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 and Biographicals

The History and Topography of Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Bedford, Adams,
Perry, Somerset, Cambria, and Indiana Counties (I. Daniel Rupp, 1848, 711 pages)
This publication 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 Adams County, covered on pages 511 - 538. These pages discuss the formation of the county (being split from neighboring York County), a description of its geography, agriculture and industry, and a brief history of its major towns. Following this is some discussion of the border dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania and accounts of the early settlers of the area. At the end is a very useful Every-Name Index that was added to the original publication.

History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
(Warner, Beers & Co., 1886, 1501 pages)
This is an extensive compilation of historical and biographical information covering Cumberland and Adams Counties, PA. Part 1 contains a discussion of the early history of Pennsylvania, outlining the involvement of various individuals in its settlement and growth. Part 2 contains a history of Cumberland County, its beginning and growth, a history of each of the townships and major boroughs, and concludes with biographies of prominent individuals arranged by township. Part 3 covers Adams County, and is structured the same as Part 2. Also included are numerous illustrations of those covered in the biography sections. At the end of each section is an every-name index.

Cumberland County Surnames:
Ahl, Allen, Altick, Ames, Anthony, Ayres, Babb, Babble, Baker, Balsley, Bamford, Barber, Barner, Barnes, Barnitz, Barrick, Bashore, Baughman, Bear, Beattie, Beidler, Beltzhoover, Bender, Bentz, Berkheimer, Best, Biddle, Biggs, Bishop, Blair, Bloser, Bobb, Bosler, Bowman, Bradley, Brandt, Bratton, Brechbill, Brehm, Bretz, Bricker, Brindle, Brinkerhoff, Bruckhart, Bucher, Burgner, Burkhart, Bushman, Carl, Carothers, Chestnut, Christlieb, Chronsiter, Clark, Clendenin, Clepper, Clever, Cockman, Coffey, Coover, Corman, Cornman, Coyle, Craig, Crawford, Cressler, Crist, Croft, Croman, Dale, Davidson, Davis, Deardorff, Deitz, Dietz, Derland, Dewalt, Dixon, Doner, Dornbach, Drawbaugh, Duncan, Dunlap, Earley, Eberly, Eckels, Elcock, Emminger, Eminger, Erb, Erford, Ernst, Eshelman, Evans, Eyster, Feeman, Fenstermacher, Fickel, Fishburn, Foreman, Forry, Fosnot, Fulmer, Fulton, Galbraith, Gardner, Garrett, Garver, Gettel, Getter, Gibble, Gibson, Gillespie, Givin, Gladfelter, Glessner, Goodhart, Goodyear, Gorgas, Graham, Greason, Greider, Grove, Guswiler, Hailman, Hance, Hargleroad, Harmon, Haskill, Hauck, Haverstick, Hays, Heagy, Heberlig, Heck, Hefflefinger, Henderson, Hensel, Herman, Herr, Hertzler, Hess, Heyd, Highlands, Hoerner, Holler, Hollinger, Hoover, Horst, Houston, Hull, Hummel, Humrich, Hursh, Hurst, Huston, Hutton, Irvine, Jacobs, James, Kast, Kauffman, Keiser, Keller, Kendig, Kerr, Kieffer, Killian, Kimmel, King, Klepper, Knoderer, Koller, Koons, Koser, Kost, Landis, Lantz, Leas, Leberknight, Leeper, Lefever, Lehman, Leib, Leidich, Leidigh, Lenher, Lindsay, Lindsey, Line, Lininger, Lloyd, Logan, Long, Longenecker, Longnecker, Longsdorf, Loudon, Lutz, Mains, Manning, Mansfield, Martin, Marshall, Masonheimer, Mauk, May, McAllester, McCachran, McCarrell, McClure, McCrea, McCulloch, McCullough, McCune, McElwain, McGaw, McKeehan, Megaw, Meixel, Meloy, Mentzer, Merkel, Messinger, Mickey, Middleton, Milleisen, Miller, Minnich, Mitchell, Mohler, Moltz, Montgomery, Moore, Morret, Morrison, Mosser, Mountz, Mowery, Mullin, Mumma, Mumper, Murray, Musselman, Musser, Myers, Niesley, Noffsinger, Norcross, North, O'Hara, O'Neale, Orris, Ott, Otto, Palm, Patton, Paul, Paxton, Peffer, Penrose, Phillips, Piper, Plank, Ployer, Porter, Pratt, Pressel, Ralston, Randall, Rea, Reigart, Reigel, Reighter, Reily, Reinhardt, Rice, Ringrose, Ringwalt, Ritner, Ritter, Rudy, Rupley, Rupp, Russell, Sadler, Saxton, Schell, Scherich, Schmohl, Schroeder, Seidle, Senseman, Shaeffer, Shambaugh, Shapley, Sharp, Sharpe, Shaw, Sheely, Shelley, Shoemaker, Shoop, Short, Shreiner, Shuman, Shumberger, Sibbet, Simmons, Singiser, Sipe, Smead, Smith, Snyder, Sollenberger, Souder, Sours, Spong, Sponsler, Stauffer, Staver, Steiner, Stewart, Stricker, Strickler, Strock, Strohm, Stuart, Swartz, Swigert, Swiler, Tanger, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Titzel, Totton, Tritt, Trone, Turner, Umberger, Underwood, Van Camp, Vance, Voglesong, Waggoner, Wagner, Wagoner, Wallace, Walters, Watts, Weakley, Wentz, Wertz, Westhafer, Wetzel, Wherry, Wilbar, Wilder, Williams, Williamson, Wilson, Wilt, Wing, Witherspoon, Witman, Witmer, Wolf, Wonderlich, Woods, Woodward, Worley, Worst, Wylie, Young, Zearing, Zeigler, Zimmerman, Zinn, Zug

