Summit County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
The county is named for the highest elevation on the Ohio and Erie Canal which is located in the county. Summit county is located in the North-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Summit County Courthouse 205 S High St Akron, OH 44308 Phone: 330-643-2162 Summit County Courthouse

County Recorder has land records from 1840 Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate records

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

 * Bierce, Lucius Verus, Historical Reminiscences of Summit County. (Akron, Ohio: T. and H.G. Canfield, 1854). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books.
 * Kenfield, Scott Dix, Akron and Summit County, Ohio, 1825-1929, (Chicago, Illinois: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1928). Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 3 online at FamilySearch Digital Library - Volume 1 is historical; Volumes 2 and 3 are biographical.
 * Doyle, William B. Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens. (Biographical Publishing Company, Chicago, 1908). Online at: Biographies at USGenWeb Archives; FamilySearch Digital Library

Census Records

 * 1840 1840 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
 * 1850 United States Census 1850 at FamilySearch; Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch.
 * 1850-1880 U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1860 United States Census 1860 at FamilySearch; Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch.
 * 1870 United States Census 1870 at FamilySearch; Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch.
 * 1880 United States Census 1880 at FamilySearch; Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch.
 * 1890 1890 Veterans Schedule at Ancestry ($)
 * 1890 and 1900 Census Records at USGenWeb Archives
 * 1900 United States Census 1900 at FamilySearch; Scroll down to the bottom of the page for links to both Ancestry ($) and FamilySearch.
 * 1910 1910 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)
 * 1920  at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1930 1930 United States Federal Census at Ancestry ($)

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

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Akron

Historical Churches
 * Congregational Church of Tallmadge Church House (dedicated in 1825) at Ohio History

Current Churches
 * Churches near Summit County, Ohio at Google Maps
 * Summit County Ohio Churches at OH HometownLocator

Directories

 * Historic Akron City Directories at Akron-Summit Public Library

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Jewish
 * Jewish Community Board at Summit Memory

Funeral Homes

 * Funeral Homes near Summit County, Ohio at Google Maps.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1796–2015 U.S. General Land Office Records at Ancestry ($)
 * Land Records at USGenWeb Archives - Bureau of Land Management Database

Local Histories

 * Doyle, William B., Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio: and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Biographical Pub. Co., 1908). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.
 * Perrin, William Henry, History of Summit: With an Outline Sketch of Ohio, (Chicago, Illinois: Baskin and Bettey, 1881). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archive.
 * Grismer, Karl Hiram, Akron and Summit County, (Akron, Ohio: Summit County Historical Society, 1952). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library;
 * Kenfield, Scott Dix, Akron and Summit County, Ohio, 1825-1929, (Chicago, Illinois: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1928). Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library - Volumes 2 and 3 are biographical and listed in the Biography section above.
 * Historical Collections of Ohio by Henry Howe Vol. II 1888; transcribed.
 * Akron Women's History at University of Akron
 * Summit Memory - historical images and indexes.
 * Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.
 * Fifty Year Club, Summit County Looks Back Through 100 Years: An Historical Review of Akron and Summit County; 1840-1940, (Akron, Ohio: Fifty Year Club, 1940).

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1788-1940 Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS
 * 1856 Summit County Map 1856 at Summit Memory
 * 1872 1872 Topographical Atlas at Summit Memory
 * 1874 Combination Atlas Map of Summit County, 1874 at Summit Memory
 * 1910 Atlas and Industrial Geography of Summit County, 1910 at Summit Memory
 * 1915 Akron Plat Map, 1915 at Summit Memory
 * Akron at OHGenWeb Project
 * Map of Summit County, Ohio at OHGenWeb Project
 * 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.
 * Military Records at USGenWeb Archives

Revolutionary War
 * Soldiers of the American Revolution at Genealogy Trails, buried in or said to be buried in Summit County, Ohio

Civil War
 * 1861-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Civil War Soldiers Buried in Summit County at Genealogy Trails
 * Civil War at Summit Memory

