Knox County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Knox County

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Mount Vernon Organized: March 1, 1808 Parent County(s): Fairfield Neighboring Counties Richland • Ashland • Holmes • Coshocton • Licking • Delaware • Morrow See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Knox County was named for General Henry Knox (1750-1806), Revolutionary War hero, and the nation's first Secretary of War. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Knox County Courthouse
117 E High St, Suite B147
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
Phone: 740-397-4023
Knox County Website

County Health Department has birth records from 1908, death and burial records;
Probate Judge has marriage records from 1803 and probate records;
Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1810;
County Records has land records

Knox 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1867	1803	1867	1810	1808	1808	1820
Statewide registration for births and deaths started in 1908. General compliance year is unknown.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Formed from Fairfield County 30 January 1808. County Seat: Mount Verno Ohio Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Ohio Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes

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
Mount Vernon (county seat)
Villages
Centerburg Danville Fredericktown	Gambier Gann	Martinsburg Utica
Unincorporated communities
Amity Ankenytown Artanna Bangs Batemantown Brandon Five Corners Green Valley	Greer Hunt Jelloway Knox Lock Lucerne Millwood Monroe Mills	Morgan Center Mount Liberty North Liberty Palmyra Pipesville Rich Hill Waterford Zuck
Census-designated places
Apple Valley Bladensburg	Howard
Townships
Berlin Brown Butler Clay Clinton College Harrison Hilliar	Howard Jackson Jefferson Liberty Middlebury Milford Miller	Monroe Morgan Morris Pike Pleasant Union Wayne
Ghost towns
Rossville

History Timeline

• 1779 The first white man known to have passed through this area was John Stilly, a white captive of a native tribe.
• Pre 1809 The "frontier character" Andrew Craig is believed to be the first permanent white settler—arriving before Ohio became a state and remaining until it became "too crowded" about 1809.
• 1800-1808 The first settlers who remained in the area were mostly from Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Many of these earliest settlers arrived between 1800-1808, attracted by inexpensive, but fertile, military land.

Resources

Bible Records

For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Knox County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave Interment.net OH Tombstone Transcription Project BillionGraves OHGenWeb Tombstone Photo Project Ohio Gravestones Ohio, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1765-1947 (cemetery records), incomplete
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Find a Grave FamilySearch Places
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	2,149	—
1820	8,326	287.4%
1830	17,085	105.2%
1840	29,579	73.1%
1850	28,872	−2.4%
1860	27,735	−3.9%
1870	26,333	−5.1%
1880	27,431	4.2%
1890	27,600	0.6%
1900	27,768	0.6%
1910	30,181	8.7%
1920	29,580	−2.0%
1930	29,338	−0.8%
1940	31,024	5.7%
1950	35,287	13.7%
1960	38,808	10.0%
1970	41,795	7.7%
1980	46,304	10.8%
1990	47,473	2.5%
2000	54,500	14.8%
2010	60,921	11.8%
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

• FamilySearch Places
  
• 1829-1900s St. Luke's Records 1829-early 1900's at Ancestry ($)

Directories

• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

• Discovering African American History in Rural Ohio at Digital Kenyon

Funeral Homes

Brucker-Baker Funeral Homein Utica Fischer Funeral Home in Danville Moreland Funeral Home in Centerburg Roberts Funeral Home in Mt Vernon Snyder Funeral Homes in Fredericktown Snyder Funeral Homes in Mt Vernon

Guardianship

• 1852-1925 Guardians Bonds and Letters (Knox County, Ohio), 1855-1925; Index, 1852-1922(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1893-1918 Trustee's Bonds, 1893-1918; Administrators or Executors Bonds, 18871919(*) 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

• 1790-1907 Land Records at USGenWeb Ohio Archives
• 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.

• Lorey, Frederick N., History of Knox County, Ohio: 1876-1976, (Mount Vernon, Ohio: Knox County Historical Society, 1976). FS Catalog book 977.152 H2L
• Norton, A. Banning, A History of Knox County, Ohio, from 1779 to 1862 Inclusive: Comprising Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes and Incidents of Men Connected with the County from Its First Settlement, (Columbus, Ohio: R. Nevins, 1862). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($) (Indexed).
• Hill, N.N. Jr., History of Knox County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, (Mt. Vernon, Ohio: A. A. Graham, 1881). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($) (Indexed)
• Williams, Albert B., Past and Present of Knox County, Ohio, (Indianapolis, Indiana: B. F. Bowen & Co., 1912). Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 2 online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library
• Discovering African American History in Rural Ohio at Digital Kenyon

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
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

Military Records

• 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Knox County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Knox County.

- 30th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company A

- 4th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company A (also known as Knox County Guards) and Company B (also known as Union Guards).

For information about these companies, such as muster-out rolls, see, History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, containing a condensed, comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest; a complete history of Knox County... a record of its soldiers in the late war; portraits of its early settlers and prominent men... biographies and histories of pioneer families, etc. Compiled by Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell). 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Archive

- 96th Regiment, Ohio Infantry

Company A, roster

Company B, roster

-106th Regiment, Company D

-125th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company F

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

Knox 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 ($)
• 1800s-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
• 1800s-Current Ohio, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Obituaries

• 1657-Onward Ohio Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)

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 Knox 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.
• Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search

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

• 1800-1950 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 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

• 1800-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at Ancestry ($) — Index
• 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
• 1887 1887 Knox County births at Knox County OHGenWeb Project - partial list taken from microfilm.
• 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — 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.
• 1867-1908 Knox County, Ohio Death Records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
• 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
• 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
• 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection
• 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 Knox 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

• Mount Vernon Ohio FamilySearch Center
• Ohio Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Knox County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.

Centerburg Public Library
49 E Main St
P.O. Box 609
Centerburg, OH 43011
740-625-6538
Website

Public Library of Mt Vernon and Knox County
201 N Mulberry St
Mt. Vernon, OH 43050-2413
740-392-BOOK
Website

Museums

Knox County Historical Society Museum
P.O. Box 522
875 Harcourt Rd
Mount Vernon, OH 43050
740-393-5247
Email:info@knoxhistory.org
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Knox County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.

Knox County Genealogical Society
Chapter of OGS
PO Box 1098
Mt Vernon, OH 43040
114-A E Gambier St
Mt Vernon, OH 43050
Email:KnoxGenealogy@yahoo.com
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
• Knox County OHGenWeb
• Ohio USGenWeb Archives - May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
• Knox County Black History Archives at Digital Kenyon
• Knox 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.