Mercer County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Mercer County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Mercer County, Ohio | |
Map | |
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![]() Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |
Courthouse | |
Address | Mercer County Courthouse 101 N. Main St. Celina, Ohio 45822 Mercer County Website |
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Contents
- 1 Mercer County, Ohio Record Dates
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biography
- 2.3 Business Records and Commerce
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.9 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 2.10 Gazetteers
- 2.11 Genealogy
- 2.12 History
- 2.13 Land and Property
- 2.14 Maps
- 2.15 Military
- 2.16 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.17 Newspapers
- 2.18 Obituaries
- 2.19 Periodicals
- 2.20 Probate
- 2.21 Public Records
- 2.22 Repositories
- 2.23 Taxation
- 2.24 Vital Records
- 3 Websites
- 4 References
Mercer County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1830 | 1867 | 1824 | 1823 | 1829 | 1820 |
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named Hugh Mercer, an officer in the American Revolutionary War. It's county seat is Celina and was founded April 1, 1820. It is located in the West-Central area of the state.[3]
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]
Van Wert County • Auglaize County • Shelby County • Darke County • Randolph County, Indiana • Jay County, Indiana • Adams County, Indiana
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1940) 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 Tombstone Photos | ||
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information. |
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1820 | 95 | — |
1830 | 1,110 | 1068.4% |
1840 | 8,277 | 645.7% |
1850 | 7,712 | −6.8% |
1860 | 14,104 | 82.9% |
1870 | 17,254 | 22.3% |
1880 | 21,808 | 26.4% |
1890 | 27,220 | 24.8% |
1900 | 28,021 | 2.9% |
1910 | 27,536 | −1.7% |
1920 | 26,872 | −2.4% |
1930 | 25,096 | −6.6% |
1940 | 26,256 | 4.6% |
1950 | 28,311 | 7.8% |
1960 | 32,559 | 15.0% |
1970 | 35,265 | 8.3% |
1980 | 38,334 | 8.7% |
1990 | 39,443 | 2.9% |
2000 | 40,924 | 3.8% |
2010 | 40,814 | −0.3% |
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.
Finding Church Records at Other Repositories
Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mercer 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]
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[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]
Miami Valley Genealogy Index is an Index to more than a half million pointers to records all over Miami Valley including Mercer County.
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Mercer 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]
- Scranton, S.S., History of Mercer County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Biographical Pub. Co., 1907). Digital copy at Google Books FHL film 1000331 Item 3; book 977.1415 H2s
- Gilberg, Bronsart H., History of Mercer County, Ohio, (Fort Wayne, Indiana: Allen County Public Library, 1989). FHL film 1320898 Item 15; book 977.1415 H2g
- Alig, Jocye L., Mercer County, Ohio, History (Celina, Ohio: Mercer County Historical Society, 1980). FHL book 977.1415 H2m
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
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
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]
Mercer 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
Coldwater Public Library Community History Archive
- Celina Advocate (1905-1907)
- Coldwater Chronicle (1907-1936)
- St. Henry Advocate (1907-1909)
- Mercer County Chronicle (1936-2011)
- Mercer County Chronicle Journal (1958-1959)
Minster Historical Society Newspaper Archive
- Minster Homelight (1888-1890)
- Minster Volksfreund (1894-1895)
- The Minster Post (1896-1964)
- The Community Post (1964-present)
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 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.
Finding More Probate Records[edit source]
Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mercer 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]
Mercer County Courthouse
101 North Main Street
PO Box 28;
Celina, OH 45822
Phone: 419.586.6461
Probate Judge has birth and death records 1867-1908,
marriage records from 1830 and probate records from 1829;
Clerk Court has court records from 1824; 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]
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 ($) — index
Finding More Tax Records
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mercer County, Ohio Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1821–1962 - Ohio, Births and Christenings, 1821-1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This is an incomplete index of extractions of original records and of patron-submitted records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. Information may have been previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
- 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)
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. Name index and images of county marriage records acquired from local courthouses.
- 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 ($) — index
Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1854–1997 - Ohio, Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Name index to death and burial records from the state of Ohio. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and Family History Centers. This set contains 2,535,556 records. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
- 1908–1953 - Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. Name index and images of Ohio statewide death certificates.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Original Death Records on Microfilm
Finding More Vital Records
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Mercer 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]
- Mercer County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Mercer County OH Genealogy
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mercer 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, “Mercer County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/mercer/ accessed 2/22/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Mercer County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_County,_Ohio, accessed 3 January 2019.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mercer County, Ohio. Page 544 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.