Ross County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Ross 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 Adams and Washington Counties in 1798.
 * County Seat: Chillicothe

Description
The county was named for Federalist Senator James Ross of Pennsylvania. It's county seat is Mansfield and was founded August 20, 1798. It is located in the Southcentral 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
Pickaway County • Hocking County • Vinton County • Jackson County • Pike County • Highland County • Fayette County

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.

Bible Records
Ross County, Ohio family Bible records, vol. 1

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


 * Cemetery Index Ohio Genealogy Express
 * Cemeteries of Ross County Linkpendium
 * Many Cemetery Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Census and Directories

 * Census
 * Census Records
 * Ross County Ohio Census
 * U. S. City Directories(Chillicothe) $
 * Canton, Ohio 1914 City Directory
 * 1820 United States Census $
 * 1830 United States Census $
 * 1840 United States Census $
 * United States Census (Mortality) 1850
 * U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 $
 * United States Census, 1850
 * United States Census 1850
 * United States Census, 1860
 * United States Census 1860
 * 1860 United States Census$
 * United States Census, 1870
 * United States Census 1870
 * United States Census, 1880 (Index only)
 * United States Census 1880
 * 1880 United States Census $
 * United States Census, 1900
 * United States Census 1900
 * 1910 United States Census $
 * United States Census 1910
 * United States Census, 1920
 * United States Census 1920
 * 1930 United States Census$
 * 1930 Census of Merchant Seamen $
 * The 1803 Census Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.
 * Many City Directories Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Church Records

 * Bible &amp; Church Records
 * Churches
 * Ross County, Ohio Churches
 * Topographic Map Church Features in Ross County, Ohio
 * Many Church Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Court Records

 * Gateways to the West$ (Includes Territorial Court Order Book, 1798-1799, 1799-1800, Index to Estates and Guardianships 1797-1820).
 * Many Court Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups

 * Many Minority Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Funeral Homes

 * Funeral Homes in Ross County, Ohio

Local Histories

 * Bennett, Henry Holcomb, The County of Ross: A History of Ross County, Ohio, From the Earliest Days, (Madison, Wisconsin: S.A. Brant, 1902). Digital copy at Google Books Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Evans, Lyle S., A Standard History of Ross County, Ohio: An Authentic Narrative of the Past, with Particular Attention to the Modern Era in the Commercial, Industrial, Civic and Social Development, (Baltimore, Maryland: Gateway Press, 1987). Digital copy at Google Books Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Finley, Isaac J. and Rufus Putnam, Pioneer Record and Reminiscences of the Early Settlers and Settlement of Ross County, Ohio, (Cincinnati, Ohio: Robert Clarke, 1871). Digital copy at Internet Archive


 * History of Ross and Highland Counties Ohio, (Cleveland, Ohio: Williams Bros., 1880). Digital copy


 * Perkins, George, Pioneer Sketches, Life in the Northwest Territory and Ross County, Ohio: 1600s-1896, (Chillicothe, Ohio: Ross County Genealogical Society, 1999).


 * Articles &amp; Stories
 * Biographies
 * Histories
 * Biographiesextracted from The County of Ross: by Henry Holcomb Bennett 1902
 * County History
 * Biographical Sketches
 * Many History Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Land and Property

 * Land Records
 * Land Patent Search
 * U. S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 $
 * Many Land Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Maps

 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
 * Ross County Ohio Maps
 * Map of Ross County Ohio With Municipal and Township Labels
 * Many Maps for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Military

 * 1888-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

General

 * Many Military Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.
 * Military Records
 * Military Records for Ohio Counties

Civil War

 * Civil War service men from Ross 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 Ross County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Ohio Cavalry, Company M
 * - 1st Regiment, Ohio Heavy Artillery, Company B
 * -106th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company F

World War I

 * World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 ($)

World War II

 * United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
 * U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 ($)
 * Ross County, Ohio World War II Casualties Army and Air Force

Naturalization and Citizenships

 * 1800-1977 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Naturalization at RootsWeb
 * Many Naturalization and Citizenship Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.

Newspapers
Online Newspapers


 * Obituaries
 * Chillicothe Gazette

OnlineNewspaperAbstracts


 * Bainbridge Banter $
 * Obituary Collection: Chillicothe Gazette $
 * Obituary Index, Ross County, Ohio

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

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.
 * Many Probate Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.
 * Wills and Probate Records

Courthouse
Ross County Courthouse 2 N Paint Street Chillicothe, OH 45601 Phone: 740.702.3085

Probate Judge has birth, marriage, death and probate records; Clerk Court has divorce records from late 1800’s and court records; County Recorder has land records

Family History Centers

 * Chillicothe Ohio 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

 * Ross County Libraries

Societies
Ross County, Ohio Genealogical Society PO Box 6352 Chillicothe, OH 45601-6352 Telephone: 740-773-2715 Email:[mailto:rcgs@bright.net rcgs@bright.net] Website

Ross County Heritage Center 45 West Fifth Street Chillicothe, Ohio 45601 Telephone:740-773-1896 Library Society 740-772-1936 Email:[mailto:info@rosscountyhistorical.org info@rosscountyhistorical.org] Website

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

Schools

 * Schools
 * Ross County School Districts

Taxation

 * Ohio Tax Records 1816-1838

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1800-1962 - Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at ancestry.com ($)
 * Birth Records 1867-1908
 * 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1789-2013 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1798-1849 - Marriages 1798-1849
 * 1800-1958 - at FamilySearch — free; Index.
 * 1800-1942 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1803-1900 - Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900 $
 * Orena V. Grant genealogical collection at ancestry.com ($)
 * Marriage Records
 * at Ross County, Ohio marriage records at at ancestry.com ($)

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm


 * Many Divorce Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see

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.
 * 1908-1932, 1938-1944, 2002 - Ohio Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 2002 $
 * Death Records
 * Gateway to the West$ (Marriages from 1798-1809)
 * Many Vital Records for Ross County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see.
 * Orena V. Grant genealogical collection at ancestry.com ($)

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Websites

 * Ross County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Ross 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. *Search This Site
 * Ohio Genealogy Express
 * Ross County, Ohio Chamber of Commerce
 * Ross County, Ohio Genealogy Trails
 * Ross County, Ohio Genealogy Forum
 * Cyndi's List
 * Records ProjectRoss County Public Record Information Online
 * WikipediA Ross County, Ohio
 * Profile for Ross County, Ohio
 * Profile for Ross County, Ohio