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Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania - Greensburg Campus

This guide will assist students in various courses who need information regarding the history, demographics, and local resources of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania or if you are enrolled in History 1005, Special Topics.

Westmoreland County

Many courses at the Pitt-Greensburg Campus require students to do "local research."  This guide will serve as an introduction to the history of Westmoreland County as well as provide links to resources that will help you find statistics for various capstone classes such as management and criminal justice. Others may find this guide useful for genealogical research. 

This guide will also provide information for those interested in researching the Pitt-Greensburg campus. A link to the chronology of the Pitt-Greensburg campus is available here.

Archival resources for Westmoreland County are maintained online and at both the Greensburg and Pittsburgh campus. Search under a specific subject to obtain pertinent information or images.

The Research Process in a Nutshell

  • Develop a topic that asks a question or poses a problem that interests you.
  • Select appropriate search terms for your subject. In the area of local history, you may be able to use a broad subject for your research. Ideally you can also use specific subjects such as the Westmoreland County Coal Strike, Bushy Run, or the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. You may also want to search specific communities such as Greensburg (Pa.) or Youngwood (Pa.).
    • Westmoreland County (Pa.) --
      • History
      • Statistics
      • Genealogy
      • Maps
  • Search PITTCat+ and subject oriented databases.
  • Revise your topic. Determine how you will answer your question.
  • Evaluate your resources carefully!
  • When in doubt, contact your librarian.

These sample worksheets will help you refine your research topic and understand how to evaluate a scholarly journal article. You may also want to consult our online tutorial, Scholarly Information, or check Evaluating Research Articles From Start to Finish, 3rd. ed., 2011, by Ellen R. Girden.  This book is available at several Pitt libraries; click for location and call number.