PENNSYLVANIA ROOM

This page is very lengthy so links to the various sections of the page and a return to the top are provided below.

Authors, Local
Biography
Census, Pennsylvania
Colonial Records
Genealogy
History, County
History, Local
History, Pennsylvania
Items of Special Interest
Maps & Atlases
Newspapers on microfilm
Oil Literature

The room is staffed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and the first three Saturdays of each month from 12 noon until 5:00 p.m. to assist patrons with their research.

Established in 1968. the Pennsylvania Collection began as an outgrowth of a plan to have an oildom memorial for the late John F. and Margaret H. Budke, longtime supporters of the library who had an interest in the history of this region. Funds contributed as memorials to the Budkes were used to expand the library's existing oil book collection. These books combined with Pennsylvania sources from the library formed the Pennsylvania Collection. Much of the collection was assembled through the efforts of Helen Ray, historian at the library until 1991. In 1976, a little-used room on the second floor of the library was designated to be the location of this special collection, and named "The Pennsylvania Room. The collection quickly grew beyond the walls of the Room, and some materials were relocated into the reference section of the library. The Pennsylvania Room remained upstairs until 1993 when it was moved to its present location in the basement of the library.

The Pennsylvania Collection is not just for the historian or genealogist. It contains many unique items that have a broad range of appeal, from wildlife to folklore to cookbooks, but all with a Pennsylvania theme.

Authors, Local
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The Pennsylvania Collection is also home to many works by local authors. Hildegarde Dolson and Jack Mays (The Great Oildorado and Destiny's Gentleman) are both local authors previously mentioned in this guide. Others include:

• Zoda Elizabeth Anderson, Stoney Batter. PA FIC AND
• E. George Lindstrom, Out of the Sand, PA FIC LINT
• J.W. Steele. Coal Oil Johnny: His Book. PA ROOM 92 STEELE
• Ida Tarbell. All in the__Day's Work, PA ROOM 92 TARBELL

Biography
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Many biographies are available on well-known (and some lesser-known) Pennsylvanians.

Destiny's Gentleman. By Jack Mays. (Biography of Joseph C. Sibley)
92 SIBLEY

The Life and Times of Cornplanter the Seneca War Chief by Duane Alan Burk.
920 COR

Our Hidden Heritage: Pennsylvania Women in History. Ed. Janice H. McElroy.
920 OUR


Censuses (PA) on microfilm& books>
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Pennsylvania Census Records, Bound Volumes:

1789 PA Rev. War Pensioners
1790 Heads of Households, Maryland
1790 Head of Household
1800 Heads of Households
1813 Revolutionary Pensioners
1818 Pensioners List
1840 Census Pensioners. Rev. War
1840 Pennsylvania Census
1850 Pennsylvania Census
1860 Pennsylvania Census, West
1870 Butler County Every name index

Pennsylvania Census Records on Microfilm:

1800 Venango County (Somerset & Philadelphia)

1810 Lycoming, Mercer. Montgomery, Venango (includes Northumberland, Potter, Somerset. and Warren)

1820 Lycoming. McKean. Mercer, Northumberland, Potter (pt.), Venango, and York 1830 Venango and Westmoreland

1840 Mercer and Venango

1850 Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair. Butler, Cambria, Centre, Chester, Clarion. Clearfield. Crawford. Delaware. Elk. Erie, Fayette, Forest (Ven. Co.), Franklin, Fulton, Greene. Huntingdon. Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lawrence. Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Miflin, Monroe, Montgomery (pt), Somerset, Sullivan. Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington. and Westmoreland.

1860 Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford. Blair. Bucks, Butler. Cambria, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, ('raw-lord, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest (Ven. Co.), Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson. Lawrence. Mercer, Somerset, Susquehanna. Tioga, Union, Venango. Warren, Washington, Wayne. Westmoreland.

1870 Armstrong, Butler Centre. Clarion. (Clearfield. Crawford, Elk, Forest. Jefferson, Mercer, Jefferson, Union (pt. ),Venango, Warren, and Washington (pt.)

1880 Butler. Carbon (pt.). Clarion. Clearfield, Columbia (pt.). Crawford. Forest, Franklin (pt.)Jefferson. Juniata, :Mercer, Mifflin. (pt), Monroe, (pt), Venango, and Warren.

1890 Special Schedule of Union Veterans and Widows

1900 Butler, Cambria, (pt), Chester, (pt), Crawford, Columbia, (pt), Clarion, Crawford, Forest. Fulton, Franklin (pt.), Indiana, Jefferson. Juniata, (pt), Mercer, Mifflin, Venango, Warren.

