Fulton County, Pennsylvania Genealogy

United States

Pennsylvania

Fulton County

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

Pennsylvania Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: McConnellsburg Organized: April 19, 1850 Parent County(s): Bedford Neighboring Counties Huntingdon  • Franklin  • Bedford  • Allegany (MD)  • Washington (MD) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: PA Roots and its members who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today Robert Fulton

County Information

Description

The county was named for inventor Robert Fulton. The county is located in the south-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Fulton County Courthouse
116 W. Market St.
McConnellsburg, PA 17233-1019
Prothonotary/Clerk of Courts/Recorder of Deeds/Register of Wills/Clerk of Orphan's Court: 717-485-4212
Email: prothonotary@co.fulton.pa.us
Fulton County Website

Clerk Orphan Court has birth and death record 1895-1905, marriage records from 1885, and orphan court records from 1850
Prothonotary Office has divorce and court records from 1850
Register of Wills has probate records from 1850
Recorder of Deeds has land records from 1850

Fulton County, Pennsylvania Record Dates

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 Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1895	1885	1895	1850	1850	1850	1790
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1906. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Formed from Bedford County 19 April 1850. County seat: McConnellsburg 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

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:

Boroughs
McConnellsburg	Valley-Hi
Census-designated places
Needmore
Townships
Ayr Belfast Bethel Brush Creek	Dublin Licking Creek Taylor Thompson	Todd Union Wells

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Fulton County, Pennsylvania online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com HomeTownLocator PAGenWeb Archives Tombstone Photos PAGenWeb Pennsylvania Genealogy BillionGraves (name)
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com BillionGraves Linkpendium PAGravestones Access Genealogy Interment FamilySearch Places
See Pennsylvania Cemeteries for more information

 

• ca.1700-ca.1950 - Pennsylvania Cemetery Records, ca. 1700-ca. 1950 at FamilySearch — index and images

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	7,567	—
1860	9,131	20.7%
1870	9,360	2.5%
1880	10,149	8.4%
1890	10,137	−0.1%
1900	9,924	−2.1%
1910	9,703	−2.2%
1920	9,617	−0.9%
1930	9,231	−4.0%
1940	10,673	15.6%
1950	10,387	−2.7%
1960	10,597	2.0%
1970	10,776	1.7%
1980	12,842	19.2%
1990	13,837	7.7%
2000	14,261	3.1%
2010	14,845	4.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. For members, they may contain: age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage date and maiden name; death/burial date. For general information about Pennsylvania denominations, see Pennsylvania Church Records.

For a good history concerning early churches of Fulton County, see "Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania" . Each township section has a religion part discussing the denominations in that particular township.

Fulton county pennsylvania churches.png

County-wide Database - Multi-denominational

• 1708-1985 Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry $

Contains church records of:

• Burnt Cabins: United Methodist Church
• Hustontown: United Methodist Church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Blue Ridge District of the Eastern States Mission comprised church members living in southeastern Pennsylvania. District headquarters were in Lancaster, with branches located in Bucks, Fulton, Lancaster, and York counties.

• Record of Members, [1929]-1944, FHL film 1979

Lutheran
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, McConnellsburg

• 1805-1930 Saint Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, McConnellsburg, Fulton County, Pennsylvania; Parish Registers, 1804-1930 at Ancestry ($).
• 1806-1875 St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, McConnellsburg, Baptism Index 1806-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C504091
• 1849-1906 St. Paul's Lutheran Church records, 1849-1906 at Ancestry ($).
• 1869-1880 St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church, McConnellsburg, Marriage Index 1869-1880 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch M504091

Presbyterian
Presbyterian Church of Green Hill

• 1865-1875 Presbyterian Church of Green Hill Baptism Index 1865-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C538771
• 1865-1895 Presbyterian Church of Green Hill Marriage Index 1865-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch M538771

List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

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.

Emigration and Immigration

For online resources, passenger lists, and specific groups coming to Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania Emigration and Immigration.

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

For groups that came, see People section of the Pennsylvania Emigration page.

Guardianship

The Orphan's Court ensures the best interests of those not capable of handling their own affairs: minors, incapacitated persons, decedents' estates, and more.

Land and Property Records

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 Fulton County began in 1850. These records are filed with the Prothonotary/Recorder office in McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania.

Online Land Records

• 1850 -1937 Register of Deeds, 1850-1900, with Index to Grantors, and Grantees, 1850-1937 FHL film 323959 (first of 16 films) - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1851 -1899 Mortgage Book and Index FHL film 323975 - images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1965–present Fulton County offers online access to records. Fees apply.

