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Genealogy Research Guide

Contents

Library Services

The main emphasis of Ohio University Library genealogical resources is with materials on southeastern Ohio and Athens County.

Ohio University Library resources are available for on-site use by researchers, and all possible assistance is offered by staff members. Limited off-site services, regarding any of the Library's materials, is also provided through direct correspondence with the Archives and Special Collections staff. For a modest fee Archives and Special Collections library staff will search a specific name in a designated record. Information on services and fees is available directly from the Department of Archives and Special Collections:

More general research, and research in non-Library resources, must usually be conducted in person or referred to a private genealogist. The Athens County Historical Society & Museum (Genealogical Chapter) can arrange for a private genealogist, (740) 592-2280.

Lending Materials

Interlibrary loan of a few reels of microfilm newspapers or census is possible, as well as books in the general stacks. However local records materials, whether original volumes or microform, and indexes and reference materials are not available for loan. Users are strongly urged to visit in person.

Library Hours and Location

Note the Library hours. Some library services and departments are open at varying times. Out of town visitors may wish to phone (Microforms 740-593-2659; Archives 740-593-2710) for more information or to make sure a given resource is on hand.

The main Library, Alden Library, is located on the central College Green area (old campus). The University has a small Visitor's Parking Lot on University Terrace with a one-hour limit. The City of Athens has a public parking garage located about two blocks north of the Library at the corner of College and Washington.

Here is a map of Athens showing general directions to the Ohio University Library.

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CD-ROM Databases -- 1st floor

Federal Census Images for Ohio, 1790 - 1920

Some population schedules have also been purchased on CD-ROM, produced by Heritage Quest.

In terms of content and designation the CD-ROM are arranged in the same manner as the microfilm, so depending on alphabetical circumstances an occasional county not summarized below may be on the CD-ROM.

Ask at First Floor desk for using the CD-ROM (map work-stations). Below is a summary of holdings; to see detailed disk-by-disk contents, click on the appropriate link.

Fourth Census, 1820	All of Ohio
Fifth Census, 1830	All of Ohio
Sixth Census, 1840	Southeast Ohio
Seventh Census, 1850	Southeast Ohio
Eighth Census, 1860	Southeast Ohio
Ninth Census, 1870	Southeast Ohio
Tenth Census, 1880	Southeast Ohio
Eleventh Census, 1890	Schedules enumerating Union veterans and widows of Union veterans of the Civil War
Twelth Census, 1900	Southeast Ohio
Thirteenth Census, 1910	Southeast Ohio
Fourteenth Census, 1920	Southeast Ohio

If you acquire any substantial amount of census information, you should visit the Census Tools page. There you will find downloadable spreadsheet templates for managing both U.S. and Canadian census data.

Census Index: Ohio, 1880 (CD # 20)

Compiled by the Ohio Genealogical Society, this index to the Ohio portion of the 1880 Federal Census is the result of thousands of hours of work by volunteer genealogists. The very fact that the index was compiled by local genealogists makes it an especially valuable resource since their familiarity with Ohio surnames resulted in greater accuracy in name transcription.

In addition to the participation of local genealogists, the Ohio Genealogical Society's possession of the original census books put them at a great advantage when dealing with the challenges usually encountered in compiling an index from microfilm (such as poor handwriting, torn pages, faded writing, poor focus, etc.). Using the original census books as a reference, they were able to read counties directly from the original books and could check all questionable entries against the originals.

The following individuals are included in this index to the Ohio portion of the 1880 Federal Census:

• Heads of households
• Persons residing within the household who had a different surname than the head of household
• Persons older than the head-of-household
• All individuals living in an institution

What you can find on this Family Archive CD:

• Individual's full name
• ownship, city, or ward in which they were enumerated
• Microfilm page number on which you'll find their original record

An alternative source:

The FamilySearch database from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers a free source for the entire 1880 census. Be sure to choose the link on the left that says "Census."

