Licking County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Licking County

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Newark Organized: March 1, 1808 Parent County(s): Fairfield Neighboring Counties Delaware  • Franklin  • Fairfield  • Perry  • Muskingum  • Coshocton  • Knox See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The county was named after the salt licks in the area. It is located in the Mid-central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Licking County Courthouse
1 Courthouse Square
Newark, OH 43055
Phone: 740-670-5791
Licking County Website

Probate Judge has birth, marriage and probate records;
County Health Department has death records;
Clerk Court has divorce records from 1876 and court records from 1872;
County recorder has land records

Licking County, Ohio Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1875	1809	1875	1872	1800	1875	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

1875 A courthouse fire on 2 April destroyed or damaged records. Records in the Recorder’s, Sheriff’s, Auditor's and Treasurer’s offices were saved. The marriage records between 1829-1839 were possibly completely lost in the fire. Some estate records also were burned in the fire. There are gaps in records for this county. 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. List of counties in the United States with Record Loss Not Everything Burned -- partitions and mortgages in Licking County, Ohio By Harold Henderson at Midwestern Microhistory: a Genealogy Blog

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Formed from Fairfield County 30 January 1808. County Seat: Newark Organized Date: 1 Mar 1808 Interactive Map of Ohio County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Heath New Albany	Newark (county seat) Pataskala	Reynoldsburg
Villages
Alexandria Buckeye Lake Granville Gratiot	Hanover Hartford Hebron Johnstown	Kirkersville St. Louisville Utica
Unincorporated communities
Amsterdam Appleton Ben Boston Chatham Columbia Center Fleatown Fredonia Homer	Jacksontown Jersey Linnville Lloyd Corners Locust Grove Luray New Way Outville	Perryton Rain Rock Rocky Fork Toboso Union Station Wagram Welsh Hills Wilkins Run
Census-designated places
Beechwood Trails Brownsville	Etna Granville South	Harbor Hills Marne
Townships
Bennington Bowling Green Burlington Eden Etna Fallsbury Franklin Granville Hanover	Harrison Hartford Hopewell Jersey Liberty Licking Madison Mary Ann	McKean Monroe Newark Newton Perry St. Albans Union Washington

• Lima Township (defunct - merged in 1996 with Pataskala)

Resources

Bible Records

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

Biographies

• Brister, E.M.P., Ohio Genealogical Society (Licking County Chapter), Centennial history of the City of Newark and Licking County (Chicago-Columbus: The S.J.Clarke Publishing Co., 1909) Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library
• Memorial Record of Licking County, Ohio: containing biographical sketches ... (Chicago: Record Publishing Company, 1894) online at FamilySearch Digital Library
• Smucker, Isaac and Springer, Mrs. C., Our pioneers: being biographical sketches of Capt. Elias Hughes, John Ratliff, Benjamin Green, Richard Pitzer, John Van Buskirk, Issac and John Stadden and Capt. Samuel Elliott; with brief notices of the pioneers of 1801 and 1802 (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms, A Xerox Company, 1973) online at FamilySearch Digital Library

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Licking County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave Interment.net OH Tombstone Transcription Project Billion Graves OHGenWeb Tombstone Photo Project Ohio Gravestones Hartford Township, Licking County, Ohio, U.S., Township Records, 1881-1962 at Ancestry - index and images ($), includes burial and cemetery deeds
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find A Grave FamilySearch Places
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

 

• 1881-1962 Ohio, Licking County, Hartford Township Records, 1881-1962 at FamilySearch — index and images. Burial records and cemetery deeds from Croton, Ohio; Also at Ancestry ($)

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	3,852	—
1820	11,861	207.9%
1830	20,869	75.9%
1840	35,096	68.2%
1850	38,846	10.7%
1860	37,011	−4.7%
1870	35,756	−3.4%
1880	40,450	13.1%
1890	43,279	7.0%
1900	47,070	8.8%
1910	55,590	18.1%
1920	56,426	1.5%
1930	59,962	6.3%
1940	62,279	3.9%
1950	70,645	13.4%
1960	90,242	27.7%
1970	107,799	19.5%
1980	120,981	12.2%
1990	128,300	6.0%
2000	145,491	13.4%
2010	166,492	14.4%
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.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

Land and Property Records

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.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for this county. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Ohio Local Histories.

