Perry County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

Perry County, Ohio Record Dates

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Fairfield, Muskingum, and Washington Counties 26 December 1817.
 * County Seat: New Lexington

Description
The county was named for Oliver Hazard Perry, a hero of the War of 1812. It's county seat is New Lexington and was founded December 26, 1817. It is located in the Central 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
Licking County •  Muskingum County  •  Morgan County  •  Athens County  •  Hocking County  •  Fairfield 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.

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


 * St. Joseph's Cemetery, old section. Compilation of several records for the old section of St. Joseph's Cemetery, the most well-known Catholic Cemetery in Perry County. Copiled on geneocity.com.
 * Perry County, Ohio Cemeteries. A listing of all of the cemeteries in Perry County, Ohio with maps, driving directions and a local area search function.

Census

 * United States Census Mortality Schedules, 1850 - FamilySearch Historical Records.
 * United States Census Slave Schedule, 1850 - FamilySearch Historical Records.
 * United States Census 1850.
 * United States Census 1860.
 * United States Census 1870.
 * United States Census 1880.
 * United States Census 1900.

Church Records

 * Perry County, Ohio Churches.

Catholic records for Perry County are in the Diocese of Columbus archives. On their website, they introduce the Catholic Record Society, a group that has published a monthly journal since 1975 called The Barquilla. This journal contains articles as well as transcriptions of records (e.g. christenings, marriages, burial records). There is a subject index that allows you to identify which journal contains information you are looking for, and an issues listing, which provides links to issues of the journal from 1975 on. Anything located in Volumes I-XXIV (1975-1999) can be accessed for free. If you find articles of interest in issues after 1999, you can order them for $1 each.

Court Records
1818-1868 Perry County, Ohio Bond Book.

Local Histories

 * Martzolff, Clement Luther, History of Perry County, Ohio, (New Lexington, Ohio: Ward and Weiland, 1902). Digital copy at: Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($)(Indexed);


 * Graham, A.A., History of Fairfield and Perry Counties, Ohio: Their Past and Present, (Chicago, Illinois: W. H. Beers and Co., 1883). Digital copy at Google Books, Internet Archive, FamilySearch Digital Library,


 * The Book of Perry County, An Historic Industrial Portfolio, published 1909.
 * Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio, The Ohio Centennial Edition, Copyright 1888.
 * Ohio Township Resource Book... Section 1: Township Level Population Characteristics and Trends 1960-2000.
 * Thornville's First 150 Years 1811-1961, The Sequicentennial Program, 16 pages.
 * The History of Thornville, Thornport and Area, Ohio Published in 1977 by "The Thornville History Committee" 72 pages.
 * Shawnee Souvenir Album 1953, Ohio Sesqucentennial 1853-1953, 32 pages.

Land and Property
Many Land records for Perry 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 thier holdings, see the from their catalog.

Maps
and the towns of Crossenville, New Reading and Somerset.
 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
 * 1846 Plat Maps Plat Maps for 1846 are available only for Jackson and Reading Townships
 * 1859 Plat Maps.
 * 1875 Plat Mapsof Thorn, Hopewell, Madion Township.
 * 1935 Plat Maps.
 * 1974 Perry County, Ohio Plat Maps.
 * Map of Ohio highlighting Perry County.

Military

 * 1888-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Civil War service men from Lucas 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 Lucas County.


 * 17th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company E
 * 30th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company D
 * 31st Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and G
 * 90th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company H
 * 114th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies F, G, and I
 * 126th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company K
 * 129th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Company K

Roster of Ohio Soldiers 1861-1866. War of the Rebellion Volume III, 21st-36th Reg'ts. Infantry.


 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System.

World War I

 * 1914-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1916-1920 - at FamilySearch — index

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1977 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Online Newspapers


 * Perry County Tribune.

Online Newspaper Abstracts 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 Perry 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 thier holdings, see the from their catalog.

Courthouse
Perry County Courthouse 105 North Main Street New Lexington, OH 43764-1241 Phone: 740.342.1022 Probate Court has birth and death records from 1867, marriage records from 1818 and probate records; County Recorder has land records

The County was named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of the War of 1812. Perry County is one of the 88 counties in Ohio.

Family History Centers

 * Zanesville 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.

Societies
Perry County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society.

Perry County, Ohio Historical Society.

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

 * 1800-1950 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Perry County, Ohio 1819 Tax Record.
 * 1828 Perry County, Ohio Tax Duplicate.

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1841-2003 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * Perry County, Ohio Birth Index 1; 1867-1908.


 * Perry County, Ohio Birth Index 2; 1908-1950.
 * 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)

Original Birth Records on Microfilm


 * Early Baptismal Records from St. Joseph's near Somerset (1818-1834)

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1789-2013 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1800-1958 - at FamilySearch — free; Index.


 * 1800-1942 - at FamilySearch — index


 * 1818-1686 - Perry County, Ohio Marriage Index 1; 1818-1868.

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm
 * 1915-1986 - Perry County, Ohio Marriage Index 2; 1915-1986.
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($) — index

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 . 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.
 * Ohio Vital Record Batch Numbers by County.

Many vital records for Perry 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 thier holdings, see the from their catalog.
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Websites

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