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Archiver > PACENTRE > 2006-12 > 1165177960


From: Charlotte Schmotzer <>
Subject: Re: [PACENTRE] Marriage Certificate
Date: Sun, 3 Dec 2006 12:32:40 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <7.0.1.0.2.20061203151623.0278a0c8@adelphia.net>


Justin, I was going to write personally but then I figured someone else may want to know what I am asking too, so--
can one get on the pay per view from Ohio, or other states? how would one go about doing that?
thanks so much.
Charlotte Swaney Schmotzer

researching, McDermott, McCafferty, Swaney (Sweany), Furey, etc. in Centre county.

Justin Kirk Houser <> wrote: I suspect that they have been put on microfiche cards in the
Register's office but would need to verify this. They have to have
that data on hand there, even though the original dockets are down at
the library.

The County has digitized all marriage licenses from about 1991
forward, and these are on the pay-per-view county site (which is free
for use at the courthouse, of course). Perhaps in the coming years,
more records will be digitized there.

As an example of what can be done, my 6th cousin once removed (twice
over) and 7th cousin (twice over), Joe Davidson, Centre County
Recorder of Deeds, and a genealogist himself, has overseen a project
in his office to digitize and index the deed records. They are
working backwards and currently have all the deed books back to the
mid-1900s digitized (a tremendous amount of data) on the computer
system, and the original books that are in bad shape are being
professionally conserved with new bindings, pins, and acid-free
plastic sleeves around each page for protection.

Justin

At 03:06 PM 12/3/2006, you wrote:
>Justin,
>Is there no chance that the books can be microfilmed or some such
>thing - maybe even digital photographs of each page. I realize that
>could be very time consuming and I'm not there to volunteer (couldn't
>if I was there), but maybe someone could take it on as a project as
>they have the cemetaries and things of that sort.
>Carolyn
>
>On Dec 2, 2006, at 8:52 PM, Justin Kirk Houser wrote:
>
> > Susan,
> >
> > The original bound docket books are in the basement of the library,
> > but they would have to be brought upstairs and put on the copier. As
> > they are about 18" x 20" x 5" and weigh about 10 pounds each and are
> > very fragile, frequent copying would not only present a hardship to
> > the librarian, but would probably destroy the books in time. Even in
> > the past ten years, with the use they have gotten by folks visiting
> > on site since the index has been gradually compiled, the covers have
> > fallen off the first 20 or so books (the first ones to be indexed, so
> > we have a foretaste of what might come). They could be abstracted
> > for the requester, but one would need to find someone with the time
> > to do this, at whatever cost is set. The library does answer lookup
> > requests as time permits, and a request for one or two items would
> > probably be OK, but a huge number of marriage license requests at one
> > time would greatly overburden the staff.
> >
> > In the alternative, the Register of Wills likely has microfiche
> > copies of the dockets in their office. They are very busy with
> > current-day matters, but if the volume of requests is not too great,
> > perhaps this would be the way to get photocopies of the records. I
> > know that the standard copy price is fixed by law at 50 cents per
> > page, but I am not certain about mail-order costs.
> >
> > Justin
> >
> > At 02:47 PM 12/2/2006, you wrote:
> >> In defense of the person who offered look ups from the Centre County
> >> Marriage Index could she possibly not only be helping us but helping
> >> the revenue for Centre County? Cambria County has their marriages
> >> indexed on line, therefore, I was able to purchase copies of all the
> >> marriage certificates that I needed from that County. Without
> >> seeing something that was posted on this list. I never would have
> >> known where my person was married let alone have been able to find a
> >> date of marriage for him. With her help in finding what I thought
> >> was an impossible person to find I now know what area I need to be
> >> looking in for further research. What I need to know now is if you
> >> can purchase copies of marriage certificates from Centre
> >> County? Where you would write to & if anyone knows what the cost of
> >> such a copy would be? I need definite proof that this is my person
> >> & that he has the parents that I believe he has. From past research
> >> I believe you have something called a PA Room but !
> >> I have lost their e-mail address. Any further help would be
> >> greatly appreciated.
> >>
> >>
> >> Susan
> >
> >
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