| Sorted by Ohio census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Ohio, U.S., Voter Registration Records, 1900-2023FreeUpdated | 7,915,423 |
| Ohio and Florida, U.S., City Directories, 1902-1960Free | 4,912,471 |
| Ohio, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-1890 | 472,914 |
| U.S., 1880 Federal Census Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes | 325,492 |
| U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820 | 171,563 |
| View all Ohio census & voter lists (7) |
| Sorted by Ohio birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Ohio, U.S., Birth Index, 1908-1998 | 26,217,468 |
| Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 | 18,873,732 |
| Ohio, U.S., Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 | 14,636,737 |
| Ohio, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1774-1973 | 13,086,969 |
| U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 | 7,632,413 |
| View all Ohio birth, marriage & death (39) |
| Sorted by Ohio military | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 | 14,501,913 |
| Ohio, U.S., Soldier Grave Registrations, 1804-1958 | 333,570 |
| Ohio, Roster of Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in World War I, 1917-1918 | 248,539 |
| Ohio Soldiers in the War with Spain, 1898-99 | 15,587 |
| Official roster of the soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865, Vols. 1-12 | 2,792 |
| View all Ohio military (36) |
| Sorted by Ohio immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Index to Alien Arrivals at Canadian Atlantic and Pacific Seaports, 1904-1944 | 4,355,886 |
| Ohio, U.S., Naturalization Petition and Record Books, 1888-1946 | 756,925 |
| Ohio, U.S., County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 | 385,282 |
| U.S., Applications for Seaman's Protection Certificates, 1916-1940 | 320,331 |
| Ohio, U.S., Crew List Arrivals, 1929-1958 | 269,658 |
| View all Ohio immigration & emigration (7) |
| Sorted by Ohio newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Ohio, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800s-current | 452,250,766 |
| Ohio, U.S., MOLO Obituary Index, 1865-2012Free | 405,565 |
| View other newspapers & periodicals collections related to Ohio (192) |
| Sorted by Ohio pictures | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no pictures collections unique to Ohio | |
| View other pictures collections related to Ohio (15) |
| Sorted by Ohio directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Quaker Meeting Records, 1681-1935 | 7,632,413 |
| Ohio and Florida, U.S., City Directories, 1902-1960Free | 4,912,471 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 | 210,143 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 | 52,945 |
| Ohio Physician and Dentist Directory, 1905 | 8,961 |
| View all Ohio directories & member lists (31) |
| Sorted by Ohio court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Ohio, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998 | 3,366,459 |
| Ohio, U.S., Tax Records, 1800-1850 | 1,101,150 |
| Jefferson County, Ohio, U.S., Court Records, 1797-1951 | 963,135 |
| Cuyahoga County, Ohio, U.S., Tax Lists, 1819-1869Free | 576,973 |
| Stark County, Ohio, U.S., Court Records, 1809-1917 | 255,616 |
| View all Ohio court, land, wills & financial (35) |
| Sorted by Ohio dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Historical collections of Ohio | 2,051 |
| Ohio Source Records | 672 |
| A trip through the lakes of North America | 392 |
| Summer rambles in the West | 276 |
| Progressive men of northern Ohio | 260 |
| View all Ohio dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference (37) |
| Sorted by Ohio maps, atlases & gazetteers | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898 | 165,796 |
| Map and description of northeastern Ohio | 7 |
| View other maps, atlases & gazetteers collections related to Ohio (10) |
| Sorted by Ohio stories, memories & histories | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Official report of the proceedings and debates of the Third Constitutional Convention of Ohio | 5,045 |
| History of Ohio | 3,416 |
| Ohio : a four-volume reference library on the history of a great state | 2,471 |
| History of the Western Reserve | 2,156 |
| Historical collections of Ohio | 2,051 |
| View all Ohio stories, memories & histories (423) |
A genealogical history
Statehood: 01 March 1803
Capital: Columbus
Largest City: Columbus
Counties: 88
State motto: With God, All Things Are Possible
State nickname: Buckeye State
Neighboring states: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky
Suspension bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio, c. 1907
Interesting facts
- Immigration to Ohio from the Mid-Atlantic states typically flowed along the Ohio River or up through Virginia and Kentucky. New Englanders who largely settled in northern Ohio in the Connecticut Western Reserve, immigrated through upstate New York and along Lake Erie.
- In 1800, three years prior to its admittance as the 17th state, the population of Ohio was 45,365. By 1850, the population had swelled to 1,980,427. The majority of its citizens were native to the U.S., with the majority of those born in Ohio (1,219,432). The largest number of non-Ohioans were from Pennsylvania (200,634), followed by Virginia (85,762), and New York (83,979). Of foreign born residents in Ohio that year, more than half were from Germany (111,257) followed by Ireland (51,562), and England (25,660).
- In 1860, Ohio was the third most populous state following New York (1st) and Pennsylvania (2nd). During the Civil War Ohio sent 260 regiments with more than 310,000 Ohioans to server in the Northern army.
Featured Ohio collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
Ohio Census Research
Surviving population schedules for Ohio begin in 1800, though only Washington County is available for 1800 and 1810. The 1820 census includes all counties except for Franklin and Wood. Duplicate tax lists of Ohio counties may be used as a substitute for the early missing censuses.
Incomplete sections of Clinton and Hamilton counties are available for the mostly destroyed 1890 census.
Ohio had no state census records; however, voting district enumerations were taken every four years from 1803 to 1911 to determine voting districts. These listed males (white only prior to 1863) over twenty-one years of age residing in a county, showing address, race, occupation, and whether a freeholder of land. Not all counties are available for each four year period, nor is each township for each county included.
Ohio Vital Records
Ohio statewide vital records registration began in 1908, although some records may be held at the county where the event was recorded.
- Ohio Vital Records: Holds records of births from December 20, 1908; deaths from January 1, 1954, and marriage and divorce abstracts only from January 1, 1954. Records of marriages and divorce are held at the county level.
- Ohio State Archives: Many vital records are available from the Archives. The website contains a detailed description of records held and the ordering process. See the sections on birth, marriage, and death records for more information. The Archives web site also contains a link to the Ohio Death Certificate index, 1914-1944, which allows lookup and purchase of records.
Ohio Research Resources
The organizations listed below provide information about Ohio history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.
Statewide Research Resources
- Ohio State Archives
- Ohio State Library
- Ohio Historical Society Library and State Archives
- Ohio Genealogical Society
- Ohio GenWeb
- The National Archives at Chicago: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in Ohio, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including Ohio, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.
Specialty and Regional Research
- Cleveland Public Library - Genealogy resources
- Cincinnati Library - History and Genealogy Department
- The Filson Historical Society: Located in Kentucky, the Filson’s collection also includes Ohio Valley history.
- KYOWA Genealogical Society: Serves the tri-state area of northeastern Kentucky, southern Ohio, and western West Virginia. The Society holds regular meetings, sponsors events, and maintains a research library.
- Chronicling America: Online newspapers: Provides searchable online versions of selected Ohio newspapers.