Montour County Pennsylvania Death Records
Montour County is the smallest county in Pennsylvania by area, carved from Columbia County in 1850. Its county seat is Danville, a small city along the Susquehanna River best known today as home to Geisinger Medical Center. Despite its small size, Montour County has a well-documented record history. Death registrations from 1893 through 1905 were recorded at the county level before the state took over registration in 1906. For genealogists, the Pennsylvania State Archives serves as the central resource for Montour County vital records, making it a key destination for anyone tracing family lines in this part of central Pennsylvania.
Montour County Quick Facts
Montour County Death Records at the Pennsylvania State Archives
The Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg is the primary repository for Montour County vital records research. The Archives hold the original Register of Wills and Orphans' Court records from the county, including a Death Register covering 1893 through 1905. These are the formal death registrations made at the county level during the years before statewide record-keeping began in 1906. Researchers looking for deaths in Montour County during the pre-state period should begin at the Archives, not at the county courthouse. A full listing of available Montour County records is found in the PA State Archives Montour County records document.
In addition to the Death Register, the Archives hold a Birth Register for 1893 to 1905 and Delayed Birth certificate books covering births from approximately 1870 to 1905 that were registered late, typically between 1941 and 1968. Marriage License Dockets from 1885 to 1909 are also available. Together these records give researchers a solid base for working through Montour County family lines from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
| Office | Pennsylvania State Archives 350 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120 Phone: (717) 783-3281 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM |
| Records | Death Register 1893–1905; Birth Register 1893–1905; Delayed Births 1941–1968; Marriage Dockets 1885–1909 |
Note: For death certificates dated 1906 and later, contact the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records rather than the State Archives or the county courthouse.
Accessing Montour County Vital Records Online
The Pennsylvania State Archives death indices provide an online search tool for death records covering 1906 through 1975. These indices include Montour County deaths and allow researchers to search by name and narrow down a date range before requesting a copy. The Archives' website also lists the Montour County-specific holdings in a downloadable document, which is a good first step before planning an in-person research visit.
The image below is from the Pennsylvania State Archives vital statistics records page, which links to death indices and other vital record collections for Montour County and the rest of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania State Archives vital statistics records include searchable death indices for Montour County from 1906 through 1975.
Using the death index to identify a specific certificate before requesting a copy can save significant time for Montour County researchers.
Pennsylvania residents also have access to Ancestry.com at no cost through the State Archives free Ancestry program. This resource covers many Pennsylvania vital record collections and is worth checking before paying for a separate subscription.
Note: Montour County was created in 1850 from Columbia County, so researchers tracing families in this area prior to 1850 should look at Columbia County records.
Ordering State Death Certificates for Montour County
For Montour County deaths from 1906 to the present, certified copies are available through the Pennsylvania Division of Vital Records. The mailing address for written requests is P.O. Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103. Phone orders can be placed at (724) 656-3100. Online orders are processed through the state's MyCertificates portal or through VitalChek, which is an authorized ordering partner. Certified copies cost $20 each from the state.
The CDC's Pennsylvania vital records reference page summarizes eligibility requirements and ordering procedures. Death certificates less than 50 years old are restricted to immediate family members and qualified applicants under state law. Records older than 50 years are accessible for genealogical research by anyone who submits the proper request and fee.
Montour County Historical Background
Montour County was created in 1850 as Pennsylvania's sixty-second county, split from Columbia County to give Danville and its surrounding communities their own local government. The county covers only about 130 square miles, making it the smallest in the state by area. Despite that, Danville has been a regional center since the nineteenth century, with iron manufacturing and later medical services driving its economy. Geisinger Medical Center, founded in 1915, grew into one of the major healthcare systems in Pennsylvania and continues to be the region's largest employer.
Church records and cemetery registers are important supplements to formal death records in Montour County. Because the county is small and historically well-organized, local churches kept detailed membership and burial records that can fill gaps when official registrations are missing or incomplete. The Montour County website at montourco.org provides contact information for county offices and can point researchers toward additional local resources.
Danville sits on the West Branch Susquehanna River, and the county's history is closely tied to the river communities of central Pennsylvania. Families who lived along this stretch of the Susquehanna often moved between Montour, Northumberland, Columbia, and Union counties, so death records for a single family line may be spread across several county repositories.
Additional Death Record Resources for Montour County
FamilySearch provides free online access to many Pennsylvania vital record collections, including those relevant to Montour County. Searching the FamilySearch catalog for Montour County will show what indexed collections are currently available and whether any have been digitized for remote access. Church records from Danville-area congregations are among the most useful supplemental sources for deaths prior to 1893 when formal county registration had not yet begun.
The Pennsylvania death indices available through the State Archives cover the post-1906 period and are a practical way to search for Montour County deaths by name. Once you locate an entry in the index, you can request the original death certificate from the Division of Vital Records or view it through the State Archives collections depending on the date.
The image below is from the Pennsylvania State Archives death indices page, which provides name-searchable access to Montour County death records from 1906 onward.
Pennsylvania State Archives death indices allow researchers to search for Montour County decedents by name and date range.
The death indices can be accessed online at no charge and are a good starting point for any Montour County death records search.
Nearby Counties
Montour County borders several central Pennsylvania counties. Researchers tracing families in this region often find records spread across more than one county archive.