Knox County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
Knox County was named for General Henry Knox (1750-1806), Revolutionary War hero, and the nation's first Secretary of War. The county is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Knox County Courthouse 117 E High St, Suite B147 Mount Vernon, OH 43050 Phone: 740-397-4023 Knox County Website

County Health Department has birth records from 1908, death and burial records; Probate Judge has marriage records from 1803 and probate records; Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1810; County Records 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:

History Timeline

 * 1779 The first white man known to have passed through this area was John Stilly, a white captive of a native tribe.
 * Pre 1809 The "frontier character" Andrew Craig is believed to be the first permanent white settler—arriving before Ohio became a state and remaining until it became "too crowded" about 1809.
 * 1800-1808 The first settlers who remained in the area were mostly from Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Many of these earliest settlers arrived between 1800-1808, attracted by inexpensive, but fertile, military land.

Church Records

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1829-1900s St. Luke's Records 1829-early 1900's at Ancestry ($)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

 * Discovering African American History in Rural Ohio at Digital Kenyon

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Land Records at USGenWeb Ohio Archives

Local Histories



 * Lorey, Frederick N., History of Knox County, Ohio: 1876-1976, (Mount Vernon, Ohio: Knox County Historical Society, 1976).
 * Norton, A. Banning, A History of Knox County, Ohio, from 1779 to 1862 Inclusive: Comprising Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes and Incidents of Men Connected with the County from Its First Settlement, (Columbus, Ohio: R. Nevins, 1862). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($) (Indexed).
 * Hill, N.N. Jr., History of Knox County, Ohio: Its Past and Present, (Mt. Vernon, Ohio: A. A. Graham, 1881). Online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($) (Indexed)
 * Williams, Albert B., Past and Present of Knox County, Ohio, (Indianapolis, Indiana: B. F. Bowen &amp; Co., 1912). Volume 1 online at FamilySearch Digital Library; Volume 2 online at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Discovering African American History in Rural Ohio at Digital Kenyon

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 Civil War service men from Knox County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Knox County.


 * - 30th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company A
 * - 4th Regiment, Ohio Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company A (also known as Knox County Guards) and Company B (also known as Union Guards).
 * For information about these companies, such as muster-out rolls, see, History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, containing a condensed, comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest; a complete history of Knox County... a record of its soldiers in the late war; portraits of its early settlers and prominent men... biographies and histories of pioneer families, etc. Compiled by Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell). 1881. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Archive
 * - 96th Regiment, Ohio Infantry
 * Company A, roster
 * Company B, roster
 * -106th Regiment, Company D
 * -125th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company F

World War I
 * 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1914-1918 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 1900s at History Connection —  Select county.
 * 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Early-late 1900s 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.

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
 * 1800-1950 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 ($) — Index
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1887 1887 Knox County births at Knox County OHGenWeb Project - partial list taken from microfilm.
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($) — 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
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

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.
 * 1867-1908 Knox County, Ohio Death Records Courtesy OhioGenWeb
 * 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
 * 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection
 * 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

 * Mount Vernon Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Ohio Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Centerburg Public Library 49 E Main St P.O. Box 609 Centerburg, OH 43011 740-625-6538 Website Public Library of Mt Vernon and Knox County 201 N Mulberry St Mt. Vernon, OH 43050-2413 740-392-BOOK Website

Museums
Knox County Historical Society Museum P.O. Box 522 875 Harcourt Rd Mount Vernon, OH 43050 740-393-5247 E-mail:[mailto:info@knoxhistory.org info@knoxhistory.org] Website

Societies
Knox County Genealogical Society Chapter of OGS PO Box 1098 Mt Vernon, OH 43040 114-A E Gambier St Mt Vernon, OH 43050 Email:[mailto:KnoxGenealogy@yahoo.com KnoxGenealogy@yahoo.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
 * Knox County OHGenWeb
 * Ohio USGenWeb Archives - May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Knox County Black History Archives at Digital Kenyon
 * Knox 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.