Ross County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Ross 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
Ross County was named for Federalist Senator James Ross of Pennsylvania.[3] The county is located in the south-central area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Ross County Courthouse
2 N Paint St
Chillicothe, OH 45601
Phone: 740-702-3010
Ross County Website
Probate Judge has birth, marriage, death and probate records;
Clerk Court has divorce records from late 1800’s and court records;
County Recorder has land records[5]
Ross 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 |
| 1867 | 1798 | 1867 | 1798 | 1797 | 1797 | 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 | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.
- Ross County, Ohio family Bible records, vol. 1 & vol. 2, (Ross County Genealogical Society, 1984) Volume one online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume two online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
Biographies
- Finley, Isaac J. and Rufus Putnam, Pioneer Record and Reminiscences of the Early Settlers and Settlement of Ross County, Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Robert Clarke, 1871). Online at Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library
- Perkins, George, Pioneer Sketches, Life in the Northwest Territory and Ross County, Ohio: 1600s-1896, (Chillicothe, Ohio: Ross County Genealogical Society, 1999). FS Catalog book 977.182 H2p
- Biographies at Ross County OHGenWeb
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1800 | 8,540 | — |
| 1810 | 15,514 | 81.7% |
| 1820 | 20,619 | 32.9% |
| 1830 | 24,068 | 16.7% |
| 1840 | 27,460 | 14.1% |
| 1850 | 32,074 | 16.8% |
| 1860 | 35,071 | 9.3% |
| 1870 | 37,097 | 5.8% |
| 1880 | 40,307 | 8.7% |
| 1890 | 39,454 | −2.1% |
| 1900 | 40,940 | 3.8% |
| 1910 | 40,069 | −2.1% |
| 1920 | 41,556 | 3.7% |
| 1930 | 45,181 | 8.7% |
| 1940 | 52,147 | 15.4% |
| 1950 | 54,424 | 4.4% |
| 1960 | 61,215 | 12.5% |
| 1970 | 61,211 | −0.0% |
| 1980 | 65,004 | 6.2% |
| 1990 | 69,330 | 6.7% |
| 2000 | 73,345 | 5.8% |
| 2010 | 78,064 | 6.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1810-1930 Census at Ross County OHGenWeb
- 1820 1820 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
- 1820-1930 Census Records R Ohio Genealogy Express
- 1830 1830 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
- 1840 1840 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
- 1850 United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 at Ancestry ($)
- 1850 United States Census 1850; scroll down to find links to both FamilySearch and Ancestry ($).
- 1860 United States Census 1860; scroll down to find links to FamilySearch, Archive.org, Fold3 ($), and Ancestry ($).
- 1870 United States Census 1870; scroll down to find links to both FamilySearch and Ancestry ($).
- 1880 United States Census 1880; scroll down to find links to both FamilySearch and Ancestry ($).
- 1900 United States Census 1900; scroll down to find links to both FamilySearch and Ancestry ($).
- 1910 United States Census 1910; scroll down to find links to both FamilySearch and Ancestry ($).
- 1920 1920 United States Census at Ancestry ($)
- 1920 United States Census, 1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1930 1930 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
- 1930 1930 Census of Merchant Seamen at Ancestry ($)
- Ross County Ohio Census at Census Online; various years.
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
Court Records
- 1797-1820 Gateway to The West, Vol. II at Ancestry ($) (Includes Territorial Court Order Book, 1798-1799, 1799-1800, Index to Estates and Guardianships 1797-1820).
Directories
- 1822-1995 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry ($)
- 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
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
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records at Ancestry ($)
- Land Records at Ross County OHGenWeb
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for this county. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Ohio Local Histories.
- Bennett, Henry Holcomb, The County of Ross: A History of Ross County, Ohio, From the Earliest Days, (Madison, Wisconsin: S.A. Brant, 1902). Online at Ancestry ($) (Indexed), Internet Archive; Volume two online at Google Books; FS Library film 599261 Item 2; book 977.182 H2b.