Immigrants to the New World, 1600s-1800s (CD 170)

This CD contains images of the pages from the following five books originally published by Genealogical Publishing Company: New World Immigrants, Volumes I and II; Emigrants to Pennsylvania, 1641-1819; Immigrants to the Middle Colonies; and Passengers to America. Each of these books is comprised of articles that originally appeared in noteworthy genealogical periodicals. Together on this CD, this collection represents almost all of the articles that Harold Lancour identified in his celebrated Bibliography of Ship Passenger Lists, 1538-1825. All told, these books reference the names of approximately 58,000 individuals who arrived in New England or the Mid-Atlantic states between 1572 and 1878.

 

Complete Book of Emigrants, 1607-1776 (CD 350)

With approximately 140,000 names, this CD contains the most comprehensive list ever published of the men, women, and children who emigrated from England to America between 1607 and 1776. It includes the texts of six books by Peter Wilson Coldham: The Complete Book of Emigrants (four volumes), along with The Complete Book of Emigrants in Bondage and its supplement. Peter Wilson Coldham, the foremost authority on early English emigration, compiled this data from a myriad of original English sources over several decades. The Genealogical Publishing Company in Baltimore, Maryland, provided Coldham's texts for electronic publication.

 

Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s (CD 354)

This Family Archive contains listings of approximately 3 million individuals who arrived in United States and Canadian ports. Compiled by P. William Filby and published by Gale Research, these records can provide valuable family history information to those with immigrant ancestors. This information was collected from published passenger lists, naturalization records, church records, family and local histories, as well as voter and land registrations. It complements, rather than duplicates, Germans to America and Italians to America.

 

Passenger and Immigration Lists: Germans to America, 1850-1874 (CD 355)

The first fully-searchable version of this invaluable resource, the Germans to America CD lists age, gender, occupation, place of origin, and date of arrival for approximately 2 million German immigrants who arrived in the United States between 1850 and 1874. Edited by Ira A. Glazier and P. William Filby, Germans to America was originally published as a series of volumes by Scholarly Resources, Inc. and was the first extensive, indexed source of German surname immigrants. This CD contains information from Volumes 1 through 31 of the Germans to America series. An important feature of this series is that it includes individuals coming to America not only from German states or territories but also from countries such as France, Switzerland, or Luxembourg.

 

Passenger and Immigration Lists: Germans to America, 1875-1888 (CD 356)

The first fully-searchable version of this invaluable resource, the Germans to America CD lists age, gender, occupation, place of origin, and date of arrival for approximately 1.5 million German immigrants who arrived in the United States between 1875 and 1888. Edited by Ira A. Glazier and P. William Filby, Germans to America was originally published as a series of volumes by Scholarly Resources, Inc. and was the first extensive, indexed source of German surname immigrants. This CD contains information from Volumes 32 through 56 of the Germans to America series. An important feature of this series is that it includes individuals coming to America not only from German states or territories but also from countries such as France, Switzerland, or Luxembourg.

 

Ohio Vital Records #1, 1790s-1870s (CD # 175)

This Family Archive contains images of the pages of the two-volume set Gateway to the West, originally published by the Genealogical Publishing Company. Combined, these books reference the names of more than 93,000 individuals.
The majority of the materials on this Family Archive cover the years 1800 to 1850 and represent 76 of Ohio's 88 counties. What you can learn about each listed individual varies according to the original record, but this Family Archive offers a wide variety of important genealogical source materials. For convenience and easy searching, an alphabetical name index of both books is included on the Family Archive.

 

Ohio Vital Records #2, 1750s-1880s (CD # 177)

This Family Archive contains images of the pages of the following three books: Ohio Cemetery Records, Ohio Marriages, Ohio Source Records .
Originally published by the Genealogical Publishing Company, these books are comprised of articles originally appearing in two Ohio periodicals: The "Old Northwest" Genealogical Quarterly and The Ohio Genealogical Quarterly.
The records referenced date mainly from 1750 to 1880 and name approximately 70,000 individuals. What you can learn about each listed individual varies according to the original record, but this Family Archive offers a wide variety of important genealogical source materials. For convenience and easy searching, an alphabetical name index of all three volumes is included on the Family Archive.

