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 collection includes all of the individual collections covering McKean County, PA (Please see individual collection listings for detailed descriptions of titles.)

This material was scanned from original publications and will be provided as text searchable PDFs (unless noted in description). You will receive an email with the download link after purchasing online. These files can be read using many PDF reader programs (Windows / Mac / Linux), however Adobe Reader or Acrobat are recommended.

County Histories & Biographical Volumes

Pioneer Outline History of Northwestern Pennsylvania
(W. J. McKnight, 1905, 719 pages)
The Full title is: "A Pioneer Outline History of Northwestern Pennsylvania, Embracing the Counties of Tioga, Potter, McKean, Warren, Crawford, Venango, Forest, Clarion, Elk, Jefferson, Cameron, Butler, Lawrence, and Mercer, Also A Pioneer Sketch of the Cities of Allegheny, Beaver, Du Bois, and Towanda". This publication is a historical account of the early beginnings of several counties in Northwestern PA. The information is more focused on historical details than biographical, but it still contains a great deal of information useful for historical or genealogical research.

Genealogical and Personal History of Northern Pennsylvania Vol. 1-3
(John W. Jordan, 1913, 1556 pages)
This is an extensive historical and biographical reference which covers the northern Pennsylvania counties of Bradford, Cameron, Elk, McKean, Potter and Tioga. This provides a wealth of information on the history and growth of these counties but more importantly, a great deal of information on the people of these counties. Hundreds of individual and family histories are sketched, making this an excellent reference for historical or biographical research. Along with many of the sketches, there are also portraits of the sketch subjects.