Civil War service men from Summit 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 Summit County.
 * -1st Regiment, Ohio Light Artillery, Battery D
 * -104th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company H
 * -107th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company I

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.
 * 1917-1918 U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)

World War II
 * 1938-1946 U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * World War II Casualties at Genealogy Trails

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1850-1991 Naturalization Records at The Summit County Clerk of Courts

Newspapers

 * 1793-late 1900s 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.
 * The Record Courier Stow Sentry
 * Twinsburg Bulletin

Obituaries

 * Akron Beacon Journal Subject Indexes 1841- 1939 Summit County, Ohio Newspapers at Akron-Summit Public Library
 * Akron Beacon Journal Obituary Indexes 1937 to present at Akron-Summit Public Library
 * Obituaries Akron Beacon Journal at Legacy.com (only 1 year of past obituaries held online)
 * Obituaries at USGenWeb Archives

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.

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 ($) — Index
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1866-1908 Summit County, Ohio, Birth Records at Ancestry ($)
 * 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.
 * 1840-1980 Summit County, Ohio, Marriage Records 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
 * 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1866-1908 Summit County, Ohio, Death Records at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection; Index.
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — 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

 * Akron Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Akron-Summit County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Akron-Summit County Public Library Main library 60 S High St Akron, OH 44326 330-643-9000 Website Herrick Memorial Library 101 Willard Memorial Square Wellington, OH 44090 440-647-2120 Website Barberton Public Library 602 W Park Ave Barberton, OH 44203-2458 330-745-1194 Website Cuyahoga Falls Library 2015 Third St Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 330-928-2117 Website Hudson Library and Historical Society 96 Library St Hudson, OH 44236-2947 330-653-6658 Website Peninsula Library 6105 Riverview Road PO Box 236 Peninsula, OH 44264-0236 330-657-2291 Website Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library 3512 Darrow Rd Stow, OH 44224 330-688-3295 Website Twinsburg Public Library 10050 Ravenna Rd Twinsburg, OH 44087-1796 330-425-4268 Website

Museums
 Cuyahoga Valley Historical Museum 1775 Main St 2nd Floor Peninsula, OH 44264 Website Summit County Historical Society of Akron, OH Perkins Stone Mansion John Brown House Portage Township School District No. 2 550 Copley Rd Akron, OH 44320 330-535-1120 Website

Societies
Western Reserve Historical Society Research Library in the History Center 10825 East Blvd Cleveland, OH 44106 216-721-5722 FamilySearch Wiki Website Summit County Chapter Ohio Genealogical Society PO Box 2232 Akron, OH 44309-2232 Email:[mailto:info@summitogs.org info@summitogs.org] Website The Historical Society of Olde Northfield 9390 Olde Eight Rd Northfield Center, OH Email:[mailto:Palmer-House@hson.info Palmer-House@hson.info] Website Peninsula Library &amp; Historical Society 6105 Riverview Rd PO Box 236 Peninsula, OH 44264 E-mail:[mailto:info@peninsulalibrary.org info@peninsulalibrary.org] Website Hudson Genealogical Study Group a chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society E-mail:[mailto:HGSG1986@gmail.com HGSG1986@gmail.com] Website Richfield Historical Society 3907 Broadview Rd Richfield, OH 44286 330-659-0336 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
 * Summit Memory - Summit Memory is an online, collaborative project capturing the history of Summit County, Ohio. Collections include historic photographs, documents, newspapers, artifacts and audiovisual resources contributed by partner organizations throughout the county. Summit Memory is administered by the Akron-Summit County Public Library.
 * Summit County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * Summit County OH Genealogy Research. Contains information for researching genealogy in Summit county OH, Census, bios, obituary, birth, death, marriage, maps, and other records
 * Summit County OHGenWeb at OHGenWeb
 * Summit County, Ohio at Genealogy Trails
 * Summit County, Ohio at Cyndi's List
 * Genealogy and History at Histopolis
 * – 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.