 

County and Family Histories: Ohio, 1780-1970 (CD #450)

This Family Archive, a six-CD set, contains information on approximately 700,000 Ohio residents and their families. It contains images of the pages of thirty-five comprehensive books of Ohio county and family histories. Many of these volumes were published by their authors and printed in very small quantities for limited distribution. They have, therefore, previously been difficult to locate and research.
This Family Archive is unique because it provides not only family histories but county histories as well. You can learn, for example, not only that your ancestor was married in Fulton County in 1800 but what Fulton County was like in 1800. With this information you are able to gain a more complete understanding of your ancestors and the times and locations in which they lived. For convenience and easy searching, this family archive includes an electronic name index that spans the entire Family Archive.

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Archives and Special Collections -- 5th Floor

The Department of Archives and Special Collections is the designated regional repository for local government records from eighteen southeast Ohio counties:

It has acquired some, but by no means all, records from the above counties. A good portion of this material has also been microfilmed and is available in the Microforms and Nonprint Department as well. The Department of Archives and Special Collections department maintains a guide to this material: Guide to Local Government Records in the Ohio University Library. The 1992 edition (with supplements) is available for purchase. The Department maintains the following Web sites:

Ohio University Archives and Special Collections departmental pages.

The Ohio University Archives and Local Records Page contains an indexed guide to the regional local government records (including microfilm) stored in Alden; manuscript collections, inventories, etc.

A sampling of other resources in Archives and Special Collections are as follows:

• Athens County Obituaries: -- compiled by Athens resident Mildred Bleigh, these 12 volumes index the obituaries published in the Athens Messenger from 1909 through 1998.
• The Department of Archives and Special Collections also maintains an "Ohioana" collection. It maintains a collection of published county and town histories and plat books from southeastern Ohio. County atlases and some state and local maps of various dates are also available.
• Southeastern Ohio family histories are located in the department of Archives and Special Collections. The department invites the submission of additional histories.
• The department also houses files of the First Families of Athens County, a program of the Athens County Chapter, OGS for people whose ancestors first settled here before 1830. (Copies are also in the Microform Collection.)
• Archives also collects city directories and telephone directories from across Southeastern Ohio.
• The OVAL Local History and Genealogy Resources Guide to Southeastern Ohio, 2 vols. (1994), is also available in Archives.
• Some handbooks compilations, indexes, and reference tools include:
• Guide to Genealogical Records, National Archives
• Index to Revolutionary War Pension Applications
• DAR Patriot Index
• Athens County marriages, 1805-1913
• Meigs County Marriage Index, 1819-1862
• Muskingum County marriage records, 1803-1848
• Morgan County marriages, 1819-1867
• Washington county marriages, 1789-1840
• Early Ohio Tax Records, Abstract of Probate Records. Washington County, Ohio
• Athens County obituaries, various decades
• Newsletters from many historical and genealogical societies in the area.
• Evolution of Ohio County Boundaries (also CD-ROM, 1st floor)
• Ohio Cemeteries
• Ohio Wills and Estates to 1850
• Federal Land Series, 4 vols.
• Inventory of the County Archives of Ohio volumes.
• Peters Papers (described below)
• Ohio Rosters of Soldiers (described below)

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Microform and Non-Print Collection -- 1st Floor

Census information

One of the main genealogical resources in this collection are census schedules on microform and related printed materials. Here is a list of Census Schedules and Indexes.

 

Local Records

Another resource is the microfilm copies of local records, which are described in the Ohio University Archives Local Records page.

 

Newspapers on Microfilm

Alden Library also holds a rich and growing collection of southeastern Ohio newspaper titles on microfilm.

 

Peters Papers

William E. Peters, 1857-1952, was a surveyor, lawyer, engineer, and local historian who compiled a comprehensive collection of Athens County gravestone records and other historical data of local interest. The materials are often helpful to those searching for individuals buried in Athens County. The main body of the Peters Papers is in twenty-six volumes which are indexed. The original collection is housed in the Department of Archives and Special Collections while a microfilm copy of the papers and the index may be found in the Microforms/Non-Print Department. Another series, Peters' Genealogy, is available in Archives and SpecialCollections.