Surnames Indexed:
Abbott, Acker, Akley, Adams, Adamy, Adsit, Aggers, Allen, Allis, Anderson, Andrews, Armstrong, Arnold, Arters, Arthur, Artley, Ashcraft, Auerhaim, Austin, Bache, Backus, Bacon, Bailey, Baird, Baker, Baldwin, Ball, Ballard, Ballentine, Bantie, Barber, Bard, Barker, Barnaby, Barnes, Barr, Barry, Bartlett, Barton, Bauer, Baxter, Bayer, Bayless, Bayley, Bean, Beatty, Becker, Beckwith, Beeman, Bell, Bellows, Benedict, Benjamin, Bennett, Benninghoff, Benson, Berfield, Berry, Billings, Blair, Blake, Blanchard, Bliss, Blose, Bloss, Boardman, Bodine, Boller, Borland, Bottom, Bouton, Bowen, Boylston, Bradley, Brandon, Bressler, Brock, Brooks, Broughton, Brown, Brownell, Bryner, Bulkley, Bullock, Burden, Burkholder, Burns, Bush, Butler, Butterfuss, Butts, Cady, Caldwell, Calhoun, Calkins, Cameron, Camp, Campbell, Cannon, Carman, Carnahan, Carpenter, Carrier, Carson, Carter, Cass, Cassiday, Caswell, Catlin, Chamberlain, Chance, Chandler, Channel, Chapman, Chase, Chatley, Chesney, Childs, Chrisman, Christ, Chubbuck, Church, Clark, Clarke, Claus, Clemons, Cleveland, Cliffe, Close, Coates, Cobb, Codding, Coffin, Cogswell, Colcord, Cole, Colegrove, Coles, Collins, Conable, Cone, Conneely, Cook, Cornelison, Cornelius, Corson, Corwin, Cott, Couch, Courtice, Cowan, Cox, Coyne, Crabb, Crawford, Crippen, Crissey, Crittenden, Cromwell, Cronk, Crowell, Culver, Cupp, Curran, Curry, Curtis, Cuthbert, Dana, Dardis, Darling, Dartt, Davenport, Davies, Davis, Davison, Dean, Deane, Deans, De Lano, Dempsey, Dennison, Densmore, Depuy, Devine, De Vine, De Witt, Dibble, Dickinson, Dix, Dixon, Doane, Dobie, Dodds, Dolley, Donahue, Dowry, Drake, Dugan, Dulso, dunham, durley, durrin, Duryea, Dyer, Earl, Easton, Eastman, Easton, Eaton, Eberenz, Eby, Eckels, Eckert, Edgcomb, Edson, Edwards, Egbert, Egleston, Ellinger, Elsbree, Emery, Emmert, Engler, English, Ent, Erway, Estabrook Estell, Estes, Evans, Everitt, Eyster, Fahnestock, Fannin, Fanning, Fay, Fenton, Ferris, Ferry, Field, Finch, Fischler, Fish, Fisher, Fisk, Fitzgerald, Fleming, Flower, Foote, Forbes, Ford, Foster, Fox, Frank, Frazer, Frederick, Freeman, French, Frisbie, Fulford, Fuller, Fullerton, Gainor, Gallup, Gantt, Gardner, Garlick, Garman, Garritt, Gayton, Geary, Gee, Geer, Gentry, George, Gerow, Gibson, Gifford, Gillespie, Gillett, Gillette, Gillis, Gleason, Glecker, Glenn, Glennon, Golden, Goodman, Goodsell, Goodspeed, Gordnier, Gore, Gorrie, Gorton, Gould, Gray, Greatsinger, Green, Greene, Gridley, Griffin, Griffis, Griffith, Grow, Guile, Gulnac, Gunn, Habgood, Hackett, Haffey, Hagar, Haggerty, Hale, Hallock, Hamblin, Hamilton, Hamlin, Hammond, hamcok, Hanley, Harrington, Harris, Harrison, Hart, Hastings, Hatfield, Haven, Hawkins, Hayden, Hayes, Hazen, Hazlett, Heasley, Heess, Helmes, Lemsman, Hennage, Henning, Heysham, Heywood, Higgins, Hill, Hilton, Hinds, Hoag, Hoard, Hofer, Hogan, Hogarth, Holbrook, Holcomb, Holly, Holmes, Hosterman, Hotchkiss, Houghton, Houseknecht, Hovey, Howd, Howe, Howells, Hubbard, Hulme, Humez, Hunt, Huntington, Hurd, Hurler, Hurley, Hussey, Husted, Hyde, Inman, Innes, Inscho, Irvine, Irwin, Jackson, Jacob, James, Jaynes, Jefferis, Jennings, Jewett, Johnson, Johnston, Jones, Joseph, June, Kahsnitz, Kaminsky, Kane, Karr, kay, Keck, Keeler, Keeny, Kehrer, Kellogg, Kemp, Kenyon, Kervin, Kibbe, Kiess, Kilbourne, Kimball, Kime, Kincaid, Kimmel, King, Kingley, Kirby, Klapp, Klock, Knapp, Kneeland, Knight, Kock, Korns, Kreiner, Krusen, La