Ohio, Stark County Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
These records are from the Court of Common Pleas located at the Stark County Record's Center. The records include Land Records and Naturalization Witnesses and Depositions. This collection includes records for the years 1809 to 1917. This collection is being published as images become available.

The county began keeping records as soon as it was organized. The earlier records are generally handwritten. From the late 1800s printed forms were used. Information that was current at the time of the event was usually reliable. However, there was always a chance for misinformation. Errors may have occurred because of the informant’s lack of knowledge or because of transcription errors or other circumstances.

Record Content
Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petitions usually included the following:


 * Name of the immigrant
 * Country of birth
 * Date and place of arrival
 * Date of Declaration of Intent or Naturalization
 * Date and place of birth
 * Age and race
 * Last foreign residence
 * Current residence
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse, if married
 * Maiden name of wife
 * Birth date of spouse
 * Residence of spouse
 * Names of witnesses
 * Signature of judge or court official

Land records usually contain the following:


 * Names of persons involved in transaction
 * Date of transaction
 * Amount of money exchanged
 * Legal description of land
 * Witnesses

How to Use this Record
To begin your search you will need to know the following:


 * The full name of your ancestor
 * The event date
 * The ancestor’s residence

If you are looking for an immigration and do not know this information, check the 1900 census and then calculate the possible year of naturalization based on the date of immigration. The 1920 census may tell you the exact year of immigration or naturalization.

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the "County" category ⇒Select the "Record Type, Date Range and Volume" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

For example, you can use naturalization records to:


 * Learn an immigrant’s place of origin
 * Confirm their date of arrival
 * Learn foreign and “Americanized” names
 * Find records in his or her country of origin, such as emigrations, port records, or ship’s manifests.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Look for the Declaration of Intent soon after the immigrant arrived, then look for the Naturalization Petition five years later, when the residency requirement would have been met. Look for naturalization records in federal courts and then in state, county, or city courts.
 * An individual may have filed the first and final papers in different courts and sometimes in a different state if the person moved. Immigrants who were younger than 18 when they arrived did not need to file a Declaration of Intent as part of the process.
 * If your ancestor had a common name, be sure to look at all the entries for a name before you decide which is correct.
 * Continue to search the naturalization records to identify siblings, parents, and other relatives in the same or other generations who may have naturalized in the same area or nearby.
 * The witnesses named on naturalization records may have been older relatives of the person in the naturalization process. Search for their naturalizations.
 * You may want to obtain the naturalization records of every person who shares your ancestor’s surname if they lived in the same county or nearby. You may not know how or if they are related, but the information could lead you to more information about your own ancestors.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings. Realize that the indexes may contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings and misinterpretations.
 * Try a different index if there is one for the years needed. You may also need to search the naturalization records year by year.
 * Search the indexes of nearby counties.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Web Sites

 * Local Court Records from Ohio
 * Stark County, Ohio Free Public Records Directory

Related Wiki Articles

 * Ohio Naturalization and Citizenship
 * Ohio Land and Property
 * Ohio Court Records
 * Stark County, Ohio Genealogy

Citations for This Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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