 

Draper Manuscripts

Alden Library has a microfilm copy of the rich sources collected by Lyman Copeland Draper (1815-1891) along with a published index. The Draper Manuscript Collection is a rich collection of memoirs of early military personnel others from the Ohio Valley and the Old Northwest Territory. There are several indexes and subsets, check ALICE (the Library on-line catalog) and inquire at desk.

 

International Genealogical Index (IGI)

Alden Library has the 1988 microfiche edition of the International Genealogical Index, housed in the Microforms/Non-Print Department. (Note: area Family History Centers have newer CD-ROM versions and if you prefer direct access to IGI and other information try the FamilySearch Internet Genealogy Service.)

For other specific resources in Microform Collection; such as registers of African-Americans in area counties, consult ALICE, the Library's online catalog.

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Government Documents -- 5th Floor

The Government Documents Department maintians a Guide to Genealogical Records in the Government Documents Department. Please consult this guide for more information on United States Military Records; Land-Entry Records; Claims records; Census Schedules; Ohio Documents, and other materials of interests to genealogists.

The Rosters of Soldiers are one type of useful resource in this collection.

Ohio Soldiers

Official Roster: Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in Ohio (Please inquire, - also Archives and Special Collections, 5th floor)

 

Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War of 1812 (Call Number: OA 1.19:R68/1812 - also in Archives and Special Collections, 5th floor).

 

Official Roster of the Soldiers of the State of Ohio in the War of the Rebellion, 12 Volumes. (Call number:) OA 1.19:R68/1861 (also in Archives and Special Collections, 5th floor). Note: the index is on microfilm, 1st floor, with the Call number: MICRO E 525.3 O38 1886x INDEX.

 

Other Rosters

The Civil War CD-ROM: the war of the rebellion: a compilation...) (CD-ROM at the Documents Department Desk; E464.C5 1996x)

Register of Enlistments in the U.S. Army 1789-1914.
(Note: the Library has part of this series, Microform area, 1st floor; Vols 69 - 83 (1869-1884), ask at Desk, Adjutant-General's office material in U.S. National Archives, microfilm series M-233.

Spanish-American War

Other resources include:

1790 Federal "Heads of Families" Population Census C 3.11:... (Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont and Virginia are at the Microform Des on the first floor of Alden Library) A potentially useful tool in Government Documents is the Bureau of Land Management's database of over 5 million land patents dating back to the 1700's (CD-ROM) (I 53.57:). Genealogies Cataloged by the Library of Congress ... (LC 30.27:G 28:) includes a list of established 'forms' of family names; a list of genealogies converted to microform. The "Home Pages" of the Library of Congress and of the U. S. National Archives (or the U. S. National Archives' Genealogy Page) are rich resources. For additional web-based resources, see below

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Other Local Resources

The Athens County Historical Society and Museum,

This organization and its companion Athens County Genealogical Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society, have the definitive collection of locally produced guides and indexes. The Museum/Chapter is located at 65 North Court Street, Athens, OH 45701-2506 (Phone 740-592-2280; hours 1:00 - 4:00 weekdays or by appointment). It has produced and/or offers for sale over 200 locally-produced publications -- Birth Records extracts; Cemetery Records; Census and Census Indexes; Death Records; Family Histories; Local Histories and Atlases; Marriage Records; Church Records; 'First Families' materials; etc.

For more information please consult the above Web sites or contact the Athens County Genealogical Chapter for a list.

The Athens County Genealogical Chapter also maintains a nice list of local/regional links and genealogy search starting points.

Other area resources Include:

The Athens County Microfilming Center,

Located at 15 S. Court Street, Athens ( in the County Recorder, just south of the Courthouse), this agency has county records which can be consulted. Many of these are not in Alden Library.

Area Family History Centers (List of centers in the region.)

