Genealogical and Local History Resources

The Historical Library and Archives contains a rich collection of materials relating to three centuries of Mennonite and local history and culture in Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton and Philadelphia counties in eastern Pennsylvania.

For genealogical queries, email library@mhep.org.

Click here to search the online catalog.
This is a work in progress.  Rare books, photographs, museum objects and archival material will be added continually.  If you are unable to find something you are looking for, please contact the Collections Manager at 215-256-3020 ext.111 or alderferjoel@mhep.org

Genealogical and Local History Resources

  • Local Mennonite and other published families histories.
  • Genealogical File - photocopies of unpublished research work and source material filed by surname.
  • Copies of Family Bible Records (more than 375 from the 18th to 20th centuries), as well as many originals.  Inventory of family records -- in PDF or Excel
  •  Cemetery Database of local cemeteries. Currently over 82,000 records from 120 cemeteries.
  • Transcripts of about 165 local cemeteries (Mennonite, Brethren, Lutheran, Reformed, Union, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, community and private).
  • Obituary Database of Mennonite, Brethren and other obituaries from local newspapers.  Over 7,000 records and growing.
  • Subscription to Ancestry.com (a major genealogical research website)
  • Transcribed and translated local church records (Mennonite, Brethren, Lutheran, and Reformed - 1730s to 1950s).
  • Transcribed and translated diaries, account books, letter collections and records of local Mennonite families and ministers (1740s-1940s)
  • Local newspaper abstracts (marriages, deaths, advertisements).
  • Census records for most of Bucks and Montgomery Counties (1790-1930 on microfilm and on-line).
  • Agricultural Census, Montgomery Co., 1850-1880.
  • Local newspapers on microfilm (Souderton and Harleysville) 1880s-1970s.
  • Indexes to wills, abstracts of wills, early tax records, eighteenth century immigration records, land records, marriage records, and other genealogical reference material.
  • Published Pennsylvania Archives Series and Colonial Records.
  • Area township and county published histories.

Transcribed Mennonite Church Records

  • Alms Books (Skippack, 1738-1954; Franconia, 1756-1945 and others).
  • Subscription lists for meetinghouses (from 1805). These are basically early membership lists.
  • Trustees Records (from 1818: Salford, Towamencin, Franconia, Swamp, Lower Skippack).
  • Membership Records (of baptisms, deaths, removals). Records from 1848 to present for some congregations.

Manuscript Collections

Papers of local Mennonite families, ministers, historians, etc.
Click here for a list of significant manuscript collections.

Photo Collections

Photographs collected by local families and individuals.
Click here for a list of significant photo collections.

Archival Collections

Material produced by local Mennonite congregations and organizations.
Click here for a list of significant archival collections.

Periodicals (highlights)

  • Bucks County Historical Society Papers
  • Der Reggeboge 
  • Gospel Herald from 1908 to 1998
  • Herald of Truth, 1864-1908 (microfilm)
  • The Mennonite from 1885 to present
  • Mennonite Family History
  • Mennonite Historical Bulletin
  • Mennonite Life
  • Mennonite Quarterly Review
  • Mennonite Yearbook and Almanac
  • Historical Society of Montgomery County "Sketches" and "Bulletins"
  • Pennsylvania Folklife
  • Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine 
  • Pennsylvania German Society annual volumes (1891-2005)
  • Pennsylvania German Folklore Society annual volumes (1936-1966)
  • Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage
  • Perkiomen Region

Surnames with genealogical material available

Genealogical material related to the following families can be found in the holdings of the Historical Library and Archives.

Acker-Ecker
Ackerman
Ahlum-Allem
Albright-Albrecht
Alderfer
Allebach
Anders
Anderson
Angeny
Anglemoyer
Appenzeller
Arndt
Atherholt

Bachman
Backenstoss
Baer-Bare
Baker
Barndt
Barnes-Berns
Bassler
Bauer-Bower-Bowers
Baum
Bauman-Bowman
Beachy
Bealer-Bieler
Bean-Biehn
Beary-Biery
Bechtel
Beidler
Benner
Bergey
Bergstresser
Bertolet
Bingeman
Bishop
Bleam-Bliem
Bohlig-Poley
Boorse
Booz
Borneman
Bossert-Buzzard
Boyer
Bright-Brecht
Brower
Brubacher-Brubaker
Brunner
Buckwalter
Bull
Burkholder
Butterweck

Cassel
Clemens
Clemmer-Clymer
Cole-Kohl
Conner
Conrad
Cooper
Cope
Correll
Cramer-Kramer
Cressman
Croll-Krall
Crouthamel
Culp-Kulp-Kolb
Custer

