Stark County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Stark 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
Stark County was named for John Stark, Revolutionary War General known as the "Hero of Bennington". The county is located in the east-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Stark County Courthouse
110 Central Plaza South
Canton, OH 44702-2219
Phone: 330-451-7931
Stark County Courthouse
County Health Department has birth records;
Probate Court has marriage and probate records;
Family Court has divorce records;
County Recorder has land records[3]
Stark 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 | 1809 | 1867 | 1809 | 1809 | 1810 | 1820 |
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: [5]
| Cities | ||
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| 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.
- Stark County, Ohio, Bible, church and family records at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
Biographies
- "Portrait and Biographical Record of Stark County, Ohio: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, ..." (Chapman Bros.; Jan 1892) Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1810 | 2,734 | — |
| 1820 | 12,406 | 353.8% |
| 1830 | 26,588 | 114.3% |
| 1840 | 34,603 | 30.1% |
| 1850 | 39,878 | 15.2% |
| 1860 | 42,978 | 7.8% |
| 1870 | 52,508 | 22.2% |
| 1880 | 64,031 | 21.9% |
| 1890 | 84,170 | 31.5% |
| 1900 | 94,747 | 12.6% |
| 1910 | 122,987 | 29.8% |
| 1920 | 177,218 | 44.1% |
| 1930 | 221,784 | 25.1% |
| 1940 | 234,887 | 5.9% |
| 1950 | 283,194 | 20.6% |
| 1960 | 340,345 | 20.2% |
| 1970 | 372,210 | 9.4% |
| 1980 | 378,823 | 1.8% |
| 1990 | 367,585 | −3.0% |
| 2000 | 378,098 | 2.9% |
| 2010 | 375,586 | −0.7% |
| 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
- Powell, Esther Weygandt; Stark County, Ohio, early church records and cemeteries, (Akron, Ohio: Esther Weygandt Powell, 1973); Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
Baptist
- Huchison, Eldon Allen; Elder Daniel Clark, pioneer Baptist preacher: the first minister of the gospel to be ordained in the Northwest Territory, Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Canton
Lutheran
Court Records
- 1809-1866 Court records, 1809-1852; index, 1810-1866 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
- 1809-1917 Ohio, Stark County Court Records, 1809-1917 at FamilySearch — Ohio, Stark County Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records|How to Use this Collection; images.
- 1810-1849 Court records, 1810-1849 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
- 1834-1865 Appearance docket, 1834-1865 at FamilySearch Catalog; Scroll to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
Directories
- 1913 Canton, Stark County, Ohio, U.S., Directory, 1913 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
Guardianship
- 1810-1914 Court Records, 1810-1893; Indexes, 1810-1914(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1888-1921 Ohio, Stark County, Guardian Dockets, 1888-1921(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Land and Property Records
After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and are where records are currently housed. More information about why to use land records and what information land records includes can be found on the Ohio Land and Property Wiki page.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Stark County Recorder's Office Website has an online digital archives system containing deeds and mortgages viewable by creating a free account. Click on "Archive Search Instructions" and "Search Archives" in the left-hand column, and follow the instructions to find available land records.
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for this county. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see Ohio Local Histories.
- Perrin, William Henry, History of Stark County: With an Outline Sketch of Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: Barkin and Battey, 1881). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($) - index & images.
- Blue, Herbert T.O., History of Stark County, Ohio: From the Age of Prehistoric Man to the Present Day, (Chicago, Illinois: S. J. Clark Pub. Co., 1928). Volume one online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume two online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume three online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Lehman, John H., A Standard History of Stark County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, (Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Pub. Co., 1916). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Volume one online at HathiTrust; Volume two online at HathiTrust, Internet Archive; Volume three online at HathiTrust.
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; index & images.
Civil War
Civil War service men from Stark 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 Stark County.
- - 4th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company F (also known as Canton Zouaves)
- - 104th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, B, and E
- - 107th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, D, and H
- Ohio Genealogical Society. Stark County Chapter. Special schedules of the eleventh census of the United States, 1890 schedules enumerating union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War for Stark County, Ohio. (North Canton, Ohio: Ohio Genealogical Society. Stark County Chapter, 1995), FS Catalog book 977.162 X2s 1890
World War I
- 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 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.
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
Stark 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 ($)
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the Stark County Probate Court. See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1786-1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index & images.
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1809-Onward Ohio, Stark County Probate Court Registrations at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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 ($) — index
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images.
- 1918-1953 Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)
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 ($)
- 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
- 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — 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; 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 Stark County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Stark County Records Center
201 Third St NE, Suite 5
Canton, OH 44702
330-451-7365
Website
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
- Canton Ohio FamilySearch Center (North Canton)
- Stark County District Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Stark County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Canal Fulton Public Library
154 Market St NE
Canal Fulton, OH 44614-1196
330-854-4148
Website
Louisville Public Library
700 Lincoln Ave
Louisville, OH 44641-1474
330-875-1696
Website
Massillon Public Library
208 Lincoln Way East
Massillon, OH 44646-8488
330-832-9831
Website
Rodman Public Library
215 E Broadway St
Alliance, OH 44601-2694
330-821-2665
Website
Stark County District Library
715 Market Ave North
Canton, OH 44702-1018
330-452-0665
Website
Museums
William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum
800 McKinley Monument Drive NW
Canton, OH 44708
330-455-7043
Email:Info@McKinleyMuseum.org
Website
The National First Ladies' Library Museum
Saxton McKinley House
331 S Market Ave
Canton, OH 44702
330-452-0876
Education and Research Center
205 S Market Ave
Canton, OH 44702
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Stark County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Ohio Geneaological Society, Stark County Chapter
Stark County Roots
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
- Stark County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- USGenWeb Project and OHGenWeb for Stark County, Ohio
- USGenWeb Archives for Stark 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
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Stark County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/stark/ 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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Stark County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_County,_Ohio, accessed 16 January 2019.