Wayne County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Wayne 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 in honor of General Anthony Wayne, the victor at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. It is located in the Northeast area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Wayne County Courthouse
428 West Liberty St
Wooster, OH 44691
Phone: 330-287-5590
Wayne County Website
Wayne 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 | 1813 | 1867 | 1812 | 1812 | 1812 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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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: [9]
| 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.
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 11,933 | — |
| 1830 | 23,333 | 95.5% |
| 1840 | 35,808 | 53.5% |
| 1850 | 32,981 | −7.9% |
| 1860 | 32,483 | −1.5% |
| 1870 | 35,116 | 8.1% |
| 1880 | 40,076 | 14.1% |
| 1890 | 39,005 | −2.7% |
| 1900 | 37,870 | −2.9% |
| 1910 | 38,058 | 0.5% |
| 1920 | 41,346 | 8.6% |
| 1930 | 47,024 | 13.7% |
| 1940 | 50,520 | 7.4% |
| 1950 | 58,716 | 16.2% |
| 1960 | 75,497 | 28.6% |
| 1970 | 87,123 | 15.4% |
| 1980 | 97,408 | 11.8% |
| 1990 | 101,461 | 4.2% |
| 2000 | 111,564 | 10.0% |
| 2010 | 114,520 | 2.6% |
| 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
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
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.
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.
- Douglass, Benjamin, History of Wayne County, Ohio: From the Days of the Pioneers and First Settlers to the Present Time, (Indianapolis, Indiana: R. Douglas, 1878). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry (Indexed) at Ancestry ($)
- Bowen, B.F., History of Wayne County, Ohio, (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1910). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library
- Howe, Henry, History of Wayne County, Ohio: 1796-1889, (Knightstown, Indiana Bookmark, 1997), Reprint, 1898. FHL book 977.161 H2hh
- Wayne County History Book Committee, A History of Wayne County, Ohio, (Dallas, Texas: Taylor Pub. Co., 1987). FHL book 977.161 H2h
- Wayne County Historical Landmark Committee, Historic Heritage of Wayne County, Ohio, (Wooster, Ohio: Wayne County Historical Society, 1976. FHL book 977.161 H2L
- Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
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.
- Hauenstein, Edward Harry, A History of Wayne County in the World War and in the Wars of the Past, (Wayne County History Co., 1919). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive
Civil War
Servicemen from Wayne 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 Wayne County.
- - 4th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company E (also known as Given Guards) with many men from Wooster.
- - 41st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company C
- - 102nd Regiment, Ohio Infantry , Companies F, H , and I
- - 107th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company C, especially from the town of Wooster
- - 166th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (National Guard), Company G
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]
Wayne 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.
- 1906-1920 Wooster Daily News: 1906-1913, 1917-1920 at Ohio Memory
- Wayne County Democrat - 31 issues, sporadic and incomplete at Ohio Memory
- The Community History Archive at Wayne County Public Library
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 Wayne 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 Wayne County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
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
- Wooster Ohio Family History Center
- Wayne County Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Wayne County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Fredericksburg Community Library
108 S Mill St
PO Box 24
Fredericksburg, OH 44627
330-695-2420
Website
Orrville Public Library
230 N Main St
Orrville, OH 44667
330-683-1065
Website
Wayne County Public Library
Main Library
220 W Liberty St
PO Box 1349
Wooster, OH 44691
330-262-0916
E-mail:genealogy@wcpl.info
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Wayne County Historical Society Museum
546 E Bowman St
Wooster, OH 44691
330-264-8856
Facebook
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Wayne County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Western Reserve Historical Society
Research Library in the History Center
10825 East Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44106
216-721-5722
FamilySearch Wiki
Website
Wayne County Chapter, OGS
PO Box 856
Wooster, OH 44691
E-mail:waynecogs@gmail.com
Website
Wayne County Historical Societies by communities
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
- Wayne County, Ohio Online Resource Center available through the Wayne County Public Library, Genealogy and Local History Department's website.
- Wayne County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- USGenWeb Archives for Wayne County.
- 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Wayne County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/wayne/ 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.
- ↑ Picturesque Wayne, page 34
- ↑ The Daily Record Tuesday, May 20, 1969, page 1
- ↑ Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Ohio Atlas of Historical County Boundaries Ohio: Individual County Chronologies; Copyright The Newberry Library 2007
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wayne County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_County,_Ohio, accessed 18 January 2019.