Ottawa County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Ottawa County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Ottawa County, Ohio | |
Map | |
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![]() Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |
Courthouse | |
Address | Ottawa County Courthouse 315 Madison St. Port Clinton, Ohio 43452-1993 Ottawa County Website |
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Contents
- 1 Ottawa County, Ohio Record Dates
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biography
- 2.3 Business Records and Commerce
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.9 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 2.10 Gazetteers
- 2.11 Genealogy
- 2.12 History
- 2.13 Land and Property
- 2.14 Maps
- 2.15 Military
- 2.16 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.17 Newspapers
- 2.18 Obituaries
- 2.19 Periodicals
- 2.20 Probate
- 2.21 Public Records
- 2.22 Repositories
- 2.23 Taxation
- 2.24 Vital Records
- 3 Websites
- 4 References
Ottawa County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1840 | 1867 | 1840 | 1820 | 1840 | 1820 |
- Parent Counties: Formed from Erie, Lucas, and Sandusky Counties 6 March 1840.[2]
- County Seat: Port Clinton
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named either for the Ottawa Indian Tribe or for a Native American word meaning "trader". It's county seat is Port Clinton and was founded March 6, 1840. It is located in the North-Central area of the state.[3]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county: [4]
Cities | ||
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Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Lucas County • Wood County • Sandusky County • Erie County
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1940) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Business Records and Commerce[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.
Online Grave Transcripts | Published Grave Transcripts | County Cemetery Directories |
Family History Library | ||
WorldCat | ||
Billion Graves | ||
OHGenWeb | ||
OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos | ||
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information. |
- Online hyperlink to published book entitled: "Cemetery inscriptions of Ottawa County, Ohio
Port Clinton, Ohio?: The Society, 1976, 227 pgs." Located at HeritageQuestonline Login required.
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1840 | 2,248 | — |
1850 | 3,308 | 47.2% |
1860 | 7,016 | 112.1% |
1870 | 13,364 | 90.5% |
1880 | 19,762 | 47.9% |
1890 | 21,974 | 11.2% |
1900 | 22,213 | 1.1% |
1910 | 22,360 | 0.7% |
1920 | 22,193 | −0.7% |
1930 | 24,109 | 8.6% |
1940 | 24,360 | 1.0% |
1950 | 29,469 | 21.0% |
1960 | 35,323 | 19.9% |
1970 | 37,099 | 5.0% |
1980 | 40,076 | 8.0% |
1990 | 40,029 | −0.1% |
2000 | 40,985 | 2.4% |
2010 | 41,428 | 1.1% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
Church Records[edit | edit source]
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.
Catholic[edit | edit source]
- 1796–2004 Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection includes images of parish registers recording the events of baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and death in the Diocese of Toledo (Ohio), Roman Catholic Church. These records are accessed by browsing the images by county. In addition to traditional parish registers, this collection includes miscellaneous cemetery records, Books of the Elect, Professions of Faith, Sick Call registers, etc.
- 1796–2004 Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection includes images of parish registers recording the events of baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and death in the Diocese of Toledo (Ohio), Roman Catholic Church. These records are accessed by browsing the images by county. In addition to traditional parish registers, this collection includes miscellaneous cemetery records, Books of the Elect, Professions of Faith, Sick Call registers, etc.
Lutheran[edit | edit source]
- Records of St. John's Lutheran Church, Oak Harbor, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).[5]
Finding Church Records at Other Repositories
Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Ottawa County, Ohio Church Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Ottawa 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 Histories[edit | edit source]
- Ottawa County Genealogical Society, The History of Ottawa County, Ohio and Its' Families, (Port Clinton, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society. Ottawa County Chapter, 1985). FHL book 977.1212 D3h
- Hardesty, L.Q., Illustrated Historical Atlas of Ottawa County, Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: H.H. Hardesty, 1874). FHL film 559334
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
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.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Ottawa 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 Ottawa County.
- - 41st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies F and I
- - 100th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company G
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 1800-1977 - Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Ottawa 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
Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
The Ohio Obituary Index includes references to more than 1.5 million death, marriage and obituary notices. What began as a project at the Hayes Presidential Center grew into a partnership with 40 public libraries throughout the state of Ohio. Some of the listings date back as far as 1830. In addition to newspaper obituaries, the index includes entries indexing church records, federal mortality indexes, family papers, etc.
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate[edit | edit source]
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 Indexes and 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.
Finding More Probate Records[edit source]
Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Ottawa 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).
Public Records[edit | edit source]
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Ottawa County Courthouse
315 Madison Street Rm 103
Port Clinton OH 43452-1936
Phone: 419.734.6752
County Health Department has birth, death and burial records;
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records; Clerk Court
has divorce and court records from 1840 and naturalization 1905-1929;
County Recorder has land records[6]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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.
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[edit | edit source]
Harris-Elmore Public Library
328 Toledo St.
Elmore, Ohio
Ottawa County Genealogical Society (OGS Chapter)
310 Madison St.
Port Clinton
They meet at the Ida Rupp Public Library
Ida Rupp Public Library
310 Madison St.
Port Clinton
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
The Connecticut Western Reserve Genealogy was a part of northeast Ohio originally intended for settlement by Revolutionary War refugees from Connecticut.[7] The former Connecticut Western Reserve lands were in the modern counties of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Trumbull fully, but also in parts of Ashland, Mahoning, Ottawa, Summit, and Wayne counties in Ohio.
The Research Library at the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center is the premier repository for Cleveland, Ohio and Connecticut Western Reserve history material. One of the principal strengths is its manuscript collections.[8] The WRHS collection has original land records, genealogies of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, biographies, histories, and family Bibles.[7]
Other Societies
- Elmore Historical Society
Online Genealogy Research Groups[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
Ohio tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties.
- 1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Finding Tax Records at Other Repositories
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Ottawa County, Ohio Tax Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)
Original Birth Records on Microfilm
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1800-1958 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — free; Index.
- 1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953. Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch. Records include such information as birth date of deceased, city, county, and state of death, name of spouse if married, names of parents, maiden name of mother, name of informant, if deceased was single, married, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Finding More Vital Records
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Ottawa 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).
Original Death Records on Microfilm
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Ottawa County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Ottawa County OH Genealogy
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ottawa County, Ohio. Page 540-547 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 531-533.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Ottawa County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/ottawa/ accessed 2/22/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ottawa County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa_County,_Ohio, accessed 7 January 2019.
- ↑ "Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: An Inventory of Selected Congregational Records of the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota at the Minnesota Historical Society," Collection Finding Aids, Minnesota Historical Society, http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/01009.xml, accessed 10 June 2013.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ottawa County, Ohio. Page 544 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 89. At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 J54d.
- ↑ Family History and Genealogical Research in Western Reserve Historical Society (accessed 11 March 2015).