Belmont County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Belmont 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 the French word for "beautiful mountain" and refers to the scenery. It is located in the Eastern Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Belmont County Courthouse 101 Main St. St. Clairsville, Ohio 43950 Phone: 740-695-2121 Belmont County Website

Court Clerk has divorce and court records from 1820. County Health Department has burial records. Probate Court has birth, marriage, death and probate 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:

Church Records

 * Our Lady of Angels, Barton, OH church records at OHGenWeb Archives

Court Records
Belmont became part of the State of Ohio on 1 Mar 1803, having formerly been part of the Northwest Territory. It was served by the Ohio District Court from 1803 until 10 Feb 1855, when the court was divided into Northern and Southern districts. Belmont was part of the Southern District. On 3 Mar 1911, the court was further divided and was subsequently part of the Southern Eastern District. See Ohio District Court Jurisdictions for a chart of the Ohio counties and the district courts that served them. District and Circuit Courts had the same jurisdictions.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Bureau of Land Management database at OHGenWeb Archives

Local Histories

 * McKelvey, A.T. Centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio and representative citizens (Chicago Biographical Pub. Co. 1903) Digital version at Google Books; FamilySearch Digital Library. Indexed in “Index to McKelvey’s centennial history of Belmont County, Ohio, 1801-1901” (St. Clairsville, Ohio Cumberland Trail Genealogical Society, 2001).
 * Poorman, Christian L., History of the Upper Ohio Valley: with family history and biographical sketches; a statement of its resources, industrial growth and commercial advantages, Vol. 2 (Madison, Wisconsin: Brant &amp; Fuller, c1890) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Caldwell J. A., History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio (Wheeling, West Virginia Historical Pub. Co., 1880) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Ohio Indexes at EveryNameIndex.com — Select the county.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records

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

Civil War Civil War service men from Belmont 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 Belmont County.


 * - 98th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies B and E

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 1900's at History Connection —  Select county.
 * 1855-1906 Belmont County Newspapers at OHGenWebArchives
 * Early to late-1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.

Obituaries

 * Index of Obituaries at OHGenWeb; From Belmont County Newspapers

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.
 * 1814-1905 - USGenWeb Archives Belmont

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

 * 1821-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1856 Return of Births for the year ending the first of March 1857 in Goshen Township at Internet Archive
 * 1867-1918 USGenWeb Archive
 * 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.
 * 1800-1958 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1803-1900 Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1898-1912 Ohio Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($); Index
 * 1970-2007 Ohio Marriage Index, 1970, 1972-2007 at Ancestry ($)
 * Belmont County Marriages at Internet Archive Courtesy of OhioGenWeb; most are pre-1900

Death

 * 1833-1967 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1840-2001 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1854–1997 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1856-1857 Return of Deaths In Somerset Twp., Belmont Co. at Internet Archive Courtesy of OhioGenWeb
 * 1908–1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1908–1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 - at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1908-2007 Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($); Index and images
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($); Index

Divorce

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

Archives
Belmont County Records Center & Archives 45240 National Road West St. Clairsville, OH 43950 740-298-8776 Website

Family History Centers

 * New Martinsville West Virginia Family History Center
 * Wintersville Ohio Family History Center
 * Bellaire Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Barnesville Hutton Memorial Library 308 East Main Street P O Box 285 Barnesville, OH 43713-0285 Phone: 740-425-1651 Website

Belmont County District Library 20 James Wright Place Martins Ferry, OH 43935 740-633-0314 Website

Museums
Belmont County Museums 67800 Mall Ring Road c/o Ohio Valley Mall Unit #485 St. Clairsville, OH 43950 740-695-4359 Website

Societies
Belmont County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society P O Box 285 Barnesville, OH 43713-0285 740-425-1760 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
 * Belmont County OHGenWeb
 * US GenWeb Archives
 * Belmont 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.