R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Ohio
Research Outline
   

Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog™
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
Emigration And Immigration
Gazetteers
Genealogy
History
Land And Property
Maps
Military Records
Minorities
Native Races
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers And Obituaries
Periodicals
Probate Records
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

CEMETERIESLook this term up in the glossary.

Transcriptions of cemetery records compiled by local genealogical groups or individuals are available at the Family History Library for most counties in Ohio. For those records compiled by chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution, see the “Genealogy” section of this outline.

The Family History Library also has microfilm copies of sexton and mortician records from some counties.

Some older cemetery lists have been reprinted in:

Ohio Cemetery Records: Extracted from the “Old Northwest Genealogical Quarterly.” Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing, 1984. (FHL book 977.1 V3oh; film 1320550 item 15.)

Many eastern Ohio cemeteries are transcribed in The Henry R. Baldwin Genealogical Records, described in the “Genealogy” section of this outline. The first seven volumes are cemetery records.

Some Ohio cemetery records were copied by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These records are found in:

Ohio Cemetery Records. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972. (FHL films 873854 item 7 and 873855 items 2-3.)

Excellent sources for veterans' graves are mentioned in the “Military Records” section of this outline.


Locating Cemeteries and Transcripts

The known names and locations of Ohio cemeteries and information about published inscriptions are given in:

Smith, Maxine Hartmann, ed. Ohio Cemeteries. Mansfield, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society, 1978. (FHL book 977.1 V34o; fiche 6051415.)

Klaiber, Teresa L. M., ed. Ohio Cemeteries Addendum. Baltimore, Md.: Gateway Press, 1990. (FHL book 977.1 V36o supp.)

A county-by-county list of cemetery record transcripts available at the Family History Library as of 1988 is found in:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Family History Library (Salt Lake City, Utah). Index to United States Cemeteries. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988. (FHL films 1206468-94.) Films 1206485-86 include Ohio, among other states.

Periodicals have published inscriptions from many Ohio cemeteries. These are referenced in the PERiodical Source Index (PERSI), described in the “Periodicals” section of this outline.

The Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog lists more of these records under:

OHIO - CEMETERIESOHIO, [COUNTY] - CEMETERIESOHIO, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - CEMETERIES


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CENSUSLook this term up in the glossary.


Federal CensusesLook this term up in the glossary.

Population SchedulesLook this term up in the glossary.. Federal census records are found at the Family History Library, the National Archives, and other federal and state archives. The United States Research Outline (30972), provides more detailed information regarding these records.

The Family History Library has the U.S. Federal censuses of Ohio for 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920. Returns for the 1810 and 1890 censuses were almost entirely destroyed. All that remains of the 1810 census are the returns for Washington County. Lists of territorial residents in 1800 also exist for Washington County. All that remains of the 1890 census are military schedules listing widows and pensioners from the Civil WarLook this term up in the glossary..

Some early tax records have been compiled and indexed to substitute for the early censuses. One example is:

Jackson, Ronald Vern, ed. Early Ohio Census Records. 2nd ed. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems, 1974. (FHL book 977.1 X2p.)

Statewide indexesLook this term up in the glossary. for the 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, and 1880 censuses are available in book format. SoundexLook this term up in the glossary. (phonetic) indexes are on microfilm for the 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920 censuses. Be aware that the 1880 soundex index is incomplete and includes only those families with children born between 1870 and 1880. Either check the 1880 index in book format or search the actual census for the place where your ancestors lived.

County indexesLook this term up in the glossary. to federal censuses sometimes help locate names overlooked or misspelled in statewide indexesLook this term up in the glossary.. To locate county census indexes check the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under OHIO, [COUNTY] - CENSUS.

When indexes are not available or a name is omitted from an index you can still look for the name in the census. To find a person who lived in a large city, it helps to first find his or her address in the city directoryLook this term up in the glossary. for the same year as the census (see the “Directories” section of this outline). Then look for that address on the original census schedules.

The following reference tools help determine which census schedule microfilm and enumeration district to search for specific addresses:

Kirkham, E. Kay. A Handy Guide to Record- Searching in the Larger Cities of the United States. Logan, Utah: Everton, 1974. (FHL book 973 D27kc; fiche 6010059-60.) Includes ward maps and street indexes for Cincinnati, 1850 to 1855.

Census Descriptions of Geographic Subdivisions and Enumerations Districts.

•1830

FHL film 1402857 item 1; computer number 299384

•1840

FHL film 1402857 item 2; computer number 299385

•1850

FHL film 1402858 item 1; computer number 299392

•1860

FHL film 1402858 item 2; computer number 299393

•1870

FHL film 1402859; computer number 299425

•1880

FHL film 1402862; computer number 299426

•1900

FHL film 1303025; computer number 117685

•1910

FHL film 1374009; computer number 176643

•1920

FHL film 1842715; computer number 687949

United States. Bureau of the Census. Cross Index to Selected City Streets and Enumeration Districts, 1910 Census. (51 FHL fiche 6331481; computer number 258163.) Often referred to as the 39 Cities Index, it lists street addresses with corresponding census enumeration districts for Canton, Cleveland, Dayton, and Youngstown.

Mortality SchedulesLook this term up in the glossary.. Mortality schedules (lists of deaths in the year preceding the census) exist for the years 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. The 1850 schedule includes only counties beginning alphabetically with Hamilton through Wyandot. The 1860 schedule includes all counties, the 1870 includes only Seneca County, and the 1880 includes the counties Adams through Geauga. These records are available at the State Library of Ohio and at the Family History Library. Some have been indexed.

Master IndexesLook this term up in the glossary.. Some of the indexes mentioned above are combined into one master index of several census years, states, and census types:

FamilyFinder™ Index and Viewer: Version 3.0. [Novato, Calif.]: Brøderbund Software, 1995. (FHL compact disc no. 9 1995 index. Not available at Family History Centers. FamilyFinder is a trademark of Brøderbund Software, Inc.) It is a master index to Ohio tax lists for 1787 to 1819; Washington County for 1800, 1803, and 1810; federal censuses for 1820 to 1860 and 1880; and mortality schedules for 1850.

The FamilyFinder Index includes the following Jackson indexes:

Jackson, Ronald Vern. AIS Microfiche Indexes of U.S. Census and Other Records. Bountiful, Utah: Accelerated Indexing Systems International, 1984. (No FHL fiche number but available at many Family History Centers.) Early Ohio tax lists are combined together on Search 1. A composite mortality schedule index is on Search 8. Separate Ohio 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850 indexes are on other searches.


TerritorialLook this term up in the glossary. and StateLook this term up in the glossary. Censuses

Microfilm numbers of Ohio territorial or state censuses are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under OHIO - CENSUS - [YEAR]. They are also found in:

Buckway, G. Eileen. U.S. State and Special Census Register. Salt Lake City: Family History Library, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1992. (FHL book 973 X2be 1992; fiche 6104851-52.) A complete list of the available records can be obtained from the Ohio Historical Society.

In some counties, town or county censuses taken by the state between 1798 and 1911 may supplement the federal census records. Among these are quadrennial enumerations which exist for a few counties and list males 21 years and older. The Family History Library has copies of most of these. These lists are also in local courthouses and in the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers, mentioned in the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline.

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