Paulding County, Ohio Genealogy

United States

Ohio

Paulding County

Guide to Paulding 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: Paulding Organized: 18 Mar 1839 Parent County(s): Darke Neighboring Counties Defiance • Putnam • Van Wert • Allen, (IN) • DeKalb (IN) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

Paulding County was named for John Paulding, one of the captors of Major John André, a conspirator with Gen. Benedict Arnold in the American Revolutionary War. The county is located in the northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse

Paulding County Courthouse
115 N Williams St, Room 104
Paulding, OH 45879
Phone: 419-399-8210
Paulding County Website

County Health Department has birth and death records;
Probate Judge has marriage and probate records;
Clerk Court has divorce records;
County Judge has court records;
County Recorder has land records

Paulding 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	1839	1867	1839	1835	1842	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 Darke County 12 February 1820. County Seat: Paulding 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:

Villages
Antwerp Broughton Cecil Grover Hill	Haviland Latty Melrose Oakwood	Paulding (county seat) Payne Scott
Unincorporated communities
Arthur Charloe Emmett	Junction Mandale New Rochester	Roselms Worstville
Townships
Auglaize Benton Blue Creek Brown	Carryall Crane Emerald Harrison	Jackson Latty Paulding Washington

Resources

Bible Records

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

Biographies

• Hardesty, W.S., Representative Citizens of Paulding County: Including a Complete and Graphic Narrative of the Chief Historical Events of the County, (Todedo, Ohio W.S. Hardesty, 1902). Online at FamilySearch Book; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then click on the camera icon on the right side of the page for images.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Paulding County, Ohio online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find a Grave Ohio Gravestones USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project BillionGraves OHGenWeb Tombstone Photo Project 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.	%±
1830	161	—
1840	1,034	542.2%
1850	1,766	70.8%
1860	4,945	180.0%
1870	8,544	72.8%
1880	13,485	57.8%
1890	25,932	92.3%
1900	27,528	6.2%
1910	22,730	−17.4%
1920	18,736	−17.6%
1930	15,301	−18.3%
1940	15,527	1.5%
1950	15,047	−3.1%
1960	16,792	11.6%
1970	19,329	15.1%
1980	21,302	10.2%
1990	20,488	−3.8%
2000	20,293	−1.0%
2010	19,614	−3.3%
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
  

Catholic

• 1796-2004 Ohio, Diocese of Toledo, Catholic Parish Records, 1796-2004 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images, select county, town, then parish.

Court Records

• 1892-1997 Clerk of Courts, Record of inquests held by coroners and justices of the Peace, 1892-1997; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then click on the camera icon on the right side of the page for images.

Directories

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

Funeral Homes

DenHerder Funeral Home in Paulding Dooley Funeral Homes in Antwerp Dooley Funeral Homes in Payne

Guardianship

• 1839-1969 Probate Records, 1842-1898; General Index, 1839-1969(*) 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.

• Hardesty, W.S., Representative Citizens of Paulding County: Including a Complete and Graphic Narrative of the Chief Historical Events of the County, (Todedo, Ohio W.S. Hardesty, 1902). Online at FamilySearch Book; images.
• Paulding County Retired Teachers Association, History of Paulding County Townships, (Paulding, Ohio Ohio Genealogical Society. Paulding County Chapter, 1976). FS Catalog book 977.117 H2p

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at Map of US
• 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; index & images.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Paulding 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 Paulding County.

- 100th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company I

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.

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

Paulding 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 Paulding 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.
• 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

• 1800-1850 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.
• 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 ($)
• 1800-1942 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1800-1958 Ohio Marriages, 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
• 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — 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 Paulding 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

• Decatur Indiana FamilySearch Center
• Fort Wayne Indiana FamilySearch Center
• Allen County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Pauling County Carnegie Library
205 S Main St
Paulding, OH 45879
419-399-2032
Email:ewilliams@mypccl.org
Website

Museums

Paulding John Historical Museum
600 Fairground Dr
Paulding, OH 45879
419-399-8218
Facebook

Societies

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

Paulding County OGS
c/o Paulding County Carnegie Library
205 S Main St
Paulding, OH 45879
Website

John Paulding Historical Society Inc
PO Box 93
Paulding, OH 45879-0093
419-399-8218
Email:jphs45879@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
• Paulding County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
• USGenWeb Archives for Paulding County at USGenWeb Archives
• USGenWeb project for Paulding County at USGenWeb Sites. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• 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.

This table contains the dates the local or state government began recording in the county or county equivalent. Use substitute records for earlier dates. If you believe there is an error, email us at wikisupport@familysearch.org.

County boundary maps are currently unavailable. Download information instead.

To access available information, first log into FamilySearch.

Users should verify which locations and dates are included in this collection.

Due to contractual agreements, some images and/or databases on FamilySearch.org may only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

“Current” indicates records are available as recently as privacy laws allow. This date can change from year to year. To determine the exact dates available, contact the respective organization/repository.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.