Erie County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Erie County, Ohio ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Erie County was named for the Erie tribe, whose name was their word for "wildcat".[3] The county is located in the northern area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Erie County Courthouse
323 Columbus Avenue
Sandusky, OH 44870
Phone: 419-627-7705
Erie County Courthouse
Erie County Recorder's Office
Land Records
247 Columbus Avenue; Suite 225
Sandusky, OH 44870
Phone: 419-627-7686
County Health Department has birth records from 1908, death and burial records;
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1870;
County Recorder has land records[5]
Erie 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1856 | 1838 | 1856 | 1838 | 1837 | 1838 | 1820 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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: [8]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 12,599 | — |
| 1850 | 18,568 | 47.4% |
| 1860 | 24,474 | 31.8% |
| 1870 | 28,188 | 15.2% |
| 1880 | 32,640 | 15.8% |
| 1890 | 35,462 | 8.6% |
| 1900 | 37,650 | 6.2% |
| 1910 | 38,327 | 1.8% |
| 1920 | 39,789 | 3.8% |
| 1930 | 42,133 | 5.9% |
| 1940 | 43,201 | 2.5% |
| 1950 | 52,565 | 21.7% |
| 1960 | 68,000 | 29.4% |
| 1970 | 75,909 | 11.6% |
| 1980 | 79,655 | 4.9% |
| 1990 | 76,779 | −3.6% |
| 2000 | 79,551 | 3.6% |
| 2010 | 77,079 | −3.1% |
| 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.
- 1765-1947 Ohio, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Catholic
- 1796-2004 Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch – How to Use this Collection.
Court Records
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
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Genealogies
Guardianship
- 1838/-1907 Bonds and Letters of Administrators, Executors and Guardians, 1838-1907(*); Probate Court, Erie County at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1852-1961 Court Dockets, 1866-1906; Index, 1852-1961(*); Probate Court, Erie County at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Land and Property Records
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and are where records are currently housed. More information about why to use land records and what information land records includes can be found on the Ohio Land and Property Wiki page.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
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.
The Connecticut Western Reserve was a part of northeast Ohio originally intended for settlement by Revolutionary War refugees from Connecticut. William Dollarhide, and Ronald A. Bremer, America's Best Genealogy Resource Centers (Bountiful, UT: Heritage Quest, 1988), 89. FS Library Book 973 J54d. 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.
- Peeke, Hewson Lindsley; A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio: An authentic Narrative of the Past… (Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1916) Available online at: FamlySearch Digital Library Vol 1; Google Books; FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2; Internet Archives Vol 2,
- 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, 1879) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archives.
- Aldrich, Lewis Cass; History of Erie County, Ohio: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers (Syracuse, N.Y.: D. Mason, 1889) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
War of 1812
- Cherry, Marjorie Louise; Blockhouses and military posts of the Firelands (1968) Online at Internet Archive
Civil War
- Civil War service men from Erie 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 Erie County.
- -107th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company F
- -123rd Regiment, Ohio Infantry , Companies G and K
World War I
- 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
Newspapers
Erie 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 online Ohio newspapers index & images, see Ohio Newspapers.
- 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1800s-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
- 1800s-Current Ohio, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- Newspaper Articles at USGenWeb Archives
Obituaries
- 1657-Onward Ohio Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the Erie County Probate Court. See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1786-1998 Ohio, Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index & images.
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection.
- Wills at USGenWeb Archives
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Ohio tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
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.
Birth
- 1765-1947 Ohio, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index
- 1918-1953 Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Marriage
- 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1789-Onward Ohio Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Death
- 1765-1947 Ohio, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- 1833-1967 Ohio, Church and Civil Deaths, 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch – How to Use this Collection
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1918-1953 Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Divorce
- 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
Voting Records
- 1900-Onward Ohio, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Erie County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Sandusky Ohio FamilySearch Center
- Oberlin Public Library - an affiliate library
- Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Erie County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Huron Public Library
333 Williams St
Huron, OH 44839-1640
419-433-5009
Website
Milan Public Library
19 E Church St
P.O. Box 1550
Milan, OH 44846
419-499-4117
Website
Berlin Public Library
4 E Main St
Berlin, OH 44814
419-588-2250
Website
Ritter Public Library
5680 Liberty Ave
Vermilion, OH 44089-1196
440-967-3798
Email: info@ritter.lib.oh.us
Website
Sandusky Library
114 W Adams St
Sandusky, OH 44870
419-625-3834
Website
Kelleys Island Branch
Sandusky Library
528 Division St
P.O. Box 401
Kelleys Island, OH 43438
419-746-9575
Website
Museums
Erie County Historical Society Museums
P. O. Box 944
Sandusky, Ohio 44871-0944
419-702-0001
Website
Follet House Museum
404 Wayne St
Sandusky, OH 44870
419-627-9608
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Erie County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Western Reserve Historical Society
10825 East Blvd
Cleveland, OH 44106
216-721-5722
Email:info@wrhs.org
Website, Information
Erie County Historical Society
P.O. Box 944
Sandusky, OH 44871-0944
419-702-0001
Website
Websites
- Custom Browse of Historical Collections at Ohio Memory — Use map or alpha bar to select county or place, then browse search options in left sidebar.
- Ohio Genealogical Society ($) — online databases
- Ohio GenWeb Page
- Erie County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- 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.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FS Library book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_County,_Ohio accessed 2/14/2017
- ↑ http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/erie/ accessed 2/14/2017
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ohio.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Erie County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erie_County,_Ohio, accessed 9 November 2018.