• Fleming and Tharp, Robert, A Bicentennial History of Licking County, Ohio: 1808-2008, (Licking County Bicentennial Commission, 2008). FHL book 977.154 H2f
• Brister, E.M.P., Centennial History of the City of Newark and Licking County, Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909). Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 2 online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
• Hill, Norman Newell, History of Licking County, Ohio, Its Past and Present, (Newark, Ohio: A.A. Graham & Co., 1881). Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
• Smucker, Isaac, Centennial History of Licking County, Ohio, (Newark, Ohio: Clark and Underwood, 1876). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library
• Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Revolutionary War

• Revolutionary War Veterans at Licking County Genealogical Society

Civil War

• Miller, Charles D. Report of the great re-union of the veteran soldiers and sailors of Ohio held at Newark, July 22, 1878, under "the auspices of the Society of the soldiers and sailors of Licking County, Ohio" (Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International - Books on Demand, 1972) online at FamilySearch Digital Library

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

- 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Companies D and F

- 113th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and F

World War I

• 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
• 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

• 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Newspapers

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

• For more online Ohio newspapers index and images, see Ohio Newspapers.

• 1793-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
• 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images, ($)
• Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

Probate Records

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 Licking 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 ($) — index and images.
• 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection.

School Records

• 1890-1959 Jacksontown Alumni at Licking Township. Digitized book which includes the history of the school and numerous class photos.

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

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.

Online Tax Indexes and Records

• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index

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

• 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index
• 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Marriage

• 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

• 1833-1967 Ohio, Church and Civil Deaths, 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
• 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1908-1953 Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch – How to Use this Collection
• 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
• 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Divorce

• 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
  

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Licking County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.

Licking County Records and Archives Department
61 E Main St
Newark, OH 43055
740-670-5121
Facebook
Website

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• 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

• Zanesville Ohio Family History Center
• Columbus Ohio South Family History Center
• Columbus Metropolitan Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Licking County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.

Licking County Library
101 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055-5054
740-349-5500
Email: info@lickingcountylibrary.org
Website

Alexandria Public Library
10 Maple Dr
PO Box 67
Alexandria, OH 43001
740-924-3561
Website

Granville Public Library
217 E Broadway
Granville, OH 43023-1398
740-587-0196
Website

Homer Public Library
385 South Street NW
Homer, OH 43027
740-892-2020
Website

Pataskala Public Library
101 S Vine St
Pataskala, OH 43062-9210
740-927-9986
Website

Museums

Licking County Historical Society
PO Box 785
5 N 6th Street
Newark, OH 43055-0785
740-345-4898
E-mail:lchs@alink.com
Website

Flint Ridge State Memorial Ohio Historical Society
15300 Flint Ridge Rd
Glenford, OH 43739
740-787-2476
E-mail:tjordan@ohiohistory.org
Website

Licking Valley Heritage Society
71 Hilltop Dr NE
Newark, OH 43055
740-763-3506
E-mail:lvheritagesociety@gmail.com
Facebook
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Licking County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.

Licking County Genealogical Society
Licking County Library
101 W Main St
Newark, OH 43055-5054
Phone: 740-349-5510
Facebook
Website

Websites

• Local Gov't Records by County at Ohio History Connection — Browse their list; records are not online.
• Custom Browse of Historical Collections at Ohio Memory — Use map or alpha bar to select county or place, then browse search options in left sidebar.
• Ohio Genealogical Society ($) — online databases
• Licking County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.