Davis
Delp
Derstine
Detweiler
Diehl
Dinstman-Tinsman
Dock
Dotterer-Dettra
Dreibelbis
Drissel
Drumbore-Trumbore
Dueck

Ebersole
Ecker-Acker
Ehrhard
Ehst
Eisenberg
Erb
Eschbach

Fabian
Felpel-Völpel
Fluck
Fly
Frankenfield
Frederick
Freed-Friedt
Fretz
Frey-Fry
Frick
Fulmer
Funk

Gabel
Garges
Gehman-Gahman-Gayman
Geiger
Geil
Geissinger
Geitgey
George-Yerk
Gerberich
Gerhart
Godshalk-Godshall-Gottshall
Good
Goshow
Gotwals
Grater-Greder
Graybill
Griesemer
Grimley
Groff
Gross
Grubb
Gsell
Gulick


 Hackman-Hockman
Hagey
Haldeman-Halteman
Hallman
Hangey
Harley
Harsh-Hirsch
Hartz
Hartzell
Heacock
Heckler
Heebner
Heffner
Hendricks
Henning
Herber
Herr
Hershberger
Herstein
Hertzler-Hartzler
Hess
High-Hoch
Himmelwright
Hipple
Hirschler
Histand-Hiestand
Hoagey
Hochstetler
Hoffman
Holsinger
Holtzhausen
Horst
Hottel
Houser-Hauser
Huber
Hunsberger
Hunsicker

Jacobs
Johnson-Jansen
Jones

Karsdorp
Kauffman
Keeler
Keller
Kempfer
Keyser
Kile
Kindig
King
Kinsey
Knipe-Kneip
Koch
Koffel
Kohl-Cole
Kolb-Kulp-Culp
Kooker
Koppes
Krall-Croll
Kramer-Cramer
Kramm
Kratz
Krause
Kreider
Krey
Krout
Krupp

Lambert
Landis-Landes
Lapp
Latshaw
Lauver
Leatherman
Lederach
Leidy
Leister
LeVan
Levering
Lichtenwalner-Lichtenwalter
Lightcap
Long
Longacre-Longenecker
Loux-Loucks
Luckens

Mack
Markley
Mann
Martin
Mason
Mast
Means
Mensch
Metz
Metzger
Meyer-Moyer-Meyers-Myers
Michener
Mininger
Moll
Munzinger
Musselman
Musser

Nace-Nase
Nash-Nesch
Newbaker
Newcomer
Nyce-Nice
Nold-Nolt
Nunemacher-Nunemaker

Oberholtzer-Overholt
OpdenGraeff-Updegrove
Oplinger
Oyer

Pawling
Pennypacker-Pannebecker
Poinsett
Poley-Bohlig
Potts
Price-Preiss
Proctor 		Raudenbush
Reed
Reiff
Reiner
Reinford
Renninger
Rice
Rickert
Rile
Rieser-Reesor
Rinehart
Rittenhouse
Ritter
Rohr
Roosen
Rosenberger
Roth
Rothrock
Rudy
Rush-Resch
Ruth

Sahler
Sampey
Savacool-Sabelcool
Saylor
Schantz-Shantz
Schatz
Schaum
Schell
Schiedel
Schlabach
Schleiffer-Slifer
Schlosser
Schnebelli-Snavely
Schneider-Taylor
Scholl-Shull
Schrauger-Schrager
Schueck
Schuler
Schwenk
Sell-Sellen
Sellers
Shaddinger
Shambach
Shelly-Schelli
Shetler
Shisler
Shoemaker-Schumacher
Showalter
Shuh
Shutt-Schott
Sidener
Smith-Schmidt
Smucker
Solliday
Souder
Spare
Springer
Stauffer-Stover
Stearly
Steckle
Steiner-Stoner
Stem-Stam
Stettler-Stadler
Stout
Strassburger
Strickler
Strohm
Strycker-Stricker
Stutzman
Supplee
Swartley
Swartz-Schwartz

Taylor-Schneider
Tinsman-Dinstman
Trauger
Trumbore-Drumbore
Troxel
Turner
Tyson

Underkoffler-Undercoffler
Unruh
Updegrove-OpdenGraeff
Urmy

Van der Slice
Van Fossen
Van Sintern
Völpel-Felpel
Von der Sloot

Wade
Walter
Wambold-Wampole
Weand
Weaver
Weinberger
Weller
Wenger-Wanger
Werstler-Werschler
Wiens
Wile-Weil
Willauer
Wireman-Weyerman
Wiseman
Wisler-Whisler
Wismer
Wistar
Witmer-Whitmer
Worman

Yerk-George
Yoder-Yothers
Yost
Young

Zavitz-Zewitz
Zetty
Ziegler
Zimmerman
Zollers
Zook-Zuck-Zug