Fayette County, Ohio Genealogy

United States Genealogy

Ohio

Fayette County

Guide to Fayette County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

Fayette County, Ohio
Map
Location of Ohio in the U.S.
Courthouse
Address	Fayette County Courthouse 110 East Court Street Washington, Ohio 43160 Fayette County Website

Fayette County, Ohio Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1810	1867	1828	1810	1810	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

• Parent Counties: Formed from Highland and Ross Counties 19 February 1810.
• County Seat: Washington Court House

Description

The county was named for the Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman who was an officer in the American Army in the Revolution. It's county seat is Washington Court House and was founded March 1, 1810. It is located in the Midsouth-central area of the state.

Places/Localities

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. Hometown Locator The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Cities
Washington Court House
Villages
Bloomingburg Greenfield	Jeffersonville Milledgeville	New Holland Octa
Unincorporated communities
Blessing Bookwalter Boyd Buena Vista Cook Cunningham Eber Edgefield Fairview Georgetown	Ghormley Glendon Hagler Jasper Mills Johnson Luray Luttrell Madison Mills Manara McLean	New Martinsburg Pleasant Corners Pleasant View Plymouth Rock Mills Shady Grove Staunton Whiteoak Yankeetown Yatesville
Census-designated places
Good Hope Pancoastburg
Townships
Concord Green Jasper Jefferson	Madison Marion Paint	Perry Union Wayne

Neighboring Counties

Madison County  • Pickaway County  • Ross County  • Highland County  • Clinton County  • Greene County

Boundary Changes

For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1888) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss

1828 A courthouse fire may have damaged or destroyed some records. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

• Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
• When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
• Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.

Resources

Bible Records

For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.

Cemeteries

Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Online Grave Transcripts	Published Grave Transcripts	County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
Interment.net	WorldCat	Names in Stone
USGW Tombstones		Billion Graves
Billion Graves
OHGenWeb
OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos
Ohio Gravestones
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	1,854	—
1820	6,316	240.7%
1830	8,182	29.5%
1840	10,984	34.2%
1850	12,726	15.9%
1860	15,935	25.2%
1870	17,170	7.8%
1880	20,364	18.6%
1890	22,309	9.6%
1900	21,725	−2.6%
1910	21,744	0.1%
1920	21,518	−1.0%
1930	20,755	−3.5%
1940	21,385	3.0%
1950	22,554	5.5%
1960	24,775	9.8%
1970	25,461	2.8%
1980	27,467	7.9%
1990	27,466	−0.0%
2000	28,433	3.5%
2010	29,030	2.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Ohio denominations, see Ohio Church Records.

Lutheran

• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Good Hope, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court Records

Click for the Fayette County Government Information Center.

History

Marquis de Lafayette

The county is named after Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834).

Local histories are available for Fayette County, Ohio Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Ohio Local Histories.

Local History

• Allen, Frank M., History of Fayette County, Ohio: her people, industries and institutions… (Indianapolis, Indiana : B.F. Bowen, 1914) Digital version at Google Books; Internet Archives; available on microfilm at FHL film 934896 Item 3.
• Dills, R.S., History of Fayette County together with historic notes on the Northwest, and the state of Ohio… (Dayton, Ohio : Odell & Mayer, 1881) Digital version at Google Books; Internet Archives; available on microfilm at FHL film 934896 Item 1.
• Putnam, Rufus Pioneer record and reminiscences of the early settlers and settlement of Fayette County, Ohio (Cincinnati, Ohio : Applegate, Pounsford & Co., 1872) Digital version at Google Books; ]; available on microfilm at FHL film 896538 Item 2.

Land and Property

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See Ohio Land and Property for additional information about early Ohio land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Fayette County was in the Virginia Military District an area of land in what is now the state of Ohio that was reserved by Virginia to use as payment in lieu of cash for its veterans of the American Revolutionary War. Surveys were done using the metes and bounds method used in Virginia, rather than the Public Land Survey System established by the Land Ordinance of 1785 used for most of the Northwest Territory.

