Highland County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Highland County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Highland County, Ohio | |
| Map | |
| |
 Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Highland County Courthouse 105 N. High Street Hillsboro, Ohio 45133 Highland County Website |
|---|---|
Contents
- 1 Highland 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 Funeral Homes
- 3.11 Gazetteers
- 3.12 Genealogy
- 3.13 History
- 3.14 Land and Property
- 3.15 Maps
- 3.16 Military
- 3.17 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 3.18 Newspapers
- 3.19 Obituaries
- 3.20 Periodicals
- 3.21 Probate
- 3.22 Public Records
- 3.23 Repositories
- 3.24 Taxation
- 3.25 Vital Records
- 4 Websites
- 5 References
Highland County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1867 | 1805 | 1867 | 1832 | 1804 | 1809 | 1820 |
- Parent Counties: Formed from Adams, Clermont, and Ross Counties 18 February 1805.[2]
- County Seat: Hillsboro
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the topography which is hilly and divides the watersheds of the Little Miami and Scioto Rivers. It's county seat is Hillsboro and was founded May 1, 1805. It is located in the Southwestern 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 | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Clinton County • Brown County • Adams County • Pike County • Ross County • Fayette 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]
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 | ||
| Genealogy Trails | ||
| See Ohio Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- Many Cemetery Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1810 | 5,766 | — |
| 1820 | 12,308 | 113.5% |
| 1830 | 16,345 | 32.8% |
| 1840 | 22,269 | 36.2% |
| 1850 | 25,781 | 15.8% |
| 1860 | 27,773 | 7.7% |
| 1870 | 29,133 | 4.9% |
| 1880 | 30,281 | 3.9% |
| 1890 | 29,048 | −4.1% |
| 1900 | 30,982 | 6.7% |
| 1910 | 28,711 | −7.3% |
| 1920 | 27,610 | −3.8% |
| 1930 | 25,416 | −7.9% |
| 1940 | 27,099 | 6.6% |
| 1950 | 28,188 | 4.0% |
| 1960 | 29,716 | 5.4% |
| 1970 | 28,996 | −2.4% |
| 1980 | 33,477 | 15.5% |
| 1990 | 35,728 | 6.7% |
| 2000 | 40,875 | 14.4% |
| 2010 | 43,589 | 6.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Census Project
- 1820 United States Census $
- 1830 United States Census $
- 1840 United States Census $
- United States Census 1850 United States Census, 1850 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 $ (Free Indexes)
- United States Census 1860 United States Census, 1860 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- 1860 United States Census $
- United States Census 1870 United States Census, 1870 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- United States Census 1880 (Index only) United States Census, 1910 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- 1880 United States Census $
- 1890 Veterans Schedule $
- United States Census 1900 United States Census, 1900 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- 1910 United States Census $
- United States Census 1910 United States Census, 1910 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- United States Census 1920 United States Census, 1920 - FamilySearch Historical Records
- 1930 United States Census $
- 1930 Census of Merchant Seaman $
- U. S. Native American Enrollment Cards for the Five Civilized Tribes, 1898-1914 $
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.
The History of the Chillicothe Presbytery, From its Organization in 1799-1889
Churches of Highland County, Ohio
Topographic Map Church Features in Highland County, Ohio
Highland County, Ohio Churches
Many Church Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Many Court Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
- Many Guardianship Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Highland 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]
- Thompson, James Henry, The History of the County of Highland, in the State of Ohio: From Its First Creation and Organization, to July 4th, 1876, (Hillsboro, Ohio: Hillsboro Gazette Job Room, 1878). Digital copy at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($)(Indexed), FHL film 982232 Item 8
- Klise, J.W., The County of Highland: A History of Highland County, Ohio, from the Earliest Days, (Madison, Wisconsin: Northwestern Historical Association, 1902). Digital copy at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, FHL film 934865 Item 3
- Klise, J.W., State Centennial History of Highland County, Ohio, (Owensboro, Kentucky: Cook and McDowell Publications, 1980). FHL book 977.1845 H2k
- History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, (Cleveland, Ohio: Williams Brothers, 1880). Digital copy at FamilySearch Digital Library, FHL film 915745 Item 2; book 977.18 H2h
- Scott, Daniel, A History of the Early Settlement of Highland County, Ohio, (The Gazette, 1890). Digital copy at Google Books
- Folklore of Highland County, Ohio
- Historical Collections of Ohio by Henry Howe Vol. 1 1888
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.
- various years - community contributed deeds Courtesy OhioGenWeb
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Highland 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 Highland County.
- - 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Company C, also known as "Pope's Escort" and "Shield's Body Guard", and Company H, which had many men from Hillsboro
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 I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 $
World War II[edit | edit source]
- United States, World War II Draft Registratoin Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch
- Highland County, Ohio World War II Casualties Army and Air Force
- U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 $
General[edit | edit source]
- -Many Military Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1800-1977 - Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — index and images
- Many Naturalization and Citizenship Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Highland 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
- before 1850 - Ohio newspaper abstracts before 1850
- 1857-1886 - The Highland Weekly News available at the Library of Congress - free.
- 1886-1914 - The News-Herald at the Library of Congress - free.
- various years - Highland County Newspapers available at Ancestry ($).
- various years - The Times-Gazette
Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
Historic Newspapers by Name
Search for newspapers by town or county name in these directories.
- Historic Highland County Newspapers listed at the Ohio Historical Society.
- Historic Highland County Newspapers listed at the Library of Congress.
- Historic Highland County Newspapers listed at Google News.
- Historic Highland County Newspapers listed at Ohio Newspaper Abstracts
Many Newspapers for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- Many Obituaries for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
- Transcribed Obituaries for Highland county at Genealogy Trails
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 Indexes and 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
- Many Probates for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Finding More Probate Records[edit source]
Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Highland 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]
Highland County Courthouse
114 Governor Foraker Place
Hillsboro, OH 45133
Phone: 937.393.1981
Probate Court has marriage and death records 1867-1909,
birth records to 1905 and probate records; County Health
Department has birth, marriage and death records from 1909;
Clerk Court has divorce and court recordsc from 1832,
some natturalization and adoption records; County Recorder
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.
Local Centers and Affiliate 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]
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
- Southern Ohio Genealogical Society of Highland County, Ohio
- Highland County Historical Society
- Greenfield Historical Society
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 ($) — index
- 1810 - Highland County tax list at Ancestry.com ($)
- Many Tax Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Finding More Tax Records
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Highland 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]
- 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
- various years - community contributed birth records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
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
- 1803-1900 - Ohio Marriages on Ancestry.com $
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives
- various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
- Many Vital Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953 Free name indexes and images at Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007. Records include such information as birth date of deceased, city, county, and state of death, name of spouse if married, names of parents, maiden name of mother, name of informant, if deceased was single, married, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1908-1932, 1938-1944, 1959-2002 - Ohio Deaths at Ancestry.com $
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- various years - community contributed death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives
- various years - community contributed death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
Original Death Records on Microfilm
- Many Vital Records for Highland County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see topic details.
Finding More Vital Records
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Highland 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).
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Highland County, Ohio OHGenWeb
- Highland County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Highland County at Genealogy Trails
- Highland County OH Genealogy
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Ohio Genealogy Express, Highland County, Ohio
- Cyndi's List
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Highland 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, “Highland County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/highland/ accessed 2/17/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Highland County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_County,_Ohio, accessed 16 December 2018.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Highland County, Ohio. Page 542 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
