Geauga County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for a Native American word meaning "raccoon". It is located in the North-eastern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Geauga Ohio Courthouse 470 Center Street Chardon, Ohio 44024 Phone: 440-279-1750 Geauga County Website

Probate Judge has birth, marriage, death and probate records; County Health Department has burial records; Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1850; County Recorder has land 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

 * Riddle, Albert Gallation; History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio: with illustrations and biographical sketches of its pioneers and most prominent men (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Williams Bros., 1878) Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio, embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake: ... (Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1893) online at FamilySearch Digital Library

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Deeds at OHGenWeb Archives

Local Histories

 * Pioneer and general history of Geauga County: with sketches of some of the pioneers and prominent men ([S.I.] Historical Society of Geauga County, 1880) Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Howe, Henry; History of Geauga County, Ohio, 1805-1889 (excepted from 1898 Edition of Howe's Historical Collection of Ohio) (Knightstown, Ind.: The Bookmark, 1977) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Civil War Civil War service men from Geauga 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 Geauga County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Ohio Light Artillery, Batteries B and C
 * - 11th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company E
 * - 41st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B and G
 * - 105th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B, C, E, F, and I

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.
 * April 1850 to April 1851 Ohio marriage, death, divorce, and legal notices from the GEAUGA REPUBLIC at OHGenWeb
 * July through December 1863 Vital records from the Jeffersonian Democrat at OHGenWeb
 * 8 September 1886 Geauga County Pioneers list of pioneers printed in the Geauga Republican at OHGenWeb
 * July 1906 Newspaper Extracts From the Painsville Telegraph at OHGenWeb
 * December 1914 Newspaper Extracts From the Geauga Republican at OHGenWeb
 * Early- late 1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

Obituaries

 * Ohio Obituary Index at Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

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.
 * Probate Records at OHGenWeb Archives
 * Wills at OHGenWeb Archives
 * Wills, Probate, and Court Records at OHGenWeb

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.

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * Township Personal Property Listings at OHGenWeb - scroll down for various townships.

Birth

 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — Index
 * 1959-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1959-1998 at MyHeritage - index ($)

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.
 * 1823-1874 Rev. Noah Barrell’s Record of Marriages, 1823-1874 at OHGenWeb
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

 * 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 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

Divorce

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

Archives
Geauga County Archives & Records Center 470 Center St Building 8D Chardon, OH 44024 440-279-1770 Email: [mailto:geaugacountyarchives@co.geauga.oh.us geaugacountyarchives@co.geauga.oh.us] Website

Family History Centers

 * Kirtland Ohio Family History Center
 * Solon Ohio Family History Center
 * Western Reserve Historical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Geauga County Public Library 12701 Ravenwood Dr Chardon, OH 44024-1336 440-286-6811 Website

Museums
Century Village Museum ​14653 E Park St Burton, OH 44021 440-834-1492 E-mail:[mailto:​info@geaugahistorical.org ​info@geaugahistorical.org] Website

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Societies
Western Reserve Historical Society 10825 East Blvd Cleveland, OH 44106 216-721-5722 Website
 * The Connecticut Western Reserve was a part of northeast Ohio originally intended for settlement by Revolutionary War refugees from Connecticut. The former Connecticut Western Reserve lands were in the modern counties of Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Trumbull fully, but also in parts of Ashland, Mahoning, Ottawa, Summit, and Wayne counties in Ohio.

Geauga County Genealogical Society of Ohio, Inc. c/o Geauga County Public Library 110 E Park St Chardon OH 44024 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
 * Geauga County, Ohio OHGenWeb
 * WSGW Archives
 * EveryName Index for Ohio
 * Geauga County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * – 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.