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United StatesGotoarrow.png Pennsylvania Gotoarrow.png Mifflin County

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania genealogy and family history research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.

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Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Map
Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Mifflin County
Location in the state of Pennsylvania
Map of the U.S. highlighting Pennsylvania
Location of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
Facts
Founded September 19, 1789
County Seat Lewistown
Courthouse
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Courthouse.jpg
Address Mifflin County Courthouse
20 North Wayne St.
Lewistown, PA 17044
Mifflin County Website
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Contents

Historical Facts

Beginning dates for major county records
Birth
Marriage
Death
Deeds
Probate
1893
1885
1893
1789
1789


Named for Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of the state of Pennsylvania.


Boundary Changes

  • 13 February 1800: Centre County was set off. [1]
  • 2 March 1831: Juniata County was set off. [1]


Resources

Bible Records

Cemeteries

Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Online Grave Transcripts Published Grave Transcripts County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com Family History Library Findagrave.com
Interment.net WorldCat Names in Stone
USGenWeb-transcripts
USGenWeb-tombstone photos 		Billion Graves
Pennsylvania Genealogy Epodunk
Pennsylvania Gravestones
Billion Graves
Names in Stone
Access Genealogy
Ancestry($)

See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information.

Census

For tips on accessing Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Federal (or United States) census records online, see: Pennsylvania Census.

There are no county or state census records available for Pennsylvania. County and city tax records can be used as a substitute when census records are not available.

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. In Pennsylvania, church records are often used as a substitute for birth, marriage, and death information. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, view the Pennsylvania Church Records wiki page.

Finding Church Records at Other Repositories

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

County-wide Database – Multi-denominational
Contains the church records of:
  • Burnham: United Methodist Burnham Charge; United Methodist Church
  • Lewistown: First United Methodist Church; Grace United Methodist Church; United Methodist Church
  • Reedsville: United Methodist Church
  • Yeagertown: United Methodist Church
Baptist

Baptists organized in Mifflin County in 1840. It wasn’t until 1879 that the congregation was able to hold consistent services. A church was completed in Lewistown in 1883.

Catholic

Many of the workmen on the Juniata Canal in the 1820’s were Catholic. Lewistown was chosen as the best place to build a church for their worship. They broke ground for the Church of the Sacred Heart in 1828. It was attached to the Pittsburgh Diocese until 1868 when it became part of the Harrisburg Diocese.[3]

Episcopal

St. Mark’s Episcopal was established in 1824, but preachers were visiting Mifflin County as early as 1820. The African American Episcopal church was organized in 1816, with two congregations in Lewistown as early as 1872.

Methodist

The first Methodist Society in Lewiston was formed in 1815. Some lists of early congregants are found in Ellis’ history of Mifflin County. [4]

Presbyterian

The first church congregation established in Mifflin County was Presbyterian in 1785 in Bratton Township. Other congregations were established in Lost Creek and Mifflinburg (1805) and Lewistown and Kishacoquillas (1810). [5]

Lutheran

The Lutheran and Reformed congregations formed a Unity church in 1814. Both were German-speaking churches and called their church Zion’s Church. A later church in Lewistown was called St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (1850).

Court Records

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania court records are housed at the Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Courthouse. For many counties copies of court records may be found at the Pennsylvania State Archives and in the FamilySearch collection. Note that within these collections some films may contain the same records, but have different titles. Other titles are not duplicates. See Finding Court Records at other repositories within this section for links to the online catalogs for these two collections. Films at the Pennsylvania State Archives are not available for inter-library loan. If court records are available FamilySearch films may be ordered at a local Family History Center.

Court of Common Pleas

The Courts of Common Pleas are the trial courts of Pennsylvania. Major civil and criminal cases are heard in these courts. Judges also decide cases involving adoption, divorce, child custody, abuse, juvenile delinquency, estates, guardianships, charitable organizations and many other matters. The Common Pleas courts are organized into 60 judicial districts. Mifflin County, Pennsylvania has its own judicial district. Judges of the Common Pleas courts are elected to 10-year terms. A president judge and a court administrator serve in each judicial district.[6]

Clerk of Courts

The Clerk of Courts prepares and maintains the records for the Criminal Division of the Court of Common Pleas. The Clerk signs and affixes the Seal of the Courts to all writs and processes, administers oaths and affirmations, and assumes custody of the seal and records of the Courts. The Clerk certifies and distributes orders of the Court. The Clerk also certifies and prepares bills of costs for the defendants and utilizes the computerized financial management system to disburse fines, costs and restitution.[7] For the Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Clerk of Courts address see the Courthouse section on this page.

Prothonotary

The office of the Prothontary is the custodian of all civil matters in the county. This includes naturalization, immigration, equity actions, judgements, federal and local tax leins, city liens, family court, arbitrations, license suspension appeals, appeals to higher court, commercial code filings, applications for passports and divorce proceedings. See the Courthouse section on this page for the Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Prothonotary office information.