1910 Butler. Cambria (pt), Chester (pt), Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Forest, McKean (pt.), Mercer, Tioga, Union, Venango, and Warren.

1920 Bucks (pt.), Butler, Forest,. Mercer, Venango, and Warren

1930 Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Forest, Mercer, Venango

Genealogy
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The Pennsylvania Collection not only has sources that will help you locate your
ancestors, but also sources that tell you how to do it and where to look. For example:

Ancestry's Red Book. By Alice Eichholz. PA REF 929.3 ANC

Guide to Historical and Genealogical Research in Pennsylvania. PA REF 929.3

Shaking Your Family Tree: .A Basic Guide to Tracing Your Family's Genealogy. By Dr. Ralph Crandall. PA REF 929.1 CRA


Histories, Colonial
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Colonial Records and Pennsylvania Archives, complete through the 9th series.

Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850.

Plymouth Colony Records, Court Orders, Laws, Miscellaneous Records, Judicial Acts.
Records of Massachusetts. Vols. I-V.

Vital Record of Rhode Island 1636-1830.

Histories, County
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Allegheny     
Armstrong
Beaver
Bedford
Bucks
Butler
Cambria
Centre
Clarion
Clearfield
Clinton
Crawford
Cumberland
Dauphin
Elk
Erie
Fayette
Forest (pictorial)
Fulton
Greene
Huntingdon
Indiana
Jefferson
Lancaster
Lawrence
Lebanon
Lycoming
McKean
Mercer
Montgomery
Northumberland
Potter
Schuylkill
Snyder
Somerset
Tioga
Union
Venango
Warren
Washington
Westmoreland
York

**Partial histories of Adams, Blair, and Cameron counties.

Histories, Local
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Histories, Pennsylvania
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Items of Special Interest
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Extensive obituary index file; abstracted to the present
Venango County, Pennsylvania, Death Book: Summary and Index 1893-1905 by
Joan and Kenneth Hanson.
Reunions birthdays anniversaries births baptisms
Index of marriage applications (Court House)
Marriages from Venango County Sources, 1795-1885_ and 1886-1921) Outside the
County). by Joan and Kenneth Hanson. 3 volumes
Church histories
Cemetery records: File in Pennsylvania Room lists cemeteries by township;
Venango County, Pennsylvania Cemetery Records and Early
Church histories. Vols. 1-9 ( available for purchase.)
Ancestral pedigree charts
Family histories: Bound volumes upstairs in PA Reference. unbound histories on file in thr Pennsyhania Room.
Collection of photographs and postcards (local scenes, etc.)
Polk Directory (covers city of Franklin), bound from 1925 (some years are missing); a few directories from the late I800's.

Maps & Atlases
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• Allegheny River navigation charts
• 1890 Railroad Map of Pennsylvania
• Oil and Gas Field Maps
• Property Line Maps

The Allegheny River, Its Islands, Eddies. Riffles, and Winding Distances of Scenic Beauty. (Based on the 1855 work, "The Allegheny Pilot.")

Atlas of Franklin, Pennsylvania and Suburbs. 1915. By F. W. Beers & Co. PA REF 917.48 A fL

1872 Historical Topographical __Atlas_of the State of Pennsylvania. PA REF 917.48


Newspapers
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Forest County Newspaper 1867-1882
Franklin Daily Leader Feb. 1902-June 1902
Franklin Intelligences Aug. 1834-Apr. 1839
Franklin Evening News Jan. 1883-Mar. 1919
The News-Herald Mar. 1919-Present
Venango Citizen Press Apr. 1870-Oct. 1946
Venango Daily Herald Sept. 1904-Dec. 1917
Venango Spectator Jan. 1849-Dec. 1893

Oil Literature
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Because oil has played such a significant role in the history of Venango County and the state of Pennsylvania there are many sources in the collection that trace the discovery, developments, and people of the oil industry. Some titles include:

The Derrick’s Hand-Book of Petroleum: Petroleum Developments from 1859-1898. PA 665 DER

The Great 0ildorado:The Gaudy and Turbulent Years of the First Oil Rush. By Hildegarde Dolson. PA 665.5 D01

Sketches in Crude Oil. By John J. McLaurin. PA ROOM 665.5 McLAURIN



High School Yearbooks: Franklin High School (from 1914, incomplete set) and others.

Mortality Schedules on Microfilm:

1850 I & II 1860 1870 1880