When doing early Pennsylvania research it is imperative that a researcher is familiar with the formation and organization of the counties. For instance, a researcher looking for 1780's records in what is today Lebanon county, will need to consult both Lancaster and Dauphin records. This is because, Lebanon county was formed in 1813, from a portion of Dauphin, and Dauphin was formed in 1785 from part of Lancaster and Lancaster was formed in 1729, from part of Chester. Therefore, this researcher will need to consult Lancaster records prior to 1785 and Dauphin records after 1785.

The following maps will assist you in identifying the organization and formation of the counties. The maps are not to scale and boundaries are approximated.

Source Citations:

George K. Schweitzer, Pennsylvania Genealogical Research. (No Place: privately printed, 1993), 26-36.

William H. Egle, editor, Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series.. (Harrisburg, PA: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1897), 24: iii-vi.