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United States

Ohio

Lawrence County

Guide to Lawrence 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: Ironton Organized: December 21, 1815 Parent County(s): Gallia, Sciota Neighboring Counties Scioto  • Jackson  • Gallia  • Wayne (WV)  • Cabell (WV)  • Boyd (KY)  • Greenup (KY) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption This page is available for adoption

County Information

Description

The county was named for James Lawrence, naval hero in the War of 1812. It's county seat is Ironton and was founded December 1815. It is located in the Southcentral area of the state.

County Courthouse

Lawrence County Courthouse
1 Veterans Square
Ironton, Ohio 45638

Lawrence County Website

Lawrence County Courthouse
111 North 4th Street
Ironton, OH 45638
Phone: 740.533.4300

Probate Court has birth records 1864-1908, marriage records
from 1900, death records1868-1933 and probate records from 1817;
County Health Department has birth and death records from 1908;
Clerk Court has court records from 1817 and divorce records from 1819;
County Recorder has land records from 1817

Lawrence 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
1864	1817	1868	1817	1817	1817	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 Gallia and Sciota Counties 21 December 1815. County Seat: Ironton 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
Ironton (county seat)
Villages
Athalia Chesapeake	Coal Grove Hanging Rock	Proctorville South Point
Unincorporated communities
Etna Kitts Hill Pedro	Rock Camp Scottown	Waterloo Willow Wood
Census-designated places
Burlington
Townships
Aid Decatur Elizabeth Fayette Hamilton	Lawrence Mason Perry Rome Symmes	Union Upper Washington Windsor

History Timeline

Additional Information
This county was named for Captain James Lawrence, commander of the frigate Chesapeake during the War of 1812 who said "Do not give up the ship".

Resources

Bible Records

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

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Lawrence County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave Interment.net USGW Tombstones Billion Graves OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos Ohio Gravestones
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Names in Stone
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

 

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	3,499	—
1830	5,367	53.4%
1840	9,738	81.4%
1850	15,246	56.6%
1860	23,249	52.5%
1870	31,380	35.0%
1880	39,068	24.5%
1890	39,556	1.2%
1900	39,534	−0.1%
1910	39,488	−0.1%
1920	39,540	0.1%
1930	44,541	12.6%
1940	46,705	4.9%
1950	49,115	5.2%
1960	55,438	12.9%
1970	56,868	2.6%
1980	63,849	12.3%
1990	61,834	−3.2%
2000	62,319	0.8%
2010	62,450	0.2%
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.

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.

• 1790-1907 - Bureau of Land Management database Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.

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.

• Lawrence County Historical Book Committee, History of Lawrence County, Ohio, (Waynesville, North Carolina: Don Mills, 1990). FHL book 977.188 H2h

• Ohio Genealogical Society, Lawrence County Chapter, History of Lawrence County, Ohio, (Waynesville, North Carolina: County Heritage, 2004). FHL book 977.188 H2hL v.2

• A Story About Lawrence County, Ohio: Historical Background, (Huntington, West Virginia: Paul Brown Publishing, 1966). FHL book 977.188 H2s

• Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)

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 Lawrence County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment)that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that had many men from Lawrence County.
  

- 4th Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Companies G and I

- George's Independent Company, Ohio Cavalry

World War I

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

Naturalization and Citizenship

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

Newspapers

Lawrence 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.

• The Ironton Tribune

• various years - community contributed newspaper articles Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.

• 1793-1967+ - Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — browse by Year, County, or City/Village.
• Early to late-1900's - 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 Lawrence 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 — index and images $
• 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index and images; or scroll to Browse images by county.
• 1847-1941 - Will Index, 1847-1941 Courtesy OhioGenWeb and The Lawrence Register.
• 1863-1919 - Will Indexes Vols. 1-10. Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.
• various years - community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• various years - community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.

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.

• 1800-1850 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; or scroll to Browse images by county.
• 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1818 and 1821 Lawrence County Tax Lists Courtesy OhioGenWeb and The Lawrence Register.

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.

• View birth, marriage, and death indexes and more online at The Lawrence Register.

Birth

• 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; or scroll to Browse images by county.
• 1867-1868 - births from Probate records Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1867-1938 - Selected early birth records by surname taken from the Probate records. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1850-1900 - Birth Announcements index of birth announcements taken from Ohio newspapers. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 Ancestry].com ($) — index
• 1909-1950 - Index of Births from the city Health Department, Ironton, Ohio. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• Jan-Jul 1927 Births from the Ironton Tribune Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• various years - visitor submitted birth information Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• various years - community contributed birth records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.

