Preble County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Preble County

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

Preble County, Ohio
Map
Location of Ohio in the U.S.
Courthouse
Address	Preble County Courthouse 101 East Main St. Eaton, Ohio Preble County Website

Preble County, Ohio Record Dates

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1808	1867	1850	1804	1800	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

• Parent Counties: Formed from Butler and Montgomery Counties in 1808.
  
• County Seat: Eaton
   

Description

The county was named for Edward Preble, a naval officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. It's county seat is Eaton and was founded March 1, 1808. It is located in the Southwest 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
Eaton (county seat)
Villages
College Corner Camden Eldorado Gratis	Lewisburg New Paris Verona	West Alexandria West Elkton West Manchester
Unincorporated communities
Brennersville Brinley Browns Campbellstown Cedar Springs Dadsville Ebenezer Enterprise	Fairhaven Gettysburg Greenbush Hamburg Ingomar Morning Sun Muttonville New Hope	New Lexington New Westville Sampleville Sugar Valley Talawanda Springs West Florence West Sonora Wheatville
Census-designated places
Lake Lakengren
Townships
Dixon Gasper Gratis Harrison	Israel Jackson Jefferson Lanier	Monroe Somers Twin Washington
Ghost towns
laysburg Crawfordsville	Hagerstown

Neighboring Counties

Darke County  • Montgomery County  • Butler County  • Union County, Indiana  • Wayne County, Indiana

Boundary Changes

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

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.

Finding More Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Preble 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).
  

Genealogy

Genealogical & Historical Records of Preble County contains the scanned images of obituary and marriage records of Preble County and new records are added on a regular basis.

Miami Valley Genealogy Index is an Index to more than a half million pointers to records all over Miami Valley including Preble County.

History

Local histories are available for Preble 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

• Graham, Albert Adams, History of Preble County, Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, (Cleveland, Ohio: H.Z. Williams, 1881). Digital copy at FamilySearch Digital Library FHL film 924760 Item 2

• Lowry, R.E., History of Preble County, Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions, (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen, 1915). Digital copy at Google Books FamilySearch Digital Library FHL film 1000337 Item 4; book 977.171 H2L

• Hiestand, Ione Sell, Preble County, Ohio, (Eaton, Ohio: Preble County Historical Society, 1992). FHL film 1000337 Item 4; book 977.171 H2p

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.

• Ohio Historical Inventory for Preble County this resource provides a listing of historical and architectural significant houses and buildings of Preble County.
  

Finding More Land Records

Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Preble 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)
• Atlas of Preble County, Ohio from Actual Surveys by D. J. Lake (Philadelphia: C. O. Titus, c1871)
  
• Composite Collection of Cadastral Maps of Preble County, Ohio by Seth Schlotterbeck (Eaton, Ohio: Preble County Historical Society, c1978)
• Plat Book of Preble County, Ohio: Compiled from County Records and Actual Surveys.  (Des Moines, Iowa: Northwest Publishing Co., 1912)
  
• Township Maps of Preble County, Ohio: Compiled from County Records and Actual Surveys. (Richmond, Indiana: F. B. Robinson, c1897)

Military

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

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

Preble 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

The following is a list of Preble County newspapers that are available on microfilm and owned by the Preble County District Library (PCDL), unless noted.  The dates/years next to a title are the years available on microflim, and not the years published.

• Camden Gazette (1896-1902)
• Camden Herald (1877-1879)
• Camden Herald and Camden Gazette (1877-1879)
• [Camden] Preble County News (1903-1989)
• [Eaton] Bulletin (1937-1953)
• Eaton Democrat (1854-1856, 1875-1926, 1935-1938)
• [Eaton] Democratic Press (1860-1865)
• [Eaton] Gospel Herald (1847-1848)
• Eaton Herald (1900-1901, 1906-1918)
• Eaton Independent (1873-1874)
• [Eaton] Ohio Graphic (1928-1990) - not ownd by PCDL
• [Eaton] Preble County Democrat (1857-1859)
• [Eaton] Preble County Democrat (1902-1908)
• Eaton Register (1830-1918)  [scattered issues from 1830-1875]
• [Eaton] Register-Herald (1918-Present)
• Eaton Semi-Weekly News (1927-1935)
• Eaton Weekly Democract (1870-1873)
• Eldorado Bee (1898-1901, 1908-1927)
• Eldroado News (1927, 1930-1931)
• Lewisburg Leader (1897-1982)
• New Paris Graphic-Mirror (1958-1962)
• New Paris Mirror (1883-1922, 1930-1931)
• [West Alexandria] Record (1905-1910) - not owned by PCDL
• [West Alexandria] Twin Valley Eco (1899-1931) - not owned by PCDL
• [West Alexandria] Twin Valley News (Microfilm: 1955, 1973-1991; Bound vols: 1954-2010)

Currently published newspapers.

• [Eaton] Register-Herald
• [West Alexandria] Twin Valley News

Probate

Probate records created after 1852 are held by the Preble 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 Preble 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.
  

• 1806–1854 Preble County, Ohio Wills Vol. I and Vol. II at Ancestry.com ($) Will Abstracts.

Finding More Probate Records

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

Preble County Courthouse
101 E Main Street
Eaton, OH 45320
Phone: 937.456.8145

Probate Judge has birth and death records from 1867,
probate records from 1800 and marriage records from 1808;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1850;
County Recorder has land records from 1804

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

• Westlake 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

• Preble County Room, houses the genealogical and local history collections of the Preble County District Library.
  

Societies

Preble County Genealogical Society
Preble County District Library
450 S. Barron Street
Eaton, Ohio 45320
Website

• Preble County Historical Soceity

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

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. For more information see the wiki page Ohio 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 Preble 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 Preble 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 Preble County, Ohio Genealogy Probate Court with divorce records located with the Preble 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

• 1800-1962 - Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at ancestry.com ($)

• 1841-2003 - Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — index and images

• 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)

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
• 1808-2000 - Preble County, Ohio, Marriage Index at ancestry.com ($)
• 1808-1830 and 1830-1840 - Preble County, Ohio Marriage Records Vol. I and Vol. II] at ancestry.com ($)

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death

Online Death Indexes and Records

• 1835-2010 Preble County, Ohio, Death Index at ancestry.com ($)
• 1840-2001 - Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — index and images
• Preble County, Ohio Cemetery Inscriptions at ancestry.com ($)
• 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.
• An excellent source of early marriage and obituary information is the online database entitled Genealogical & Historical Records of Preble County, Ohio, sponsored by the Preble County District Library. A searchable database of marriages, obituaries and some cemetery records links to the actual scanned image of the genealogical and historical documents, which date back into the 1800s.

Finding More Vital Records

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Preble 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

Websites

• Preble County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Preble 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.