Huron County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Huron County

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

Huron County, Ohio
Map
Location in the state of Ohio
Location of Ohio in the U.S.
Courthouse
Address	Huron County Courthouse 2 East Main St. Norwalk, Ohio 44857 Huron County Website

Huron County, Ohio Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1815	1867	1815	1808	1815	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

• Parent Counties: Formed from Portage, and Cuyahoga Counties 7 February 1809.
• County Seat: Norwalk

Description

The county was named for the Huron Native American tribe who once lived in the Great Lakes region. It's county seat is Norwalk and was founded March 7, 1809. It is located in the North-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
Bellevue Norwalk (county seat)	Willard
Villages
Greenwich Milan Monroeville	New London North Fairfield	Plymouth Wakeman
Unincorporated communities
Boughtonville Centerton Clarksfield Delphi	East Townsend Fitchville Havana Hunts Corners	North Monroeville Olena Steuben
Census-designated places
Celeryville Collins	Holiday Lakes New Haven
Townships
Bronson Clarksfield Fairfield Fitchville Greenfield Greenwich Hartland	Lyme New Haven New London Norwalk Norwich Peru	Richmond Ridgefield Ripley Sherman Townsend Wakeman

Neighboring Counties

Erie County  • Lorain County  • Ashland County  • Richland County  • Crawford County  • Seneca County  • Sandusky County

Boundary Changes

This area was first known as the Firelands region at its creation in 1815.  The county of Huron covered up much wider area.  The northern regions are now part of Erie and Ottawa counties.  Ruggles township in the south is not part of Ashland County.

For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1888) 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		Epodunk
OHGenWeb Tombstone Photos
Ohio Gravestones
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

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, view the Ohio Church Records wiki page.

Catholic

• 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.
  

Lutheran

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

Finding More Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Church Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
  

Court Records

Huron County Courthouse
2 East Main Street
Norwalk, OH 44857
General Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

History

Local histories are available for Huron 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

• Baughman, A.J., History of Huron County, Ohio: Its Progress and Development, (Chicago, Illinois: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive FHL film 1000321 Items 1-2; book 977.125 H2b

• Williams, William W., History of the Fire Lands, Comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of the Prominent Men and Pioneers, (Cleveland, Ohio: Leader Print. Co., 1879). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive FamilySearch Digital Library FHL film 908832 Item 1; book 977.12 H2w

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. County Recorder
12 East Main St.
Norwalk, OH, First floor
419-668-1916

• 1845 - 1845 Huron County township plat map surname index and images; Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• various years - community contributed deeds Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Finding More Land Records

Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Land and Property Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog(For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

• The Trumbull County Archives/Microfilm department has online maps and deed indexes
  
  

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)

Military

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

Civil War

• Civil War service men from Huron 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 with men from Huron County.

- 1st Independent Battery, Ohio Light Artillery, a battery is like a company in an artillery regiment.

- 24th Regiment, Ohio Infantry , Companies A and G

- 41st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies G and H

- 107th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company H

- 123rd Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B, C, and E

- 166th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (National Guard), Companies B, C, and H

County recorder- 12 East Main St., Norwalk, OH, First Floor 419-668-1916, Soliders' discharge- Civil War to present, Soldiers' burial- miscellaneous

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

Huron 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 Historical Society. 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.

Online Newspapers

Online Newspaper Abstracts

• various years - community contributed newspaper articles Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Probate

Probate records created after 1852 are held by the Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Court. From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. Most counties transferred all records to the Probate Court, but in some circumstances, Court of Common Pleas records should be searched for records prior to 1852. Most records are housed at the Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Courthouse. Some records are on microfilm at the Ohio Genealogical Society and the Family History Library. For more complete information about the location of county probate records see:

• Carol Willsey Bell, Ohio Wills and Estates to 1850: An Index (1981).  Carol Willsey Bell, Ohio Wills and Estates to 1850: An Index (Columbus, Ohio: the author, 1981).FamilySearch Digital Library - Free online copy.
  

See the wiki page Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.

Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.

Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (1867-1908 only).

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.
  
• to 1852 - Huron County wills to 1852 at Ancestry.com ($) original data
• various years - community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

All records are located at the county courthouse in Norwalk.

