Pennsylvania
State Archives
RG-2
Records
of the DEPARTMENT OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL
The Office of the Auditor General was created
in 1809 to replace and assume many of the duties of the offices of the Comptroller
General and the Register General. These offices had been originally created to
liquidate claims against the state for services performed during the Revolutionary
War, and to assist in the final settlement of public accounts. Similarly, the
Office of the Escheator General was abolished in 1821, and its duties relative
to the estates of individuals dying intestate without heirs or kindred were added
to those of the Auditor General.
The Auditor General was made an elective office
in 1850 and became an executive level agency with the adoption of the Constitution
of 1874. The Fiscal Code of 1929 transferred the function of collecting taxes
from the Auditor General to the newly created Department of Revenue, which allowed
for the Auditor General to become for the first time a true auditing agency. In
other words, the combined effect of the 1929 Fiscal and Administrative Codes on
the Auditor General was to confirm and somewhat enlarge the powers given that
office since its inception. Duties involving approval of various state contracts,
acting in conjunction with the Governor and the State Treasurer, were conspicuously
set forth in the Fiscal Code.
As the chief auditor of the state's fiscal affairs,
the Auditor General is responsible for insuring that the Commonwealth receives
all moneys to which it is entitled and that public money is spent legally and
properly. The Auditor General adjusts claims against the Commonwealth, examines
tax settlements made by the Revenue Department, and oversees the examination of
practically every financial transaction involving the state.
A More
Detailed History of this Department is available.
General Administrative
and Financial Records
- Accounts Put in Suit, 1811-1829. (1 volume)
{#2.1} [Description] [Holdings]
- Accounts Settled, 1812-1886. (22 volumes) {#2.2} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Annual Reports, 1854-1875.
(7 volumes) {#2.3} [Description] [Holdings]
- [APPOINTMENT REQUIRED] Audio and Video Recordings,
1979-1988. (1 carton) {#2.90} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Audit Reports, 1985-1989,
2003-2010. (11 cartons, 2 boxes) {#2.92} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Balance Books, 1809-1863.
(6 volumes) {#2.4} [Description] [Holdings]
- Bridge Company Accounts, 1809-1859. (1 box) {#2.5} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Canal and Navigation Company
Accounts, 1818-1852, 1872. (8 folders) {#2.6} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Circulars and Tax Laws Sent
to Corporations, 1855-1866. (1 volume) {#2.7} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Commonwealth Stock Share Certificates,
1812-1880. (8 volumes) {#2.8} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Day Books, 1809-1879. (35 volumes)
{#2.9} [Description] [Holdings]
- Debtor Bond and Summons Forms, [before 1776]. (1 volume) {#2.83}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Departmental Contingent Expense Record, 1865-1870. (1 volume) {#2.10}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Examination Reports of Treasury Department Securities, 1979, 1980. (4 volumes)
{#2.91} [Description] [Holdings]
- Extradition Accounts, 1809-1839. (1 box) {#2.11} [Description]
[Holdings]
- General Accounts, 1809-1908,
1915, 1924-1928. (32 cartons) {#2.12} [Description]
[Holdings]
- General Correspondence, 1809-1908.
(48 boxes) {#2.13} [Description] [Holdings]
- Geological Survey Accounts, 1837-1840, 1851-1857, 1875. (1 box) {#2.14}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Index to A. D. Cash and B. Brown's Accounts Current, Old Philadelphia, 1835.
(1 volume) {#2.84} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Index to Certificates, 1866-1867.
(1 volume) {#2.15} [Description] [Holdings]
- Index to Churches and Beneficial Societies, transcribed 1831. (1 volume)
{#2.16} [Description] [Holdings]
- Indexes to Ledgers, circa 1781. (4 volumes) {#2.85} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Journal, 1826-1830. (1 volume)
{#2.18} [Description] [Holdings]
- Ledgers, 1808-1878. (16 volumes) {#2.19} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Legislative Newspaper Subscription
Account Book, 1847-1850. (1 volume) {#2.20} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Letter Book of the Register
General and Auditor General, 1802-1810. (1 volume) {#2.21} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Letter Books and Indexes,
1810-1866, 1894-1897. (23 volumes) {#2.22} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Letter Register, 1878-1879.
(1 volume) {#2.23} [Description] [Holdings]
- Oaths and Bonds, 1895-1935. (2 folders) {#2.25} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Partial Index (H-J), undated.
(1 volume) {#2.87} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Payment Books, 1809-1897.
(6 volumes) {#2.26} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Port of Philadelphia Accounts,
1809-1868. (1 box) {#2.27} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Public Buildings and Grounds
Accounts, 1809-1873. (5 boxes) {#2.28} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Receipt and Expenditure Books,
1812-1814, 1821-1822, 1828-1839, 1855-1857. (10 volumes) {#2.29} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Record of Fees Received by
Notaries Public, 1858-1861. (1 volume) {#2.30} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Records
of the Auditor General, 1958-1976. (35 cartons, 1 box) {#2.89} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Register of Bank Notes (Issued
Under the Act of May 31, 1860), 1860-1898. (1 volume) {#2.31} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Returns of Operators of Collieries,
Oil Wells, Ore Banks, and Quarries, 1871. (3 boxes) {#2.32} [Description]
[Holdings]
- River Improvement Accounts,
1810-1835. (4 boxes) {#2.33} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Road and Turnpike Accounts,
1809-1840, 1872. (5 boxes) {#2.34} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Salary Ledger, 1809-1824.
