Washington County, Ohio Genealogy
Guide to Washington 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
Washington County was named for George Washington.[3] The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse
205 Putnam St
Marietta, OH 45750
Phone: 740-373-6623
Washington County Website[5]
Washington 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 | 1789 | 1867 | 1795 | 1788 | 1789 | 1820 |
Record Loss
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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: [8]
| 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.
Biographies
- Hildreth, Samuel P., Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: H.W. Derby, 1852). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1800 | 5,427 | — |
| 1810 | 5,991 | 10.4% |
| 1820 | 10,425 | 74.0% |
| 1830 | 11,731 | 12.5% |
| 1840 | 20,823 | 77.5% |
| 1850 | 29,540 | 41.9% |
| 1860 | 36,268 | 22.8% |
| 1870 | 40,609 | 12.0% |
| 1880 | 43,244 | 6.5% |
| 1890 | 42,380 | −2.0% |
| 1900 | 48,245 | 13.8% |
| 1910 | 45,422 | −5.9% |
| 1920 | 43,049 | −5.2% |
| 1930 | 42,437 | −1.4% |
| 1940 | 43,537 | 2.6% |
| 1950 | 44,407 | 2.0% |
| 1960 | 51,689 | 16.4% |
| 1970 | 57,160 | 10.6% |
| 1980 | 64,266 | 12.4% |
| 1990 | 62,254 | −3.1% |
| 2000 | 63,251 | 1.6% |
| 2010 | 61,778 | −2.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Census Index at Ohio Genealogy Express
- 1810 Census at Marietta College - original manuscript
Church Records
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Ohio denominations, see Ohio Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Episcopal
- The Parish Register of St. Luke's Church - Burials at Genealogy Trails History Group
- The Parish Register of St. Luke's Church - Baptisms at Genealogy Trails History Group
Court Records
- 1810 - 1930 Ohio, Washington County Court Records, 1810-1930 at FamilySearch — images; also at Ancestry.com - images ($)
Directories
- 1822-1995 U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 at Ancestry ($)
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- Dennis, James L., Washington's Darker Brother: One Hundred Years of Black History in Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1888, (Parkersburg, West Virginia: J.L. Dennis, 1986). FS Library book 977.198 F2d
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
- Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. IV: (Ohio Monthly Meetings) at Ancestry ($), including West and East Goshen Monthly Meetings.
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
Manuscript Records:
- Land Records of the Ohio Company of Associates at Marietta College Library
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.
- Andrews, Martin R., History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Biographical Pub. Co., 1902). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.
- Andrews, Israel Ward, Washington County, and the Early Settlement of Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: P. G. Thomson, 1877). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive, Indexed at Ancestry ($)
- Creigh, Alfred, History of Washington County: From Its First Settlement to the Present Time, (B. Singerly, 1871). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library.
- History of Washington County, Ohio, (Cleveland: H. Z. Williams & Bros., 1881). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry (Indexed) at Ancestry ($)
- Dennis, James L., Washington's Darker Brother: One Hundred Years of Black History in Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1888, (Parkersburg, West Virginia: J.L. Dennis, 1986). FS Library book 977.198 F2d
- Jordan, Wayne, The People of Ohio's First County, (Dayton, Ohio: Wright State University, 1989). FS Library film 1704680 item 6; Scroll down to Film/Digital Notes, then select the camera icon to view images.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS
- Washington County Maps at OHGenWeb
- 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 and images.
- MIlitary Records for Ohio Counties at Ohio Genealogy Express
Revolutionary War
- Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta, Ohio). Revolutionary soldiers buried in Washington County, Ohio containing military records and short history of lives. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
Civil War
Civil War service men from Washington 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 Washington County.
- - 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Company L
- - 36th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, F, and G
- Sams, Catherine J. (Catherine Jean Lewis). 1890 census, veterans & widows of the Civil War, Washington County, Ohio. (Caldwell, Ohio F & L Enterprises, 1989) FS Library Book 977.198 X2s
- Chas. H. Newton, comp., Volunteers of Washington Co., Ohio War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 Marietta, Ohio : s.n. 1913.
