This is a collection of various historical and genealogical reference works on Pennsylvania. These references cover 1000's of individuals, and are an excellent way to start or continue research focused on PA.

This material was scanned from original publications and will be provided as text searchable PDFs (unless noted in description). These files can be read using many PDF reader programs (Windows / Mac / Linux), however Adobe Reader or Acrobat are recommended.

County Histories & Biographical Volumes

The History and Topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, Perry, Somerset, Cambria, and Indiana Counties (I. Daniel Rupp, 1848, 711 pages)
The full title of the publication is:
"The History and Topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams, and Perry Counties: Containing a brief history of the first settlers, notices of the leading events, incidents and interesting facts, both general and local, in the history of these counties, general & statistical descriptions of all the principal boroughs, towns, villages, &c." This is a 2nd Edition of the publication originally published in 1846, which in addition to the original covers the counties of Somerset, Cambria and Indiana. This edition begins with an early history of the state. It discusses the German and Scotch-Irish immigrants who settled in these counties, and the follows with a discussion of the troubles the early settlers had with the Indians. After the general history of the area, it changes focus to the individual counties. Indiana County is covered from pages 591 to 616. The information covers the formation of the county, its early settlers, and the development of the area following settlement. A brief description of the towns of Indiana, Blairsville, Saltsburg, Armagh, and Gerogeville. The end of the coverage on this county is an account of Conrad Weiser's visit to the area, and some notations from his journal. The Appendix offers some additions and corrections to the original publication. This is followed by a list of subscribers who lived in the area covered by the volume.

History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania
(Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1884, 779 pages)
This publication focuses on the history and development of the neighboring counties of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton, Pennsylvania. Briefly, it covers the settlement, wars, and civil growth of these counties as well as each of their respective townships. There is also a section of biographical sketches featuring the pioneers and prominent men of these areas. In addition to the more extensive biographies, there are shorter sketches of other residents in the township sections (these not listed in the index). Numerous pictures of the sketch subjects and occasional depictions of residences and businesses from the area are also included.

Bedford County Surnames:
Ake, Alsip, Anderson, Armstrong, Barclay, Barley, Barndollar, Barton, Blackburn, Breneman, Bruckman, Buck, Burd, Calhoun, Cessna, Clark, Compher, Conard, Daugherty, Detwiler, Donahoe, Doyle, DuBois, Ealy, Earnest, Elliott, Emigh, Enfield, Fletcher, Gump, Hadermann, Hall, Harris, Harry, Hartley, Henry, Hetrick, Hill, Hofius, Hughes, Jamison, Jenkins, Jordon, Kerr, King, Long, Lonenecker, Lutz, Madara, Magaw, Mann, Marbourg, Mattingly, McGirr, McNamara, Minnich, Miller, Mower, Mowry, Musser, Noble, Oellig, Pensyl, Plank, Points, Reamer, Reed, Reynolds, Rhodes, Rice, Robinson, Russell, Sample, Scheel, Scott, Shaefer, Sill, Smith, Spang, Statler, Stayer, Stehley, Stoler, Tate, Thomson, Tod, Todd, Tomlinson, Watson, Weller, Woods

Somerset County Surnames:
Baer, Bailey, Barclay, Beachly, Beachy, Biesecker, Black, Brubaker, Bruce, Casebeer, Coffroth, Colborn, Cover, Cox, Cunningham, Dumbauld, Edie, Elder, Endsley, Espy, Fechtig, Fichtner, Flickinger, Forward, Garey, Gaither, Gardner, Garman, Good, Hamer, Harah, Hay, Heffley, Hoblitzell, Hugus, Husband, Kiernan, Kimmel, Koontz, Kooser, Krissinger, Kuhlman, Lepley, Lichty, Livingood, Louther, McKinley, Meyers, Miller, Morrison, Musselman, Musser, Ogle, Patterson, Pritts, Pugh, Rauch, Ream, Reiman, Ross, Ruppel, Schell, Schrock, Scott, Scull, Shuri, Smith, Snyder, Stewart, Stutzman, Trent, Uhl, Walker, Weyand, Whipkey, Will, Williams, Yutzey, Zimmerman

Fulton County Surnames:
Agnew, Alexander, Austin, Barton, Bonnett, Carl, Donahoo, Fletcher, Goldsmith, Greathead, Hess, Logan, Lyon, McDonald, McFadden, McKiffin, Ott, Pott, Rexroth, Robinson, Schell, Shade, Sipes, Skinner, Smith, Stewart, Trout, Woodcock, Wishart, Woollet

Biographical Review - Containing Life Sketches of Leading Citizens of Bedford
and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania (Biographical Review Publishing Company, 1899, 312 pages)
This publication is a collection of biographical sketches of some of the prominent residents and settlers from the counties of Bedford and Somerset, Pennsylvania.

