Cambria County Death Records in Pennsylvania

Cambria County death records carry particular historical weight because of the 1889 Johnstown Flood, one of the deadliest disasters in American history. Death registration in Cambria County began in 1893, but the flood predates that system, requiring researchers to seek flood-era death data through alternative sources. For all other periods, the Ebensburg courthouse holds pre-1906 local records, and the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records holds certificates from 1906 onward. Cambria County also charges one of Pennsylvania's lower genealogy research fees, making in-person research affordable.

Cambria County Register of Wills Office

The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court in Ebensburg is the custodian for Cambria County death records from 1893 through 1905. The office also holds marriage records from 1885 to the present and probate filings going back to the early 1800s -- well before formal death registration began in the county. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM.

Cambria County charges a genealogy research fee of $5 for searching up to five names in the pre-1906 records. This is among the most affordable county-level research fees in Pennsylvania. Certified copies of marriage records cost $5 each, and photocopies of other records are $1 per page. These fees apply to work done by office staff; researchers who visit in person and conduct their own searches may work directly with the record volumes.

Note: The $5 genealogy research fee at Cambria County covers up to five names per search request -- one of the lowest county-level research fees in Pennsylvania.

Cambria County Johnstown Flood Death Records

The Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889 killed more than 2,200 people in Cambria County. This event predates the 1893 start of local death registration, so no official Cambria County death certificates exist for flood victims. Researchers tracing Johnstown flood deaths must look to other sources.

The Johnstown Area Heritage Association maintains records and databases specifically related to the 1889 disaster. Published lists of flood victims have been compiled over the decades and are available in several genealogical reference works. Church records from Cambria County congregations that processed flood burials are another important source. Many victims were buried in mass graves and identified later through community records and newspaper reports.

Federal census records from 1880 can help establish who was living in Johnstown and its surrounding communities just before the flood. Comparing the 1880 census population against later records -- the 1900 census, church records, and the early death registrations from 1893 onward -- can help identify individuals who likely died in the flood by their absence from later documentation.

The historical significance of the Johnstown Flood makes Cambria County death records research unique in Pennsylvania. No other Pennsylvania county has a comparable mass casualty event that falls precisely in the gap between pre-registration and registration-era records.

Certified Death Certificates for Cambria County

Certified death certificates for Cambria County from 1906 onward are available from the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. The state charges $20 per certified copy. You can order online through mycertificates.health.pa.gov, by mail to P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103-1528, or through VitalChek. The Division's phone number is (724) 656-3100.

Pennsylvania's access restrictions under 35 P.S. §450.801 apply to Cambria County death records less than 50 years old. These records are restricted to the decedent's immediate family, their legal representatives, and others who can demonstrate a qualifying need. All Cambria County death certificates from before 1976 are now open for genealogical research.

The image below, from the Cambria County government's Register of Wills page, represents the county office that holds pre-1906 death records in Ebensburg.

This office serves as the gateway to Cambria County death and vital records from 1893 through 1905 and continues to handle marriage and probate records to the present day.

Pennsylvania State Archives and Cambria County Vital Records

The Pennsylvania State Archives holds Cambria County death certificates from 1906 through 1975. The Archives provides free online access to its death index database, which researchers can search by name to find Cambria County records before committing to a certified copy request. This is especially useful for common surnames in the Johnstown area, where multiple people with the same name may appear in the records.

Cambria County was created in 1804 from portions of Somerset and Huntingdon Counties. Probate records at the Ebensburg courthouse reach back to the early 1800s and can help fill gaps in the historical record for families who lived in Cambria County before formal death registration. Estate inventories, guardian appointments, and will filings all provide dates and circumstances that corroborate or substitute for official death records.

Note: The Pennsylvania State Archives' online death index is a free first step that can confirm a Cambria County record's existence before you pay for a certified copy from the state Division of Vital Records.

Pre-Registration Cambria County Death Sources

For deaths in Cambria County before 1893, church records are the most reliable source. The county had a large Catholic population, especially in Johnstown and the mining communities that surrounded it, and Catholic parish registers typically record death and burial dates for parishioners. Lutheran, Methodist, and other Protestant congregations kept similar records. Many have been microfilmed by FamilySearch and can be accessed through the FamilySearch Pennsylvania wiki.

Federal mortality schedules for Cambria County cover the census years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. These documents list individuals who died in each county during the 12 months before each census was taken. They are not complete death records, but they provide a useful cross-reference for families researching deaths in the pre-registration era. The schedules are available through the State Archives and through FamilySearch at no cost.

Newspaper obituaries from the Johnstown Tribune and other Cambria County papers provide biographical detail for deaths in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These sources often supplement official records significantly, particularly for the years between 1893 and 1910, when death registration was still being established across the county's many townships.

Nearby Counties

Cambria County sits in the Allegheny Mountains in central-west Pennsylvania. Researchers who need to extend their search beyond Cambria County will find records in the following neighboring counties.

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