Putnam County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Putnam 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 in honor of Israel Putnam (1718-1790). , who was a hero in the French and Indian War and a general in the American Revolutionary War. It is located in the Northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Putnam County Courthouse 245 Main Street Ottawa, Ohio 45875-1968 Phone: 419-523-6200 Putnam County Website

Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1834; Probate Judge has marriage and probate records; 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:

Church Records
Catholic
 * 1796-2004 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images.

Local Histories

 * Kinder, George D., History of Putnam County, Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions, (Indianapolis, Indiana: B.F. Bowen, 1915). Online at Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Putnam County, Ohio: Containing Outline Maps, Fifteen Farm Maps, and a History of the County, (Chicago, Illinois: H. H. Hardesty, 1976). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books.
 * Calvin, Marguerite, People and Places: Putnam County, Ohio, 1800-1900, (Defiance, Ohio: Hubbard, 1981).
 * The Putnam County Atlas, 1895: Brief History of the County, Towns, Churches, Crawfis College, Schools, and Other Interesting and Valuable Data, (Ottawa, Ohio: D.W. Seitz and O.C. Talbot, 1895). Online at Google Books;
 * Putnam County Pioneer Association, Centennial History, 1873-1973, (Columbus Grove, Ohio Heffner Printing, 1973).
 * Verhoff, Roselia Dieters, Putnam County Ohio: History and Families, (Evansville, Indiana: M &amp; T Pub., 2006).

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

 * 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.

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

Additional Records
 * Soldiers' Relief Commission case files, 1895-1912
 * Soldiers relief grants, 1862-1867
 * Record of indigent union soldiers, sailors and marines, or wives, widows, or minor children of same entitled to relief, 1887-1912
 * Militia commutation fund, 1863-1867 ; Civil War bounties, 1865-1873
 * Indigent soldiers' burial records, 1885-1912

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

Newspapers

 * 1793-late 1900's at History Connection —  Select county.
 * Early- late 1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

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; index and images.

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; index and images.
 * 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Birth

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

Marriage

 * 1789-2013 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
 * 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index.
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death

 * 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images.
 * 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 ($)

Family History Centers

 * Lima Ohio Family History Center
 * Findlay Ohio Family History Center
 * Findlay-Hancock County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Putnam County District Library 136 Putnam Parkway P.O. Box 230 Ottawa, OH 45875-0308 419-523-3747 Website

Museums
The Putnam County Museum  The Putnam County Historical Society 201 East Main Street Box 264 Kalida, Ohio 45853 419-532-3008 Website

Societies
The Putnam County Historical Society 201 East Main Street Box 264 Kalida, Ohio 45853 419-532-3008 Facebook

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
 * Putnam County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * USGW Archives Putman
 * The Putnam County OHGenWeb Project, a member of The OHGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * – 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.