Surnames Indexed:
Arnold, Baker, Barclay, Barkman, Baush, Beegle, Bell, Berkey, Biesecker, Black, Blair, Bohn, Boor, Boose, Bortz, Boucher, Bowman, Boyer, Brant, Breneman, Brubaker, Brugh, Cable, Calhoun, Carpenter, Cassler, Cessna, Chamberlin, Clark, Cobaugh, Coffroth, Colborn, Collins, Countryman, Covalt, Cover, Covode, Cunningham, Custer, Davis, Deremer, Dibert, Dicken, Dickey, Diehl, Dodson, Dull, Eichelberger, Elliott, England, Eshelman, Feather, Fichtner, Figard, Filler, Flick, Floto, Fyan, Gardner, Garman, Good, Graves, Gump, Hall, Hammer, Harrison, Hartley, Hay, Helm, Hite, Holderbaum, Horner, Huffman, Humbert, Hunt, Imler, Ingard, Jones, Kichinann, Kimmel, Kimmell, Koontz, Kramer, Krebs, Lambert, Lee, Lichty, Livengood, Longenecker, Louther, Lowery, Lutz, Mason, Maurer, May, McDaniel, McFarland, McGregor, McKelvey, McKinley, McLellan, McMillan, Mellott, Merkle, Meyers, Miller, Minder, Morgart, Mostoller, Mountain, Muller, Mullin, Musser, Nycum, Ott, Paul, Pfahler, Phillippi, Philson, Pile, Reed, Reynalds, Reynolds, Rininger, Ritchey, Rodgers, Rose, Ross, Rush, Sams, Sanner, Saylor, Schaeffer, Schell, Schmucker, Schnably, Seibert, Shafer, Shaffer, Shank, Shaver, Shoemaker, Skillington, Sliger, Smith, Snyder, Sparks, Specht, Stallings, Stayer, Stoler, Stuckey, Sweet, Tannehill, Taylor, Wagner, Walker, Walter, Weigle, Weisel, Weller, Wertz, Whetstone, Will, Wolfersberger, Wolford, Yohn, Younkin, Zembower, Zeth, Zimmers

Annals of Bedford County, Pennsylvania (William P. Schell, 1907, 91 pages)
This publication contains a history of Bedford County prepared for Old Home Week of August 4-10, 1907. The account starts during pre-settlement times highlighting details of the Native Americans who lived in this area of the state. The information then focuses on some of those who helped settle the county prior to the Revolution. The account also relates some details from the Revolution and then progresses through the county's continued settlement and growth.

In Pioneer Days and Historical Notes on Bedford, PA
(Inquirer Printing Company, 1934, 28 pages)
This pamphlet presents discussion of historical accounts from Bedford County, including problems with the Indians, early settlers, etc.

A Brief History of Bedford Pennsylvania From Pioneer Days to the Present
(Annie M. Gilchrist, 1955, 37 pages)
This publication presents a condensed history of Bedford County, Pennsylvania starting from the early days of settlement.

Miscellaneous Histories

Industrial and Commercial Resources of [Northern] Pennsylvania
(Historical Publishing Company, 1887, 125 pages)
This publication is a history and description of the business operations from a dozens of towns throughout north and western Pennsylvania. Each business is detailed in sketch form, giving, in many cases, a brief history of its existence, management, and a description of its operations. This information was only published in this publication making this a rare and useful resource for historical or genealogical research in these counties of PA.

Bedford County
-- From Bedford: -- Oppenheimer Stern & Co., A. B. Carn

Indian Eve and Her Descendants (Mrs. Emma A. M. Replogle, 1911, 133 pages)
This is an account of the early history of Bedford County, including details about its early settlers, and life in pre-revolutionary times.

Maps & Atlases (*** Not text searchable ***)
1850's Bedford Co., PA (Unattributed, Color)
1861 Map of Bedford County Pa (E. L. Walker, Color)
1877 County Atlas of Bedford Pennsylvania (F. W. Beers & Co., 41 pages, B/W)

Birds-eye Town Views (*** Not text searchable ***)
Everett, Bedford County, PA 1905 (T. M. Fowler, 1905)
Birds Eye View of Hyndman, Bedford Co., PA (Fowler & Kelly, 1906)