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Ottawa County, Ohio

County Court, Probate, Land & Tax Records  •  County Census Records
County Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
County Cemeteries & Graveyards  •  County Church & Bible Records
Ottawa County Ohio Map
Ottawa Co., Ohio Township Map

Ottawa County was created on March 6, 1840 and was formed from Erie, Lucas and Sandusky Counties. The County was named for an Indian word meaning "trader". The County Seat is Port Clinton .

Ottawa County is located on Lake Erie in the Black Swamp district. Ottawa is an Indian word meaning "trader" and came from the Ottawa tribe famous for its trading. Port Clinton, the county seat, attracts a great many tourists in the summer. County Health Department has birth, death & burial records; Probate Judge has marriage & probate records; Clerk of Courts has divorce, civil court records & criminal records from 1840, naturalizations from 1905 to 1929; County Recorder has land records.

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Records at the Ottawa County Courthouse

See Also Ohio Court, Land, Tax & Probate Records and Marriage Records

All Departments below are in the Ottawa County Courthouse 315 Madison Street, Port Clinton, OH 43452; Phone: +1-419-734-6730, unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.co.ottawa.oh.us/ . NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Ottawa County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1840, Birth / Death Records from 1867-1908 and Probate Records from 1840 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (419) 734-6830

Ottawa County Recorder has Land Records from 1820 and is located at the courthouse in Room 204, Phone: 419-734-6730, Fax: 419-734-6919, Email: vpark@co.ottawa.oh.us

Ottawa County Clerk of Court of Common Pleas has Court Records from 1840 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: Tel: (419) 734-6755, Fax: (419) 734-6875

Tax records for Ohio began as early as 1800. The archives section of the Ohio Historical Society has a collection of original Ohio tax lists from the state auditor's office. They include lists from the county's organization to 1838, usually arranged by county and township. They are not indexed. County courthouses hold various tax records that have not been inventoried. They are in the office of the county auditor or the county records manager. The FHL has microfilm copies of all known extant tax records 1800-38 for Ohio.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

See Also Research In Vital Records or Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records in Ohio

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Ohio did not make it a law to keep birth records until 1867. Ohio made it a law to record births in 1867. County probate courts kept birth records between 1867 and December 19, 1908. There is no statewide index to birth records from 1867 through December 19, 1908. Go to the list of county probate court birth records held at the Ohio Historical Society. If the Ohio Historical Society does not hold a county's birth records, please contact the county's probate court.

Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, 225 Neilston Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215; (614) 466-2531. Same-day service available to walk-in customers (for Ohio birth and death records only)., P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Please allow up to approximately 3 weeks to 6 months for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: The state of Ohio began issuing certificates for births on December 20, 1908. The Ohio Department of Health holds birth certificates for the state of Ohio from December 20, 1908 to the present. The Vital Statistics Office maintains statewide Death Certificates from 1954 to the present. Individual health departments in the county or city where the death took place keep certificates for their local area (not statewide).
    • Cost: $16.50 per certificate, payment is payable to the Treasurer State of Ohio. The cost for each authentication is $5.00 payable to the Secretary of State of Ohio. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $16.50 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
    • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: The State of Ohio Vital Statistics Office maintains the abstracts of marriages and divorces that occurred in Ohio from January 1, 1954, to present.  Abstracts are brief forms that list limited information extracted from the original marriage licenses or divorce decrees.  This limited information is used for index purposes and the filing of the marriage or divorce within the State of Ohio. We do not have marriage licenses or divorce decrees on file, only abstracts. An abstract is not a marriage license or divorce decree. Please contact the following agencies: Marriage License - County Probate Court; Divorce – County Clerk of Court. To request a certified copy of a marriage license contact the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained.To request a certified copy of a divorce decree contact the Circuit Clerk in the county where the decree was granted.
    • Cost: Include a fee of $3.00 per 10 year search per last name with request.  Allow 4 to 6 months for the search. Please do not send cash in the mail.

Order On-Line - You can also order Order Electronically Online and get the certificates within 2-5 days with a credit or debit card. Order Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records or Death Records.

Order By Mail - Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. However, people are urged to allow sufficient time for delivery for all birth/death records. Mail a check or money order of $16.50 for each certified certificate. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address: Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 15098, Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098. Please include return address on envelope and application form.

Order In Person - Same day service is available to walk-in customers. This is the fastest way to obtain a birth certificate. When you arrive, you will complete an application and pay the $16.50 required fee. Walk-in address is Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, 225 Neilston Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215; Phone: (614) 466-2531. You can also obtain the birth/death record from the city or county health department office where the event occurred, provided there is no court or legal action. You may download the application and submit it in person or by mail to the nearest local health department.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Census Links for Ohio

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Ottawa County, Ohio are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Ottawa County, Ohio are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Census Records by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Military Records

See Also Research In Military Records or Military Records in Ohio

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Ottawa County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Ohio Genealogical Addresses

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Submit a website for Ottawa Co. Genealogical Addresses
  • Ottawa County Chapter, OGS, PO Box 193, Port Clinton, OH 43452-0193; Ottawa County Chapter, OGS generally meets on the third Tuesday of each month (except July-none and August-picnic) at 7:00pm at the Community Room of the Ida Rupp Public Library, 310 Madison St., Port Clinton., E-mail: ocgs@cros.net
  • Lake Erie Historical Society, email: history@leihs.org
  • Ottawa County Health Dept, 315 Madison St # 105, Port Clinton, OH 43452, 419-734-6800
  • Ohio Historical Society, Archives-Library Division, 1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211; Telephone: 614-297-2300
    The Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library is, by law, the archives for the State of Ohio. As such, we collect, preserve, and make available to the public, documents pertaining to the operation of state and local governments.
  • Ohio Genealogical Society, 713 S. Main St, Mansfield, OH 44907-1644;(419) 756-7294, [EMAIL]
  • Columbus Metropolitan Library, Genealogy Division, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, OH 43215. 614-645-2ASK (2275);The Genealogy Division holds microfilm; printed, typescript, and manuscript collections, including family and local histories; atlases; cemetery records; city directories; military records; censuses and census indexes; and transcribed records provided by the Ohio chapters of the DAR.
  • Ohio Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
  • Ohio Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
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Ottawa County Cemeteries & Graveyards

See Also Research In Cemetery Records or Statewide Cemetery Links for Ohio

There are many churches and cemeteries in Ottawa County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Ottawa County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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County Church & Bible Records

See Also Research In Church Records or Statewide Church & Bible Links for Ohio

 

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

Below is a list of online resources for Ottawa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Ottawa County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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