Bar, Lain, Landruss, Landon, Lane, Landworthy, Larrabee, Lawrence, Laye, Laymon, Learn, Learned, Leasure, Leavitt, Lechler, Lecky, Lehman, Lent, Leonard, Lesser, Lewis, Leyman, Lillibridge, Lilly, Lindhome, Lindsey, Lindsley, Little, Llewelyn, Logaugh, Lockhart, Loeb, Logan, Logue, Loney, Long, Longwell, Loomis, Lugg, Lunden, Luther, Lynch, Lyon, Mackie, Malin, Mallory, Maltby, Mangold, Markham, Marks, Marsh, Marshall, Martin, Mascho, Mathers, Maxwell, Mayo, MacEwen, McAleer, McAllister, McCandless, McCarthy, McClure, McCoy, McCraney, McCrea, McCulloch, McDowell, McFall, McFarlin, McGloin, McIlvaine, McIntosh, McIntyre, McKee, McKinney, McLaren, McLaughlin, McQuiston, McVay, Meade, Meagher, Meek, Melvin, Merritt, Messenger, Metcalf, Meyer, Miles, Millard, Miller, Mills, Minor, Mitchell, Mohney, Monroe, Moody, Moore, Morgan, Morian, Morley, Morris, Morrison, Moscrip, Mosher, Mourey, Mulhaupt, Mullin, Murphy, Naegley, Neal, Nelson, Newcomer, Newell, Newton, Nichols, Noble, Nobles, Northrop, Oakes, O'Brien, Olds, Olmstead, Orr, Osler, Osterhout, Ostrander, Oviatt, Owen, Owens, Owlett, Packard, Packer, Page, Painter, Palmer, Parker, Parkhurst, Parks, Parsons, Paterson, Patterson, Pattison, Paul, Peake, Pealer, Peeling, Perkings, Persing, Phillips, Phippen, Pitts, Place, Plank, Poley, Pool, Potter, Powell, Pratt, Presho, Preston, Pringle, Pritchard, Probyn, Prosser, Prouty, Prutsman, Putnam, Quimby, Radcliffe, Raesly, Rahm, Randall, Rasey, Rathbun, Rausher, Raymer, Raymond, Reck, Record, Redfield, Reed, Rees, Rendall, Rettenbury, Rice, Richmond, Rieppel, Rietter, Ripley, Ritter, Robarts, Roberts, Robinson, Robison, Roff, Rogers, rohe, Rose, Ross, Roy, Rumsey, Rusling, Russell, Rust, Ryan, Ryon, Salberg, Salisbury, Sanborn, Sanders, Sartwell, Schermerborn, Schirk, Schram, Scott, Scranton, Seamans, Seaward, Secor, Seely, Seldon, Sellard, Seltz, Semmler, Shanley, Sharp, Shattuck, Shaut, Shaw, Shell, Shepard, Sheppard, Sherman, Shoemaker, Shriever, Shumway, Siemens, Signor, Skelton, Sloan, Smiley, Smith, Sommers, Soules, Southworth, Specht, Spencer, Squires, Staats, Stanley, Stanton, Staples, Starr, Steele, Sterling, Stevens, Stewart, Stickman, Stiles, Stoddard, Stokes, Stone, Stover, Streby, Stull, Sullivan, Sutton, Swan, Swanson, Sweazy, Sweeney, Swimley, Swisher, Taylor, Teall, Terwilliger, Thayer, Thomas, Thompson, Thornton, Tice, Tipple, Tobin, Tomlinson, Tracy, Truman, Tubbs, Tucker, Turner, Tuttle, Upton, Van Aken, Vandergrift, Van Dusen, Van Dyke, Van Gasbeck, Van Horn, Van Loon, Van Slyke, Vantine, Vedder, Vera, Viner, Waggoner, Wagner, Waid, Waite, Wakefield, Wakley, Waldron, Walker, Walter, Walters, Ward, Warner, Washburn, Watkins, Watrous, Weaver, Webb, Webster, Weeks, Wells, Westbrook, Wetherbee, Wharton, Wheelock, White, Wilbur, Wilcox, Wilkinson, Williams, Willis, Wilson, Windsor, Winlack, Witherspoon, Wolford, Wood, Woodley, Woods, Woodward, Wright, Wynn, Yonkin, Young, Zillafro