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)

Military

• 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images

War of 1812

Gettys, Rober Clay, Fayette County Militia on the Ohio Frontier : War of 1812 (Belfast Northern Ireland, Gettys, 1985) pages 12  FHL Book 977.A1

Civil War

Civil War service men from Fayette County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Fayette County.

- 54th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, C, and I

World War I

• 1914-1919 - Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1914-1918 - Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1916-1920 - Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1800-1977 - Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

Fayette County, Ohio Genealogy newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.

To access newspapers, contact public libraries, Ohio Genealogical Society chapters, college or university libraries, the Library of Congress, Google News, or the Ohio Memory. The Ohio Genealogical Society Obituary Database is another source of newspaper information.

For more Ohio newspaper information see the Newspaper Guides on the wiki page Ohio Newspapers and Obituaries.
Online Newspapers

• various years - community contributed newspaper articles Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Probate

From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the {{{1}}} County Probate Court. Records include wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (1867-1908 only). The records may give the decedent's date of death, name of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.

See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records. Online Probate Records

• 1786 - 1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
• 1789 - 1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — images
• 1790–1967 - Ohio, Probate Records, 1790-1967 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection consists of probate records and estate files from county courthouses in Ohio. The content and time period varies by county, with more records being added as they become available. This Collection will include records from 1789 to 1996. Currently, (September 2012) the collection is only searchable by browsing the images. A list of Fires that have destroyed records in the courthouses of several counties are listed on the Record Description page.
  
• 1828-1878 - Chancery and Commons Pleas Court Records, Fayette County, Ohio: 1828-1878 at Ancestry.com ($) Original data
• various years - community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Finding More Probate Records

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Fayette County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Repositories

Courthouse

Fayette County Courthouse
110 E Court Street
Washington Court House, OH 43160-1355
Phone: 614.335.5910 

Clerk Court has divorce records from 1853
and court records from 1828; Probate Judge
has probate records; County recorder has
land records

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

• Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory. Put your town name in the top search box.

Libraries

• Carnegie Public Library
  

Societies

Fayette County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 342, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160. Publishes quarterly newsletter.

Fayette County Historical Society, 517 Columbus Avenue, Washington Court House, Ohio 43160.

Online Genealogy Research Groups

• 
  
• U.S. Midwest Genealogy Research Community - FamilySearch Facebook Research Group
• Ohio Ancestors - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join
• U.S. and Canada Genealogy Research - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join

Taxation

• 1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Finding More Tax Records

Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Fayette County, Ohio Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Vital Records

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.

Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.

Birth

Online Birth Indexes and Records

• 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
• 1909-1999 - Fayette County death index searchable online index. Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• various years - Fayette County Births Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• various years - community contributed birth records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage

Online Marriage Indexes and Records
Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

• 1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1800-1958 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Name index to marriage records from the state of Ohio. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and some FamilySearch Centers. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
• 1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Death

Online Death Indexes and Records

• 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1867-1908 - Fayette County Archive 1867-1908 Death Index Compiled by staff of the Carnegie Public Library, this index provides Book # and Page number information searchable by name.
  
• 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch.org from the Ohio Department of Health via the Ohio Historical Society. Records include such information as birth date of deceased, city, county, and state of death, name of spouse if married, names of parents, maiden name of mother, name of informant, if deceased was single, married, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
• 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
• 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• various years - St. Colman Church Death Records Patron-donated index of of the St. Colman Church. Searchable index.  Search results include the name, address (city and state), date of death and burial, name of cemetery, name of minister.
  
• various years - Fayette County death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Online Death Indexes and Records

Finding More Vital Records

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Fayette County, Ohio Genealogy Vital Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Websites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• FamilySearch Catalog
• Fayette County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Fayette County OH Genealogy
• Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library