(1 volume) {#2.35} [Description] [Holdings]
- State Loan Books, 1826-1882. (14 volumes) {#2.36} [Description]
[Holdings]
- State Loan Holders Books,
1852-1899. (33 volumes) {#2.37} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Stub Books, 1841-1873. (1
box) {#2.38} [Description] [Holdings]
- Treasurer's Reports, 1809-1813, 1817-1819. (3 boxes) {#2.39} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Unidentified Index, undated.
(1 volume) {#2.88} [Description] [Holdings]
- Warrant Books, 1807-1828, 1851-1879. (19 volumes) {#2.40} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Warrants, 1809-1874. (78 cartons)
{#2.41} [Description] [Holdings]
Records Relating to Military Service
- Annual Report of the Board of Military Claims, circa 1863-1864. (1 folder)
{#2.42} [Description] [Holdings]
- Board of Military Claims Claim
Lists, 1863-1864, 1866. (1 folder) {#2.43} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Board of Military Claims History
Relating to the Thomas A. Scott Regiment, 1896. (1 folder) {#2.44} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Board of Military Claims Minute
Book, 1864-1869. (1 volume) {#2.45} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Board of Military Claims Record
of Claims Presented, 1862-1863. (1 volume) {#2.46} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Civil War Service and Pension
Accounts, 1861-1873. (2 volumes, 3 folders) {#2.47} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Claims for Land Damages Submitted
to Common Pleas Court, 1862-1871. (2 folders) {#2.48} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Index to Old Soldiers' Applications
and Admissions on the Pension Books by the Board, 1826. (1 volume) {#2.86}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Index to Register of Military Claims, circa 1863-1905. (1 volume) {#2.49}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Index to Revolutionary Documents, undated (1 volume) {#2.17} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Mexican War Accounts and Related
Papers, 1846-1880. (12 boxes) {#2.50} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Military Claims File: Claims
Settled, 1862-1905. (38 cartons) {#2.51} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Military Claims File: Claims not Settled, circa 1862-1905. (4 cartons)
{#2.52} [Description] [Holdings]
- Military Pension Accounts and Related Papers, circa 1789-1883.
[*series is continued from RG-4, #4.52] (2
boxes, 9 volumes) {#2.53} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Militia Accounts, 1809-1864.
(53 cartons) {#2.54} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Militia Enrollment Lists and
Related Records for Philadelphia City and County, 1870-1872. (6 boxes) {#2.55}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Power of Attorney Papers and Receipts Relating to Military Claims, circa
1863-1879. (1 volume) {#2.56} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Register of Deficient Claims, 1862-1865. (1 volume) {#2.57} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Register of Military Claims
(Submitted Under Act of April 16, 1862), 1863-1905. (1 volume) {#2.58}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Register of Recruits, lst and 2nd Regiments, Pennsylvania Volunteers, 1847-1848.
(1 volume) {#2.59} [Description] [Holdings]
- Revolutionary War Pension File, 1809-1893. (4 boxes)
{#2.60} [Description] [Holdings]
- War of 1812 Index of Soldiers, undated. (5 volumes) {#2.61} [Description]
[Holdings] [Images]
- War of 1812 Militia Accounts, 1812-1827. (14 boxes) {#2.62} [Description]
[Holdings]
- War of 1812 Militia Accounts:
Final Settlement with the United States, 1812-1838. (2 boxes) {#2.63} [Description]
[Holdings]
- War of 1812 Partial List of Pensioners, circa 1868. (1 folder) {#2.64}
[Description] [Holdings]
- War of 1812 Pension File, 1866-1896, bulk 1866-1879. (59 boxes) {#2.65}
[Description] [Holdings]
- War of 1812 Pension Receipts
for Philadelphia City and County, 1871-1876. (11 folders) {#2.66} [Description]
[Holdings]
Records Relating to Civil
War Border Claims
- Chambersburg War Damage Claim Applications (Submitted
Under Act of Feb. 15, 1866), 1866-1868. (4 boxes) {#2.67} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Chambersburg War Damage Claim
Warrant Stub Books (Per Act of February 15, 1866), 1866. (4 volumes) {#2.68}
[Description] [Holdings]
- Damage Claim Applications (Submitted Under Acts Passed 1863-1871), 1871-1879.
(53 boxes) {#2.69} [Description] [Holdings]
- Index to Damage Claim Applications (Submitted Under Acts Passed 1863-1871),
circa 1871-1879]. (1 volume) {#2.70} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Index to Issued War Damage
Adjudicated Claim Certificates, 1872-1879. (1 volume) {#2.71} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Index to Unissued War Damage
Adjudicated Claim Certificates, 1872-1879. (1 volume) {#2.72} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Minutes of the Board of Appraisers
of Chambersburg War Damages, 1866. (1 volume) {#2.73} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Minutes of the Board of Appraisers
to Examine Damage to Property Along the Southern Border, 1863-1864. (1 volume)
{#2.74} [Description] [Holdings]
- Record of Chambersburg War Damage Claim Final Awards Issued Under Act of February
15, 1866, 1866. (1 volume) {#2.75} [Description]
[Holdings]
- Reports and Damage Claim Abstracts,
1868-1871. (1 box) {#2.76} [Description]
[Holdings]
- War Damage Adjudicated Claim
Certificates, 1872-1879. (6 boxes) {#2.77} [Description]
[Holdings]
Records Relating to State
and County Offices
Last
processing update: 6/09/2011, acc. #5905