Seneca County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Seneca County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Seneca County, Ohio | |
Map | |
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![]() Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |
Courthouse | |
Address | Seneca County Courthouse 103 S. Washington St. Tiffin, Ohio 44883-2352 Seneca County Website |
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Contents
- 1 Seneca 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
Seneca County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1841 | 1867 | 1826 | 1821 | 1828 | 1820 |
- Parent Counties: Formed from Huron County in 1820 (1824).
- County Seat: Tiffin
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named after the Seneca Indian Tribe. It's county seat is Tiffin and was founded April 1, 1820. It is located in the Northcentral area of the state.[2]
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: [3]
Cities | ||
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Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Sandusky County • Huron County • Crawford County • Wyandot County • Hancock County • Wood County
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]
1841 A courthouse fire may have damaged or destroyed some records.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
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 | ||
OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos | ||
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information. |
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1830 | 5,159 | — |
1840 | 18,128 | 251.4% |
1850 | 27,104 | 49.5% |
1860 | 30,868 | 13.9% |
1870 | 30,827 | −0.1% |
1880 | 36,947 | 19.9% |
1890 | 40,869 | 10.6% |
1900 | 41,163 | 0.7% |
1910 | 42,421 | 3.1% |
1920 | 43,176 | 1.8% |
1930 | 47,941 | 11.0% |
1940 | 48,499 | 1.2% |
1950 | 52,978 | 9.2% |
1960 | 59,326 | 12.0% |
1970 | 60,696 | 2.3% |
1980 | 61,901 | 2.0% |
1990 | 59,733 | −3.5% |
2000 | 58,683 | −1.8% |
2010 | 56,745 | −3.3% |
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.
Catholic[edit | edit source]
EXPLANATION ABOUT THE THREE CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN SENECA
Reed Assumption Church is sometimes mentioned as being in Reedtown, but it is really in the nearby country west of Reedtown, which is called the Reed area. There was a church, school, and cemetery that were called Reed Assumption until the parish was closed in 2005. The cemetery is still called Reed Assumption. The church building is still there, but not the school. No other buildings are left, except the church and maybe the rectory. The frame school was torn down in the 1960s (when a new school was built to serve the area and the parishes of St. Sebastian, Reed Assumption, and Marywood-St. Michaels. It was a public school system known as Seneca-Huron because St. Sebastian (Bismark) was in Huron County and Assumption (Reed) and St. Michael's (Franks) were in Seneca County. The public school system was formed earlier (late 1940s?) for financial reasons, but all the teachers were Catholic nuns and they had Mass and religion classes every day. The convent house was moved a mile or so away and is used as a private home. It is a few miles west of Reedtown. Reedtown is on a state highway and is a very small unincorporated village. The only remaining business is Reedtown Tavern and maybe a car/machine repair shop. However, quite a few homes are still there.
A couple miles away in the country is a place called Frank's Corner. This area is also known as Marywood. In the earliest times, it was called Thompson (Township). The church and the cemetery there were called St. Michael's. The cemetery is still known by that name, but when the Reed and Marywood parishes were closed, along with Bismark St. Sebastian, a few years ago, the three were consolidated into a new parish now known as St. Gaspar del Bufalo (yes, that is the way it is spelled). That parish uses the 1800's Gothic style church that was formerly St. Michael's. Quite a few homes are still located there.
These settlements and parishes are adjacent to each other and separated by only a few miles. Both parishes, as well as the adjacent St. Sebastian parish, to the east in Bismark, were very "tightknit" German settlements and remain such today, with many of the same family names since the mid 1800s.
- 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 Seneca 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]
- Lang, William, History of Seneca County, From the Close of the Revolutionary War to July 1880, (Springfield, Ohio: Transcript Printing, 1880). Digital copy at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($)(Indexed); FHL film 1000340 Item 2
- Leeson, Michael A., History of Seneca County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, etc., (Chicago, Illinois: Warner, Beers, 1886). Digital copy at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive; FHL film 1000340 Item 3
- A Centennial Biographical History of Seneca County, Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1902). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive FHL film 1000341 Item 1
- Butterfield, Consul Wilshire, History of Seneca County: Containing a Detailed Narrative of the Principal Events that Have Occurred Since Its First Settlement to Present Time, (Sandusky, Ohio: D. Campbell, 1848). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive FHL fiche 6049497; book 977.124 H2b
- Baughman, Abraham J., History of Seneca County, Ohio: A Narrative Account of Its Historical Progress, Its People, and Its Principal Interests,(Seneca, Ohio: Lewis Publishing Company, 1911). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive
- Seneca County Chapter, Ancestral Pioneer Men and Women of Seneca County, Ohio: Including Proven First Families, (Tiffin, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society. Seneca County Chapter, 1987). FHL fiche 6087943; book 977.1 A1 no. 265
- Seneca County Chapter, Seneca County, Ohio: History and Families, (Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Pub. Co., 1998). FHL film 1059481 Item 9; book 977.124 H2s
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
- Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
- Family Maps of Seneca 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]
Servicemen from Seneca 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 Seneca County.
- – 8th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company A
- – 123rd Regiment, Ohio Infantry
- Company D
- Company I
- Company K
- Lang, William, History of Seneca County, From the Close of the Revolutionary War to July 1880, (Springfield, Ohio: Transcript Printing, 1880). Digital copy at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($)(Indexed).
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]
Seneca 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 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 Seneca 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]
Seneca County Courthouse
103 S Washington Street
Tiffin, OH 44883-2354
Phone: 419.447.0671
Probate Judge has birth, marriage, and probate,
County Health Department has death records;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1826;
County Recorder has land records[4]
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]
Seneca County Chapter Ohio Genealogical Society
P. O. Box 157
Tiffin, OH 44883-0841
Website
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]
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.
- 1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Finding More Tax Records
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Seneca County, Ohio Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1800-1962 - Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at ancestry.com ($)
- 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)
Original Birth Records on Microfilm
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
- 1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1800-1958 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — free; Index.
- 1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
- 1803-1860 - Records of Scioto County, Ohio at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
Death[edit | edit source]
Online Death Indexes and Records
- 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953. Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch. Records include such information as birth date of deceased; city, county, and state of death; name of spouse if married; names of parents; maiden name of mother; name of informant; if deceased was single, married, widowed or divorced; and occupation of deceased.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- Ohio Obituary Index
Finding More Vital Records
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Seneca 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]
- Seneca County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Seneca County OH 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.
- FamilySearch Catalog
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Seneca 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.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Seneca County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/seneca/ accessed 2/27/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Seneca County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seneca_County,_Ohio, accessed 14 January 2019.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Seneca County, Ohio. Page 545 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.