Family History and Genealogy Resources by Surname
A FREE genealogy database of biographies, biographical sketches and multi-generational genealogies of Pennsylvania residents.
Biographies of PA Ancestors
Each biography was written in the late 1800s to the early 1900s. During this time, vanity books with biographical sketches were very popular. One usually had to pre-purchase a book or pay for inclusion in the book. Sometimes the person whose biography appeared was involved in the compiling, and sometimes it was done by descendants. Many biographies have genealogy info going back many generations.
The biographies can be very useful sources to guide genealogy research.
Be sure to check each county where your family lived as each biography and family history may cover many Pennsylvania counties as the biographies follow the family as they resettle into different parts of Pennsylvania and other states.
Browse by book or county.
By Book
Biographical Sketches at this website
- All Sorts of Pittsburgers, Allegheny County
Arthur Burgoyne, 1892.
- History of Bucks County
J.H. Battle; Warner & Co.; 1887
- History of Centre and Clinton Counties
John Blair Linn, 1883
- History of Chester County
J. Smith Futhey and Gilbert Cope, 1881.
- History of Clarion County
A. J. Davis, 1887
- History of Erie County
Warner, Beers & Co., 1884
- Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County
Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1912
- Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania
George O. Seilhamer, Genealogical Pub. Co., 1905
- Genealogical and Personal History of Lycoming County
Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1887
- Biographical Notes of Pine Grove Schuylkill County
J. W. Barr: Achenbach & Reber: 1916
- Steinmetz Family
B. F. Steinmetz; September, 1903
By County
Internet-wide directory to biographies online
Adams Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bedford Berks Blair Bradford Bucks Butler Cambria Cameron Carbon Centre Chester Clarion Clearfield Clinton Columbia Crawford Cumberland Dauphin Delaware Elk Erie Fayette Forest Franklin Fulton Greene Huntingdon Indiana Jefferson Juniata Lackawanna Lancaster Lawrence Lebanon Lehigh Luzerne Lycoming Mercer Mifflin Monroe Montgomery Montour McKean Northampton Northumberland Perry Philadelphia Pike Potter Schuylkill Snyder Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Tioga Union Venango Warren Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming York
Civil War Biographies
Biographies of PA Civil War soldiers
USGenWeb Biographies
PA Bios in the PA Gen Web Archives
Search PA Biographies
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