Ohio, Stark County Court Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The records include appearance dockets, journals, and records from the Court of Common Pleas located at the Stark County Records 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.

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

Declaration of Intent and Naturalization Petitions • 4 Land
 * Names of persons involved in transaction
 * Date of transaction
 * Amount of money exchanged
 * Legal description of land
 * Witnesses

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

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Ohio.
 * Ohio Guided Research
 * Ohio Record Finder
 * Ohio Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Ohio Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Court of Common Pleas. Court records, 1809-1917 Appearance Dockets
 * Court of Common Pleas. Court records, 1809-1852; index, 1810-1866
 * Supreme Court. Appearance docket, 1834-1865
 * Supreme Court. Court records, 1810-1849

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * John H. Lehman. A standard history of Stark County, Ohio: an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, civic and social development; a chronicle of the people, with family lineage and memoirs. 2 v. Chicago, Illinois : Lewis Pub. Co., 19--
 * Ohio Historical Records Survey Project Division of Professional and Service Projects, Work Projects Administration. Inventory of the county archives of Ohio, no. 76, Stark County (Canton). Columbus, Ohio : Ohio Historical Records Survey Project, 1940

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.