Sandusky County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Sandusky County

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Fremont Organized: April 1, 1820 Parent County(s): Huron Neighboring Counties Ottawa  • Erie  • Huron  • Seneca  • Wood See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The county was named for the Wyandot word meaning "water". It is located in the Northcentral area of the state.

County Courthouse

Sandusky County Courthouse
100 N Park Ave
Fremont, OH 43420-2473
Phone: 419-334-6106
Sandusky County Website

County Health Department has burial, death and burial records;
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records;
Clerk Court has divorce records from 1820 and court records;
County Recorder has land records from 1822

Sandusky County, Ohio Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1820	1867	1820	1822	1820	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Formed from Huron County April 1, 1820. County Seat: Fremont Interactive Map of Ohio County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

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
Bellevue	Clyde	Fremont (county seat)
Villages
Burgoon Elmore Gibsonburg	Green Springs Helena Lindsey	Woodville
Unincorporated communities
Colby Erlin Galetown Green Creek Havens	Kingsway Millersville Millerstown Rollersville Tinney	Whitmore Winters Station York
Census-designated places
Ballville Hessville	Stony Prairie Vickery	Whites Landing Wightmans Grove
Townships
Ballville Green Creek Jackson Madison	Rice Riley Sandusky Scott	Townsend Washington Woodville York

Resources

Bible Records

For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.

Biographies

• Sandusky History Blog A blog dedicated to the discussion of topics relating to the history of Sandusky and Erie County, Ohio, the Lake Erie Islands, and nearby communities; inspired by the collections of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center and Follett House Museum.
• Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: J.H. Beers and Company, 1896). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($) Indexed.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Sandusky County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave Interment.net OHGenWeb USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project Billion Graves OHGenWeb Tombstone Photo Project Ohio Gravestones
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find A Grave
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

 

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	852	—
1830	2,851	234.6%
1840	10,182	257.1%
1850	14,305	40.5%
1860	21,429	49.8%
1870	25,503	19.0%
1880	32,057	25.7%
1890	30,617	−4.5%
1900	34,311	12.1%
1910	35,171	2.5%
1920	37,109	5.5%
1930	39,731	7.1%
1940	41,014	3.2%
1950	46,114	12.4%
1960	56,486	22.5%
1970	60,983	8.0%
1980	63,267	3.7%
1990	61,963	−2.1%
2000	61,792	−0.3%
2010	60,944	−1.4%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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.

Catholic

• 1796-2004 Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images, select county, town, then parish.

Lutheran

• Records of the American Lutheran Church, Sandusky County, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Land and Property Records

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.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for this county. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Ohio Local Histories.

• Everett, Homer, History of Sandusky County, Ohio: With Portraits and Biographies of Prominent Citizens and Pioneers, (Cleveland, Ohio: H. Z. William & Bro., 1882). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
• Meek, Basil, Twentieth Century of History of Sandusky County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold, 1909). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books.
• Frohman, Charles E., A History of Sandusky and Erie County, (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Historical Society, 1965). FHL film 962254 Item 6; book 977.1 A1 no. 48
• Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org

Military Records

• 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Sandusky 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 Sandusky County.

- 100th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company K

- 111th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A and G

• Manion, Richard L. Sandusky County, Ohio, Civil War Soldiers. (Fremont, Ohio Sandusky County Kin Hunters, 1992). FHL book 977.1214 M2m, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums Soldiers from Sandusky County

World War I

• 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Naturalization and Citizenship

• 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Newspapers

Sandusky County newspapers often contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.

For more Ohio newspaper information see Ohio Newspapers and Obituaries.

• 1793-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
• Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

Probate Records

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 Sandusky 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 ($) — index and images.
• 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Social Security Records

• 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
• 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records

Ohio tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties.

Online Tax Indexes and Records

• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index

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

• 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Marriage

• 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

• 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch – How to Use this Collection; Index.
• 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
• 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Divorce

• 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Sandusky County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• 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

• Sandusky Ohio Family History Center
• The Rutherford B Hayes Presidential Center - an affiliate library

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Sandusky County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library
Spiegel Grove
Fremont, OH 43420
419-332-2081
Website

Birchard Public Library of Sandusky County
Main Branch
423 Croghan St
Fremont, OH 43420-2447
419-334-7101
Website

Clyde Public Library
222 W Buckeye St
Clyde, OH 43410-1996
419-547-7174
Website

Museums

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Museums
Spiegel Grove
Fremont, OH 43420
419-332-2081
Website

Sandusky County Historical Society Museum
514 Birchard Ave
Fremont, OH 43420
419-332-0303
Website

Clyde Heritage League Museum
124 W Buckeye St
PO Box 97
Clyde, OH 43410
419-547-7946
E-mail:curator@clydemuseum.org
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Sandusky County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.

Sandusky County Historical Society
514 Birchard Ave
Fremont, OH 43420
419-332-0303
Website

Kin Hunters of Sandusky County, Inc.
Spiegel Grove
Fremont, OH 43420-2796
E-mail:information@kinhunters.org
Website

Woodville Historical Society
107 E Main St
Woodville, OH 43469
419-849-2349
E-mail:m.k.o@embarqmail.com
Facebook

Websites

• Local Gov't Records by County at Ohio History Connection — Browse their list; records are not online.
• Custom Browse of Historical Collections at Ohio Memory — Use map or alpha bar to select county or place, then browse search options in left sidebar.
• Ohio Genealogical Society ($) — online databases
• Sandusky County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
• USGenWeb Archives Sandusky
• OHGenWeb at USGenWeb project
• FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.