The Prothonotary and the Clerks offices are combined. The Prothonotary is listed with the Elected Officials Offices.

Orphans' Court

See Vital Records
The Orphans' Court is responsible for a wide range of matters. The name of the Court is derived from the more general definition of "orphan," that being a person or thing that is without protective affiliation or sponsorship. This would include those not capable of handling their own affairs, minors, incapacitated persons, decedents estates, nonprofit corporations and trusts. It is the role of the Court to ensure that the best interests of the person or entity are not compromised.

It is believed the name of this court was borrowed from the Court of Orphans of the city of London, England which had the care and guardianship of children of deceased citizens, in their minority.[8]

For Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Orphans' Court contact information see the Courthouse section on this page.

Mifflin County Courthouse
Register and Clerk of Orphans' Court
20 N. Wayne Street
Lewistown, PA 17044
Phone: 1.717.242.1449
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.


Finding Court Records at Other Repositories

Additional court records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Court Records in online catalogs like:

Emigration and Immigration

For information about emigration into Pennsylvania, see the Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration page.


For residents who moved away, see:

Ethnic Groups

Germans

Gazetteers

Genealogy

  • Bell, Raymond Martin. Families and Records Before 1800. 1987, 1991. Includes supplement. Surname and place index at PAGenWeb - free.

History

Published Histories

Land and Property

Land records in Mifflin County began in 1789. These records are filed with the Recorder of Deeds office in Lewistown, Pennsylvania.

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts, indexes, mortgages, leases, grants, sheriff sales, land patents, and maps. Property records include liens as well as livestock brands and estray records.

The following are examples of available resources:

Land Records on Microfilm

Additional Resources

Note that the "Maps" section below also includes maps related to land ownership.

See Pennsylvania Land and Property for more information about using land records, especially about original land warrants, surveys, and patents filed at the state land office.

Additional resources can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mifflin County Pennsylvania Land in online catalogs such as:

Maps

Ancestor Tracks has posted free downloadable images from the Atlas of Perry, Juniata, and Mifflin Counties by and under the Direction of Beach Nichols, published by Pomery, Whitman & Co., 1877.  This atlas located in the Library of Congress shows major landowners and geographic sites at the date of publishing. While the physical maps are in the public domain, the images we have taken of the maps belong to us and are not to be used commercially.  We hereby give permission to use them strictly for personal use; please attribute to Ancestor Tracks. 

Migration

Military

Civil War
  • Frysinger, George R. and Eleanor M. Aurand. Mifflin Countians Who Served in the Civil War: Published in the Lewistown Gazette 1905. Lewistown, Pa.: Mifflin County Historical Society, 1996. Surname index at PAGenWeb - free; FHL Book 974.846 M2f.

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. See Pennsylvania Naturalization for more information about the types of records and availability.

Naturalizations granted at the county level were kept by the office of the Prothonotary. Naturalizations could also be granted on the Federal Court level.

Naturalization records available for Mifflin County, Pennsylvania include the following:

  • 1803-1906 - McClenahen, Dan. Naturalization Papers of Mifflin County, 1803-1906. Lewistown, Pa.: Mifflin County Historical Society, 1984. Surname index at PAGenWeb - free; FHL Book 974.846 P4m.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Original Naturalization Records on Microfilm

Finding Naturalization Indexes at Other Repositories

Additional naturalization indexes can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mifflin County, Pennsylvania naturalization in online catalogs like:

Newspapers

Mifflin County, Pennsylvania newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.

To access newspapers, contact public libraries, historical/genealogical societies, college or university libraries, or state archives in the area where the newspaper was published.

For information on state-wide newspapers see Pennsylvania Newspapers

Newspapers of Mifflin 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

Obituaries are generally found in local newspapers where the person died. However, sometimes an obituary is found in the location from which he or she originated. To find an obituary, see the information under the Newspaper heading

Tip
 Sometimes the fastest way of finding obituaries is to call or email the local public library in the area where the person died. If the library does not have newspapers, a librarian often will know where they are kept. If a death date is known, and the newspapers are at the library, someone on staff will usually make a search for a small fee, or will indicate someone who will do the search.

Online Obituary Abstracts

Obituary Excerpts and Abstracts

Occupations

Indentured Servants

Periodicals

Poorhouse, Almshouse

Probate Records

Probate matters in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania are handled by the Orphans' Court and start when the county was created. To obtain original probate records, contact the Orphan's Court in the County Courthouse.

In addition to wills and administrations, the Orphans' Court also handles: audits of accounts of executors, administrators, trustees, and guardians; distribution of estates of decedents, incompetents, and minors; appointment and control of guardians; adoptions; appeals from the Register of Wills involving probate matters; inheritance tax appeals and various petitions and motions.

