Seneca County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Seneca County

Guide to Seneca 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: Tiffin Organized: April 1, 1824 Parent County(s): Huron, Logan, Sandusky Neighboring Counties Sandusky  • Huron  • Crawford  • Wyandot  • Hancock  • Wood See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The county was named after the Seneca Indian Tribe. It is located in the Northcentral area of the state.

County Courthouse

Seneca County Courthouse
103 S Washington St
Tiffin, OH 44883
Phone: 419-447-0671
Seneca County Website

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

Seneca 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	1841	1867	1826	1821	1828	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

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.

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Formed from Huron, Logan, Sandusky Counties April 1, 1820. County Seat: Tiffin Organized Date: April 1, 1824 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	Fostoria	Tiffin(county seat)
Villages
Attica Bettsville	Bloomville Green Springs	New Riegel Republic
Unincorporated communities
Adrian Alvada Amsden Angus Berwick Caroline Carrothers Cooper	Cromers Fireside Frenchtown Iler Lowell Maple Grove Omar Reedtown	Rehoboth Rockaway Saint Stephens Siam Springville Swander Watson West Lodi
Census-designated places
Bascom Flat Rock Fort Seneca	Kansas McCutchenville Melmore	Old Fort
Townships
Adams Big Spring Bloom Clinton Eden	Hopewell Jackson Liberty Loudon Pleasant	Reed Scipio Seneca Thompson Venice

Resources

Bible Records

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

Biographies

• A Centennial Biographical History of Seneca County, Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Co., 1902). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library; 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.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Seneca County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave Ohio Gravestones USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project Billion Graves OHGenWeb OHGenWeb Tombstone Photo Project
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.	%±
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

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.

Directories

• 1916-1921 Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio Directory, 1916-1921 at Ancestry.com - index

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.

• Lang, William, History of Seneca County, From the Close of the Revolutionary War to July 1880, (Springfield, Ohio: Transcript Printing, 1880). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($)(Indexed).
• Leeson, Michael A., History of Seneca County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, etc., (Chicago, Illinois: Warner, Beers, 1886). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.
• 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). Online at Google Books Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library.
• 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). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books; Internet Archive.
• Seneca County Chapter, Seneca County, Ohio: History and Families, (Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Pub. Co., 1998). FHL film 1059481 Item 9; book 977.124 H2s.
• 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
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, Companies D, I, and K

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

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

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

Newspapers

Seneca 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 Seneca 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

• 1800-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at Ancestry ($) — Index
• 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index

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.
• 1803-1860 Scioto County, Ohio, Marriage Records, 1803-1860 at Ancesry ($)
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 Seneca 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

• Findlay Ohio Family History Center
• Findlay-Hancock County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Bettsville Public Library
233 State St
PO Box 385
Bettsville, OH 44815-9999
419-986-5198
Website

Bliss Memorial Public Library
20 S Marion St
PO Box 39
Bloomville, OH 44818-0039
419-983-4675
Website

Kaubisch Memorial Public Library
205 Perry St
Fostoria, OH 44830-2265
419-435-2813
Website

Seneca East Public Library
14 N Main St
PO Box 572
Attica, OH 44807
419-426-3825
Website

Tiffin-Seneca Public Library
77 Jefferson St
Tiffin, OH 44883
419-447-3751
Website

Museums

Seneca Historical Society and Museum
28 Clay St
Tiffin, OH 44883-0433
419-447-2521
Facebook

American Civil War Museum of Ohio
217 S Washington
Tiffin, OH 44883
419-455-9551
E-mail:info@acwmo.org
Website

Fostoria Area Museum
PO Box 142
Fostoria, OH 44830
419-435-3588
Webpage

Societies

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

Seneca County Chapter Ohio Genealogical Society
PO Box 157
Tiffin, OH 44883-0841
Website

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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
• Seneca County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
• Seneca County USGenWeb Archives
• OHGenWeb project 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.