congress and the largest port of the time. Many of those early documents, and others through the 1800s, were transcribed into the published Pennsylvania Archives. These volumes should not be confused with the repository in Harrisburg where official colonial and state records are kept. The images here are pages from the 138-volume, 10-series set of the well-known collection of early government records transcribed and printed by the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Archives has been relied upon by scholars, genealogists, and historians for valuable historical information for over a century.
The only online availability of virtually all of the Pennsylvania Archives is here, with free access, on Footnote.com.
Pennsylvania Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Pennsylvania Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
The Historical Records Survey produced an inventory of the church archives in Pennsylvania, but it was never published. Arranged by county, the inventory is located in the state archives. A good number of church records have been published individually and in periodicals such as The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine. Many copies exist in manuscript at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Library (DAR collection), and in other libraries. A good portion of the published material concerns German churches and Quaker meetings.
Large collections of cemetery records are located at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, and at many local libraries and historical societies. The Pennsylvania State Library maintains the state's DAR cemetery collection. Several funeral director records for Philadelphia are in the Collections of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania State Department of Military Affairs has records of veterans' graves and burials. The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania is currently in the process of microfilming cemetery records throughout the commonwealth.
Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Pennsylvania obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Pennsylvania newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Pennsylvania.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Luzerne County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Luzerne County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Pennsylvania Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