• 1815 to present - Guardianship records
• 1815 to present - Settlement records
• 1815 to present - Appointment of Administrator/Executor
• 1815 to present - Estate packets
• 1823 to 1976 - Clergy registration
• 1851 to present - Civil Docket
• 1851 to present - Court Journal
• 1851 to present - Final Records
• early to present - Doctor registration

Finding More Probate Records

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

Repositories

Courthouse

Huron County Courthouse
2 East Main Street
Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: 419.668.4383
General Hours : 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday
Closed Saturday and Sunday
Probate Judge has birth and death records 1867-1908,
marriage and probate records from 1815 and naturalization
records from 1859; City and County Health Department have
birth and death records from 1908; County Clerk has court 
records from 1815, divorce and naturalization records 1859;
County Recorder has land records from 1808, Connecticut
Fire Sufferers records 1792-1808 and military records from 1865;
County Auditor has tax records from 1820; County Historical 
 Library has infirmary records 1848-1900, tax records 1815-1825,
County Commission journals from 1815, land partition records
1815-1920, county militia lists 1864-1865 and indigent soldier burial
indigent soldier burial records 1880-1920

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

• For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map

• Sandusky 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.

Libraries

• Monroeville Public Library- 34 Monroe St., Monroveville, OH   44847, 419-465-2035, www.monroevillepubliclibrary.com
• Norwalk Public Library- 46 W. Main St. Norwalk, OH 44857, 419-668-6063, www.norwalk.lib.oh.us
• New London Public Library- 67 S Main St, New London, OH   44851, 419-929-3981, www.nwlondon@oplin.org

Societies

The Connecticut Western Reserve  was a part of northeast Ohio originally intended for settlement by Revolutionary War refugees from Connecticut. The former Connecticut Western Reserve  lands were in the modern counties of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Trumbull fully, but also in parts of Ashland, Mahoning, Ottawa, Summit, and Wayne counties in Ohio.

The Research Library at the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center  is the premier repository for Cleveland, Ohio and Connecticut Western Reserve history material. One of the principal strengths is its manuscript collections. The WRHS collection has original land records, genealogies of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, biographies, histories, and family Bibles.

Other Societies

• The Firelands Historical Society- 4 Case Ave. Norwalk, OH , This is the second oldest historical society in Ohio.  Founded in 1857.
• Laning-Young Research Center- 9 Case Ave, Norwalk, OH- firelandsmuseum.org- Currently holds over 4,000 books related to the area.  Primary focus is the history and people of the Firelands.  Large local manuscript and newspaper collection.  Complete collection of Firelands Pioneer which has been printed since 1858 and deals with local history.
• Milan Historical Musuem, Inc.- 10 Edison Dr, Milan, OH   44846, 419-499-2968
• New London Area Historical Society, 13 Main St., New London, OH 
• Plymouth Area Historical Society, 15 Sandusky St., Willard, OH 44890, 419-687-5411
• Ohio Genealogical Society- Huron Chapter, PO Box 923, Norwalk, OH   44857

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

County Auditor
12 East Main Street, Third Floor
Norwalk, OH 44857
419-668-4304

• 1815 to present - Tax records (incomplete)

Online Tax Records

• 1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1825 - Huron County tax list Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives
• 1829 - Huron County tax list Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1857 - Huron County tax list Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Finding More Tax Records

Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

Vital Records

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Although Ohio enacted a statute in 1856 -1857 requiring registration of births, deaths and marriages, many counties did not comply. A second law was written in 1867 but, again, was not always followed. By 1908, the law was more clearly defined and kept. Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the Huron County, Ohio Genealogy 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 Historical Society houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.

Original marriage records are held at the office of the Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Court with divorce records located with the Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Clerk of Courts.

See also How to order Ohio Vital Records or order vital records electronically online.

Birth

Online Birth Indexes and Records

• 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 20th century births - Willard Area Births & Obituaries extracted birth announcements from the Chicago Times and Willard Times from the Extension Library District of Huron County; mostly 1900s. Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

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
• early through 1838 - Early marriage records index Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death

Online Death Indexes and Records

• 1835-1851 - death notices from Huron County newspapers The Experiment and Norwalk Experiment newspapers, Norwalk, Ohio - 20 Aug 1835 - 31 Dec 1850. Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 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, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
• various years - community contributed death records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Divorce

Divorce Records are located at the Clerk of Courts same address as above.  Divorce records 1900 to present.  Some records are located on microfiche from 1815 to present. Finding More Vital Records

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Huron County, Ohio Genealogy Vital Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
• FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).

Websites

• [http://www.usgenwebsites.org/OHHuron/ Huron County OHGenWeb
• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• Huron County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Huron County OH Genealogy
• Ohio Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• FamilySearch Catalog

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.