Geneology Resources

  • Complete 1790-1940 U.S. Federal Census with images and every-name indexes for all years
  • Additional census records such as Mortality and Non-Population Schedules, Indian Census Rolls, and more
  • Expanded collection of genealogy and local history books and city directories with an all-new user interface, thumbnail images and hit highlighting
  • Complete Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land record collection (NARA M804)
  • Freedman’s Bank Records with full-page register view
  • Periodical Source Index Archive (PERSI), 1800-2009
  • U.S. Serial Set Memorials, Petitions and Private Relief Actions
  • All-new research aids
  • Interactive census maps
  • And much more
  • www.heritagequestonline.com

To log in from home, use your 5 digit Coudersport Library card number.  This is a service of the Potter-Tioga Library System.

Obituary Look Up Service

Library staff are able to look up obituaries which were published in local newspapers dating back to 1880.  We do not have an obituary index, however, so we do need an approximate date of death in order to search for an obituary.  With a date of death, we can search through our collection of local newspapers on microfilm.  If we do find the requested information, we will be happy to email, fax, or mail it to you.  We do not charge for this service, but donations to offset costs are gratefully appreciated.  Our microfilm collection is also available for public use, if you are in the area and would like to look up family history or local history related articles published in local newspapers.  A complete list of newspapers in our collection can be found in the following section.

Historical Newspaper Collection

The Coudersport Public Library is pleased to offer a collection of local newspapers on microfilm.  Our collection of newspapers printed in Potter County dates back to 1880.  We make these materials available for use by the public on our microfilm reader which has an attached printer.  Copies of articles from these newspapers can be printed at a cost of $.25 per page.  Our collection of historical newspapers on microfilm includes *:

The Settler & Pennon or The McKean and Potter County Advertiser – Dec 16, 1841 through June 28, 1845
Potter Democrat  – October 20, 1893 through February 22, 1901  and May 6, 1914 through June 27, 1919
Potter Independent – July 25, 1919 through January 2, 1920
Coudersport Democrat – August 17, 1898 through September 27, 1898
Austin Autograph – September 16, 1887 through December 27, 1900
Ulysses Sentinel – August 25, 1881 through December 30, 1885
Potter Enterprise – 1880 through 1987
Potter County Leader – 1986 through 1987
Potter Leader-Enterprise – 1987 through 2009  (most recent years are kept in paper format)

*Please note that some issues or pages may be missing on the microfilm reels.

Local History Collection

We maintain a small collection of books relating to the history of Potter County and its people.  Most of these items are in our
non-circulating local history reference collection and do not leave the library.  We welcome people to come in and view the books in the library.  We do allow photocopies to be made from these materials at a cost of $.20 per page. For a complete list of titles in our local collection, contact the library.

If you are not able to get to our library, or would like to look at materials from your home, we encourage you to visit the Internet archive, a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies & music, as well as 150 billion archived web pages.  A few titles are available free digitally through the Internet Archive.

Helpful Links

Pennsylvania Department of Health – for information on obtaining certified birth and death records

Potter County Courthouse – for information on obtaining Potter County vital records

Painted Hills Genealogical Society – genealogy resources for 6 counties in the Twin Tiers, including Potter County

Family Search

US Gen Web

US Gen Web – Potter County

Roots Web

Cyndi’s List

Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce Tice – genealogical information covering Bradford and Tioga Counties in PA

Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania

History of the Counties of McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Potter, Pennsylvania by J.H. Beers & Co. – published in 1880, this book is now available digitally through the Internet Archive