Record #7 - Allegheny County Coroner Case Files
“ … but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” – Benjamin Franklin, 1789
As many genealogists well know there are three events in life that tend to be documented relatively well: birth, marriage and death. But while birth records mark the start of a new life and marriage records document the joining of two, papers documenting an individual’s death can provide amazing details about a life lived.
According to state law Pittsburgh was required to maintain information about all persons that died in the city, but some deaths required more information than what was generally collected. In these cases of “sudden or violent death,” including suicides, homicides, and accidental deaths ranging from industrial accidents to disease or unknown causes, the Allegheny County Coroner was required to hold an inquest. The investigation leading up to an inquest’s jury verdict produced an array of paperwork, including eye-witness testimony, grand jury reports, physician notes, affidavits, press clippings and other documentation. In addition, they also occasionally retained ephemeral material, such as photographs, tissue samples, bullets, and suicide notes.
Bullet found in file, Allegheny County, Pa. Coroner’s Office Records, 1884-1976, AIS.1982.07
The Archives Service Center is home to the Allegheny County Coroner Inquest Files dating from 1887 to 1973 with the exception of a five year gap of missing records spanning 1933 to 1938. These files represent the investigations of nearly 214,000 deaths in the county and provide a unique perspective of nearly a century of living conditions in western Pennsylvania for men and women of every socio-economic class. You can learn more about the coroner inquest files from our research guide.
Sample file containing a Press Report, Proof of Identification and Jury Verdict, Allegheny County, Pa. Coroner’s Office Records, 1884-1976, AIS.1982.07
Through the information found in these files we can confirm our suspicions about the dangers of living near busy railroad lines or working in a steel mill and somberly reflect on the increased suicide rate during the Great Depression. But we can also be surprised at the increased number of deaths that were associated with alcoholism during Prohibition and gain an appreciation for advances in modern medicine by learning that a single pin prick in the early 1900s could lead to a fatal blood infection.
By their nature, the inquest records manage to document some of the most infamous and bloody events in the county’s history, including the Homestead Steel strike in 1892 and the 1909 Pressed Steel Car strike in McKees Rocks. Researchers can even track the spread of the Spanish flu pandemic as it swept through the county in 1919.
Testimony of John T. McCurry regarding Homestead Steel Strike, Allegheny County, Pa. Coroner’s Office Records, 1884-1976, AIS.1982.07
The Archives maintains a database which contains an entry for every Coroner File in our collection. At present, the database includes the first and last name of the deceased, their case file number, and the year their inquest was filed. Due to the enormity of the database and the fact that it is always being updated with new information as individual folders are pulled for research purposes, it is not available for online browsing or searches. But if you would like to request that Archives staff search the database for a particular name, please contact us with the name of the deceased and approximate death date so we can search our database to look for a match.
The inquest files are a popular resource for our researchers, especially genealogists. They have also been used to investigate murder cases that have been cold for decades. In addition, these records have the potential to be used in conjunction with many of our other collections to examine industrial working conditions, changes in public health, and the impact of technological innovations, such as the automobile. The possibilities are endless!
- Zach Brodt
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Interesting collection!
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