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.

View of Harrisburg, Penn. (1855, William J. Thomas) (Not text searchable)
This is a colorized bird's-eye view of Harrisburg looking south over the city. There are additional illustrations of prominent buildings of the city along its perimeter.

Annals of Harrisburg (George H. Morgan, 1858, 401 pages)
From the Preface: "The object of this work is to rescue from the ebbing tide of oblivion all those forgotten memorials of unpublished facts and observations, or reminiscences and traditions, which will serve to illustrate the domestic history of Harrisburg, past and present. It is designed as a museum of whatever is rare, surprising or agreeable concerning the primitive days of our sturdy forefathers, or of the subsequent changes by their sons, either in the alterations or improvements of given localities, or in the modes and forms of "changing men and manners." It is a picture of the doings and characteristics of a "buried age."

Historical Discourse of the Ruling Elders of the First Presbyterian
Church, Harrisburg, PA (Rev. T. H. Robinson, 1868, 36 pages)
This booklet is a collection of biographies on leading members of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Harrisburg.

Biographies:
Agnew, Boyd, Capp, Gilmore, Graydon, Hays, Leech, McClean, McJimsey, McKinney, Nielson, Root, Sloan, Stoner, Weir,

The Industries, Trade and Commerce of Harrisburg
(George H. Morgan, 1874, 124 pages)
This is a description of the industrial and commercial strength of Harrisburg, PA.

History of the Harrisburg Cemetery Association (John A. Smull, 1876, 67 pages)
This is a history of the Harrisburg Cemetery Association. It contains a list of hundreds of persons who owned lots in the Harrisburg Cemetery.

History of Paxton Church, 1732-1877 (William W. Downey, 1877, 46 pages)
This is a brief history of this early Pennsylvanian congregation. It discusses the founding of the church and the efforts of various clergymen in the service of the congregation.

Industrial and Commercial Resources of the City of Harrisburg
(Statistical Committee, 1887, 116 pages)
According to the title page: "A short review of its history, business, and manufactures; some account of its social advantages, together with statistics epitomizing past and present condition and illustrating the growth and development of its commercial and manufacturing activity..."

History of the Sesqui-Centennial of Paxtang Church
(Mathias Wilson McAlarney, 1890, 324 pages)

1794-1894 Centennial Memorial English Presbyterian
Congregation Harrisburg, PA (Geo. B. Stewart, 1894, 452 pages)
This publication is a history of the English Presbyterian Church of Harrisburg, PA. It contains an account of the weeks centennial celebration, including various addresses, and other events. The appendix contains more useful information: 1) a list of Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Trustees, and Choir members, 2) a roll of Communicants starting in 1827 and ending in 1894, 3) biographies of the Pastors and Elders who served the congregation over the years.

Biographies of Pastors and Elders:
Nathanial Randolph Snowden, James Buchanan, William Radcliffe DeWitt, Thomas Hastings Robinson, Samuel Weir, Moses Gillmor, Adam Boyd, John Stoner, William Graydon, Robert Sloan, Samuel Agnew, Joseph McJimsey, John Neilson, Richard Treat Leech, John Charles Capp, Alexander Graydon, James Wallace Weir, Alexander Sloan, Samuel Wallace Hays, Alfred Armstrong, William McClean, William Root, Mordecai McKinney, John Andrew Weir, Robert Jackson Fleming, James Fleming, and Walter Franklin Fahnestock Jr.,

Annals of the Boy's High School of Harrisburg 1875-1893
(J. Howard Wert, 1895, 135 pages)
This is a brief history of the Boy's High School of Harrisburg written to keep its memory alive after its consolidation. It contains some useful information in the form of lists of pupils and faculty, as well as an account of the events in each school year that the school was in operation.

One Hundredth Anniversary of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church,
Harrisburg, PA 1795-1895 (D. M. Gilbert, 1896, 155 pages)
This was prepared for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of this church. It contains a history of the congregation's beginning and growth, as well as account of the efforts put forth by the various clergyment who served it.

