Pennsylvania Room Resources
Reference Services: Reference assistance is available to visiting patrons. The staff also accepts telephone inquiries. Letter inquiries are also answered, usually within a period of two weeks. Our staff will conduct a basic search of The Ligonier Echo Index and Pennsylvania Room resources for genealogical or historical information. All mail inquiries should include a stamped and self-addressed envelope.
HeritageQuest Online Database** lets you search in a variety of ways for genealogical information, such as the US Federal Census Records from 1790-1930. You'll also have access to some 20,000 local and family histories, search using PERSI, and more.
**If you are using the HeritageQuest Online Database link from home, you will need to have your 14-digit library barcode in order to access the database - enter all of the digits in your bacode without the spaces.
Available on Microfilm: (We do not loan our microfilm.)
- Census Records from 1790-1880 are available on microfilm.
- Ligonier Echo is available on microfilm from its first issue on September 5, 1888 to the present. We do not loan our microfilm through inter-library loan.
- Ligonier Echo Index lists obituaries, marriages and births printed in The Ligonier Echo from 1888 to present. The index is currently being converted to computer files. Obituaries and marriage notices before 2000 can be found in the card catalog in the Pennsylvania Room. Obituaries, marriages and births after 2000 can be found in the Echo Index, the computer version of the Ligonier Echo Index. To request an obituary by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelop to Ligonier Valley Library, ATTN: PA Room, 120 W. Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658; or send an e-mail request to lvlparoom@ligonierlibrary.org. There is a printing charge of 15 cents per page.
Atlases: 1876 Historical Atlas of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; Atlas of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania 1867; Warrantee Atlas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; Somerset, 1876.
County histories and/or biographies: Westmoreland, Allegheny, Beaver, Bedford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Fulton, Indiana, Juniata, Lancaster, McKean, Philadelphia, Schuykill, Somerset, Susquehanna, Venango, and Wyoming.
Vertical Files: (The vertical files are divided into three sections.)
- The Ligonier Files contain information about different aspects of Ligonier such as biographies of local people or information about local businesses and churches.
- The Pennsylvania Files contain information on places outside of Ligonier such as Fallingwater and State Game maps, biking/hiking trails, etc.
- The Family History Files contain family histories submitted to the library by patrons.
Cemetery books:
- Cemeteries of Westmoreland County : Cook Township
- Cemeteries of Westmoreland County : Donegal Township
- Coles Cemetery : Founded 1874, Derry Township, Westmoreland County
- Fairmont Church Cemetery : Cook Township, Westmoreland County
- Ligonier Valley Cemetery
- Ligonier Valley Cemeteries : Ligonier Township
- Pleasant Unity Methodist Cemetery, Pleasant Unity, Westmoreland County
- Porch Cemetery : Cook Township, Westmoreland County
- Stahlstown Cemetery
- Stahlstown Methodist Church Cemetery : Cook Township, Westmoreland County
- The St. Clair Cemetery : Greensburg, Pennsylvania : an illustrated handbook
- St. Luke's Reformed Presbyterian Cemetery : Pleasant Unity, Westmoreland County
- St. Vincent Cemetery Unity Township Westmoreland County Pennsylvania
- Union Cemetery : Greensburg, Westmoreland County
- Unity Presbyterian Church Cemetery : Unity Township, Westmoreland County
- Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania : cemetery records
Year books: Ligonier High School: 1925-1969; Ligonier Valley High School: 1970-1999. We are missing the following years: 1976, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. Donations for these years would be greatly appreciated. We also have a few Laurel Valley High School yearbooks from the 1970s.
Magazines: Heritage Quest, Expedition, Everton’s Family History, We Proceeded On, Western Pennsylvania History, The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography; and Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine.
Circulating Genealogy cart: contains circulating books on how to begin family history research.
Colonial Records: All 16 published volumes plus an index of this valuable research tool are available.
Pennsylvania Archives: All volumes for the nine series are available.
Brochures: Brochures are available to help with conducting research in historical and genealogical databases. Brochures from local historical societies are also available.
PowerPoint Presentations of Historic Photography Show photographs: PowerPoint presentations on CD-ROM are available to view the photographs that were displayed in the following Ligonier Valley Library Historical Photography Shows: The Ligonier Valley Rail Road (2002); Churches of the Ligonier Valley (2003); Early Schools of the Ligonier Valley (2004); and Early Hotels of the Ligonier Valley (2005).
Historic Photography Show Binders: The Ligonier Valley Rail Road (2002); Churches of the Ligonier Valley (2003); Early Schools of the Ligonier Valley (2004); Early Hotels of the Ligonier Valley (2005); Restaurants & Eateries in the Ligonier Valley (2006); Faces of Ligonier Valley : Veterans of World War II (2007); Fort Ligonier Days Celebrations of the Past (2008); Farming Traditions in the Ligonier Valley (2009); and Coal and Coke in the Ligonier Valley (2010).