Local Histories

• History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania. 1884. Chicago, Illinois : Waterman, Watkins. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• A History of the Juniata Valley. 3 volumes. 1936. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania : National Historical Association, Inc. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 3 - FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Maps

• Maps of Pennsylvania (1673-1878)
• FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military Records

Revolutionary War
Men living in what is now Fulton County (then Bedford County) served in the 8th Pennsylvania Regiment.

Civil War

• 1861-1865 - Pennsylvania, Register of Military Volunteers, 1861-1865 at FamilySearch — index
• Mentzer, John W. 'Tonoloway if its walls could talk.' ([S.l. s.n.], 2008), FHL book 974.872/T1 M2m.

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. For more information, see Pennsylvania Naturalization

Newspapers

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 Fulton County

• Pennsylvania Newspapers
• Chronicling America US Newspaper Directory

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.

• The Fulton County News Archives 2008- present.

Online Newspaper Abstracts

• 1947-2010 Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Collection, 1947-2010 at FamilySearch
• PA-Roots Newspaper Articles for Fulton County.

Obituaries

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

• PA-Roots Obituaries for Fulton County.

Probate Records

Probate matters in Fulton 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

• 1683 -1993 Pennsylvania Wills and Probate Records 1683-1993 at Ancestry $
• 1842-1937 Fulton County Probate Records at FamilySearch
• 1842 -1908 Will Book FHL films 323976–323977 - includes surname index; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1850 -1937 Estate Inventory and Appraisements Lists FHL films 1465898–1465906 - records in alphabetical order; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1851 -1901 Probate Records FHL films 323979–323983 - includes index to register and orphans' court docket, 1851–1936; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1851 -1909 Administrators, Executors, and Guardian Accounts FHL films 323985–323987 - includes surname index; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1863 -1963 Widows' Appraisements FHL films 323988–323989 - part indexed; images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• 1865 -1912 Orphans' Court Auditors Dockets FHL film 323984 - includes surname index images only; click on the camera icon to view images
• Fulton County Wills and Estate Records at Pennsylvania USGenWeb Archives

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

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. 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

Early births 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For more information, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

• 1726-1930 Pennsylvania, Births and Christenings, 1709-1950 index. Not complete for all years. This collection is an 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.
• 1894-1905 Register of Births FHL film 323999 The births from 1894 -1906 have been microfilmed. They are available at the Pennsylvania State Archives and through local Family History Centers.

Marriage

Pennsylvania marriages were created by county officials. Contact Fulton County Courthouse

• 1626-2016 Pennsylvania, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
• 1677-1950 Pennsylvania Civil Marriages, 1677-1950 at FamilySearch
• 1700-1821 Pennsylvania Marriage Records Ancestry $
• 1725-1976 Pennsylvania, Marriages, 1709-1940 index. Not complete for all years. This index 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.
• Pre-1810 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Marriages Ancestry $
• 1852-1854; 1885-1963 Marriage Registers, 1852-1854; Marriage License Dockets, 1885-1963 (Fulton County, Pennsylvania) – FHL films 323990-323998
• 1885-1950 Pennsylvania County Marriage, 1885-1950 Extracted marriage records – Most of the records consist of marriage licenses, certificates, applications, docket books, and affidavits. This database is incomplete for all counties. May also contain marriage records earlier than 1885.

Death

Early deaths 1893–1905 are located at the County Orphans' Court. For indexes and records, 1906 and later, see Pennsylvania Vital Records.

• 1720-1999 Pennsylvania Deaths and Burials, 1720-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
• 1850-1880 Pennsylvania Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1852-1854 Pennsylvania Deaths Ancestry $
• 1852-1854 Deaths: Selected death records Fulton County USGenWeb Archives
• 1852-1854, 1874-1881, 1895-1905 Fulton County Registers of Deaths FHL film 324001
• 1874-1881 Fulton County Death Index 1874-1881 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch

Divorce

Divorce records are available through the office of the Prothonotary, Fulton County Courthouse.

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Greene County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

• National Archives at Philadelphia
  14700 Townsend Road
  Philadelphia, PA 19154-1096
  Phone: 215-305-2044
  Fax: 215-305-2052
  website

Family History Centers

Family History 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 family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Libraries

• Chamberburg Pennsylvania Family History Center

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Fulton County. For state-wide library facilities, see Pennsylvania Archives and Libraries.

Societies

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

• Fulton County Historical Society
  P.O. Box 115
  227 North First Street
  McConnellsburg, PA 17233
  Phone: 717-987-3757
  Email: director@fultonhistory.org
  Website
  The Fulton County Historical Society is housed in the Fulton County Library.

Websites

• USGenWeb project
• Fulton County PA Genealogy
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.