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Ohio Research Tips and Strategies

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Purpose of Research Tips and Strategies Wiki Page

The Ohio Research Tips and Strategies page consists of links to specific research strategies for Ohio. It also contains general tips and other resources for finding your ancestors in this locality.


Ohio Research Strategies

Below are links to different research strategy pages to help you locate your ancestors in Ohio:

Finding Ohio Birth, Marriage or Death Records

Finding Ohio Records

Ohio Statewide Databases

Ohio Research Process

Online Learning

Ohio Research Tips

These tips will help you as you research your ancestors in Ohio:

Birth and Death information:

  • Statewide registration: The state began registering births and deaths in 1908, with full compliance unknown.
  • County registration: County health office began recording births and death records in 1867 until the state board took over in 1908.
  • Access to records: See Ohio Vital Records for more information about birth, marriages, and deaths in Ohio.


Substitute Records:

  • Secondary source: Substitute records are used when primary sources do not exist for an event, such as birth, marriage, and deaths. Secondary sources list information about the event but they were not recorded at the time of the event and they are not an official record of the event.
  • Accuracy: Because the information about an event in substitute records was not the official recording of the event (such as, cemetery or obituary records) inaccuracy may occur. Use other substitute records to help varify information.
  • List of substitute records: See Ohio Substitute Records for more information.


Finding Parents:

  • Death records: Death records created by the county starting in 1867 may contain parents of the deceased. However, state recorded deaths required birth and parent information. Information was not always provided and the accuracy of the information was limited by the grieving relatives' memory.
  • Obituaries: Official obituaries can also include the names of parents and other family members. See Ohio Newspapers and Ohio Obituaries for more information.
  • Church records: Knowing the denomination of the church the family belonged to helps in locating information about the parents. See Ohio Church Records for more information.


Census Records:

  • Check all census years: Always look for your ancestor in every possible census to learn more about them and their family members. See Ohio Census Records for more information.
  • Clues to other records: There are clues in censuses regarding immigration, naturalization, and occupation that can lead to other records.
  • Finding families: Starting in 1850, all members of the household were listed in the census. By 1880, relationship to the head of household was added.

Further Ohio Research

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