Town, Township & Regional Histories

History of Duke Centre With a Complete Business Directory of the Borough
(H. L. Cartwright, 1880, 74 pages)
This is an early history of Duke Centre, McKean County, PA published in 1880. According to the title page, this publication presents a "history of Duke Centre and its progress up to the present time, with an exhaustive review of its industries, commerce, business men, etc., and a list of borough officials, society directory, travelers' guide, etc., etc.," The historical section covers half the publication, followed by a section on Duke Centre's Business Men and pages of ads for local businesses.

Business Sketches:
Horace Noble, Photograph Gallery, Greene's Block, The Chautauqua House, A. N. Heard's Grocery, James Koyer's Hardware Store, J. S. King's Dry Goods Store, City Drug Store, Dr. A. R. Baker, J. V. McAlpine, Dress-Making Establishment, B. Fischer & Co., Grocery, Scio House, Mrs. Camerons' Millinery Establishment, L. J. Lilly's Boot and Shoe Store, Enterprise Cash Store, G. F. Bardon J.P., Billiard Hall, Jackson House, Cash Grocery, B. Palmer's Hardware and Tinshop, The Duke House, Pittenger & Walsh's Livery, Lewis & Burkdick's Law Office, Duke Centre Bank, Bostwick's Agency, P. Miller's Jewelry Store, Graves & Low, Justice S. M. Johnston, United States Hotel, Centre Bakery, The Crystal Spring House, Todd & Anderson's Grocery, Sunday Morning News, Applebee House, S. Frankensteine's, Applebee's Grocery, Cheeseman & Orr's Law Office, Dr. J. M. Clark's Drug Store, Dr. T. D. Ross, Dr. W. F. Conners, Greenberg & Co.'s Clothing House, E. McSweeney & Bro., Post Office, H. T. Elliott's Stationery and Cigar Store, T. Singleton's Jewelry Store, J. Schloss's Tailoring Establishment, V. Hollar's Saloon, C. Willis's Barber Shop, Monitor Liquor Store, H. C. Stevens "The Clothier", Grand Central Restaurant, Meat Market, Billiard Room, Showerman & Noble, Shaner & Storey, Herron & Findley, Barber Shop, McElwaine, Ladies' Furnishing Store, Merchant Tailoring Establishment, M. Shear & Bro's Dry Goods Store, Empire House, L. J. Williams's Variety Store, R. Salvage's Boot & Shoe Store, "Boss Store", T. C. Walker's Feed Store, Corsaw House, Billiard and Sample Room, The European Dining Hall, Bath Room and Barber Shop, New Engine House, L. A. Gottschall's Grocery Store, Saddlery and Harness Shop, Erie Hotel, Wholesale and Retail Grocery and Feed Store, Smith and Roger's Dry Goods Store, Dr. T. W. Hopkins, Millinery and Dressmaking Establishment, Geo. E. Wood's Bakery, Paradise of Fashion, Mr. C. Weiler, Weaver & Williams' News Room, Mallory & Koch's Furniture Warerooms, Kinner & Press' Grocery, English House, Meat Market, Duke Centre Gas Company, American Hotel, Prindle & Pettite's Grocery, Topeka School-house, Oswayo House, John M. Lyman's Grocery and Flour and Feed Store, Plank Road House, Wholesale Liquor and Cigar Store, Dr. D. J. Wilson, The Duke Centre Restaurant, Boot and Shoe Store, Ellenville House, Barnhart's Carriage and Wagon Shop, Barber House, Flour and Feed Store, Parker House, Duke Centre Meat Market, Carson's Grocery, Charles Sommetzer's Bakery

Smethport Centennial 1853-1953 (Anonymous, 1953, 76 pages)
This is a souvenir of the centennial celebration of Smethport, McKean County, PA held in 1953. It contains a program of the events of the celebration, as well as some miscellaneous historical information. It also includes a list of soldiers from the area from WWI and WWII and ads for local businesses throughout.

Port Allegheny, PA Sesquicentennial Historical Booklet (Anonymous, 1966, 84 pages)
This booklet was published as a historical souvenir for Port Allegheny, McKean County, PA for its 150th anniversary. It covers the history of the town and its growth over the years. Along with the historical information are a number of photographs and illustrations from its history. Also presented is a program of events associated with the centennial celebration and numerous ads for local businesses.

Greater Bradford Bicentennial 1776-1976 (Anonymous, 1976, 84 pages)
This is a history of the Greater Bradford area of McKean County, PA published for the nation's Bicentennial. It discusses both the early history of the area and its development over the years. Along with the historical information are many photographs of people and places from the area.