Harrisburg Club (Anonymous, 1898, 60 pages)
This booklet is a collection of information on the Harrisburg Club, a society of Harrisburg, PA. It includes its Charter, By-laws and a listing of its officers and members. A rare publication, and an interesting look into the social lives of some of Harrisburg's residents.

15th Anniversary of the First Presbyterian Church of Steelton
1885-1900 (Anonymous, 1900, 18 pages)

Harrisburg Club (Anonymous, 1903, 74 pages)
This booklet is a collection of information on the Harrisburg Club, a society of Harrisburg, PA. It includes its Charter, By-laws and a listing of its officers and members. A rare publication, and an interesting look into the social lives of some of Harrisburg's residents.

The State Capitol of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, 1906
(The Telegraph Printing Company, 1906, 161 Pages)
This publication is a history of the Capitol of Pennsylvania. It begins with a discussion of the capitol in colonial days, and covers its various locations in Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and Lancaster, until it was decided to permanently locate it in Harrisburg. The account extends up to 1906, following a time period of great deal of improvements in the city.

The Awakening of Harrisburg (J. Horace McFarland, 1906, 32 pages)
This publication was produced to chronicle the revitalization of the city of Harrisburg from 1902 to 1906, and contains a description of the improvements made.

Views of Harrisburg (L. H. Nelson Company, 1906, 32 pages)
This small publication was produced as a souvenir of the city of Harrisburg, PA. It contains about two dozen photographs of historic buildings or locations around the city.

Historic Paxton - Her Days and Her Ways 1722-1913
(Helen Bruce Wallace, 1913, 253 pages)
This publication is a history of Paxton Church, Paxtang, Dauphin County, PA. It contains an account of the early founding and historical details of the church, and also touches on the Cemetery, School and Manse associated with it. It then covers the pastors who served the congregation over the years: James Anderson, William Bertram, John Elder, Nathaniel Randolph Snowden, Joshua Williams, James Russel Sharon, John Marshall Boggs, Andrew Dinsmore Mitchell, William Walton Downey, William A. West, Albert Barnes Williamson, Luther Davis, Darwin Frank Pickard, and Edwin McCord Mulock. There is also a small section covering the Old Derry Church which was a sister church to Old Paxton. The last 100 pages of the publication are recipies to be shared by the congregation.

A Century of Banking 1814-1914 (Helen Bruce Wallace, 1914, 53 pages)
This pamphlet was produced to commemmorate 100 years of business for the Harrisburg National Bank, from 1814 to 1914. It discusses the progress and growth of the bank and its place in Harrisburg's history, with mention of many of the important men of the day.

Then and Now in Harrisburg (Marian Inglewood, 1925, 187 pages)
This publication is a collection of historical facts and accounts from the history of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. From the Preface: "Then and Now in Harrisburg is taken from the historical sketches, Then and Now, that were published in the Patriot, 1823-'25. Those sketches were not intended to give a complete history of the city; neither does Then and Now in Harrisburg claim such a lofty purpose. It does claim, however, that the historical facts given are as nearly accurate as can be ascertained. The sources for Then and Now in Harrisburg were the city directories of long ago, newspapers of the early days, histories, biographies, city records, old deeds and treaties, and the men and women themselves who lived here when Harrisburg was but a country town and who have watched it growing up."

History of the Presbyterian Church (Pine Street) of Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania (George P. Donehoo, 1926, 37 pages)
This pamphlet was produced for the rededication of the church in 1926. It contains a history of the development of the church and a description of the changes to the building from 1858 to 1926. It also contains a list of its members and clergymen (past and present), and others associated with the church.

Sesquicentennial Year Book of the English Presbyterian Congregation
of Harrisburg (150th Anniversary Committee, 1944, 69 pages)
This is a history of the church with several photographs of the building, and a few dozen portraits of officers. It also includes lists of various church organizations and the names of those involved in them.

Welcome Home Banquet - St. John's Reformed Church,
Harrisburg (Anonymous, 1946, 9 pages)
This brief pamphlet is a program of the 'Welcome Home' celebration for WWII soldiers who were associated with the church. It also contains a list of these veterans.

Directory of the State Street Evangelical United Brethren Church,
Harrisburg - 1948 (Anonymous, 1948, 32 pages)