Ohio Research Tips and Strategies
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Ohio Background |
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Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page |
Ohio Research Strategies
Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Ohio:
- Ohio Online Genealogy Records
- How to find Ohio Birth Records
- How to find Ohio Marriage Records
- How to find Ohio Death Records
Ohio Research Tips
These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Ohio.
- Birth information: Birth records in Ohio start on the county level in 1867 - although not all counties complied with the law. A helpful substitute record to find birth information is a death record. However, date and place of birth on a death record is considered secondary information, as it was not recorded at the time of the birth event. The birth information should be corroborated with other substitute records to improve accuracy.
- Finding Parents: The State of Ohio began recording deaths in 1908. They often will list the parents of the deceased and their birth information. Search Ohio death records
- Look in all censuses: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census. There are clues regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records. Sometimes parents can be found living with their children later in life. Search U.S. Censuses.
- Missing census records: To help supplement missing 1800 and 1810 census records for Ohio, use tax lists in the county your ancestor may be living in: Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850
Ohio Record Finder
This Record Finder is designed to help you determine the best record to search for the type of information you are looking for. It is most helpful for post-1850 research.
1. What you are looking for: | 2. Try these records first: | 3. Other useful records |
Birth information | Birth records, Death records, Obituaries, Church records | Cemeteries, Naturalization and Citizenship, Bible records, Military records (pension) |
Marriage information | Marriage records, Obituaries, Bible records | Church records, Probate records, Military records |
Death information | Death Records, Cemeteries, Obituaries | Probate Records, Church Records, Bible Records |
Parents | Birth records, Death records, Obituaries, Census, Church records | Biography, Genealogy |
Maiden name | Marriage Records, Obituaries, Probate records | Church Records, Military Records (pension) |
Immigration date | Emigration and Immigration, Naturalization and Citizenship, Census | Obituaries, Biography, History |
Naturalization | Naturalization and Citizenship, Census, Court Records | Voting Registers, Biography, Periodicals |
Physical description | Military Records, Naturalization and Citizenship (after 1906) | Biography, History |
To look for more Ohio records, go here
Further Ohio Research
For more research on Ohio, including research at the county level, visit the Ohio page on the Research Wiki.
Search all of the Ohio record collections at FamilySearch.