Marriage

• 1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; or scroll to Browse images by county.
• 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1800-1942 Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1817-1860 - Lawrence County Marriage Books Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.
• 1824-1878 - Abstracted marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb.

Death

• 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; or scroll to Browse images by county.
• 1867-1870 - Lawrence County deaths from Probate Courtesy OhioGenWeb and Lawrence Register.
• 1867-1938 - Lawrence County Death Records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1908–1953 - Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
• 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ancestry].com ($) — index and images
• 1909-1945 - Death Index from the city Health Department, Ironton, Ohio Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1915-1917 - Historical Society Deaths for Lawrence County, Ohio Courtesy OhioGenWeb and The Lawrence Register.
• 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• various years - Selected early death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• various years - visitor contributed death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• various years - community contributed death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb.

Research Facilities

Lawrence County Health Department

2120 South 8th Street
Ironton, OH 45638
PHONE: 740-532-2172
HOURS: M-F 8:00 – 4:00

• The Health Department has county births and deaths certificates from 1909-present. The indexes are at Briggs Lawrence County Public Library, Hamner Room.
• You must obtain copies of certificates at the Health Dept.
• Copies are $18.00

Give staff the name of the person and the year of death/birth. You do not have to know the month and day.

Archives

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

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

• Ashland Kentucky Family History Center

Libraries

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

Briggs Lawrence County Public Library- Hamner Room
Local History and Genealogy Department
321 South Fourth Street
Ironton, OH 45638
Telephone: 740.532.1124
FAX: 740.532.4948
Email:genealogy@briggslibrary.org
Website

• Federal Census 1820-1880 (surrounding counties)
• Wills 1847 – present
• 1890 Special Census (surrounding counties)
• Births & Deaths1868 – 1938
• Federal Census 1900-1930 (surrounding counties)
• Marriages1817 – present
• Early Court Records (Incomplete)
• Newspapers 1850 – present
• Sanborn Insurance Maps
• Some Early Furnace Records
• Some Early Court Records
• Tax Duplicate Records 1817 & 1822
• Death Indexes from Ohio Department of Health 1908-1944, excluding 1933-1937
• First Families of Lawrence County
• Woodland Cemetery Records
• Tombstone readings from area cemeteries
• Family History Center
• Some early Church Records
• Vertical Files of area History
• Ironton City Directories (Incomplete)
• Yearbooks (incomplete)
• Birth Indexes 1909-present
• Death Indexes 1909-present

Briggs Lawrence County Public Library does not perform genealogical research, which is requested by phone, letter or e-mail. We will return all such requests to the sender, and will respond with a list of the names of local researchers obtained from the Lawrence County Genealogical Society, who can perform those services.

The staff at Briggs Lawrence County Public Library will continue to assist all persons who visit the Phyllis Hamner Local History and Genealogy Room located at the Main Library in Ironton, Ohio.

Museums

The Lawrence County Museum has certification by the Ohio Association of Historical Societies Museums. It is operated by the Lawrence County Historical Society, a corporation since 1925. The building in which the Museum is housed is referred to, in the Registry of Historical Homes of the Rankin District, as the Colonel George N. Gray House. In 1988, the Lawrence County Historical Society acquired the property, using funds raised through contributions of community-minded individuals, members, and businesses.

The Museum features several permanent exhibits, while some areas have exhibits that change four or five times a year. Annual events are:

Ice Cream Social First Sunday of July
Apple Butter Day First Saturday of October
Christmas Exhibit Opens First Sunday of December

A very special event in Ironton is the Museum's Candlelight Church Walk on the first Saturday evening of December.
Victorian Teas are being added to the schedule.

Societies

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

Lawrence County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 1035
Proctorville, Ohio 45669-1035
Contact person: Email:Lawcoloreman@aol.com
Website

10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The following organizations are under the umbrella of the Ohio Genealogical Society:

• First Families of Lawrence County
• Civil War Veterans of Lawrence County
• Settlers and Builders of Lawrence County
• Lineage Society

Lawrence County Historical Society
506 South 6th St
Ironton, Ohio 45638
Telephone:740-532-1222
Website

Websites

• Lawrence County OH Genealogy
• The Lawrence County OH GenWeb Project, a member of The OHGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The 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.