African Americans in Southeastern Ohio,

An impressive website maintained by the Underground Railroad Research Center of Southeastern Ohio (URRCSO).

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External Links

There are now many thousands of Internet sites devoted to genealogy in some manner. Here is a handful of places to begin your search.

Starting Points

Cyndi's List

An enormous list of links organized in more than 150 categories. Well worth exploring in areas relevant to your research.

Genealogy at About.com

"This site aims to provide information and inspiration for genealogists at all levels.Ý No matter how much genealogy research you have done, I bet there is some type of research that you have yet to try." -- Kimberly Powell, creator of the site.

Genealogy Sleuth: United States

Directory with links to genealogical records, censuses, and genealogical organizations, vital and military records, obituary and biographical services, and currency and date converters. Also includes other resources. Part of a site operated by a commercial research service.

Ohio Resources (part of Genealogy Resources on the Internet)

Convenient listing of links statewide and county-by-county.

National Archives and Records Service Genealogy Page

A guide to research facilities, a description of various kinds of information available at the National Archives, and other basic information.

"Mega" Sites

These sites typically contain vast amounts of information: databases, forums, how-to information, etc. Some are commercial in nature--though they tend to have some "free" information, too--and others are non-profit cooperative ventures.

Ancestry

A mixture of free and subscription services. Includes a fee-based database of page images of the U.S. Census.

Ellis Island

Database of more than 22 millions passengers and ships' crews that came through Ellis Island the the Port of New York between 1892 and 1924.

FamilySearch

Major search tool from the Church of Latter Day Saints. Their search engine will search Ancestral Files, the International Genealogical Index (IGI), Pedigree Resource Files, and Web Sites. Also includes a directory of Family History Centers and other useful information.

FamilyTreeMaker

Offers a variety of searching tools, hosting service for web pages, forums, how-to information etc. Interconnected with Genealogy.com.

HeritageQuest Online

Provides images of the United States Census schedules from 1790 to 1930, and online editions of more than 25,000 family and local histories. Access limited to Ohio University only.

Rootsweb

Huge site; claims to be the Internet's oldest oldest and largest. Hosts thousands of Web sites and mailing lists on counties and surnames. Links to many searchable databases. Provides an excellent service, WorldConnect, for hosting your Gedcom files and turning them into searchable databases.

U. S. Genweb Project

"The USGenWeb Project consists of a group of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. The Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone. Organization is by county and state, and this website provides you with links to all the state websites which, in turn, provide gateways to the counties." For broader perspective, you can also look into WorldGenWeb.

Vital Records

Marriage Records Search

State-by-state guides on how to locate marriage records. Please note, though, that some of the ultimate sources are available by subscription only.

Ohio Death Certificate Index

Covering individuals who died between 1913 and 1937, this database"...indexes Death Certificates of persons that died in Ohio in the above years, useful for determining date of death and certificate number. Using the index information, a researcher can later obtain a copy of the certificate itself, which holds further information."

Social Security Death Index (from Rootsweb)

Contains the records of deceased persons who possessed Social Security numbers and whose death had been reported to the Social Security Administration.

Sharing Information: Mailing Lists, Forums, Newsgroups, and Webrings

One of the best ways to learn about your family's background is to connect with other people working on the same lines. The sites below will get you started in this direction.

Genforum

Over 5,000 separate forums dedicated to specific surnames, states, countries, and general topics.

Mailing Lists (Listservs) at Rootsweb

Home to more than 20,000 mailing lists, organized by surname, location, and other genealogical topics. Includes information on subscribing (and unsubscribing), as well as searchable and browseable archives.

Genealogy Newsgroup Search at Google

Searchable archive of postings to Usenet newsgroups. Advanced Search for better results.

Webring Directory of Genealogy Sites

A Yahoo directory of Webrings, groups of interconnected websites with a common interest in genealogy.

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Last updated: August 24, 2006 This page (http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/genealogy/index.htm) is maintained by Tim Smith. Please use our Feedback Form for your questions, comments, and suggestions.