Perry County, Ohio Genealogy

United States Genealogy

Ohio

Perry County

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

Perry County, Ohio
Map
Location of Ohio in the U.S.
Courthouse
Address	Perry County Courthouse 105 North Main Street New Lexington, Ohio 43764 Perry County Website

Perry County, Ohio Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1818	1867	1818	1818	1817	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

• Parent Counties: Formed from Fairfield, Muskingum, and Washington Counties 26 December 1817.
• County Seat: New Lexington

Description

The county was named for Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. It's county seat is New Lexington and was founded December 26, 1817. It is located in the Central area of the state.

Populated Places

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:

Cities
New Lexington (county seat)
Villages
Corning Crooksville Glenford Hemlock	Junction City New Straitsville Rendville Roseville	Shawnee Somerset Thornville
Unincorporated communities
Bristol Buckingham Chalfants Chapel Hill Clarksville Crossenville Ludington	Maxville McCuneville McLuney Millertown Milligan Mount Perry Moxahala	New Reading Oakfield Portersville Rehoboth Saltillo Sego Sulphur Springs
Census-designated places
Rose Farm Thornport
Townships
Bearfield Clayton Coal Harrison Hopewell	Jackson Madison Monday Creek Monroe Pike	Pleasant Reading Salt Lick Thorn
Ghost towns
Dicksonton San Toy

Neighboring Counties

Licking County  • Muskingum County  • Morgan County  • Athens County  • Hocking County  • Fairfield County

Boundary Changes

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

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Resources

Cemeteries

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.

• St. Joseph's Cemetery, old section. Compilation of several records for the old section of St. Joseph's Cemetery, the most well-known Catholic Cemetery in Perry County. Copiled on geneocity.com.
• Perry County, Ohio Cemeteries. A listing of all of the cemeteries in Perry County, Ohio with maps, driving directions and a local area search function.

Census

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	8,429	—
1830	13,970	65.7%
1840	19,344	38.5%
1850	20,775	7.4%
1860	19,678	−5.3%
1870	18,453	−6.2%
1880	28,218	52.9%
1890	31,151	10.4%
1900	31,841	2.2%
1910	35,396	11.2%
1920	36,098	2.0%
1930	31,445	−12.9%
1940	31,087	−1.1%
1950	28,999	−6.7%
1960	27,864	−3.9%
1970	27,434	−1.5%
1980	31,032	13.1%
1990	31,557	1.7%
2000	34,078	8.0%
2010	36,058	5.8%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850 - FamilySearch Historical Records.
• United States Census, Slave Schedule, 1850 - FamilySearch Historical Records.
• United States Census 1850.
• United States Census 1860.
• United States Census 1870.
• United States Census 1880.
• United States Census 1900.

Church Records

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.

• Perry County, Ohio Churches.

Catholic records for Perry County are in the Diocese of Columbus archives. On their website, they introduce the Catholic Record Society, a group that has published a monthly journal since 1975 called The Barquilla. This journal contains articles as well as transcriptions of records (e.g. christenings, marriages, burial records). There is a subject index that allows you to identify which journal contains information you are looking for, and an issues listing, which provides links to issues of the journal from 1975 on. Anything located in Volumes I-XXIV (1975-1999) can be accessed for free. If you find articles of interest in issues after 1999, you can order them for $1 each.

Court Records

1818-1868 Perry County, Ohio Bond Book.

History

Local histories are available for Perry 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

• Martzolff, Clement Luther, History of Perry County, Ohio, (New Lexington, Ohio: Ward and Weiland, 1902). Digital copy at: Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($)(Indexed); FHL film 897280 Item 2; book 977.159 H2m

• Graham, A.A., History of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio: Their Past and Present, (Chicago, Illinois: W. H. Beers and Co., 1883). Digital copy at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, FHL film 934895 Item 1; book 977.159 H2m

• The Book of Perry County, An Historic Industrial Portfolio, published 1909.
• Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio, The Ohio Centennial Edition, Copyright 1888.
• Ohio Township Resource Book... Section 1: Township Level Population Characteristics and Trends 1960-2000.
• Thornville's First 150 Years 1811-1961, The Sequicentennial Program, 16 pages.
• The History of Thornville, Thornport and Area, Ohio Published in 1977 by "The Thornville History Committee" 72 pages.
• Shawnee Souvenir Album 1953, Ohio Sesqucentennial 1853-1953, 32 pages.

Land and Property

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.

Many Land records for Perry 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 thier holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
• 1846 Plat Maps Plat Maps for 1846 are available only for Jackson and Reading Townships

and the towns of Crossenville, New Reading and Somerset.

• 1859 Plat Maps.
• 1875 Plat Maps of Thorn, Hopewell, Madion Township.
• 1935 Plat Maps.
• 1974 Perry County, Ohio Plat Maps.
• Map of Ohio highlighting Perry County.

Military

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

Civil War

Civil War service men from Lucas 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 Lucas County.

• 17th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company E
• 30th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company D
• 31st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and G
• 90th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company H
• 114th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies F, G, and I
• 126th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company K
• 129th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company K

Roster of Ohio Soldiers 1861-1866. War of the Rebellion Volume III, 21st-36th Reg'ts. Infantry.

• Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.

World War I

• 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

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

Newspapers

Perry 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

• Perry County Tribune.

Online Newspaper Abstracts
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Probate

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.
  

Many Probate records for Perry 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 thier holdings, see the topic detailsfrom their catalog. ===== Finding More Probate Records =====

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Perry 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).

Repositories

Courthouse

Perry County Courthouse
105 North Main Street
New Lexington, OH 43764-1241
Phone: 740.342.1022

Probate Court has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1818
and probate records; County Recorder has land records

The County was named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the War of 1812. Perry County is one of the 88 counties in Ohio.

Family History Centers

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 Libraries

• Zanesville Ohio Family History Center

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory. Put your town name in the top search box.

Societies

Perry County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society.

Perry County, Ohio Historical Society.

Online Genealogy Research Groups

• 
  
• 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

• 1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• Perry County, Ohio 1819 Tax Record.
• 1828 Perry County, Ohio Tax Duplicate.

Finding More Tax Records

Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Perry 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

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

Online Birth Indexes and Records

• 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images

• Perry County, Ohio Birth Index 1; 1867-1908.

• Perry County, Ohio Birth Index 2; 1908-1950.

• 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

• Early Baptismal Records from St. Joseph's near Somerset (1818-1834)

Marriage

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

• 1818-1686 - Perry County, Ohio Marriage Index 1; 1818-1868.

• 1915-1986 - Perry County, Ohio Marriage Index 2; 1915-1986.
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death

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 Deaths, 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.

• Ohio Vital Record Batch Numbers by County.

Many vital records for Perry 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 thier holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

• 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

Finding More Vital Records

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Perry 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

Websites

• Perry County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Perry County OH Genealogy
• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county. USGenWeb for Perry County.
• FamilySearch Catalog
• Genealogy and Historical Information for Perry County, Ohio.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library