Hamilton County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Hamilton County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Hamilton County, Ohio | |
| Map | |
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 Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |
| Courthouse | |
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| Address | Hamilton County Courthouse 1000 Main Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County Website |
|---|---|
Contents
- 1 Hamilton County, Ohio Record Dates
- 2 Quick Dates
- 3 Governmental Repositories
- 4 Historical Facts
- 5 Places
- 6 Resources
- 6.1 Getting Started
- 6.2 Research Guides
- 6.3 Bible Records.
- 6.4 Cemeteries
- 6.5 Census
- 6.6 Church Records
- 6.7 Directories
- 6.8 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 6.9 Genealogy
- 6.10 History
- 6.11 Land and Property
- 6.12 Maps
- 6.13 Migration
- 6.14 Military
- 6.15 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 6.16 Newspapers
- 6.17 Periodicals
- 6.18 Probate Records
- 6.19 Taxation
- 6.20 Vital Records
- 6.21 Maps
- 6.22 Repositories
- 6.23 Websites
- 6.24 Upcoming Events
- 7 Sources Consulted
Hamilton County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1863 | 1808 | 1881 | 1900 | 1787 | 1790 | 1820 |
Quick Dates[edit | edit source]
Births and deaths were recorded at the local, county and state level in various time periods. Some births and deaths were recorded in multiple locations and the information in those records varies. Hamilton County's civil records start in the following years:[2][3]
| Locality | Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio (State Recording) |
1908 | 1908 | -- | -- | -- | |
| Hamilton County | 1875 | 1817 | 1891 | 1820 | 1794 | 1791 |
| Anderson Twp | 1898 | 1907 | ||||
| Cincinnati | 1874 | 1865 | -- | -- | -- | |
| Norwood | 1908 | 1908 | -- | -- | -- | |
| St. Bernard | 1889 | 1889 | -- | -- | -- |
| Adopt-a-wiki page | |
|
This page adopted by: Hamilton County chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society who welcome you to contribute. |
|---|---|
| Adopt a page today | |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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]
- 1814, 1849, 1884 Courthouse fires may have damaged or destroyed some records. [4]
- Lost census: 1810
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.
Governmental Repositories[edit | edit source]
County Courthouses[edit | edit source]
County Clerk of Courts[edit | edit source]
Hamilton County Courthouse
1000 Main St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Phone:513-946-5656
Probate Judge has marriage, burial and probate records;
County Health Department has death records; Clerk Court
has divorce and court records from 1900; County Recorder
has land records[5]
Online index to Divorces (1994-present), Civil and Criminal Cases (1989-present), Common Pleas (1997-present).
(513) 946-5800
(513) 946-5700
Probate Court[edit | edit source]
William Howard Taft Center
230 E. Ninth St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Many records are now available online. Archival Records: Estates 1791 - 1984; Wills 1791 - 1973 (index); Trusts1791 - 1984; Guardianships 1791 - 1984: Marriages 1808 - 1983; Minister's License 1963 - 1975; Birth Records 1863 - 1908; Birth Registrations and Corrections 1941 - 1994; Death Records 1881 - 1908; Naturalizations 1856 - 1906; Probate Court Journal Entries 1791 - 1837; Physician Certificates 1919 - 1987. Records are incomplete due to courthouse fires.
First District Court of Appeals[edit | edit source]
William Howard Taft Center
230 E. Ninth St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
(513) 946-3500
Federal Courts in Hamilton County[edit | edit source]
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
Office of the Clerk
Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse, Room 103
100 East Fifth Street
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
District Court for Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Highland, Lawrence, Scioto and Warren counties in Ohio.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse
100 East Fifth St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
513-564-7000
(513) 564-7321[1]
- U.S. Court of Appeals for Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
- U.S. Courts Library serves the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, District Courts, and Bankruptcy Courts. The library is NO LONGER a repository for the Federal Depository Library Program.
County Recorder and Auditor[edit | edit source]
Hamilton County Administration Building
138 E. Court St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-1236
(513) 946-4573
Land records 1794-present, maps, Veteran's Grave Registrations. "Easy Reference List of Documents Recorded in the Recorder's Office" gives a complete list available records.
(513) 946-4000
Plats 1939-present. Property search is available on their website by name or address.
