Stark County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Stark County, Ohio ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for John Stark, Revolutionary War General known as the "Hero of Bennington". It is located in the North-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Stark County Courthouse
110 Central Plaza South
Canton, OH 44702-2219
Phone: 330-451-7931
Stark County Courthouse
County Health Department has birth records;
Probate Court has marriage and probate records;
Family Court has divorce records;
County Recorder has land records[3]
Stark County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
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.
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1809 | 1867 | 1809 | 1809 | 1810 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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: [6]
Cities | ||
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Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.
- Stark County, Ohio, Bible, church and family records at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- "Portrait and Biographical Record of Stark County, Ohio: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, ..." (Chapman Bros.; Jan 1892) Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1810 | 2,734 | — |
1820 | 12,406 | 353.8% |
1830 | 26,588 | 114.3% |
1840 | 34,603 | 30.1% |
1850 | 39,878 | 15.2% |
1860 | 42,978 | 7.8% |
1870 | 52,508 | 22.2% |
1880 | 64,031 | 21.9% |
1890 | 84,170 | 31.5% |
1900 | 94,747 | 12.6% |
1910 | 122,987 | 29.8% |
1920 | 177,218 | 44.1% |
1930 | 221,784 | 25.1% |
1940 | 234,887 | 5.9% |
1950 | 283,194 | 20.6% |
1960 | 340,345 | 20.2% |
1970 | 372,210 | 9.4% |
1980 | 378,823 | 1.8% |
1990 | 367,585 | −3.0% |
2000 | 378,098 | 2.9% |
2010 | 375,586 | −0.7% |
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.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- Powell, Esther Weygandt; Stark County, Ohio, early church records and cemeteries, (Akron, Ohio: Esther Weygandt Powell, 1973); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
Baptist
- Huchison, Eldon Allen; Elder Daniel Clark, pioneer Baptist preacher: the first minister of the gospel to be ordained in the Northwest Territory, Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Canton
Lutheran
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- 1809-1866 Court records, 1809-1852; index, 1810-1866 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
- 1809-1917 Ohio, Stark County Court Records, 1809-1917 at FamilySearch — Ohio, Stark County Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection; images.
- 1810-1849 Court records, 1810-1849 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
- 1834-1865 Appearance docket, 1834-1865 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1913 Canton, Stark County, Ohio, U.S., Directory, 1913 at Ancestry - index ($)
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Ohio Land and Property for additional information about early Ohio land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- Stark County Recorder's Office Website has an online digital archives system containing deeds and mortgages viewable by creating a free account. Click on "Archive Search Instructions" and "Search Archives" in the left-hand column, and follow the instructions to find available land records.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for this county. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Ohio Local Histories.
- Perrin, William Henry, History of Stark County: With an Outline Sketch of Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: Barkin and Battey, 1881). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($) - index and images.
- Blue, Herbert T.O., History of Stark County, Ohio: From the Age of Prehistoric Man to the Present Day, (Chicago, Illinois: S. J. Clark Pub. Co., 1928). Volume one online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume two online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume three online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Lehman, John H., A Standard History of Stark County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Pub. Co., 1916). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Volume one online at HathiTrust; Volume two online at HathiTrust, Internet Archive; Volume three online at HathiTrust.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
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
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
Civil War
Civil War service men from Stark 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 Stark County.
- - 4th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company F (also known as Canton Zouaves)
- - 104th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, B, and E
- - 107th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, D, and H
- Ohio Genealogical Society. Stark County Chapter. Special schedules of the eleventh census of the United States, 1890 schedules enumerating union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War for Stark County, Ohio. (North Canton, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society. Stark County Chapter, 1995), FHL book 977.162 X2s 1890
World War I
- 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Stark 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, ($)
- Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the Stark County Probate Court. Records include wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (1867-1908 only). The records may give the decedent's date of death, name of spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1786-1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index and images.
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Ohio tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
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]
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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; index and images.
- 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch – How to Use this Collection; Index.
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Stark County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Stark County Records Center
201 Third St NE, Suite 5
Canton, OH 44702
330-451-7365
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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
- Canton Ohio Family History Center (North Canton)
- Stark County District Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Stark County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Canal Fulton Public Library
154 Market St NE
Canal Fulton, OH 44614-1196
330-854-4148
Website
Louisville Public Library
700 Lincoln Ave
Louisville, OH 44641-1474
330-875-1696
Website
Massillon Public Library
208 Lincoln Way East
Massillon, OH 44646-8488
330-832-9831
Website
Rodman Public Library
215 E Broadway St
Alliance, OH 44601-2694
330-821-2665
Website
Stark County District Library
715 Market Ave North
Canton, OH 44702-1018
330-452-0665
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
800 McKinley Monument Drive NW
Canton, OH 44708
330-455-7043
E-mail:Info@McKinleyMuseum.org
Website
The National First Ladies' Library Museum
Saxton McKinley House
331 S Market Ave
Canton, OH 44702
330-452-0876
Education and Research Center
205 S Market Ave
Canton, OH 44702
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Stark County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Ohio Geneaological Society, Stark County Chapter
Stark County Roots
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- 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
- Stark County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- USGenWeb Project and OHGenWeb for Stark County, Ohio
- USGenWeb Archives for Stark County, Ohio
- 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Stark County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/stark/ accessed 2/27/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Stark County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_County,_Ohio, accessed 16 January 2019.