Ohio Tax Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The records include an index and images to taxation records as recorded with the County Auditor of each county. The records in this collection cover the years 1800 to 1850. However, the majority are from the years 1816 through 1838. Entries are recorded in voucher books, one person per page. Included are the following Ohio counties:


 * Ashtabula
 * Belmont
 * Carroll
 * Columbiana
 * Guernsey
 * Harrison
 * Jackson
 * Jefferson
 * Monroe
 * Trumbull
 * Washington

Governments created tax records that vary in content according to the purpose of the assessment. Most are based on personal property, real estate, and income. There may be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. Numerous families lived in Ohio and owned taxable property. Additional records will be added as they are completed.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Tax
 * Legal description of real and personal property
 * Names and ages of property owners and possible relationships
 * Time periods when families resided in Ohio
 * Occupation of the property owner
 * Places of residence
 * Names of other relatives
 * Additional information associated with the property

Tax records are based on the property owned by people. Only the person who owned the taxable property was listed on the tax record; other residents, living on the property, were not listed. Tax records are considered a primary source. They are usually reliable because they are kept by the county clerk in the local courthouse, who usually recorded the event at or very near the time it occurred.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The location where your ancestor lived

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Township
 * 3) Select the Year to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
Indexes and transcriptions may not include all the data found in the original records. Look at the actual image of the record, if you can, to verify the information and to find additional information. '

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the probate record to identify adoptions, guardians, heirs and relatives
 * Use the probate record to approximate a death date, then find a death certificate
 * For earlier years, use the probate record to substitute for civil birth and death records
 * Use the information found in the record to find vital records such as birth, marriage and death
 * Use the information found in the record to find immigration and land records
 * Use the information found in the record to find additional family members in census records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * If your ancestor does not have a common name, collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you find possible relatives
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby town or county
 * Try different spellings of your ancestor’s name
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names, or even initials.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Ohio.
 * Ohio Guided Research
 * Ohio Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.