Church, Family, Education, Military and Misceallaneous Histories

Industrial and Commercial Resources of [Western] Pennsylvania
(Historical Publishing Company, 1887, 144 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.

From McKean County
-- From Bradford: -- H. E. Morrison, A. McLean, Rock Clycerine Co., H. G. Cutting, Krahe & Coburn, Leonard & Blair, S. R. Dresser, L. Emery Jr. & Co., Bauer & Herrmann, H. Tutthill, Bradford Oil Company, Consolidated Bottling Co., Boggs & Curtis, D. T. Drew, R. W. Carroll, Whitney & Wheeler, J. B. McElwaine, C. R. Huntley, Wm. Robertson & Son, Jarecki Manufacturing Company, C. P. Cody & Brother, Eureka Iron Works, C. L. Bradburn, J. T. Kinsler, M.D., C. E. Tucker, C. H. Norton, Louis Sendker, Robert Manning, Chas, H. Cushing, C. V. Cottrell & Co., Smith Brothers, Bradford Stove Co., Dr. Chas. R. Wolfe, J. A. Waldo, American Steam Laundry, Public Square Gallery, Bradford Office of Singer Manufacturing Co., Brennan & Davis, The Bazaar, G. G. Bennett, J. Kloskey & Bro., L. L. Clough, R. Jenning & Son, Beatty & Derby, F. Marks, New Era Manufacturing Co., D. W. Lerch, A. T. Herrington, G. Chapman, C. Smith, Salisbury & Co., Thompson & Wood, Himan Cohn, D. F. Rosenberg, G. R. Mabb, Campbell Bros., H. Friedenberg, David Phillips, John Meyers, B. Fordonski, Bradford Transfer Co., Marks Brothers, J. R. Haskell, J. F. Leonard & Co., J. W. McFarland, Hevenor Bros., Harrington Bros., T. B. Brown, W. H. Sendker, Goodman, Wolfe & Henlein, Zook & Co., J. C. Flynn, J. H. Ross, Wheeler & Simonds, The Central Iron Works, C. L. Casterline, Bodine & Walker, C. M. Bosworth, Russell & Scheanck, Dennis & Booth, H. Ahl, J. W. Fritts, J. W. McKee, Matthews' Commercial School, J. T. Johnson, Terrell Bros., Webster Undertaking Company, Bradford Coal Company, Dr. O. B. Comfort, B. C. Quigley, S. Howard, N. B. Hoop, W. H. Walker, G. A. Groves, P. A. Kent, The Union Clothing House, J. C. Hughes

Maps & Atlases
1856 Map of McKean County, Pennsylvania (W. K. King, Color)
1857 Map of McKean County (A. Kollner, Color)
1871 Map of McKean Co. Pennsylvania (D. G. Beers & Co., Color)
1878 Map of District No. 4 [McKean and Elk Counties, PA] (J. L. Brown, Color)
1878 Map of the Bradford or Northern Oil Region (J. Opperman, Color)
1879 Opperman's Latest Map Showing That Portion of McKean Co., PA in Front of Present Oil Developments (J. Opperman, Color)

Birds-eye Town Views
Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania (1895, T. M. Fowler & James B. Moyer)

Directories

Latham & William's Bradford City Duplex Directory - 1898
(Latham & Williams, 1898, 346 pages)
This is a resident and business directory of Bradford City, McKean County, PA for the year 1898. The directory information is presented in several ways, first by as a street directory, then an alphabetical resident directory and finally a business directory. The street directory lists residents numerically by street address. The resident directory lists residents as well as businesses alphabetically, providing the resident (or business) name, mate's name, occupation, and street address for each. Finally the business directory listing businesses alphabetically by trade.