County Health Department[edit | edit source]
Hamilton County Public Health Department
250 William Howard Taft, 2nd Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
(513) 946-7800
Directions, Genealogical Research
Hamilton County births 1875-present, deaths 1891-present, Reading Health Department records.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. It's county seat is Cincinnati and was founded January 2, 1790. It is located in the South-western area of the state.[6]
Parent Jurisdictions[edit | edit source]
Hamilton County was created 2 Jan 1790 as an original county in the Northwest Territory.[7] In 1803, Ohio became a state with Hamilton County as one of the original counties.
County seat: Cincinnati [8]
Places[edit | edit source]
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 | ||
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Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Boone County, Kentucky • Butler County, Ohio • Campbell County, Kentucky • Clermont County, Ohio • Dearborn County, Indiana • Kenton County, Kentucky • Warren County, Ohio
Family History Library[edit | edit source]
Addyston, Anderson Twp, Bevis, Bridgetown, Camp Dennison, Carthage, Cincinnati, Colerain Township, College Hill, Columbia Township, Crosby Township, Cumminsville, Delhi Township, Elmwood Place, Fairfield, Fernbank, Glendale, Green Township, Harrison, Lockland, Madisonville, Miami Heights, Monfort Heights, Montgomery, New Haven, North Bend, Norwood, Reading, Sayler Park, Springdale, Springfield Township, St. Bernard, Sycamore Township, The Village of Indian Hill, White Oak, Whitewater. More may now be available. If the community you are interested is not yet listed here, check the FamilySearch Catalog.
FamilySearch Wiki/Online[edit | edit source]
Terrace Park, Ohio Building Survey contains history of every building in the village with stories, photos, census and a deed index. The site also includes genealogy records for former residents.
Resources[edit | edit source]
For all Resources, please follow the link above. Specific topics:
Getting Started[edit | edit source]
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
Bible Records.[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| GenWeb Tombston Photo | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| OHTombstone Project | OHGenWeb Cemeteries | |
| Interment | ||
| OHGravestones | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Ohio Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1800 | 14,692 | — |
| 1810 | 15,258 | 3.9% |
| 1820 | 31,764 | 108.2% |
| 1830 | 52,317 | 64.7% |
| 1840 | 80,145 | 53.2% |
| 1850 | 156,844 | 95.7% |
| 1860 | 216,410 | 38.0% |
| 1870 | 260,370 | 20.3% |
| 1880 | 313,374 | 20.4% |
| 1890 | 374,573 | 19.5% |
| 1900 | 409,479 | 9.3% |
| 1910 | 460,732 | 12.5% |
| 1920 | 493,678 | 7.2% |
| 1930 | 589,356 | 19.4% |
| 1940 | 621,987 | 5.5% |
| 1950 | 723,952 | 16.4% |
| 1960 | 864,121 | 19.4% |
| 1970 | 924,018 | 6.9% |
| 1980 | 873,224 | −5.5% |
| 1990 | 866,228 | −0.8% |
| 2000 | 845,303 | −2.4% |
| 2010 | 802,374 | −5.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Searchable city directories for Hamilton County and surrounding areas are available through the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Dabne, Wendell Phillips. Cincinnati's Colored Citizens: Historical Sociological and Biographical - Cincinnati, Ohio: Dabney Pub. Co., C 1926 FHL 977.178 F2d
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Hamilton 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 histories are available for Hamilton 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.
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Hamilton 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.
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.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- Civil War service men from Hamilton 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 Hamilton County.
- - 11th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company K (Union Rifles)
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
World War II[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1800-1977 - Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — index and images
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1818-1920 - Cincinnati Newspapers 1818-1920 - abbreviated Index to Marriage Notices
- 1818-1920 - Cincinnati Newspapers 1818-1920 - abbreviated Index to Death Notices
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 {{{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.
- 1792-1883 Hamilton County Ohio list of will book testators SAMPUBCO - Browsable index of testators of wills.
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 ($) — index
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1800-1958 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch – free; Index.
- 1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Maps[edit | edit source]
Repositories[edit | edit source]
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.
Local Centers and Libraries
- Cherry Grove/ Eastgate Ohio Family History Center
- Cincinnati Ohio Family History Center (Cincinnati)
- Cincinnati Ohio East Family History Center (Montgomery)
- Hamilton Ohio Family History Center
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
800 Vine Street
Cincinnati, Ohio
45202-2009
(513) 369-6900
PLCH is one of the largest genealogical libraries in the country. Very extensive Hamilton County history, genealogy and manuscript sources including a personal name card index to many local histories and manuscript materials.Online resources include: Catalog, Virtual Library, Newsdex.
