Presentation by Jessica Hilburn, Historian, at Benson Memorial Library.

1. How to Trace Your Titusville
Roots
Jessica Hilburn
Historian, Benson Memorial Library
September 2019

2. Digital Resources
● Ancestry.com
○ Census Records
○ Vital Records
○ Immigration Records
○ Military Records
○ Church Records
○ & More!
● NewspaperArchive
○ Titusville Herald 1865-present
○ Pithole Daily Record 1865-1867
○ Oil City Derrick/Blizzard 1871-1977; 1896-1956
○ Franklin News-Herald 1972-2004
○ Warren papers

3. Microfilm/Microfiche
Uncomfortable with digital? Everything is being converted, but there are still
other options!
○ Venango: 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 (partial), 1890 Union Veterans & Widows
○ Crawford: 1810, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 (partial), 1890 Union Veterans & Widows
○ Warren: 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1890 Union Veterans & Widows
●

4. City Directories
● Titusville City Directories: 1866-1959 (on
microfiche), 1960-modern (in print)
● Franklin/Oil City Directories: 1870-1885 (partial, on
microfiche)
● Crawford County Directories (including Meadville:
1871-1872, 1874, 1879-1880, 1889-1890,
1897-1898, and 1899-1900, 1909-1910 (on
microfiche)
● Benson Memorial Library also has county histories
for Crawford, Venango, Warren Forest, and Erie
Counties

5. Family & County Histories
● Alcorn (online!)
● Armstrong
● Attenburg
● Benson
● Birtcil
● Blizbesky
● Bob
● Boon
● Bronson
● Buttz
● Cauvel
● Chambers
● Childs
● Coil/Coyle
● Colestock
● Dilley
● Duncan
● Emerson
● Fielding
● Foster
● Fowler
● Frank
● Frost
● Gilson
● Glasser
● Hanna
● Hathaway
● Herring
● Hollabaugh
● Hummer
● Hyde
● Kerr
● Kopf
● Lake
● Locke
● McCurdy
● Miller
● Moody
● Murphy
● Rathfon
● Richmond
● Ridgway
● Roberts
● Rogers
● Schultz
● Schwartz
● Seep
● Shelmadine
● Sherman
● Simmons
● Stamp
● Stewart
● Stub
● Taylor
● Thayer
● Titus
● Towne
● Tubbs
● Tuthill
● Valentine
● Waid
● Watson
● Wheeler
● White

6. Births,Marriages,Deaths
● Weddings in Titusville 1924 – 1934 (Index Cards & Online Database)
● Titusville Deaths 1879 – 1917 (microfilm) - priceless resource!
● Titusville Births 1857 – 1917 (microfilm) - priceless resource!
● Oil City Births 1882 – 1909 (microfilm)
● Oil City Marriages 1882 – 1897 (microfilm)

7. Obituary Index
● Obituary card files with 18,000+ entries
○ Index cards and searchable database
○ Can access from anywhere in the world

8. Cemetery Books/Resources
● Venango County Cemeteries Book Series
● Crawford County Cemeteries Book Series
● Pioneer Park Cemetery Book
● Union Cemetery (Crawford County) Book
● Dutch Hill Cemetery (Venango County) Book
● FindAGrave
Photo by John Shuck - findagrave.com

9. Yearbooks
● Titusville High School (Optimist): 1915 – current
● Titusville Junior High: Various years from 1963-1989
● Titusville Middle School: 2005
● South Side Elementary School: 1976-7
● St. Joseph’s Academy: 1960, 1961, 1965, 1966
● Pleasantville: 1940, 1955, 1962
● Townville (Torch): 1950, 1951, 1952
● University of Pittsburgh at Titusville (Littlest Panther): 1973 – 1977
● University of Pittsburgh Main Campus (The Owl): 1962

10. Digital Archive
● Almost 1,200 items in digital format - images, documents, etc.
○ All can be used for research; not all can be reproduced
● Large project underway to continue digitizing rare items, all will be
available to the public

11. Titusville PA Heritage Connection
● Four location organizations together with resources and directions
○ Benson Memorial Library
○ Titusville Historical Society
○ Drake Well Museum
○ Titusville Alumni Association
● “Help me Locate”

12. BML Special Collections
● 2,800+ materials in special collections for in-library use only
● Can search them online, then view in person
● Titusville-centric

13. Questions?
Jessica Hilburn
Historian & Head of Reference
Benson Memorial Library
814-827-2913
jessica.hilburn@ccfls.org