Availability of Vital Records for Wayne County

Wayne County was established from a portion of Northampton County in 1798. Therefore, Wayne County's first census would be 1800. It would be necessary to check Northampton County for information on people living in that area prior to that date. Pike County was established from a portion of Wayne County in 1814. Any available information on individuals prior to that date would be found in Wayne County.

We have Wayne County census records from 1800 to 1930 (except for 1890, of course). Census records prior to 1850 only list the head of the household by name and indicate others in the household by age and gender categories.

With a few exceptions Pennsylvania births and deaths were not officially required to be recorded until 1893. The WC Research Library as well as the Wayne County Courthouse, has these early county records from 1893 up to, and including, 1905. From 1906 to the present the records are at The PA Bureau of Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. You also can go on-line to www.Vitalrec.com and find information and forms for obtaining birth and death records after 1906. Click on PA to go to the PA Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Marriages licenses were not required until 1885. The WC Research Library has these microfilmed county records from 1885 to 1906. From 1907 to the present the records are at the Wayne County Courthouse in Honesdale.

Records prior to the above mentioned dates might possibly be found among church documents. We have very few church records in our collection and those we have are incomplete. Some churches have preserved early records; many have not.

Deeds, wills, divorces and other legal documents are at the Wayne County Courthouse. Checking these documents can be included in the processing of a research request.

Gloria McCullough, Research Librarian