Online Probate Records

Original probate records for some Pennsylvania counties are available free online as digital images at FamilySearch.org. The dates vary significantly for each county and not all counties are listed. Some counties may only have probate indexes. This Pennsylvania collection of images may be browsed through the links listed below:

Complete Collection:

Mifflin County Only:

  • Fisher, Charles A. Wills and Administrations of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. Including Wills and Administrations of Union, Mifflin and Indiana Counties. 1950. Digital version at FamilySearch Books Online - free. Abstracts and index.

Original Probate Records on Microfilm

Additional Probate Indexes and Abstracts

Additional probate indexes or abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mifflin County, Pennsylvania probate wills in online catalogs like:

Repositories

Archives
  • The Pennsylvania Archives collection contains county archive records that can be searched onsite. Currently the Archives' staff cannot provide research or make copies of these records. Their collections include Almshouse Registers; Tax records; Birth, Death and Marriage Indexes and Records; Midwife records; African American records; Wills; Deeds; Naturalizations; Coroner's inquests; and Orphan's Court dockets. A list of the Archive's county holdings are on Microfilm or Manuscript form.
Courthouse

Mifflin County Courthouse
20 North Wayne St.
Lewistown, PA 17044

Clerk of Courts/Prothonotary
Phone: 717–248-8146
E–mail: prothonotary@co.mifflin.pa.us

Register, Recorder and Clerk of the Orphans' Court
Phone: 717–242-1449

Family History Centers
Societies

Rich in history, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania contains a number of societies dealing with the history of the area.

The Mifflin County Historical Society
1 West Market Street, Suite 1
Lewistown, PA 17044
Phone: (717) 242-1022

Hours:

Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
March 1st through Mid November 17. Seasonal hours

The historical society has a research room and will do research in their facility or at the courthouse for a fee.

County Mennonite Historical Society
Phone: 717–935-5574
The Heritage Center is open mid-April through December, Wednesdays and Saturdays 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. January to mid-April it is open only on Saturday. Persons may use the center at other times by appointment.

Taxation

  • 1767-1789, 1798 - The People of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, 1755-1798: Tax Lists 1767-1789; Federal Census 1790; Federal Direct Tax 1798 at FamilySearch Books Online - free; surname index at PAGenWeb - free.
  • 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. While the records for that time period are available, there were few events recorded. County marriage records were kept in earnest in 1885. Births and deaths, at the county level, were begun in 1893 and kept through 1905. Abstracts and copies of vital records are available for some counties, but most are incomplete. For the most complete set of records, always contact the County Orphans' Court.

Tip
 Use substitute records for birth, marriage and death information. These substitute records include Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.
Birth
  • 1726-1950 Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 - free. This index is an electronic 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.
  • 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Births Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania birth records are available through the Department of of Health for 1906 and 1907. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified Birth certificate can be obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103

Marriage

Pennsylvania marriages are located at the county level. Contact the Mifflin County, Pennsylvania clerk's office for these records.

  • 1700-1821 - Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties.
  • 1725-1976 - Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 - free index. Not complete for all years. This index is an electronic database of information. The entries are primarily from the International Genealogical Index (IGI) along with some entries derived from compiled and original records such as: Family Records, Church Records, Civil Registration. It may also include indexes generated by the internet indexing project sponsored by the LDS Church.
  • Pre-1810 – Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) This database is incomplete for all counties. Includes 35,000 marriage records from vol. VIII of of the second series of the Pennsylvania Archives.
  • 1822-1885 - McClenahen, Dan. Marriages of Mifflin County, 1822-1885. Lewistown, Pa.: Mifflin County Historical Society, 1981. Surname index at PAGenWeb - free; FHL Book 974.846 V2m.
  • 1852-1854 - Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.
Divorce

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary. The office of the Prothonotary is located in the courthouse building.

Death
  • 1852-1854 – Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry.com – ($) Index with images.

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. See the heading Court Records on this page for contact information.

Indexes for Pennsylvania death records are available through the Department of Health for 1906 through 1962. Once an individual is located in the index a non certified death certificate can be obtained obtained by writing and sending $3.00 to:

Division of Vital Records
ATTN: Public Records
P.O. Box 1528
New Castle, PA 16103

Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mifflin County, Pennsylvania Vital Records in online catalogs like:

Web Sites

  • USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
  • Family History Library Catalog


Places

Populated Places

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Pennsylvania" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Pennsylvania (accessed 17 July 2012).
  3. ↑ Franklin Ellis, History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886), 524. Template:FHbook Free online digital copy.
  4. ↑ Franklin Ellis, History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886), 521-522. Template:FHbook Free online digital copy.
  5. ↑ Franklin Ellis, History of that part of the Susquehanna and Juniata valleys embraced in the counties of Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, Union and Snyder in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania : Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886), 520. Template:FHbook Free online digital copy.
  6. ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ accessed 10 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, Clerk of Courts in http://www.pacourts.us/T/CommonPleas/ClerksOfCourts.htm (accessed 25 Aug 2012)
  8. ↑ The Philadelphia Courts at http://www.courts.phila.gov/common-pleas/orphans/ accessed 10 July 2012
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