Cincinnati History Library and Archives
1301 Western Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio 45203
(513) 287-7030
Large collection of manuscript and microfilm materials including deeds, photographs, directories, census, local histories and military rosters. They have a vital record card index to some of their newspaper and manuscript materials (incomplete coverage). Online resources include: Name Index to Local Histories, Digital Journals, Catalog (incomplete)and Archive and Manuscript Registers (incomplete).
University of Cincinnati Archives & Rare Books Library
8th Floor Blegen Library
P.O. Box 210113
2602 McMicken Circle
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0113
(513) 556-1959
Location and Hours
The University of Cincinnati is the Ohio Network Of American History Research Center for Hamilton County. They are the designated repository for government records of Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland and Warren Counties in Ohio. The UC Archives has numerous records including the following online indexes: Hamilton County Ohio Citizenship Records 1837-1916, Hamilton County Ohio Wills 1791-1901 and Deaths 1865-1912 (image and index, in progress).
Societies[edit | edit source]
Hamilton County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society
Hamilton County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society Blog
P. O. Box 15865
Cincinnati, OH 45215-0865
(513) 956-7078
Cincinnati Newspaper Death Notice and Hamilton County Marriage Indexes are available on their website. HCGS has numerous publications including the "The Tracer" (journal) and "The Gazette" (newsletter).HCGS sponsors or co-sponsors numerous genealogical events.
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
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Hamilton County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Hamilton County OH Genealogy
- Hamilton County, Ohio GenWeb
- Greater Cincinnati Memory Project
- Virtual Library for Cincinnati and Hamilton County
- FamilySearch Catalog
Upcoming Events[edit | edit source]
Hamilton County Genealogical Society events can be found on the website:
Sources Consulted[edit | edit source]
The following sources were consulted in creating the Hamilton County, Ohio Wiki and its subpages:
The Handybook of Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002.
Archives and Rare Books Department, University of Cincinnati. Inventory of Government Documents for Eight Counties of Southwest Ohio, Revised Edition. Cincinnati: University of Cincinnati, 1993.
Bell, Carol Willsey. Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources. [Baltimore]: Genealogical Pub. Co., Inc., 1988.
Cyprych, Deb. "Hamilton County, Ohio, Probate Court Records: Online at Last!." The Tracer 31 (February 2010): 1, 6-9.
Cyprych, Deb. "Hamilton County, Ohio, Vital Records." The Tracer 27 (March 2006): 1, 9-15.
Dempsey, Jim. "TRACER, Article Index, 1979-2008." County Genealogical Society accessed 26 February 2011.
Graver, Bill and Deb Cyprych. "Cincinnati and Hamilton County Directories," The Tracer 27 (September 2006): 65, 71-74.
Graver, William H. Hamilton County, Ohio Guide to Recorder's Indexes and Documents 1794-1988. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2003.
Ohio. Supreme court. Ohio Supreme Court Reports of Cases Argued and Decided in the Supreme Court of Ohio, Vol. 1, 1852-1853. Columbus: Osgood and Blake, 1853.
Sperry, Kim. Genealogical Research in Ohio, 2nd Edition. [Baltimore]: Genealogical Pub. Co., Inc., 2003.
Stratton, Liz. "Probate Court Records Update - Indexes to Vital Records." The Tracer 31 (November 2010): 102.
Terheiden, Connie Stunkel and Kenny R. Burck. Guide to Genealogical Resources in Cincinnati; Hamilton Co., Ohio, 6th Edition. Milford: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2009.
Wikipedia."Northwest Territory." Wikipedia. accessed 26 February 2011.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hamilton County, Ohio. Page 540-547 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 531-533.
- ↑ Deb Cyprych, "Hamilton County, Ohio Vital Records," The Tracer 27 (Mar 2006): 8.
- ↑ William H. Graver, Hamilton County, Ohio Guide to Recorder's Indexes and Documents 1794-1988," (Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2003), 68.
- ↑ Carol Willsey Bell, Ohio Guide to Genealogical Sources ([Baltimore]: Genealogical Pub. Co., Inc., 1988).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hamilton County, Ohio. Page 542 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Hamilton County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/hamilton/ accessed 2/17/2017.
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Territory last updated 3 February 2011
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hamilton County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_County,_Ohio, accessed 11 December 2018.