Adams County Surnames:
Alleman, Arnold, Asper, Bachman, Basehoar, Baugher, Baumgardner, Bayly, Beales, Beamer, Beard, Bell, Benner, Bigham, Bikle, Bishop, Bittinger, Blackwelder, Blocher, Blythe, Bollinger, Bonner, Bosserman, Bream, Breidenbaugh, Brinkerhoff, Bucher, Buehler, Burkholder, Bushman, Byers, Cashman, Cassat, Cobean, Cole, Colehouse, Collins, Coshun, Coulson, Croll, Crouse, Cunningham, Deardorff, Dechert, Demarest, Detrick, Dicks, Dickson, Diehl, Dill, Diller, Dull, Duncan, Durboraw, Duttera, Eaholtz, Ehrehart, Elden, Elliott, Emmert, Everhart, Eyler, Felty, Fink, Forhan, Forney, Forrest, Forry, Frey, Gardner, Garretson, Geiselman, Gelbach, Gettier, Gilbert, Giettier, Gilliland, Gitt, Goldsborough, Griest, Grove, Group, Hamilton, Hankey, Harner, Harnish, Hartman, Hartzel, Hay, Heiges, Heltzel, Hendrix, Hersh, Hesson, Hickey, Hill, Himes, Hoffman, Hoke, Holtz, Holtzworth, Horner, Howard, Hulick, Jameson, Johns, Kauffman, Kelly, Kemp, Kendig, Kendlehart, Kerr, Kieffer, Kimple, King, Kittinger, Kitzmiller, Klein, Koser, Krauth, Krise, Krug, Kuhn, Lansinger, Laydom, Leas, Lecrone, Leece, LeFevre, Lilly, Longsdorf, Lott, Lower, Lynn, Majors, Mark, Marshall, Martin, McClean, McClellan, McConaughy, McCullough, McCurdy, McGaughy, McIlhenny, McKnight, McPherson, McSherry, Meals, Meckley, Mehring, Meisenhelder, Melhorn, Mickley, Miller, Minter, Moorhead, Morrow, Mumma, Mumper, Musselman, Myers, Neely, Noel, OBold, Ocker, O'Neal, Orner, Pearson, Pensyl, Peters, Pfoutz, Picking, Plank, Pohlman, Poist, Rebert, Reed, Rether, Rice, Riley, Riittase, Roth, Rudisill, Ruff, Rummel, Runkel, Russell, Sandrock, Sangree, Schick, Schlosser, Schmucker, Schriver, Schwartz, Scott, Scoyoc, Seiss, Sell, Sheads, Sheeley, Sheely, Sherfy, Shively, Shorb, Shull, Slaughenhaupt, Slaybaugh, Slifer, Slinghoff, Smith, Sneeringer, Snyder, Spalding, Spangler, Stahle, Stallsmith, Stauffer, Stavely, Stem, Stewart, Stock, Stoner, Stonesifer, Storrick, Stultz, Swartz, Sweitzer, Swope, Taughinbaugh, Tawney, Thomas, Tipton, Trimmer, Trostel, Trostle, Tyson, Valentine, Walhey, Walter, Waltman, Warren, Watson, Weaner, Weaver, Weigle, Weikert, Welty, Wertz, White, Wible, Wickersham, Wierman, Wildesin, Wills, Wilson, Witherow, Witmor, Witmore, Wolf, Wolff, Wolford, Wortz, Wright, Yingling, Young, Yount, Ziegler

The Story of the Creation of Adams County, Pennsylvania
(Hon. Edward McPherson, 1889, 50 pages)
Full Title: The Story of the Creation of Adams County, Pennsylvania and of the Selection of Gettysburg as its Seat of Justice. This was an address before the Historical Society of Adams County.

Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth
Congressional District Pennsylvania (Samuel T. Wiley, 1897, 550 pages)
This publication is a historical and biographical volume on the 19th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, comprising the counties of Cumberland, York and Adams. It begins with a brief history and description of the area and its features. Following this are biographies of the prominent citizens of Cumberland, York and Adams counties. Many of the biographical sketches are accompanied by portraits of the sketch subjects.

Biographical Sketches:
Ahl, Alleman, Allewalt, Bahn, Baird, Baker, Barshinger, Beck, Bellman, Benner, Biddle, Billheimer, Birch, Bittenger, Bittinger, Black, Blasser, Boas, Bollinger, Bond, Bosler, Bowman, Boyd, Brame, Brenneman, Bressler, Brickley, Brindle, Brown, Bucher, Buehler, Bushman, Callender, Carl, Cassatt, Chapin, Cochran, Conrad, Culp, Dale, Daron, DeHoff, Delone, Dick, Dietz, Diven, Dougherty, Dromgold, Durbin, Durkey, Ebert, Eckert, Eichelberger, Ehrehart, Ehrhart, Elcock, Elliott, Farquhar, Fastnacht, Fegley, Fisher, Flora, Floyd, Forney, Franklin, Freas, Frey, Frick, Frysinger, Gable, Gardner, Gerry, Gibson, Gilbert, Glessner, Goodyear, Gotwalt, Graham, Gross, Grossbrenner, Grove, Hagerty, Haines, Hamilton, Hartley, Hay, Hays, Heiges, Heilman, Heller, Hemler, Hemminger, Hench, Henderson, Herman, Hersh, Himes, Hoober, Hoover, Houck, Hubley, Humrich, Jameson, Jones, Kerr, Keyworth, Klinger, Krise, Lafean, Lanius, Latimer, Lenhart, Lewis, Lilly, Lindner, Lloyd, Long, Loucks, Manifold, Mayer, McClean, McCoy, McElroy, McGuire, McIlhenny, McKinnon, McKnight, McPherson, McSherry, Meisenhelder, Milleisen, Miller, Minnich, Mohler, Moore, Mowers, Moyer, Murray, Musselman, Myers, Neeley, Neely, Neiman, Nes, Niles, Nisbet, Nixon, Norcross, O'Neil, Passmore, Patrick, Peffer, Peters, Pitcher, Plank, Quay, Quinby, Reed, Rees, Reese, Robbins, Ross, Ritchey, Rupp, Sadler, Safford, Schall, Schlueter, Seiffert, Sell, Sheely, Shindel, Shulenberger, Slagle, Small, Smead, Smith, Smyser, Snyder, Sonneman, Spangler, Stahle, Steacy, Steck, Stevens, Stewart, Stock, Stuck, Strawbridge, Strine, Stubbs, Swope, Tanger, Taylor, Thompson, Todd, Trimmer, Underwood, Vandersloot, Vale, Valentine, Van Cleve, Wagner, Walker, Wanner, Wasbers, Watts, Weakley, Weaver, Webb, Weber, Weiser, Wetzel, Whiting, Williams, Wood, Wormley, Yeagley, Young, Ziegler

Historic Adams County Pennsylvania - A Pictorial Record
(Historical Handbook Committee, 1950, 97 pages)
From the Foreword: "The history of a people, their hopes, plans and accomplishments, is never fully recorded without the use of visual aids. In presenting this story of Adams County in photographs, it is hoped to acquaint the reader with graphic force something of the life of the early settlers in their effort to establish themselves in a new environment as well as the contributions of successive generations to the enjoyment of life in this region chosen by their ancestors." As noted above, this is a pictorial record. It contains numerous pictures which give insight into the history of Adams County. Each of the pictures contains an explanation or some detail of the significance of the photograph. The photographs are not high resolution and a few are dark, yet, this is still a valuable resource for historical research.

Souvenir Program - 150th Anniversary of the Founding of Adams County, PA
(Anonymous, 1950, 58 pages)
This is a brief history and souvenir of the 150th anniversary of Adams County. It contains a brief account of the early history of the county on through its development into the 20th century. It also include a few photographs of historic locations around the county and a program of the celebration events.

Town, Township & Regional Histories

A History of Abbottstown (Willis W. Eisenhart, 1953, 136 pages)
This publication contains a brief history of Abbottstown (Berwick), its people and development. The information was collected from previous historical sketches, church records, military rosters, court records and tax and census lists. It begins with an account of the founding family, the Abbetts, who immigrated from England. It then follows into a history of the town's development over the years.