Preble County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Preble County, Ohio ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Preble County was named for Edward Preble, a naval officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Preble County Courthouse 101 East Main Street Eaton, Ohio 45320 Phone: 937-456-8145 Preble County Website

Probate Judge has birth and death records from 1867, probate records from 1800 and marriage records from 1808; Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1850; County Recorder has land records from 1804

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:

Biographies

 * A Biographical history of Preble County, Ohio, A Compendium of National Biography. Published by the Lewis Publishing Co, Chicago, 1900. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * Directory of Preble County, Ohio: historical sketches and biographies of Eminent Pioneers, Advertisements, Home and Foreign. (Eaton, Ohio: B.E. Morgan Publisher and Compiler, 1875). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive

Church Records

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * Clevenger's directory of farmers and breeders: Preble County, Ohio, 1919-1920. Published by Clevenger Directory Co., Indianapolis, IN, 1919. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Ohio Historical Inventory for Preble County this resource, from Preble County Room - Preble County District Library Genealogical Department, provides a listing of historical and architectural significant houses and buildings of Preble County.
 * 1820 Land tax, Preble County, Ohio, 1820 online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

Local Histories

 * Graham, Albert Adams, History of Preble County, Ohio: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, (Cleveland, Ohio: H.Z. Williams, 1881). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Internet Archive, Google Books.
 * Howe, Henry. History of Preble County, Ohio, 1808-1889: excerpted from 1898 edition of Howe's historical collection of Ohio. Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Lowry, R.E., History of Preble County, Ohio: Her people, Industries, and Institutions, (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen, 1915). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.
 * Hiestand, Ione Sell, Preble County, Ohio, (Eaton, Ohio: Preble County Historical Society, 1992).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Composite Collection of Cadastral Maps of Preble County, Ohio by Seth Schlotterbeck (Eaton, Ohio: Preble County Historical Society, c1978). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Plat Book of Preble County, Ohio: Compiled from County Records and Actual Surveys. (Des Moines, Iowa: Northwest Publishing Co., 1912). Online at Library of Congress
 * Township Maps of Preble County, Ohio: Compiled from County Records and Actual Surveys. (Richmond, Indiana: F. B. Robinson, c1897). At Library of Congress
 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
 * Survey maps Atlas of Preble County, Ohio from Actual Surveys by D. J. Lake (Philadelphia: C. O. Titus, c1871)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

Newspapers

 * 1793-late 1900's at History Connection —  Select county.
 * 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
 * Preble County District Library Genealogical Room has a tremendous resource in microfilm records of newspapers from 1854 to present.
 * Miami Valley News
 * Register-Herald

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1786-1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry ($) — index and images.
 * 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1806-1854 Preble County, Ohio Wills Vol. I and Vol. II at Ancestry ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Birth

 * 1800-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at Ancestry ($) — Index
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index
 * 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Marriage

 * 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
 * 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
 * 1808-2000 Preble County, Ohio, Marriage Index at ancestry.com ($)
 * 1808-1830 and 1830-1840 Preble County, Ohio Marriage Records Vol. I and Vol. II] at ancestry.com ($)
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1835-2010 Preble County, Ohio, Death Index at ancestry.com ($)
 * 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection; Index.
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

 * 1962-2007 Ohio, Divorce Abstracts, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007 at Ancestry ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Oxford Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Preble County District Library

Libraries
Preble County District Library Preble County Room 450 S. Barron Street Eaton, OH 45320 937-456-4250 E-mail:[mailto:pcdl@preblelibrary.org pcdl@preblelibrary.org] Website Brown Memorial Public Library 101 S. Commerce Street P.O. Box 640 Lewisburg, OH 45338-0640 937-962-2377 Website Marion Lawrence Memorial Library 15 E. Franklin Street - Municipal Building Gratis, OH 45330-9999 937-787-3502

Societies
Preble County Genealogical Society Preble County District Library 450 S. Barron Street Eaton, Ohio 45320 E-mail:[mailto:preblecgs@gmail.com preblecgs@gmail.com] Website

Preble County Historical Soceity 7693 Swartsel Road Eaton, Ohio 45320 937-787-4256 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
 * Preble County OH Genealogy LDS Genealogy
 * USGenWeb Preble County, OH - free genealogy resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 * – 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.