- compiled by Charles S. Perry and Rev. David C. Perry ; transcribed by Deborah Root Shell. The Civil War rolls of honor of Washington County, Ohio. Fairview Park, Ohio : Deb Root Shell, ©2017-2021 FS Library 977.198 M2p
World War I
- 1914-1918 Ohio, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1914-1919 Ohio, World War I Statement of Service Cards, 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1916-1920 Ohio, WWI Index and Return Cards, 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and 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 and images.
Newspapers
Washington 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-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio History Connection — Select county.
- 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1808-1843 Old Marietta Papers at OhGenWeb
- 1862-1867 Marietta Register at OhGenWeb
- Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
Obituaries
- 1884-2013 Washington County, Ohio, U.S., Newspaper Obituaries, 1884-2013 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- Obituary Collection at Ancestry ($)
- Obituaries and Death Notices at OhGenWeb
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. After 1852, records are held by the Washington County Probate Court. See Ohio Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1786-1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index and images.
- 1789-1805 Abstracts of Washington County Wills & Estate papers in Gateway to The West, Vol. II at Ancestry ($)
- 1789-1996 Ohio Probate Records 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- Abstracts of wills and administrations of estates of Washington County, Ohio at Ancestry ($) Abstract
- Abstract of Probate records, Washington County, Ohio at Ancestry ($) abstract
- Abstracts of Wills Administrations at Ohio Genealogy Express
- Washington County Wills and Probate Records at Genealogy Trails History Group
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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 and images.
- 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Marriages were usually recorded from the formation of the county and are held at the office of the County Probate Court. Divorce records are located with the county Clerk of Courts.
Any existing birth and death records from 1867 through December 19, 1908 are located at the County Probate Court. The Ohio Department of Health has birth records filed after December 20, 1908 and death records filed after January 1, 1954, while the Ohio History Connection houses death records from December 20, 1908 through December 31, 1953.
Birth
- 1841-2003 Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1918-1953 Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)
Marriage
- 1789-1882 Marriages 1789-1882 at Ohio Genealogy Express
- 1789-2013 Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and 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 ($) — index
Death
- 1833-1967 Ohio, Church and Civil Deaths, 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1840-2001 Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
- 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 Ohio Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection; Index.
- 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
- 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
- 1918-1953 Ohio, Stillbirths, 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
Divorce
- 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)
Voting Records
- 1900-Onward Ohio, Voter Registrations at MyHeritage — index ($)
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Washington County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Parkersburg West Virginia FamilySearch Center
- Washington County Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Washington County. For state-wide library facilities, see Ohio Archives and Libraries.
Washington County Public Libraries
Main Library
615 Fifth St
Marietta, OH 45750-1973
740-373-1057
Website
Local History & Genealogy Archives
418 Washington St
Marietta, OH 45750
740-376-2172
Website
Museums
Campus Martius Museum
601 Second St
Marietta, OH 45750
740-373-3750 or 800-860-0145
Website
Ohio River Museum
601 Front St
Marietta, OH 45750
740-373-3750 or 800-860-0145
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Washington County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Ohio Societies.
Washington County Chapter Ohio Genealogical Society
PO Box 2174
Marietta, OH 45750
Email:WCCOGS@washogs.org
Website
Washington County Historical Society
346 Muskingum Dr
PO Box 103
Marietta, OH 45750
740-373-1788
Email:WCHS
Website
Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen
PO Box 352
Marietta, OH 45750
Website
Websites
- Local Gov't Records by County at Ohio History Connection — Browse their list; records are not online.
- Custom Browse of Historical Collections at Ohio Memory — Use map or alpha bar to select county or place, then browse search options in left sidebar.
- Ohio Genealogical Society ($) — online databases
- Washington County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
- USGenWeb Archives for Washington County, Ohio.
- OHGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Ohio Genealogy Trails - Online History Group
- 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, "Washington County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Ohio accessed 2/27/2017.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Washington County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ohio/washington/ 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, "Washington County, Ohio," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_County,_Ohio, accessed 17 January 2019.