Athens County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Athens 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 Athens, Greece. It is located in the South Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Athens County Courthouse 1 South Court Street Athens, Ohio 45701 Phone: 740-592-3242 Athens County Website

Probate Judge has birth, marriage and probate records. Court Clerk has divorce and court records from 1800. County Recorder has land records.

Populated Places
 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

 * Hildreth, Samuel P., Biographical and historical memoirs of the early pioneer settlers of Ohio: with narratives of incidents and occurrences in 1775 (Cincinnati: H.W. Derby, 1852) Digital version at Internet Archives; FamilySearch Digital Library

Church Records

 * Athens County Ohio, Churches at Athens County, Ohio History and Genealogy; Churches for Athens County from 1990 census and newspapers.

Directories

 * 1905 Athens County, Ohio Physician and Dentist Directory, 1905 at Genealogy Trails

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Bureau of Land Management Database at USGenWeb Archives; original land purchasers from the Federal government.
 * 1804-1907 Early Land Records 1804-1807 at Genealogy Trails

Local Histories

 * Walker, Charles Manning, History of Athens County, Ohio and incidentally, of the Ohio Land Company and the first settlement of the state at Marietta, with personal and biographical sketches of the early settlers, narratives and pioneer adventures, etc (Cincinnati: R. Clarke Co., 1869) Digital version at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books; Internet Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1869 Map of the Ohio Company's Purchase and of Athens County, Ohio Past and Present at Athens County, Ohio History and Genealogy.
 * 1788-1940 Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
 * Athens County, Ohio Sanborn Fire Mapsat Library of Congress. The Sanborn Company began making fire insurance maps in 1867.
 * Athens County Road Map at the Ohio Department of Transportation.

Military Records

 * 1819-1936  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1888-1919  at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection

Revolutionary War
 * Revolutionary War Pensioners at Genealogy Trails

Civil War Servicemen from Athens 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 Athens County.'
 * -36th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B and C
 * -116th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies I and K

War with Spain
 * 1898-1899 Soldiers in the War With Spain 1898-1899 at Genealogy Trails

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.
 * 1917-1918 Athens County Ohio Military Men, 1917-1918 at Genealogy Trails; Index

World War II
 * 1938-1946 Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 at Genealogy Trails
 * 1941-1945 Athens County Ohio Young American Patriots 1941-1945 at Genealogy Trails
 * Athens County WWII Soldiers Index at OHGen.net

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.
 * 1864, 1925 Newspaper Articles at OHGenWeb Archives
 * 1896-1897 The Athens Messenger and Herald at Ancestry ($)
 * Early to late-1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
 * The Athens News, Athens County Only Locally Owned Newspaper
 * The Athens Messenger at Ancestry ($)

Obituaries

 * Athens County, Ohio The Athens Messenger Obituaries at Genealogy Trails

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.
 * Athens County, Ohio Wills Records at Sampubco.com

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

Birth

 * 1800-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1821-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1908-1964 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($); index

Marriage

 * 1774-1993 Ohio, County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 at Ancestry ($); Index and images.
 * 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1803-1900 Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1803-1900 Athens County, Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900 at Geneaogy Trails
 * 1898-1912 Ohio Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($); index
 * 1970-2007 Ohio Marriage Index, 1970, 1972-2007 at Ancestry ($)

Death

 * 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1854–1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($); Index
 * 1908–1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1908–1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index of deaths from the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus. Index provided by Ancestry.
 * 1908-2007 Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1932, 1938-1944, 1958-2002  Athens County, Ohio Deaths at Genealogy Trails
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Reccords, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1913-1944 - Ohio Death Certificate Index at Ohio History Connection
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($); index

Divorce

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

Family History Centers

 * Athens Ohio Family History Center (The Plains)

Libraries
Ohio University Alden Library 30 Park Place Athens, OH 45701 740-593-2710 Website Athens County Public Library (Main Branch) 95 W Washington Nelsonville, OH 45764-3543 740-753-2118 E-mail:[mailto:nelpl@myacpl.org nelpl@myacpl.org] Website

Museums
Southeast Ohio History Center 24 W State Street Athens, Ohio 45701 740-592-2280 Website

Societies
Athens County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society 24 W. State Street Athens, Ohio 45701 740 592-2280 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
 * Athens County, OHGenWeb
 * Athens County, Ohio History and Genealogy
 * Athens County Ohio Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * Athens County Ohio Tidbits at Julie's Genealogy
 * Athens County, Ohio Genealogy at Access Genealogy including Biographies, 1820 Census Index, Town Officers, Land Records
 * – 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.