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Scope of Pennsylvania Room
Collection
Spangler Collection
J. Marvin Lee Collection
Original County Archives
Newspapers
Census Schedules
County Histories
Family Histories
Reference Works
Newspaper Clipping Index
The
Pennsylvania Room section of the Centre County Library has a specialized collection of
books, journals, manuscripts, and other materials focusing on state and local
history and regional genealogy/family history. The collection includes historic Centre County records;
Centre County newspapers on microfilm and some in original paper form; indexes
to county newspaper obituary notices dating from 1821 to present; and indexes to
Centre County marriages, 1764-2005. The massive Spangler Collection is a unique
compilation of data on the families of Central
Pennsylvania, and the files of local genealogist J. Marvin Lee also are unique
to this research facility. Sharing the building with the Pennsylvania Room is a historical museum
with its own collection of documents, photographs, family memorabilia, and other items of interest to
historians. Please feel free to call us with questions about the collections of
the Pennsylvania Room and the Museum, (814) 355-1516, ext. 214.
** Pennsylvania Room materials may not be
removed from the building**
This massive collection of
data on Central Pennsylvania families was compiled over many years
by Adella Fink Spangler (1871-1964). The data were assembled in large part from
primary documents, some of which no longer exist. The collection consists of 176 typed notebooks, 20 scrapbooks, and 116 composition books of
research notes on specific families. The typed notebooks and scrapbooks are
fully indexed on about 250,000 cards, with many cards containing multiple names. The 116
manuscript composition books contain Mrs. Spangler's studies on various Centre County families based
on oral interviews, Bible records,
estate files, newspaper articles, vital records, etc. Among the contents of the fully indexed notebooks and
scrapbooks are:
 | Tombstone inscriptions for 113 county cemeteries |
| Newspaper obituaries (1826-1854 and 1926-1942) |
| Marriage records |
| Bible record transcriptions |
| Church records
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| Family records |
| Tax lists |
A good adjunct to the Spangler
Collection, and covering approximately the 1940's to the 1970's, the Lee files
contain approximately
20 notebooks of family group sheets with some documentation.
| Civil and criminal court papers, 1800-1875 |
| Marriage license applications, 1885-1987 |
| Tax assessment records, 1802-1956 |
| Will and estate files, 1800-1990 |
| Road petitions |
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Bellefonte Patriot,
1821-1823 |
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Centre Daily Times,
1898-present * |
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Centre Democrat,
1898-present |
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Democratic Watchman,
1855-1940 |
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Democratic Whig,
1841-1854 |
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Keystone Gazette,
1885-1992 |
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Centre Reporter,
1871-1940 |
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Bellefonte Republican,
1869-1909 |
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Millheim Journal,
1887-1965 |
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Philipsburg Daily Journal,
1888-1977 |
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Philipsburg Journal,
1882-1893 |
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Howard Hustler,
1900-1911 |
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Central Press,
1858-1867 |
* The
modern-day CDT -- 1990's to present -- is of such poor paper quality that
patrons will be referred to the NewsBank online CDT archive, accessible in the
Pa. Room, rather than using the actual newsprint editions in the collection.
In the near future, all but the most recent issues of the CDT will be available
in the Pa. Room only in microfilm or online format.
| Pennsylvania census 1790 and 1800, printed and indexed |
| Pennsylvania census printed indexes 1810-1860; 1870 index
on CD-ROM |
| Microfilm copies of Pennsylvania census 1800-1920 for
Centre, Clearfield, Mifflin, and Juniata counties |
| Microfilm copies of Pennsylvania census 1800-1910 for
Clinton, Huntingdon, Union, and several other counties |
| 1850 Pennsylvania census for entire state (CD) |
| 1870 Pennsylvania census index (CD) |
| 1900 Mid-Atlantic States index, includes Pennsylvania (CD) |
| 1910 Miracode index for Pennsylvania (CD) |
| Printed 1880 census of Centre and Clinton Counties by
Johnstonbaugh and Welch |
| 1880 census for entire U.S., plus index (CD) |
Pennsylvania counties plus many
biographical record volumes from various parts of the state.
A list of
titles in the collection is available on the
Centre County GenWeb
page. There are also vertical files of unpublished family histories as
well as the 116 notebooks compiled by Mrs. Spangler (see
Spangler Collection).
Most of the Pennsylvania Room materials are listed in the online
catalog of the Centre County
Library.
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Allison,
Marriage Records of Clearfield County, Prior to
October 1, 1885 |
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Bates,
History of Pennsylvania Volunteers 1861-1865 and index |
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Beers,
Commemorative Biographical Record of Central PA |
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Clinton County Will Book A, Abstracts |
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DAR Patriot Index Centennial Edition, Parts I,
II, and III |
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Lycoming County Probate Records 1795-1850 |
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Egle,
Notes and Queries Relating to Interior PA, 12 volumes and indexes
(also on searchable CD) |
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Eleventh Census of the
Population of the United States, 1890 Centre County with Business
Directory |
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Fisher,
Early Wills and
Administrations of Northumberland County |
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Fisher,
Abstracts of Snyder
County Probate Records 1771-1885 |
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Genealogies of Pennsylvania Families from
the Pennsylvania Magazine of History & Biography, 4 volumes |
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Linn,
History of Centre and Clinton Counties, PA,
1883 |
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McClenahen, Wills of Mifflin
County, Volumes I & II |
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McClenahen,
Obituaries of
Mifflin County 1822-1880 |
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McClenahen,
Marriages of
Mifflin County 1822-1885 |
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Pennsylvania Archives,
complete set |
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Thomen/Murray,
Marriages
1800-1850, Centre Co., PA |
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Stover/Murray,
Marriages
1851-1873 Centre County, Pennsylvania |
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Stover/Murray,
Marriages
1874-1885 Centre County, Pennsylvania |
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| Houser,
Centre County Marriages 1764-2005, index
(CD) |
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White,
Genealogical Abstracts
of Revolutionary War Pension Files, 4 vols., indexed |
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White,
Index to War of 1812
Pension Files |
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