- Finley, Isaac J., Putnam, Rufus. Pioneer record and reminiscences of the early settlers and settlement of Ross County Ohio. (Cincinnati: Robert Clark & Co.,1871) Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Biographies at OH Genealogy Express extracted from The County of Ross: by Henry Holcomb Bennett 1902
- Evans, Lyle S., A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Civic and Social Development, (Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1987). Volume one, two, and three online at Ancestry ($) (Indexed); Volume one online at HathiTrust; Volume two online at Google Books, HathiTrust; FS Library fiche 6087727 and 6087728; 977.182 H2e v. 1-2
- History of Ross and Highland Counties Ohio, (Cleveland, Ohio: Williams Bros., 1880). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Histories at Ross County OHGenWeb
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS
- Ross County Ohio Maps at USGenWeb
- Map of Ross County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels at Wikipedia
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- 1888-1919 Ohio Soldier Home Records, 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- Military Records at Ross County OHGenWeb
- Military Records for Ohio Counties at OH Genealogy Express
Civil War
- Civil War service men from Ross County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Ross County.
- - 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Company M
- - 1st Regiment, Ohio Heavy Artillery, Company B
- - 106th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company F
World War I
- 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)
World War II
- 1938-1946 U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry ($)
- 1942 United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- Ross County, Ohio World War II Casualties Army and Air Force at Access Genealogy
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1977 Ohio, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
Newspapers
Ross County newspapers often contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
- For more online Ohio newspapers index & images, see Ohio Newspapers.
- 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1800s-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.*Chillicothe Gazette
- 1800s-Current Ohio, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries
- 1657-Onward Ohio Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Obituary Collection at Ancestry ($)
- Obituary Index, Ross County, Ohio at Ross County, Ohio
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the Ross County Probate Court. See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1786-1998 Ohio, Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index & images.
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records. 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- Wills and Probate Records at Ross County OHGenWeb
- 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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Ohio tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties.
Online Tax Indexes and Records
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 ($) — Index
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1867-1908 Birth Records 1867-1908 at Ross County OHGenWeb
- 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — 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 ($)
Marriage
- 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1789-Onward Ohio Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1798-1849 Marriages 1798-1849 at Ohio Genealogy Express
- 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1803-1900 Ohio, Compiled Marriage Index, 1803-1900 at Ancestry ($) — Index.
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- Marriage Records at Ross County OHGenWeb
- Ross County, Ohio Marriage Records at Ancestry ($)
Death
- 1765-1947 Ohio, Church and Civil Births and Baptisms, 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
- 1833-1967 Ohio, Church and Civil Deaths, 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection; Index.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1918-1953 Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Divorce
- 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
Voting Records
- 1900-Onward Ohio, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Ross County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Ross County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library
140 S Paint St
PO Box 185
Chillicothe, OH 45601-3214
740-702-4145
Website
Museums
Ross County Historical Society Museum
45 W Fifth St
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-772-1936
Email:info@rosscountyhistorical.org
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Ross County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Ross County, Ohio Genealogical Society
PO Box 6352
Chillicothe, OH 45601-6352
740-773-2715
Email:rcgs@bright.net
Website
Ross County Heritage Center
45 W Fifth St
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-772-1936
Email:info@rosscountyhistorical.org
Website
Websites
- Custom Browse of Historical Collections at Ohio Memory — Use map or alpha bar to select county or place, then browse search options in left sidebar.
- Ohio Genealogical Society ($) — online databases
- Ross County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- Ross County, OHGenWeb
- Ross County Genealogy at Ohio Genealogy Express
- Ross County, Ohio at Genealogy Trails
- Ross County at Cyndi's List
- WikipediA Ross County, Ohio
- 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
- ↑ Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
- ↑ Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ross County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_County,_Ohio accessed 2/22/2017.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Ross County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/ross/ accessed 2/27/2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Ross County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_County,_Ohio, accessed 11 January 2019.