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Our Coverage Area

The Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society focuses on families who lived in the 26 counties west of Centre County - Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Somerset, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland.

Become a WPGS Member:

Membership in the Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society opens doors to a wealth of records and friends for those with an interest in the families of Western Pennsylvania. Learn more about membership in WPGS.

What's New

May 10, 2008:
Using Land Records to Trace Your Ancestors Sharon MacInnes, PhD

Saturdays in May:
WPGS Beginning Genealogy Series

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some of our most commonly asked questions.

How do I log in to the Members Only area?

If you've forgotten your password, or haven't received a password, please visit the Login page and click on the "Forgot your password?" link. Then enter your member number and follow the instructions to receive a new password automatically by email. If you have any problems or need further assistance accessing the site, please email webmaster@wpgs.org. The Members Only area is only open to members of WPGS. To learn more about the benefits of membership and how to join WPGS, please visit our Membership page.

When and where are your meetings?

WPGS holds informative monthly meetings, September though June. There are no meetings in July and August. Our monthly meetings feature a guest speaker and are generally held the second Saturday of the month at 10:00am in the Carnegie Lecture Hall, Carnegie Library in Oakland. April is an exception, as this is when we hold our annual day-long Spring Seminar. See Upcoming Events to see what's planned for future meetings.

Do you provide lookups?

The Western Pennsylvania Genealogical Society is an all volunteer organization, but we do try our best to answer research questions as promptly as we can. WPGS will research for anyone - not only members - but members do receive preferential treatment. We can not offer this service for free, however, as it is quite time-consuming. We think you'll find the fees reasonable, however. See Research Requests for more information.

Is your library open to everyone?

Yes. The WPGS library, housed in the Pennsylvania Department of the main Carnegie Library in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, is open to both members and non-members.

Library Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Friday - Saturday: 10:00am - 5:30pm
Sunday: 1:00pm - 5:00pm

A WPGS volunteer is on hand to offer assistance with the collection between 10am - 2pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Microfilm from the WPGS collection is only available for use when a volunteer is on duty, but books are available anytime the library is open.

What is First Families of Western Pennsylvania?

The First Families of Western Pennsylvania (FFWP) is a lineage society open to any WPGS member who can prove their descent from an ancestor who resided in what is now Western Pennsylvania (the 26 counties west of Centre County) before 31 Dec 1810. See First Families of Western PA for a list of the counties and more details on applying to become a member.