Washington County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from unorganized land in 1788.
 * County Seat: Marietta

Description
The county was named for George Washington. It's county seat is Marietta and was founded 1788. It is located in the Southeast area of the state.

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:

Neighboring Counties
Monroe County • Noble County • Morgan County • Athens County • Wood County, West Virginia • Pleasants County, West Virginia • Tyler County, West Virginia

Boundary changes
For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1940) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.


 * Cemeteries Ohio Genealogy
 * Ohio Cemetery Records $

Census and Directories

 * Census Index
 * U. S. City Directories for Marietta $

Church Records

 * The Parish Register of St. Luke's Church Burials
 * The Parish Register of St. Luke's Church Baptisms
 * Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy. Vol. IV: (Ohio Monthly Meetings) $

Court Records

 * 1810 - 1930 at FamilySearch — images

Funeral Homes

 * Marietta Times $

History

 * Andrews, Israel Ward, Washington County, and the Early Settlement of Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: P. G. Thomson, 1877). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Hildreth, Samuel P., Biographical and Historical Memoirs of the Early Pioneer Settlers of Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: H.W. Derby, 1852). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Dennis, James L., Washington's Darker Brother: One Hundred Years of Black History in Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1888, (Parkersburg, West Virginia: J.L. Dennis, 1986).


 * History of Washington County, Ohio, (Cleveland: H. Z. Williams &amp; Bros., 1881). Digital copy at Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Jordan, Wayne, The People of Ohio's First County, (Dayton, Ohio : Wright State University, 1989).


 * Andrews, Martin R., History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Biographical Pub. Co., 1902). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive


 * Creigh, Alfred, History of Washington County: From Its First Settlement to the Present Time, (B. Singerly, 1871). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive

Land and Property

 * Locations in Washington County
 * Washington County Land Records
 * Bureau of Land Management-General Land Office Records

Maps

 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
 * Washington County Maps
 * Maps and Gazetteers

Military

 * 1888-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

War of 1812

 * Martin, Eleanor, Veterans, War of 1812 (Ohio, E. Martin 1992) page 34 FHL Book 977.1 A1

Civil War
Civil War service men from Washington 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 Washington County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Company L
 * - 36th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A, F, and G


 * Sams, Catherine J. (Catherine Jean Lewis). 1890 census, veterans &amp; widows of the Civil War, Washington County, Ohio. (Caldwell, Ohio : F &amp; L Enterprises, 1989)
 * MIlitary Records for Ohio Counties
 * Daughters of the American Revolution. Marietta Chapter (Marietta, Ohio). Revolutionary soldiers buried in Washington County, Ohio : containing military records and short history of lives. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973.  
 * Civil War - Fallen Soldiers From Washington County, Ohio. Taken from The History of Washington Co., Ohio 1778-1881 by H. Z. Williams    (Partial List - 624 Names)
 * 1890 Census for Civil War Veterans &amp; Widows - Duhham Twp, Washington County, Ohio

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1977 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Online Newspapers


 * NewsandSentinel

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * Old Marietta Papers
 * Marietta Register
 * Obituaries and Death Notices
 * The Marietta Register
 * Marietta College Special Collections

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Obituaries

 * 1884-2013 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Obituaries and Death Notices

Probate
Online Probate Records
 * 1786-1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1789-1996 at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1790-1967 - at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection consists of probate records and estate files from county courthouses in Ohio. The content and time period varies by county, with more records being added as they become available. This Collection will include records from 1789 to 1996. Currently, (September 2012) the collection is only searchable by browsing the images. A list of Fires that have destroyed records in the courthouses of several counties are listed on the Record Description page.
 * Abstracts of wills and administrations of estates of Washington County, Ohio at Ancestry.com ($) Abstract
 * Abstract of Probate records, Washington County, Ohio at Ancestry.com($) abstract
 * Abstracts of Wills Administrations
 * Washington County Wills Estates
 * Abstract of Probate Records, Washington County, Ohio $
 * Abstract of Probate Records, Washington County, Ohio: Wills, Estates and Guardianships (1789-1855) $
 * Gateway to The West, Vol. II $

Courthouse
Washington County Courthouse 205 Putnam Street Marietta, OH 45740 Phone: 740.373.6623 Probate Judge has birth and death records from 1867 marriage and probate records from 1789 Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 17 County recorder has land records Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Washington County, Ohio. Page 546 ;.

Family History Centers

 * Parkersburg West Virginia Family History Center

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the FHC directory. Put your town name in the top search box.

Libraries

 * Washington County Public Libraries

Museums

 * The Henry Fearing House Museum
 * Ohio River Museum

Societies
Washington County Chapter Ohio Genealogical Society PO Box 2174 Marietta, OH 45750 Website

Washington County Historical Society P.O. Box 103 Marietta, OH 45750 Email:[mailto:WCHS WCHS] Telephone: 740-373-1788 Website
 * Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen Organized to perpetuate the memory of pioneer rivermen and river history. (Not a lineage-based organization)
 * The Ohio Historical Society Campus Martius
 * The Castle

Online Genealogy Research Groups

 * U.S. Midwest Genealogy Research Community - FamilySearch Facebook Research Group
 * Ohio Ancestors - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join
 * U.S. and Canada Genealogy Research - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join
 * U.S. and Canada Genealogy Research - FamilySearch Community group, must have a free FamilySearch account to join

Taxation

 * 1800–1850 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. Name index of tax records as recorded with the County Auditor of each county. Entries are recorded in voucher books, one person per page. The majority of the tax records in this collection are for the years 1816 through 1838. Currently (September 2012) this collection is 17% complete. Additional records will be added as they are completed.

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1789-2013 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1789-1882 - Marriages 1789-1882
 * 1800-1958 - at FamilySearch — free; Index.
 * 1800-1942 - at FamilySearch — index

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1840-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953. Free name indexes and images at FamilySearch. Records include such information as birth date of deceased, city, county, and state of death, name of spouse if married, names of parents, maiden name of mother, name of informant, if deceased was single, married, windowed or divorced, occupation of deceased.

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Websites

 * Washington County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Washington County OH Genealogy
 * Ohio Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Genealogy Trails
 * Genealogy Trails