Pike County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Pike County

Guide to Pike 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: Waverly Organized: 1 February 1815 Parent County(s): Adams, Ross, Scioto Neighboring Counties Ross  • Jackson  • Scioto  • Adams  • Highland See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The county was named for Zebulon Pike, explorer and soldier killed in the War of 1812. It is located in the South-Central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Pike County Courthouse
100 E 2nd Street
Waverly, OH 45690-1301
Phone: 740-947-2715
Pike County Website

Probate Judge has birth, marriage and probate records;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1815;
County Recorder has land records

Pike 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
1867	1815	1867	1815	1799	1817	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Formed from Adams, Ross, and Scioto Counties January 4, 1815. County Seat: Waverly Organized Date: February 1, 1815 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:

Villages
Beaver	Piketon	Waverly (county seat)
Unincorporated communities
Buchanan Camp Idaho	Jasper Latham Morgantown	Sargents Spellman Crossing Wakefield
Census-designated places
Cynthiana	Stockdale
Townships
Beaver Benton Camp Creek Jackson Marion	Mifflin Newton Pebble Pee Pee Perry	Scioto Seal Sunfish Union

Resources

Bible Records

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

Biographies

• History of lower Scioto Valley, Ohio, together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens. (Chicago: Inter-state Publishing Company, 1884). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; also at Ancestry ($).
• Pike County Ohio Biographies at Ohio Genealogy Express. The information used is from the previous listing, History of lower Scioto Valley, 1884.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Pike County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave Interment.net USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project Billion Graves OHGenWeb OHGenWeb Tombstone Photo Project Ohio Gravestones
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find A Grave
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	4,253	—
1830	6,024	41.6%
1840	7,626	26.6%
1850	10,953	43.6%
1860	13,643	24.6%
1870	15,447	13.2%
1880	17,927	16.1%
1890	17,482	−2.5%
1900	18,172	3.9%
1910	15,723	−13.5%
1920	14,151	−10.0%
1930	13,876	−1.9%
1940	16,113	16.1%
1950	14,607	−9.3%
1960	19,380	32.7%
1970	19,114	−1.4%
1980	22,802	19.3%
1990	24,249	6.3%
2000	27,695	14.2%
2010	28,709	3.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• 1820 1820 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
• 1830 1830 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
• 1840 1840 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
• 1850 United States Census 1850; Scroll down the page to find links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch
• 1850 United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
• 1850-1880 U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at Ancestry ($)
• 1860 United States Census 1860; Scroll down the page to find links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch
• 1870 United States Census 1870; Scroll down the page to find links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch
• 1880 United States Census 1880 (Index only); Scroll down the page to find links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch
• 1890 1890 Veterans Schedule at Ancestry ($)
• 1900 United States Census 1900; Scroll down the page to find links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch
• 1910 1910 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
• 1920 United States Census 1920; Scroll down the page to find links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch
• 1930 1930 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
• 1930 1930 Census of Merchant Seamen at Ancestry ($)
• Pike County Ohio Census Index at Ohio Genealogy Express

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.

• Pike County, Ohio Churches at OH HomeTownLocator

Court Records

• 1815-1941 Court records, 1815-1859; index, 1815-1941 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
• 1815-1875 Court records, 1815-1874 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

Funeral Homes

• Hammerstein Funeral Home Records 1913-1917 at Genealogy Trails

Genealogies

• Personal recollections and genealogies of families of Pike Co., Ohio at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.

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.

Online Land Indexes and Records

• 1796–1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records at Ancestry ($)

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.

• McCormick, Mrs. Harold, History of Pike County, (Waverly, Ohio: The Commissioners of Pike County, 1960). FHL film 213048 Item 1
• Howe, Henry, History Articles About Pike County, Ohio, from the Historical Collections of Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Bradley and Anthony, 1848). FHL book 977.1847 H2h
• History of River Scioto Valley, Ohio at MyHeritage ($)
• History of Pike County at Ohio History Central

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• 1788-1940 Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
• 1914 1914 County Map for Pike-Ross, OH at Shasta, CA Genealogy
• Maps of Pike County, Ohio at Wikimedia Commons

Military Records

• 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and image.
• Military Index at Pike County Genealogical Society

Civil War
Civil War service men from Ross 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 Ross County.

- 1st Regiment, Ohio Heavy Artillery, Company C

- 56th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company I

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.
• 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)

World War II

• 1938-1946 U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry ($)
• 1942 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at Ancestry
• 1942 United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

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

Newspapers

Pike 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 Ohio newspaper information see Ohio Newspapers.

• 1793-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
• Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

Obituaries

• Obituaries at Pike County Genealogical Society
• Obituary and Death Notices at Internet Archive Wayback Machine

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 Pike 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.
• Pike County Wills & Administrations at Internet Archive Wayback Machine

School Records

• Pike County Schools at Old Ohio Schools

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; index and images.
• 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; index and images.
• 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index
• Pike County, Ohio Births at OhGenWeb
• 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Marriage

• 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; 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.
• 1803-1900 Ohio, Compiled Marriage Index, 1803-1900 at Ancestry ($) — Index.
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

• 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
• 1958-1967 Pike County Death Records, 1958-1967 at Internet Archive Wayback Machine
• Pike County Names and Years of Deaths of Early Resident Who Died Intestate at Pike County Genealogical Society
• Ohio Death Records Index at Ohio History Connection

Divorce

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

Research Facilities

Archives

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

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

• Chillicothe Ohio Family History Center

Libraries

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

Garnet A. Wilson Public Library
Main Library
207 N Market St
Waverly, OH 45690
740-947-4921
Website

Museums

Pike County, Ohio Museums
Website

Societies

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

Pike County Genealogy and Historical Society
PO Box 224
Waverly, OH 45690
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
• Pike 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.
• Pike County Genealogical and Historical Society
• USGenWeb Archives for Pike County, Ohio
• Cyndi's List for Pike County, Ohio
• Pike County Chamber of Commerce
• 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.