Clark County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
Clark County was named for General George Rogers Clark who fought Indians in Ohio in the early Nineteenth Century. The county is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Clark County Courthouse 101 N. Limestone St. Springfield, Ohio 45502 Phone: 937-521-1680 Clark County Website

Clark County Probate Court 50 E. Columbia Street Springfield, Ohio 45502 Phone: 937-521-1845 Email: sweldy@clarkcountyohio.gov Clark County Probate Court Probate Judge has birth, marriage, death, probate and naturalization records. Court Clerk has divorce and court records. County Recorder has land records.
 * Births and deaths recorded from 1867 to August 1908.
 * Marriage records from 1818 to the present.
 * Naturalization records from March 20, 1861, to March 5, 1904 (index at Clerk of Courts Office, Common Pleas Court).
 * Estate records from 1818 to 1985 on microfilm and original records from 1985 to the present.

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:

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * FamilySearch Places

Directories

 * 1906 Appleby Company's Clark County, Ohio Rural Main Directory, 1906 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Land and Property Records
Clark County Recorder's Office has a searchable online index beginning in 1988. All prior land records must be searched on location at the A.B. Graham building in downtown Springfield.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

 * A standard history of Springfield and Clark County, Ohio: an authentic narrative of the past… By Benjamin F. Prince. (Chicago: American Historical Society, 1922). Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books; Volume 2 online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * The History of Clark County, Ohio: containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc.; general and local statistics; portraits of early settlers and prominent men… By Grace Hildy Croft. (Chicago: W.H. Beers, 1881) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 20th Century History of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens. By William Mahlon Rockel. (Chicago, Illinois Biographical Publishing Co., 1908) Online at Google Books; Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
 * 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.

Civil War
 * With Diplomas of Patriotism: African American Civil War Veterans in Ohio by Amy L. Crow (Senior Thesis, The Ohio State University, 2009). This thesis uses Springfield as a case study.

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

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

Newspapers

 * 1793-late 1900's at History Connection —  Select county.
 * 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Early to late-1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

Obituaries

 * 1810s-2016 Ohio, Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Obituary Index, 1810s-2016 at Ancestry ($) — index and images.

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.
 * Will and Probate Records at OhioGenWeb

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 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1800-1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1818 Tax Lists at OhioGenWeb

Birth

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 1800-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at Ancestry ($) — Index
 * 1821-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1867-1889 Clark County Births at OhioGenWeb
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — 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.
 * 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1803-1900 Ohio, Compiled Marriage Index, 1803-1900 at Ancestry ($) — Index
 * 1818-1865 Clark County, Ohio marriage records, 1818-1865 at Ancestry ($); book transcription.
 * 1818-1929 Clark County Marriages at OhioGenWeb
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — Index
 * 1970-2007 Ohio, Marriage Abstracts, 1970, 1972-2007 at Ancestry ($)

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.
 * 1854-1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1867 Clark County Deaths in 1867 at OhioGenWeb
 * 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection
 * 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
 * Death Certificates at OhioGenWeb
 * 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

 * Columbus Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Dayton Ohio East FamilySearch Center
 * Champaign County Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Clark County Public Library 201 South Fountain Ave Springfield, OH 45506 937-328-6903 E-mail:[mailto:askref@ccpl.lib.oh.us askref@ccpl.lib.oh.us] Website
 * Friends of the Library Genealogical Research Group Website

New Carlisle Public Library 111 E Lake Avenue New Carlisle, OH 45344 937-845-3601 Website Fisher Family Library and Archives at the Heritage Center Heritage Center of Clark County 117 South Fountain Ave Springfield, OH 45502 937-324-0657 Website

Museums
The Heritage Center 117 S Fountain Ave Springfield, OH 45502 937-324-0657 Email:[mailto:clarkcountyhistory@gmail.com clarkcountyhistory@gmail.com] Website

Societies
Clark County Genealogical Society 117 S Fountain Avenue Springfield, OH 937-324-0657, ext. 230 E-mail:[mailto:Clark.Gen.Soc@gmail.com Clark.Gen.Soc@gmail.com] 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
 * Clark County OH Genealogy at LDSgenealogy.com
 * Clark County Ohio GenWeb at OhGenWeb. It includes vital records, cemetery transcriptions, census indexes, maps, and other information provided by volunteers.
 * USGW Archives, Clark County
 * – 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.