Scioto County, Ohio Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Portsmouth
Organized: May 1, 1803[1]
Parent County(s): Adams[2]
Neighboring Counties
AdamsPikeJacksonLawrenceGreenup (KY)Lewis (KY)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Scioto County, Ohio Courthouse.jpg
Location Map
OH scioto.png

County Information

Description

Scioto County was named for an Indian word referring to deer or deer-hunting. The county is located in the southern area of the state.[3]

County Courthouse

Scioto County Courthouse
607 7th St
Portsmouth, OH 45662-3948
Phone: 740-355-8218
Scioto County Website

Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1817;
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records;
County Recorder has land records[4]

Scioto 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[5]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1856 1804 1856 1817 1803 1810 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

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: [7]

Cities
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

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

Biographies

  • Keyes, James, Pioneers of Scioto County: Being a Short Biographical Sketch of Some of the First Settlers of Scioto County, Ohio, (Portsmouth, Ohio: J. Keyes, 1880). Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
  • History of lower Scioto Valley, Ohio : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens. (Inter-state Publishing Co., Chicago, 1884). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Ancestry ($) at Ancestry.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Scioto County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1810 3,399
1820 5,750 69.2%
1830 8,740 52.0%
1840 11,192 28.1%
1850 18,428 64.7%
1860 24,297 31.8%
1870 29,302 20.6%
1880 33,511 14.4%
1890 35,377 5.6%
1900 40,981 15.8%
1910 48,463 18.3%
1920 62,850 29.7%
1930 81,221 29.2%
1940 86,565 6.6%
1950 82,910 −4.2%
1960 84,216 1.6%
1970 76,951 −8.6%
1980 84,545 9.9%
1990 80,327 −5.0%
2000 79,195 −1.4%
2010 79,499 0.4%
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.

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Catholic

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Native Americans

Funeral Homes

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

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.

Maps and Gazetteers

Pike CountyJackson CountyLawrence CountyGreenup CountyLewis CountyAdams CountyOH SCIOTO.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Civil War

Civil War service men from Scioto 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 Scioto County.

- 1st Regiment, Ohio Heavy Artillery, Companies A, D, and F
- 1st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company G, also known as the Portsmouth Guards
- 56th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B, C, D, F, G, H, and K

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Scioto 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.

Obituaries

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 Scioto County Probate Court. See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

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

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

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Voting Records

Research Facilities

Archives

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

Portsmouth Public Library
1220 Gallia Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662-4185
740-354-5688
Website

Museums

Southern Ohio Museum & Cultural Center
825 Gallia Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662
740-354-5629
Website
Website

Societies

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

Scioto County Chapter, OGS
PO Box 812
Portsmouth, OH 45662
Website

Catholic Record Society
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus
197 E Gay St
Columbus, OH 43215
614-228-2457
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
  2. Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
  3. Genealogy Trails History Group, “Scioto County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/scioto/ accessed 2/27/2017.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Ohio Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library
  7. Wikipedia contributors, "Scioto County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scioto_County,_Ohio, accessed 14 January 2019.