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Bibliography

This page lists various primary and secondary resources for background information and printed transcriptions of genealogical material. The list is arranged alphabetically by topic and then by author. Many of these resources are available as reprints or on Interlibrary Loan. The Family History Library (FHL) number of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is listed when available for use at any of their Family History Centers.

Atlases & Maps | Biography & Genealogy | County History | Military & Warfare | Religion & Churches

Atlases & Maps

Beers, Daniel G. Atlas of Union & Snyder Counties, Pennsylvania: from actual surveys under the direction of D.G. Beers. Phildadelphia: Pomeroy & Beers, 1868. Detailed landowner (not residence) maps. Indispensible for the genealogist and local historian.

Zimmerman, Larry E. Homeowners of 1868 in Union and Snyder Counties, Pennsylvania. Chicago: Adams Press, 1989. An index to the above.

Biography & Genealogy

Ball, Helen A. William and Jane (Jennet) Holmes Irwin of Union County, Pennsylvania: including a study of their ancestors of Lancaster County, Dauphin County, and Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, also their descendants of Pennsylvania, Missouri and other states. East Lansing, MI: n.p., 1980. A prominent family in the early and later history of Union County.

Bell, Raymond Martin. The Forster Families of Paxton (now Dauphin County) and Buffalo Valley (now Union County) Pennsylvania: plus a partial list of Paxton residents earlier than 1752. Washington, PA: R.M. Bell, 1993. Another prominent early family in Union County.

Cody, Robert Aurand. The Aurand(t) Book. Cincinnati, OH: Robert A. Cody, 2001. A genealogy of the Aurand family, with roots in Buffalo Valley, Union County.

Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: including the counties of Centre, Clinton, Union and Snyder, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and many of the early settled families. Chicago: J.H. Beers, 1898. One of the many turn of the century "vanity" books, the information should be used with caution. FHL US/CAN Film 1000533

Harbaugh, Miriam Aurandt. The Aurandt Panorama, 1550-1982. Altoona, PA: M.A. Harbaugh, 1983. Another genealogy of the Aurand family beginning in Buffalo Valley, Union County.

Mensch, Frank W. The Mensch Genealogy. Philadelphia: Mensch, 1921. A family with some roots in Union County.

Wingeard, William Osborne. Jacob Frederick Rudy, 1807-1890, of Union County, PA: and some of his descendants. Harrisburg, PA: W.O. Wingeard, 1993. The Rudy family and some of its members in Union County.

County History

Chance, Hilda. Index to Hungerford and Ellis' History of the Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys, 1886. Huntsville, AK: Century Enterprises, 1969. An index to the Ellis work.

Deans, Thomas R., ed. The Story of a County, 1813-1863: Union County Sesquicentennial. Lewisburg, PA: Focht Printing Co., 1963. Articles written by local historians on the occasion of the county's 150th anniversary. Some original material can be found, but there is some rehashing of Linn's and Ellis' material.

Ellis, F. and Hungerford, A.N., eds. 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: Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886. Of interest is the section on Union County in volume 2, pages 1171-1420r. This has a great deal of information on lawyers, doctors, civic and religious institutions in the county.

Gutelius, C. Warren. The Division of a County, 1853-1855, and the part played in the contest by a Whig Party editor. Northumberland, PA: Susquehanna Press, 1942. A helpful recounting of the political and journalistic intrigue surrounding the separation of Union and Snyder County.

Linn, John Blair. Annals of Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania, 1755-1855. Harrisburg, PA: Lane S. Hart, 1877. Preserves much documentary and oral history, now lost. This entire work can be found on the Bucknell University website as part of the Edna M. Sheery Charitable Trust Project.

Lontz, Mary Belle. Index to History of Northumberland, Huntingdon, Centre, Union, Columbia, Juniata, and Clinton Counties. Milton, PA: Mary Belle Lontz, 1967. An index to Rupp's history.

Lontz, Mary Belle. Index to Otzinachson. Milton, PA: Mary Belle Lontz, 1965. Index to Meginness' work.

Lontz, Mary Belle. Union County, Pennsylvania, 1855-1965. Milton, PA: Mary Belle Lontz, 1966. A compendium of transcribed material from a variety of sources.

Mauser, I.H. Centennial History of Lewisburg: containing also a chronological history of Union County. Lewisburg, PA: I.H. Mauser, 1886. A nice, concise history of the county seat.

Meginness, John Franklin. Otzinachson; or A history of the West Branch Valley of the Susquehanna: embracing a full account of its settlement, trial and privations endured by the early pioneers, full accounts of the Indian wars, predatory incursions, abductions, and massacred, &c., together with an account of the Fair Play System; and the trying scenes of the Big Runaway; interspersed with biographical sketches of some of the leading settlers, families, etc. togther with pertinent anecdotes, statistics, much valuable matter entirely new. Philadelphia: H.B. Ashmead, 1857. A revised and corrected edition was published in Williamsport, PA, by the Gazette and Bulletin Printing House in 1889. This work focuses mainly on the area of the West Branch from Lock Haven through Williamsport and Montoursville, but it includes some early history of the Buffalo Valley, Pennsylvania. Compare with Linn's work which seeks to correct some of Meginness' assumptions.

