Hancock County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Hancock County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Hancock County, Ohio | |||||||
| Map | |||||||
 Location in the state of Ohio, United States Genealogy | |||||||
 Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
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| Address | Hancock County Courthouse 300 S. Main St. Findlay, Ohio 45840 Hancock County Website | ||||||
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Contents
- 1 Hancock County, Ohio Record Dates
- 2 Places
- 3 Resources
- 3.1 Bible Records
- 3.2 Biography
- 3.3 Business Records and Commerce
- 3.4 Cemeteries
- 3.5 Census
- 3.6 Church Records
- 3.7 Court Records
- 3.8 Emigration and Immigration
- 3.9 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 3.10 Gazetteers
- 3.11 Genealogy
- 3.12 History
- 3.13 Land and Property
- 3.14 Maps
- 3.15 Military
- 3.16 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 3.17 Newspapers
- 3.18 Obituaries
- 3.19 Periodicals
- 3.20 Probate
- 3.21 Public Records
- 3.22 Repositories
- 3.23 Taxation
- 3.24 Vital Records
- 4 Websites
- 5 References
Hancock County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1867 | 1828 | 1867 | 1828 | 1820 | 1828 | 1820 |
- Parent Counties: Formed from Logan County 12 February 1820.[2]
- County Seat: Findlay
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. It's county seat is Findlay and was founded 12 February 1820. It is located in the Northwestern area of the state.[3]
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: [4]
| Cities | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Henry County • Wood County • Secena County • Wyandot County • Hardin County • Allen County • Putnam County
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]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Business Records and Commerce[edit | edit source]
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 |
| Family History Library | ||
| WorldCat | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos | ||
| See Ohio Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 813 | — |
| 1840 | 9,986 | 1128.3% |
| 1850 | 16,751 | 67.7% |
| 1860 | 22,886 | 36.6% |
| 1870 | 23,847 | 4.2% |
| 1880 | 27,784 | 16.5% |
| 1890 | 42,563 | 53.2% |
| 1900 | 41,993 | −1.3% |
| 1910 | 37,860 | −9.8% |
| 1920 | 38,394 | 1.4% |
| 1930 | 40,404 | 5.2% |
| 1940 | 40,793 | 1.0% |
| 1950 | 44,280 | 8.5% |
| 1960 | 53,686 | 21.2% |
| 1970 | 61,217 | 14.0% |
| 1980 | 64,581 | 5.5% |
| 1990 | 65,536 | 1.5% |
| 2000 | 71,295 | 8.8% |
| 2010 | 74,782 | 4.9% |
| 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.
Catholic[edit | edit source]
- 1796–2004 - Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection includes images of parish registers recording the events of baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and death in the Diocese of Toledo (Ohio), Roman Catholic Church. These records are accessed by browsing the images by county. In addition to traditional parish registers, this collection includes miscellaneous cemetery records, Books of the Elect, Professions of Faith, Sick Call registers, etc.
- 1796–2004 - Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection includes images of parish registers recording the events of baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and death in the Diocese of Toledo (Ohio), Roman Catholic Church. These records are accessed by browsing the images by county. In addition to traditional parish registers, this collection includes miscellaneous cemetery records, Books of the Elect, Professions of Faith, Sick Call registers, etc.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Hancock 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[edit | edit source]
- History of Hancock County, Ohio: from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time. 1881. By D.B. Beardsley. Springfield, Ohio: Republic Print Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Hancock County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns. 1886. By Robert C. Brown. Chicago, Illinois: Warner, Beers and Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Google Books, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County and Representative Citizens. 1910. By J.A. Kimmell. Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Google Books.
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 records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
- Family Maps of Hancock County, Ohio Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
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 Hancock 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 Hancock County.
- -99th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and G
- -Jacob A. Spaythe includes history Hancock County Companies in History of Hancock county, Ohio (1903)
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
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Hancock 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
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 Hancock 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]
Hancock County Courthouse
300 S Main Street
Findlay, OH 45840-3345
Phone: 419.424.3911
County Recorder has land records;
Probate Judge has birth, marriage,
death and probate[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.
Local Centers and Libraries
For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory. Put your town name in the top search box.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Findlay Hancock County Public Library
206 Broadway Street
Findlay, OH 45840
419-422-1712(voice)
419-422-0638 (fax)
Museums[edit | edit source]
Hancock Historical Museum
422 West Sandusky Street
Findlay, OH 45840
Phone: 419-423-4433
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 ($) — index
Finding More Tax Records
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Hancock County, Ohio Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
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 – free; Index.
- 1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives
Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch. Records include such information as birth date of deceased, city, county, and state of death, name of spouse if married, names of parents, maiden name of mother, name of informant, if deceased was single, married, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- various years - community contributed deaths records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives
Finding More Vital Records
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Hancock 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).
Original Death Records on Microfilm
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Hancock OHGenWeb
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Hancock County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Hancock County OH Genealogy
- Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hancock 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Hancock County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/hancock/ accessed 2/17/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Hancock County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hancock_County,_Ohio, accessed 11 December 2018.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Hancock County, Ohio. Page 542 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
