Belmont County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Belmont 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 the French word for "beautiful mountain" and refers to the scenery. It is located in the Eastern Central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Belmont County Courthouse
101 Main St.
St. Clairsville, Ohio 43950
Phone: 740-695-2121
Belmont County Website
Court Clerk has divorce and court records from 1820.
County Health Department has burial records.
Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records.[4]
Belmont 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 | 1803 | 1867 | 1820 | 1800 | 1804 | 1820 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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1980 A courthouse fire may have damaged records. 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]
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:[7]
| 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. | %± |
| 1810 | 11,097 | — |
| 1820 | 20,329 | 83.2% |
| 1830 | 28,627 | 40.8% |
| 1840 | 30,901 | 7.9% |
| 1850 | 34,600 | 12.0% |
| 1860 | 36,398 | 5.2% |
| 1870 | 39,714 | 9.1% |
| 1880 | 49,638 | 25.0% |
| 1890 | 57,413 | 15.7% |
| 1900 | 60,875 | 6.0% |
| 1910 | 76,856 | 26.3% |
| 1920 | 93,193 | 21.3% |
| 1930 | 94,719 | 1.6% |
| 1940 | 95,614 | 0.9% |
| 1950 | 87,740 | −8.2% |
| 1960 | 83,864 | −4.4% |
| 1970 | 80,917 | −3.5% |
| 1980 | 82,569 | 2.0% |
| 1990 | 71,074 | −13.9% |
| 2000 | 70,226 | −1.2% |
| 2010 | 70,400 | 0.2% |
| 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.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Belmont became part of the State of Ohio on 1 Mar 1803, having formerly been part of the Northwest Territory. It was served by the Ohio District Court from 1803 until 10 Feb 1855, when the court was divided into Northern and Southern districts. Belmont was part of the Southern District. On 3 Mar 1911, the court was further divided and was subsequently part of the Southern Eastern District. See Ohio District Court Jurisdictions for a chart of the Ohio counties and the district courts that served them. District and Circuit Courts had the same jurisdictions.
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.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1790-1907 Bureau of Land Management database at OHGenWeb Archives
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.
- McKelvey, A.T. Centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio and representative citizens (Chicago Biographical Pub. Co. 1903) Digital version at Google Books; FamilySearch Digital Library. Indexed in “Index to McKelvey’s centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio, 1801-1901” (St. Clairsville, Ohio Cumberland Trail Genealogical Society, 2001) FHL book 977.193 H22i..
- Poorman, Christian L., History of the Upper Ohio Valley: with family history and biographical sketches; a statement of its resources, industrial growth and commercial advantages, Vol. 2 (Madison, Wisconsin: Brant & Fuller, c1890) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Caldwell J. A., History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio (Wheeling, West Virginia Historical Pub. Co., 1880) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Civil War
Civil War service men from Belmont 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 Belmont County.
- - 98th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B and E
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[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Belmont 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 1900's Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
- 1855-1906 Belmont County Newspapers at OHGenWebArchives
- Early to late-1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Index of Obituaries at OHGenWeb; From Belmont County Newspapers
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 Belmont 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 ($); index and images
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection.
- 1814-1905 - USGenWeb Archives Belmont
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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.
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($); Index
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1821-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings, 1821-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1856 Return of Births for the year ending the first of March 1857 in Goshen Township at Internet Archive
- 1867-1918 USGenWeb Archive
- 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($); Index
- 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1800-1942 Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1803-1900 Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900 at Ancestry ($)
- 1898-1912 Ohio Marriages at Ancestry ($)
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($); Index
- 1970-2007 Ohio Marriage Index, 1970, 1972-2007 at Ancestry ($)
- Belmont County Marriages at Internet Archive Courtesy of OhioGenWeb; most are pre-1900
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1854–1997 Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1856-1857 Return of Deaths In Somerset Twp., Belmont Co. at Internet Archive Courtesy of OhioGenWeb
- 1908–1953 Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1908–1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 - Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1908-2007 Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at Ancestry ($)
- 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 Index, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Belmont County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Belmont County Records Center & Archives
45240 National Road West
St. Clairsville, OH 43950
740-298-8776
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
- New Martinsville West Virginia Family History Center
- Wintersville Ohio Family History Center
- Bellaire Public Library - an affiliate library
- Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Belmont County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Barnesville Hutton Memorial Library
308 East Main Street
P O Box 285
Barnesville, OH 43713-0285
Phone: 740-425-1651
Website
Belmont County District Library
20 James Wright Place
Martins Ferry, OH 43935
740-633-0314
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Belmont County Museums
67800 Mall Ring Road
c/o Ohio Valley Mall Unit #485
St. Clairsville, OH 43950
740-695-4359
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Belmont County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Belmont County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
P O Box 285
Barnesville, OH 43713-0285
740-425-1760
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
- Belmont County OHGenWeb
- US GenWeb Archives
- Belmont County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- 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]
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/belmont/ accessed 2/14/2017
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Belmont County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belmont_County,_Ohio, accessed 2 November 2018.
