Portage County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Portage County, Ohio ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Coordinates: 41.17°0′N 81.20°0′W / 41.17°N 81.2°W
Portage County, Ohio | |
Map | |
Location in the state of Ohio | |
![]() Location of Ohio in the U.S. | |
Courthouse | |
Address | Portage County Courthouse 203 West Main St Ravenna, Ohio 44266 |
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Contents
- 1 Portage 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 Education
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups
- 2.11 Gazetteers
- 2.12 Genealogy
- 2.13 History
- 2.14 Land and Property
- 2.15 Maps
- 2.16 Military
- 2.17 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.18 Newspapers
- 2.19 Obituaries
- 2.20 Periodicals
- 2.21 Probate
- 2.22 Public Records
- 2.23 Repositories
- 2.24 Taxation
- 2.25 Vital Records
- 3 Websites
- 4 References
Portage County, Ohio Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1867 | 1808 | 1867 | 1820 | 1795 | 1803 | 1820 |
- Parent Counties: Formed from Trumbull County in 1808.
- County Seat: Ravenna
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for an old Native American path called "Portage Trail". It's county seat is Ravenna and was founded June 7, 1807. It is located in the South-Central 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]
Geauga County • Trumbull County • Mahoning County • Stark County • Summit County • Geauga 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]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
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]
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, view the Ohio Church Records wiki page.
Finding More Church Records[edit source]
Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Portage 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[edit | edit source]
Education[edit | edit source]
- Kent State University Yearbooks - approximately 1914-1985 yearbooks are freely available on the Internet Archive
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 Portage 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]
- Brown, Robert Charles, History of Portage County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, etc., (Chicago, Illinois: Warner, Beers, 1885). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive FamilySearch Digital Library FHL film 1697596 Item 14; book 977.137 H2h
- Holmes, James B., Portage Heritage: A History of Portage County; Its Towns and Townships and the Men and Women Who Have Developed Them, (Kent, Ohio: Commercial Press, 1957). Digital copy at Internet Archive FamilySearch Digital Library FHL film 1033821 Item 1
- Bowen, A.W., A Portrait and Biographical Record of Portage and Summit Counties, Ohio, (Logansport, Indiana: A.W. Bowen, 1898). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive FamilySearch Digital Library FHL film 1000336 Item 5; book 977.13 D3p
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.
Finding More Land Records[edit source]
Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Portage 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[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1888-1919 - Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Service men from Portage 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 Portage County.
- -1st Regiment, Ohio Light Artillery, Batteries A, D, and I.
- - 104th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and I
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]
Portage 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
Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate[edit | edit source]
Probate records created after 1852 are held by the Portage 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 Portage 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.
Finding More Probate Records[edit source]
Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Portage 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).
Public Records[edit | edit source]
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Portage County Courthouse
203 West Main Street
Ravena, Ohio 44266
Telephone: 330-297-3635
Website
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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
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]
- Portage County Historical Society
6549 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266
- The Connecticut Western Reserve was a part of northeast Ohio originally intended for settlement by Revolutionary War refugees from Connecticut.[4] 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.[5] The WRHS collection has original land records, genealogies of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania, biographies, histories, and family Bibles.[4]
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]
- 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 Portage 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[edit | edit source]
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 Portage 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 Portage County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Court with divorce records located with the Portage County, Ohio Genealogy Clerk of Courts.
See also How to order Ohio Vital Records or order vital records electronically online.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Online Birth Indexes and Records
- 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images
Original Birth Records on Microfilm
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 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
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
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, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.
Finding More Vital Records
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Portage 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[edit | edit source]
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Portage County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Ohio Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Portage County Ohio Genealogy
- Ohio GenWeb: Portage County - free genealogy resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
- FamilySearch Catalog
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Portage 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, “Portage County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/portage/ accessed 2/27/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Portage County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_County,_Ohio, accessed 9 January 2019.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 89. At various repositories (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 J54d.
- ↑ Family History and Genealogical Research in Western Reserve Historical Society (accessed 11 March 2015).
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