You can search the vast collections of the National Archives (NARA) for records created by the federal government, such as census, immigration, military, post offices, Works Projects Administration, and so much more. Most of these documents will require in-person research at the appropriate NARA facility, or the submission of a request form for specific retrievals. You can contact the National Archives directly or post an inquiry to their History Hub.
As the expansive holdings of the National Archives are digitized for free, online access, they are added to the National Archives Catalog. We are bookmarking those records that are connected to the history of Greene County, Pennsylvania. Our primary focus is on records related to people, particularly military service files; however, we will endeavor to highlight or encourage access to other unique file types as they are posted. Due to the volume and variety of these records, we encourage you to regularly search the National Archives Catalog for terms such as Greene County, Pennsylvania or the specific subjects, places, and family names that interest you. If you discover files that belong in this inventory, send our volunteers an email with the link and a brief explanation of the Greene County connections.
There are several ways that you can help to prioritize the digitization and discoverability of Greene County, Pennsylvania records. These are free, volunteer opportunities to help everyone gain access to our unique local history.
You can tag and transcribe historical records online from any computer to help make NARA's historical records more easily searchable.
If you plan to visit Washington, DC, you can make an appointment to use NARA's Innovation Hub. This Research Room provides free access to quality scanning equipment. NARA staff will orient you to the scanning stations and are on-hand to answer questions or handle fragile items. Watch this brief video to learn more.
By using NARA equipment in the Innovation Hub to scan the files you pull, you help to make the records freely available through the National Archives Catalog. You will be given the option to have your name credited in the catalog record for the files you scan. It will take 8-10 weeks for the files to be added to the Catalog, but you can bring a USB drive to take a copy of the files home with you that day.
File types eligible for scanning in the Innovation Hub include Civil War Compiled Military Service Records (CMSRs), Medical Card files, and Pension files. A helpful index for the Civil War Pension files is available through Ancestry. If you want to make Greene County files available, but do not know what files to request, please email our Greene Connections volunteers before your trip. We maintain a list of records that need to be scanned and can suggest options for you to pull.