Genealogy Resources

The Library's Pennsylvania Department is the place to come to research your family tree or delve into the history of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the rest of the Keystone State. The Department's extensive resources on genealogy and Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania history include historic clipping files and the Pittsburgh Photographic Library. This collection of more than 100,000 negatives and prints provides a visual history of our city from its origin through its industrial development and renaissance. As subject specialists, the Pennsylvania Department staff is always available to answer questions, provide research guidance and recommend and assist in finding materials.

• 1940 Census
  Learn how to use the recently released census from the National Archives and the Census Enumeration District Finder.
• African-American Genealogy
  The Pennsylvania Department has resources for researching your ancestors.
• Allegheny County Birth and Death Records 1870-1905
  Find out how to obtain these historic documents.
• Ancestry Library Edition
  Accessible from within the library, this database allows you to search for your ancestors entering the information you know. It will pull up birth and death certificates, census tables, military records, etc.
• Genealogy Resources on the World Wide Web
  An extensive list of genealogy sites that you might find useful.
• Heraldry - A Pathfinder
• House Histories
  How to research the history of your house.
• How to Do Genealogy
  A collection of recent books from the Pennsylvania Department to get you started in your own search for your ancestors.
• Orphanages of Allegheny County
  Information on seventy institutions in Allegheny county, with name, dates of existence, addresses, and the location of records, if known.
• Pennsylvania Records & Directories
  A brief overview of the Pennsylvania records and documents pertinent to genealogical research.
• Pittsburgh Maps
  These historic maps are online and will help you locate lots, streets and neighborhoods in towns in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
• Soldiers of the Great War: Pennsylvania
• Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society (WPGS)
  This group of amateur and professional family historians and genealogists is dedicated to the study of family history in Western PA.
• WPGS Library Catalog Online
  The WPGS collection is located in the Pennsylvania Department of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh