Lake County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Lake County

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

Lake County, Ohio
Map
Location in the state of Ohio
Location of Ohio in the U.S.
Courthouse
Address	Lake County Courthouse 47 N. Park Place Painesville, Ohio 44077 Lake County Website

Lake County, Ohio Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1840	1867	1840	1839	1853	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

• Parent Counties: Formed from Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties 20 March 1840.
• County Seat: Painesville

Description

The county name was derived from its location on the southern shore of Lake Erie. It's county seat is Painesville and was founded March 6, 1840. It is located in the Northeastern 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
Eastlake Kirtland Mentor	Mentor-on-the-Lake Painesville (county seat) Wickliffe	Willoughby Willoughby Hills Willowick
Villages
Fairport Harbor Grand River Kirtland Hills	Lakeline Madison North Perry	Perry Timberlake Waite Hill
Unincorporated communities
Painesville-on-the-Lake Unionville
Census-designated places
North Madison
Townships
Concord LeRoy	Madison Painesville	Perry

Neighboring Counties

Ashtabula County  • Geauga County  • Cuyahoga County

Boundary Changes

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.

Note: Painesville Twp. records to after 1900 were damaged or lost due to flooding.

Resources

Adopt-a-wiki page

This page adopted by: Lake County Genealogical Society who welcome you to contribute.

Adopt a page today

Biography

Lake County OHGenWeb Website

See History Hall . . . Website

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	Lake Co. Gen. Society	Billion Graves
Billion Graves		Epodunk
OHGenWeb
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.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• Kirtland

Congregational

• early to 1907 - First Church, Congregational, Painesville Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Lutheran

• Records of Resurrection Lutheran Church, Painesville, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Episcopal

• 1834-1874 - St. James Episcopal Church includes membership list and baptisms. Courtesy OhioGenWeb

other church information

• various years - General church information includes minister lists and some family Bible records. Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Finding More Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lake 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

Naturalization Records - An Alphabetical Abstract of the naturalization petitions from Lake County Probate Court (1860-1906) and Lake County Common Pleas Court (1906-1975). This includes Declarations of Intention and petitions that failed for a variety of reasons. Naturalizations between 1840 and 1860 were done in a variety of courts, which will be abstracted later.

History

Local histories are available for Lake 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

• Riddle, Albert Gallation, History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Pioneers and Most Prominent Men, (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Williams Bros., 1878). Digital copy at Google Books FHL book 977.133 H2wiL

• Western Reserve Historical Society, Lake County Chapter, Lake County History, (Ohio: Western Reserve Historical Society, Lake County Chapter, 1941). Digital copy at Ancestry ($)(Indexed) FHL book 977.1334 H2Lc

• Stith, Bary Oyler, Lake County, Ohio: 150 Years of Tradition, (Northridge, California: Windsor Publications, 1988). FHL book 977.1334 H2s

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.

Finding More Land Records

Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake County.

- 1st Regiment, Ohio Light Artillery, Battery C

- 11th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company E

- 105th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and K

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

Lake 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

• various years - index to Ohio Newspapers Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• various years - Select issues ofEvening and Morning Star available at BYU Digital Collections. Click on newspaper in box on right.
• various years - Painesville Telegraph and Telegraph Republican available at GoogleNews
• various years - community contributed newspaper articles Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Online Newspaper Abstracts

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Obituaries

Index 1822-current available
Morley Library Obituaries 1822

Probate Records

Probate records created after 1852 are held by the Lake 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 Lake 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.
  
• 1806-1940 - OhioGenWeb Probate records and indexes Links to online probate, guardianship, estates and other probate records available on the Lake County OhioGenWeb pages. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1840-1846 - Lake County Probate Record Index Vol. A: 1840-1842; Vol. B: 1842-1846. Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.
• various years - community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives.

Finding More Probate Records

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lake 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

Lake County Courthouse
47 North Park Place
Painesville, OH 44077-3414
Phone: 440.350.2657 

Clerk Court has court records from 1840

25 North Park Place

Painesville, OH 44077

Probate Judge has marriage and probate records

25 North Park Place, rear

Painesville, OH 44077

County Recorder has land records

105 Main Street

Painesville, OH 44077

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

• Kirtland 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

Morley Library--Best collection of local genealogical materials.

Museums

Lake County History Center
415 Riverside Dr.
Painesville, OH 44077, USA
Telephone: 440 639 2945
Fax: 440 639 2947
Website

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

Lake County Genealogical Society This site contains links to their projects, which have a lot of information in them. Lake County Cemetery Inscriptions to 2003, Naturalization Index 1860-1975, Biographies, Index to LakeLines, Memorials and Activities. 

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

• 1800-1950 - Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — index and images

Finding More Tax Records

Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Court with divorce records located with the Lake 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
• 1867-1908 - Lake County birth records births from the Probate Court. Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1867-1908 - Corrected and Delayed birth records index Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1867-1908 - Birth Records for Perry Township Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1867-1908 - Registrars Birth Report miscellaneous non-probate births. Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1881-1900 - Birth Notices index to birth notices in the Painesville Telegraph Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

Online Marriage Indexes and Records

• 1789-2013 - Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — index and images, free.
• 1800-1958 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — free; Index.
• 1800-1942 - Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — index
• 1810-1840 - Cuyahoga County Probate and Marriage Index 1810 to Current This includes Willoughby Township in Lake County until 1840 when it splits off from Cuyahoga. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1806-1840 - Geauga County Marriages 1806-1953 This includes the current Lake County until 1840 when it splits off from Geauga. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1833-1842 - [http://sites.rootsweb.com/~ohlake/vitalrec/ldsvr1833-1841.html Mormon Vital Records Extraction

from Early Publications 1833 - 1841] Marriages and Deaths abstracted from "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine" from original Latter-day Saint newspapers of the day. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.

• 1840-1915 - Marriages - Lake County Probate Marriage Records Index 1840-1915. This index includes marriages from Vol. A-K, and 12-14 and part of 15. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1986 to present - Lake County Marriage Index Courtesy OhioGenWeb.

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death

The usage of "Mormon" and "LDS" on this page is approved according to current policy.

Online Death Indexes and Records

Death records 1867-1908 now searchable on FamilySearch

• 1833-1842 - Early Mormon Vital Records Marriages and Deaths abstracted from "Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine" from original Latter-day Saint newspapers of the day. Courtesy OhioGenWeb. 
• 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
• 1867-1908 - Probate Deaths Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1867-1908 - Registrar's Death Report miscellaneous non-probate deaths, Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1867-1908 - Perry Township Death Records 1867-1908 Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1897 - Willoughby Township Mortuary Report Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 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, occupation of deceased. 

Finding More Vital Records

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Lake 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).

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Divorce

• 1806-1839 - Geauga Divorces 1806-1839 An abstract of the divorce proceedings of the Ohio Supreme Court at Geauga County, mostly residents of what is now Lake County. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1822-1898 - Index to Divorces in the Painesville Telegraph This index from Lake County Historical Society covers 1822-1849 and some up to 1898. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.
• 1878-1881 - Proceedings in Common Pleas Journal J This court volume covers 1878-Feb 1881 and lists over 60 couples applying for divorces. Courtesy OhioGenWeb.

Websites

• Lake County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Ohio Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• Lake County OH Genealogy
• FamilySearch Catalog
• OHGenWeb - The GenWeb site has many databases, biographies, vital records, etc.
• Lake County birth records 1867-1908.
• Lake County Genealogical Society projects page with the cemetery inscriptions, naturalizations and other information.

Family History Library