Franklin County, Ohio Genealogy

Historical populations
	Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Franklin County
	Franklin County, Ohio
	Map
	; Location in the state of Ohio, United States Genealogy
	; Location of Ohio in the U.S.
	Courthouse
Address	Franklin County Government Center; 373 South High Street, 23rd Floor; Columbus, OH 43215; Franklin County Website

United States Genealogy

Ohio

Franklin County

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

Cities
Bexley Canal Winchester Columbus (county seat) Dublin Gahanna Grandview Heights	Grove City Groveport Hilliard New Albany Pickerington	Reynoldsburg Upper Arlington Westerville Whitehall Worthington
Villages
Brice Harrisburg Lockbourne	Marble Cliff Minerva Park Obetz	Riverlea Urbancrest Valleyview
Unincorporated communities
Amlin Blacklick	Flint Galloway	Georgesville New Rome
Census-designated places
Blacklick Estates Darbydale	Huber Ridge Lake Darby	Lincoln Village Hanford
Townships
Blendon Brown Clinton Franklin Hamilton Jackson	Jefferson Madison Mifflin Norwich Perry Plain	Pleasant Prairie Sharon Truro Washington

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Delaware County • Licking County • Fairfield County • Pickaway County • Madison County • Union County

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

Parts set off in a series of divisions:
- 20 February 1805: Champaign
- 10 February 1808: Delaware
- 12 January 1810: Pickaway
- 16 Febrary 1810: Madison
- 10 January 1820: Union

For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1888) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

The 1820 US Federal Census is missing for Franklin County.

1879 A courthouse fire may have damaged or destroyed some records. 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.

Resources[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

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

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Online Grave Transcripts	Published Grave Transcripts	County Cemetery Directories
Findagrave.com	Family History Library	Findagrave.com
Interment.net	WorldCat	Names in Stone
USGW Tombstones		Billion Graves
Billion Graves
OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos
Ohio Gravestones
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

1878-1980 - Ohio, Columbus, Union Cemetery, Burial Records, ca. 1878-1980 at FamilySearch — index and images

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.

Lutheran[edit | edit source]

Christ Lutheran Church, Columbus

Records of Christ Lutheran Church, Columbus, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Gahanna

Records of the American Lutheran Church, Gahanna, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Finding Church Records at Other Repositories

various years - St. Mary's Church contact information for look ups at St. Mary's. Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Franklin County, Ohio Church Records in online catalogs like:

WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Archives, Libraries, and Museums
Biographies
Church Records
Cemetery Records
Court Records
Histories
Immigration/emigration/migration
Maps
Newspapers
Societies

Gazetteers[edit | edit source]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

Named for Benjamin Franklin.
The county was created just 2 months after Ohio became a state.
The county originally extended all the way to Lake Erie before the divisions.

Local histories are available for Franklin County, Ohio Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Ohio Local Histories.

Local History[edit | edit source]

Martin, William T., History of Franklin County: a collection of reminiscences of the early settlement of the county… (Columbus, Ohio: Follett, Foster, 1858) Digital version at" FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books; Internet Archives; also available on microfilm at FHL film 874285 Item 4.
Taylor, William Alexander, Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio (Chicago, Illinois : S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1909) Digital version of volume 2 at Google Books; digital version of volume 1 at Internet Archives; also available on microfilm at FHL film 1000314 Items 1-2.
Moore, Opha, History of Franklin County, Ohio (Topeka [Kansas] : Historical Pub. Co., 1930) Digital version of Volume 1 at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 2 at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 3 at FamilySearch Digital Library; indexed in An Index to History of Franklin County, Ohio, Moore, 1930 FHL book 977.156 H2mo index.

Land and Property[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.

1790-1907 - Bureau of Land Management database Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives
various years - Community contributed deeds Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Maps[edit | edit source]

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)

Military[edit | edit source]

1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images

Revolution, 1775-1783[edit | edit source]

Civil War, 1861-1865[edit | edit source]

Civil War service men from Franklin 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 Franklin County.

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

-1st Regiment, Ohio Heavy Artillery, Company C

- 113th Regiment, Ohio Infantry , Companies B, C, H, and I

Franklin County, Ohio Civil War Military Roster. (Austin, Minnesota : Ohio Genealogy Center, c1984). Libraries with book. FHL book 977.156 M2f
Histories of the large companies from Franklin County can be found in William Brothers, History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio (Indiana: Unigraphic, 1974).

World War I[edit | edit source]

1914-1919 - Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
1914-1918 - Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — index and images
1916-1920 - Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

1800-1977 - Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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

To access newspapers, contact public libraries, Ohio Genealogical Society chapters, college or university libraries, the Library of Congress, Google News, or the Ohio Memory. The Ohio Genealogical Society Obituary Database is another source of newspaper information.

For more Ohio newspaper information see the Newspaper Guides on the wiki page Ohio Newspapers and Obituaries.

Online Newspapers

2005 - Arlington News - a few full-text digital issues in Google News Archive from 2005
various years - Community contributed newspaper articles Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Obituaries[edit | edit source]

Periodicals[edit | edit source]

Probate[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 {{{1}}} 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 Records

1786 - 1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
1789 - 1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — images
1790–1967 - Ohio, Probate Records, 1790-1967 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection consists of probate records and estate files from county courthouses in Ohio. The content and time period varies by county, with more records being added as they become available. This Collection will include records from 1789 to 1996. Currently, (September 2012) the collection is only searchable by browsing the images. A list of Fires that have destroyed records in the courthouses of several counties are listed on the Record Description page.
various years - Community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Finding More Probate Records[edit source]

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Franklin County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:

WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

Public Records[edit | edit source]

Repositories[edit | edit source]

Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Franklin County Courthouse
3695 High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614.645.3600

Probate Court has birth and death records before 1908,
marriage and probate records; Clerk Court has divorce
and court records from 1803; County Auditor has land records^[5]

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

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.

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the

Columbus Ohio Family History Center (Grove City)
Columbus Ohio North Family History Center (Dublin)
Columbus Ohio South Family History Center (Reynoldsburg)
New Albany Ohio Family History Center
West Chester Ohio Family History Center

FHC directory. Put your town name in the top search box.

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Museums[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Online Genealogy Research Groups[edit | edit source]

U.S. Midwest Genealogy Research Community - FamilySearch Facebook Research Group
Ohio Ancestors - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join
U.S. and Canada Genealogy Research - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join

Taxation[edit | edit source]

1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Finding More Tax Records

Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Franklin County, Ohio Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:

WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).

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]

Online Birth Indexes and Records

1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
various years - community contributed birth records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage[edit | edit source]

Online Marriage Indexes and Records

1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — index and images
1800-1958 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Name index to marriage records from the state of Ohio. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and some FamilySearch Centers. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death[edit | edit source]

Online Death Indexes and Records

1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
1908-1953 - Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 -indexes and images Ohio Death Certificates, 1908-1953 . Records include such information as birth date of deceased, city, county, and state of death, name of spouse if married, names of parents, maiden name of mother, name of informant, if deceased was single, married, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
1866-1867 - Deaths from the Ohio State Journal, 1866-1867 Courtesy OhioGenWeb
various years - community contributed death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Hint: Entering name of the county, will narrow the search.

Finding More Vital Records

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Franklin County, Ohio Genealogy Vital Records in online catalogs like:

WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search). Finding More Vital Records