Fairfield County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Fairfield County, Ohio ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
 * This article is about a county in Ohio. For other uses, see Fairfield (disambiguation).

Description
The county was named for a reference to the Fairfield area of the original Lancaster. It is located in the Mid-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Fairfield County Courthouse 224 East Main Street PO Box 370 Lancaster, Ohio 43130-3842 Phone: 740-652-7360 Fairfield County Website

County Judge has birth records 1803-1907, marriage, death and probate records; Clerk Court has divorce records from 1860 and court records from 1800; County Recorder has land records from 1803

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

 * A biographical record of Fairfield County, Ohio, illustrated (New York: S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1902) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archives.

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * FamilySearch Places

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Bureau of Land Management Database at USGenWeb Archives

Local Histories

 * Miller, Charles Christian; History of Fairfield County, Ohio and Representative Citizens (Chicago: Richmond-Arnold, 1912) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Scott, Hervey; A complete history of Fairfield County, Ohio, 1795-1876 (Cleveland, Ohio: Siebert &amp; Lilley, 1877) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Google Books, Internet Archives.
 * Wiseman, Charles M. L.; Pioneer Period and Pioneer People of Fairfield County, Ohio (Columbus, Ohio: Heer, 1901) Online at Google Books; FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

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
Civil War Civil War service men from Fairfield 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 Fairfield County.
 * 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.


 * - 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Company F
 * - 114th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies C, H, and K

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 1900s at History Connection —  Select county.
 * 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * September 1810 Political Observatory, and Fairfield Register at Genealogy Bank
 * 1847-1870, 1936 Lancaster Gazette at Newspapers.com
 * 1915-1916, 1926, 1929 Lancaster Daily Gazette at NewspaperArchive
 * 1915-1918, 1920, 1923-1924, 1926-1928, 1963 Lancaster Daily Eagle at NewspaperArchive
 * 1915-2020 Lancaster Eagle-Gazette at Newspapers.com
 * Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
 * Fairfield County Newspapers at Ohio History
 * Newspaper Article at OHGenWeb Archives

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.
 * Wills at OHGenWeb Archives

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
 * 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1806 Fairfield County 1806 tax list at OHGenWeb Archives

Birth

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1908–1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index of deaths from the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus. Index provided by Ancestry.
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Divorce

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Columbus Ohio South FamilySearch Center
 * Zanesville Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Columbus Metropolitan Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Columbus Metropolitan Library 96 S Grant Ave Columbus, OH 43215 614-645-2275 Website Fairfield County District Library Main Library 219 N Broad St Lancaster, OH 43130 740-653-2745 Website Pickerington Public Library 201 Opportunity Way Pickerington, OH 43147-1296 614-837-4104 Website Wagnalls Memorial Library 150 E. Columbus Street P.O. Box 217 Lithopolis, OH 43136 614-837-4765 Website

Museums
Georgian Museum 105 East Wheeling St Lancaster, OH 43130 740-654-9923 Website Sherman House 137 East Main St Lancaster, OH 43130 740-687-5891 or 740-654-9923 Website

Societies
Fairfield County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society 503 Lenwood Dr Lancaster, OH 43130 740-653-2573 Website The Fairfield County Heritage Association Office located in the Georgian Museum 105 East Wheeling St Lancaster, OH 43130 740-654-9923 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
 * USGenWeb for Fairfield County, Ohio
 * Ohio Indexes Every Name Index
 * US GenWeb Ohio
 * USGW Archives
 * Fairfield County OH Genealogyat 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.