I tried posting a reply on ancestry.com but it failed to accept it (cannot find server). The first McKean County courthouse was torn down in 1850. The following year, 1851, the second courthouse was erected. It was torn down in 1879 to make way for the third courthouse. Births and deaths from 1892 - 31 December 1905 are on file at the county level (McKean County Orphans Court). Effective 1 January 1906 all births and deaths were filed at the state level (PA Vital Records). Marriages, however, continue to be a county affair and the Orphans Court has those to the present. Maureen M. Lee maureen@happeningsinthehills.com www.happeningsinthehills.com (history & genealogy for the PA counties of McKean and Potter, and the NY counties of Allegany and Cattaraugus) www.happeningsinthehills.com/adma (Austin Dam Memorial Association) www.happeningsinthehills.com/brag (Bolivar-Richburg-Allentown-Genesee Historical Preservation Society) www.happeningsinthehills.com/ovhs (Oswayo Valley Historical Society) www.happeningsinthehills.com/rugby (Yuma, Arizona Sidewinders Rugby Football Club) ----- Original Message ----- From: <sinnott@peoplepc.com> To: <PAMCKEAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, 03 September, 2003 10:44 AM Subject: Court House Burn Down? > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Surnames: Mills, Annie or Anna > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ZaB.2ACE/1267 > > Message Board Post: > > Is it true that a long time ago that your Court House burned down and all records were lost? My grandmother was born > 1888 in McKean County. Patty >