Wyoming County Genealogy Records
Wyoming County genealogy records are maintained at the courthouse in Tunkhannock and span the county's history since 1842. Researchers tracing Wyoming County family history can find marriage licenses, birth and death records, wills, land deeds, and military records through county government offices. The Pennsylvania Wyoming County Historical Society maintains a genealogical library in Tunkhannock with additional resources including Endless Mountains Heritage Region materials and connections to neighboring county historical societies. Wyoming County sits in the Susquehanna River valley of northeastern Pennsylvania, and its families reflect the agricultural and coal mining heritage of this region.
Wyoming County Genealogy Quick Facts
Wyoming County Genealogy Records Overview
Wyoming County was formed from part of Luzerne County on April 4, 1842. It sits at the top of Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains region along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. Tunkhannock, the county seat, is a small borough that has served as the center of Wyoming County government since the county's establishment. The area was settled in the late 18th and early 19th centuries primarily by families from New England, particularly Connecticut, who had claims to the Wyoming Valley land that predated Pennsylvania's formal control of the region.
Key genealogy records for Wyoming County include marriage licenses from 1885, birth and death records from 1893 to 1905, wills and probate records from 1842, and land records from 1842. The Wyoming County government website provides contact information for courthouse offices. Military records from 1918 forward and naturalization records from 1844 to 1956 are also available at the courthouse, making Wyoming County records useful for both military and immigration genealogy research.
The Wyoming County courthouse in Tunkhannock and the Wyoming County Historical Society genealogical library are the main resources for family history research in this northeastern Pennsylvania county.
Wyoming County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds
The combined Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds office in Tunkhannock maintains Wyoming County's core genealogy records. Marriage licenses from 1885 to the present are on file. Birth and death records from 1893 to 1905 are available. Wills and probate records extend from 1842, and land records also begin in 1842. Military records from 1918 forward are maintained here, which can document Wyoming County veterans from World War I through recent conflicts. Naturalization records from 1844 to 1956 identify immigrants who became citizens in Wyoming County and can document their countries of origin.
Contact the courthouse at (570) 278-4600 or by email at regrec@susqco.com (note: this email is for Susquehanna County which shares some administrative services). Under Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.101, most courthouse records are presumed public and available to researchers. The county seat is at the Wyoming County Courthouse in Tunkhannock.
| Website | wycopa.org |
|---|---|
| Phone | (570) 278-4600 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM |
Wyoming County Historical Society
The Pennsylvania Wyoming County Historical Society (PAWCHS) maintains a genealogical library at Hancock Street, Tunkhannock, PA 18657. The society's postal address is P.O. Box 309, Harrison and Bridge St., Tunkhannock, PA 18657. The historical society's research resources include access to the Pennsylvania State Archives online portal, Chronicling America digitized newspapers, the Directory of Pennsylvania Genealogical Societies, and Endless Mountains Heritage Region resources specific to northeastern Pennsylvania.
The society also has relationships with neighboring historical societies that can assist with research beyond Wyoming County's borders. These include the Susquehanna County Historical Society in Montrose, Bradford County Historical Society in Towanda, Lackawanna Historical Society in Scranton, Luzerne County Historical Society in Wilkes-Barre, and Wayne County Historical Society in Honesdale. Since many Wyoming County families had connections to these neighboring counties, these relationships can be valuable for comprehensive genealogy research in the Endless Mountains region.
Note: The Wyoming Valley region has a complex settlement history involving land claims from Connecticut settlers under the Susquehanna Land Company. Some early Wyoming County family records may reference both Pennsylvania and Connecticut jurisdictions.
Vital Records in Wyoming County
Vital records for Wyoming County divide into two systems. Birth and death records from 1893 to 1905 are at the courthouse in Tunkhannock. For births and deaths from 1906 forward, the Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains statewide vital records. Under 35 P.S. § 450.801, birth records are publicly accessible after 105 years and death records after 50 years. Many early 20th-century Wyoming County vital records are now available to genealogy researchers at the State Archives.
Marriage licenses in Wyoming County date from 1885 at the Register of Wills. For marriages before 1885, church records are the primary source. Wyoming County's early New England settlers brought their Congregational and Baptist church traditions, and these congregations kept registers of baptisms, marriages, and deaths. Some of these records survive and are available through FamilySearch or at the historical society. The Pennsylvania Department of Health does not hold marriage records, which remain permanently at the county courthouse.
Pennsylvania Archives and Wyoming County Online Research
The Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg holds statewide collections supplementing Wyoming County courthouse records. Military records in the ARIAS database cover Wyoming County residents who served in Pennsylvania units from the Civil War through World War II. Land Warrant Registers document early grants in what is now Wyoming County territory. Under 37 Pa.C.S. § 305.3, records more than 75 years old at the State Archives are open to public research.
The State Library of Pennsylvania genealogy collection provides census records for Wyoming County from 1850 through 1940 on microfilm, along with county histories and family genealogies. FamilySearch offers free online access to many Wyoming County records. Act 127 of 2016 expanded access to adoption records in Pennsylvania, which may apply to some Wyoming County genealogy searches.
Cities in Wyoming County
Tunkhannock is the county seat and main government center of Wyoming County. Explore Pennsylvania city genealogy resources below.
Nearby Counties
Wyoming County borders several northeastern Pennsylvania counties. Research may require checking records in neighboring counties for families who relocated across county lines.