The Mullin-Kille / Con Survey Kane Pennsylvania City Directory - 1948
(Mullin-Kille, 1948, 54 pages)
This is a supplement to the 1948 Master Edition Directory of Kane, Bradford County, PA. It begins with a classified business directory of the area, followed by a numeric address directory of Kane

Latham's Tele-Key of Bradford [1948] (Chas. H. Latham, 1948, 170 pages)
This is a numeric telephone directory primarily of the city of Bradford, McKean County, PA for the year 1948. It also includes the areas of Duke Center, Smethport, Rew, Aiken, Backus, Berger Hollow, Bingham, Bordell, Cole Cr., Coleville, Cyclone, Dallas, Davis, Garlock Hollow, Gifford, Mt. Alton, Ormsby, Pratt Hollow, Rew, Rixford, Sawyer, Simpson, Summitt, Wolf Run and Wrights Corners. The information presented is the telephone and the name of the resident or business. There is also numerous ads for local businesses throughout. Two pages from the Bradford section are partially missing, eliminating a section of directory information between the numbers of 6263-6448.

Latham's Tele-Key of Bradford [1955] (Chas. H. Latham, 1955, 240 pages)
This is a numeric telephone directory primarily of the city of Bradford, McKean County, PA for the year 1955. It also includes the areas of Duke Center, Smethport, Aiken, Backus, Berger Hollow, Bingham, Bordell, Cole Cr., Coleville, Cyclone, Dallas, Davis, Garlock Hollow, Gifford, Mt. Alton, Ormsby, Pratt Hollow, Rew, Rixford, Sawyer, Simpson, Summitt, Wolf Run, Wrights Corners and Limestone, NY. The information presented is the telephone and the name of the resident or business. There is also numerous ads for local businesses throughout.

Eldred - Mount Jewett - Port Allegany - Smethport and Nearby Communities
Telephone Directory December 1956 (Bell Telephone Co. of PA, 1956, 164 pages)
This is a telephone directory covering parts of Elk and McKean Counties, Pennsylvania and a small portion of New York for the year 1956. The directory lists 1,000's of residents and businesses, and provides the resident's name, street address and telephone number arranged alphabetically by town. This directory also includes the "yellow pages" section covering the businesses of the same area. A small portion of directory information is missing from the Bradford section covering some names beginning with "A"

Pennsylvania Towns:
Aiken, Backus, Betula, Bingham, Bolivar Run, Bradford, Bullis Mills, Clermont, Colegrove, Coleville, Coryville, Crosby, Custer City, Cyclone, Dahoga, Dallas City Davis City Degolia, Derrick City, Duke Center, Durant City, Eldred, Farmers Valley, Foster Brook, Fullerton, Gifford, Gilmore, Guffey, Halsey, Harrisburg Run, Haymaker, Hazelhurst, Indian Creek, James City, Kane, Kansholm, Keating Summit, Keshequa, Lafayette, Lantz Corners, Larabee, Lewis Run, Liberty, Marvindale, McKinley, McKinley Station, Minard Run, Mount Alton, Mount Jewett, Nansen, Norwich, Ormsby, Port Allegany, Portage Creek, Red Rock, Rew, Rixford, Sawyer City, Sergeant, Smethport, Tuna, Turtlepoint, West Branch, West Kane, Westline, Wetmore, Wrights, Wrights Corners

New York Towns:
Limestone

Latham's 1957-58 Tele-Key Bradford, Pennsylvania
(Directory Enterprises, 1957, 226 pages)
This is a numeric telephone directory primarily of the city of Bradford, McKean County, PA for the year 1957-58. It also includes the areas of Limestone NY, Duke Center, Smethport, Aiken, Backus, Berger Hollow, Bingham, Bordell, Cole Cr., Coleville, Cyclone, Dallas, Davis, Garlock Hollow, Gifford, Mt. Alton, Ormsby, Pratt Hollow, Rew, Rixford, Sawyer, Simpson, Summitt, Wolf Run and Wrights Corners. The information presents is the telephone and the name of the resident or business. There is also numerous ads for local businesses throughout.