Rupp, Israel Daniel. History of Topography of Northumberland, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Centre, Union, Columbia, Juniata and Clinton Counties, PA. Embracing local and general events, leading incidents, description of the principal boroughs, towns, villages, etc., etc. With a copious appendix: embellished by engravings. Compiled from authentic sources. Lancaster, PA: G. Hills, 1847. One of the earliest histories, and quite concise. Early engravings of communities are interesting.

Snyder, Charles McCool. Union County, Pennsylvania: A Celebration of History. Lewisburg, PA: Union County Historical Society, 2000. A revised and updated version of the 1976 edition printed during the United States Bicentennial. This is the first scholarly, original research on the county in many years. Heartily recommended for information on industry, women, slavery and Anabaptist sects.

Steese, Charles Marlyn. The Necklace War: An Indian Tale of Buffalo Valley. N.p.: Pennsylvania Folklore Society, 1952. An interesting tale of Union County pioneer life.

Union County Heritage. Lewisburg, PA: Union County Historical Society, 1968 - present. Annually issued booklets with articles of uneven quality by the Union County Historical Society. The quality has increased over the past years.

Military & Warfare

Lontz, Mary. Revolutionary War Soliders of Union County, Pennsylvania. Milton, PA: Mary Belle Lontz, 1980. Transcriptions of county pension records.

Myers, Paul W. Frontier Rangers from Northumberland County, PA: 1778-1783. Apollo, PA: Closson Press, 1988. A very helpful alphabetical compilation of Revolutionary War era soldiers from Northumberland County, precursor to Union County, gleaned from the third series of the printed Pennsylvania Archives. The printed archives are now available for free (with registration) from Footnote.com.

Wagner, 500 Revolutionary Pension Claims under Act of June 7, 1832, Wagner Collection, vol. 9: Union County. Harrisburg PA: State Library of Pennsylvania, 1992.

Religion & Churches

Church Records of Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Philadelphia, Snyder, and Union Counties, Pennsylvania. Princeton: Micro-Images, 1971. 9 microfilm reels. Includes these Union County churches: St. John's United Church of Christ in Mifflinburg, Christ Evangelical Lutheran in Lewisburg, First Lutheran in Mifflinburg, St. John's United Church of Christ in Lewisburg, and Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Berlin. I've only seen these on microfilm, never in print.

Fisher, Charles Adam. Central Pennsylvania Births, 1675-1875. Records include: Church baptismal records from Snyder County: Rows (Salem) Lutheran and Reformed (1774-1832), Zion (Morr's) Lutheran (1781-1808), Grubb's (Botschaft) Lutheran and Reformed (1792-1875); from Union County: Dreisbach's Lutheran and Reformed (1774-1822), St. Elias Lutheran (1796-1826), from Northumberland County: Himmel's Lutheran (1774-1787), Stone Valley Lutheran (1774-1806); from Berks County: Zion (Moselem) Lutheran founded 1743 [partial record], Christ (Tulpehocken) Lutheran founded 1743 [partial record]; Tombstone inscriptions: Fishers Ferry Cemetery, Northumberland County; St. Paul's Cemetery, Juniata County; Graybill (Cross Road) Cemetery, Snyder County; Trinity Reformed Cemetery, Millardsville; Birth dates (many from private sources never before published): Eastern, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Susquehanna Valley. I'm not sure why some of these birth and baptism transcriptions were included, but the book is nevertheless a helpful finding aid. FHL US/CAN Film 1597740 Item 6.

Fisher, Charles Adam. Central Pennsylvania Marriages, 1700-1896. pt. 1. Miscellaneous marriages 1700-1896 -- pt. 2. Union County marriages 1795-1829 -- pt. 3. Rev. J. G. Anspach marriages Union County 1831-1850 -- pt. 4. Rev. J.P. Shindell, jr. marriages Snyder and Union counties 1835-1887 -- pt. 5. Rev. A. B. Casper marriages Snyder and Union counties 1839-1882 -- pt. 6. Rev. C. G. Erlenmeyer marriages Snyder County 1840-1875 -- pt. 7. Revolutionary soldier marriages. Transcriptions of records from several prominent Lutheran and Reformed pastors. FHL US/CAN Film 526997 Item 6.

Nessel, William J. Catholic Origins in Buffalo Valley and Chillisquaque Township of Central Pennsylvania. Wilmington, DE: De Sales Pub., 1990. There is one Roman Catholic church in the entire county, but the Catholic roots go to the antebellum era when the Pennsylvania Canal was built.

Union County Church Records, Volume 1. Harrisburg: State Library of Pennsylvania, 1992. Records of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church of Swengel, St. Peters (Rays) Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lewis Township, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Laruelton and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hartleton. Transcriptions of baptismal and marriage materials.

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