Ohio Archives and Libraries

United States Ohio  Archives and Libraries

These repositories preserve sources, maintain indexes, and provide services to help genealogists document their ancestors who lived in Ohio.

Wiki Articles on Major Repositories in Ohio
Ohio History Connection· Ohio Genealogical Society· State Library of Ohio· Dayton Metro Library· Ohio University Alden Library· Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County· Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County· Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center· Toledo‑Lucas County Public Library· Western Reserve Historical Society· National Archives Great Lakes Region (Chicago)· Allen County Public Library· Newberry Library

Statewide Repositories

 * Andrea D. Lentz, and Sara S. Fuller, eds., A Guide to Manuscripts at the Ohio Historical Society (Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Historical Society, 1972). Digital version ;.
 * Suzanne Wolfe Mettle, et al., comps. Genealogical Researcher's Manual with Special References for Using the Ohio Historical Society Library (Columbus, Ohio: Franklin County Chapter, Ohio Genealogical Society, 1981). ;.

Ohio Genealogical Society 611 State Route 97 West Bellville OH 44813-8813 Telephone: (419) 886-1903 Fax: 419-886-0092 E-mail: [mailto:ogs@ogs.org ogs@ogs.org] Internet: Ohio Genealogical Society


 * They have the best collection of family folders in Ohio. They also have county record guides, biographies, genealogies and some unique indexes to various Ohio records.

State Library of Ohio 274 East First Avenue Columbus, OH 43201 Telephone: 614-644-7061 Fax: 614-644-7004 E-mail: [mailto:refhelp@library.ohio.gov refhelp@library.ohio.gov] Internet: State Library of Ohio


 * This collection contains good records of Ohio, and of states like Pennsylvania, New York, and the states of New England which all contributed early immigrants to Ohio.


 * The State Library of Ohio's genealogy collection is now housed at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. SLO still has the State of Ohio Government Documents Collection which may have genealogical content.


 * Petta Khouw, and Ohio State Library, County by County in Ohio Genealogy (Columbus, Ohio: The State Library, 1978). Digital version. ;

Regional Repositories
Bowling Green State University Jerome Library Center for Archival Collections Bowling Green, OH 43403-0001 Telephone: 419-372-2411 E-mail: [mailto:archive@bgsu.edu archive@bgsu.edu] Internet: Center for Archival Collections Internet: Historical Collections of the Great Lakes


 * Has manuscripts, the Historical Collection of the Great Lakes, Rare Books and Special Collections, and local records of nineteen counties in northwest Ohio.

Dayton Metro Library Main Branch 215 E. Third Street Dayton, OH 45402 Telephone: 937-463-BOOK E-mail: E-mail reference question form Internet: Dayton Metro Library


 * The Dayton Room  has one of Ohio's best genealogical collections including books, periodicals, indexes, genealogies, and biographies.

Erie Lackawanna Historical Society Archives Cleveland State University 1860 East 22nd St, Rhodes Tower, RM 321A Cleveland Ohio 44115-2214 Telephone: 216-687-2449, or 216-687-2520 E-mail: [mailto:l.duchez@csuohio.eduCleveland l.duchez@csuohio.eduCleveland] Internet: Erie Lackawanna Historical Society
 * History of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, Erie Railroad, Erie Lackawanna Railway and related lines. No employee records.

Ohio University Alden Library Ohio University, Archives and Special Collections Athens, OH 45701-2978 Telephone: 740-593-2699 Fax: 740-593-2708 Internet: Archives and Special Collections Internet: Alden Library


 * Their excellent manuscript collection includes church records, and business records. They also have county histories, biographies, and newspapers. It is like a second state archives.

Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County 800 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH, 45202 Telephone: 513-369-6900 E-mail: Ask a reference question form Internet: Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County


 * A top genealogy and local history collection of early Ohio sources. This includes the Inland Rivers Library  of the Ohio River and its tributaries (riverboat traffic between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Louisville, Kentucky) in Special Collections.

Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County 305 Wick Ave. Youngstown, OH 44503 Telephone: 330-744-8636 Reference Fax: 330-744-3355 E-mail: E-mail reference question form Internet: Genealogy and Local History


 * They have a good solid genealogy collection with oral histories, state and county histories, biographies, and genealogies. Youngstown was a portal for immigrants from Pennsylvania and New England entering Ohio.

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Spiegel Grove Fremont, OH 43420-2796 Telephone: 800-998-7737, ext. 231 Fax: 419-332-4952 E-mail: [mailto:bhill@rbhayes.org bhill@rbhayes.org] Internet: Hayes Research Library


 * President Hayes' personal collection is strong on Ohio history, as well as Sandusky River and Great Lakes history, U.S. history and Black studies. The Hayes family history including many manuscripts are kept here.

Toledo‑Lucas County Public Library Main Library 325 Michigan Street Toledo, Ohio 43604 Telephone: genealogy 419-259-5233, or general 419-259-5200 Email: Contact us e-mail form Internet: Local History and Genealogy


 * This is the place to come if you are looking for early Ohio settlers who entered Ohio via the Great Lakes and Toledo. They have Great Lakes traffic records.

University of Cincinnati Blegen Library Archives and Rare Books Library P.O. Box 210113 2602 McMicken Circle Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0113 Telephone: 513-556-1959 Fax: 513-556-2113 E-mail: [mailto:archives@ucmail.uc.edu archives@ucmail.uc.edu ] Internet: University of Cincinnati Archives Department


 * Cincinnati births and deaths 1865-1912, morgue records 1887-1930, German-Americana, urban studies, and the Ohio Network Collection.

Western Reserve Historical Society 10825 East Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44106-1788 Telephone: 216-721-5722 x1509 Fax: 216-721-0645 E-mail: [mailto:reference@wrhs.org reference@wrhs.org] Internet: Family History and Genealogical Research


 * The Western Reserve was a large part of Ohio at first intended for settlement by Connecticut Revolutionary War refugees. The Research Library at the Western Reserve Historical Society History Center  is the premier repository for Cleveland, Ohio and the Connecticut Western Reserve  history material. This important collection includes original land records, as well as many genealogies, biographies, histories, and Bibles from Pennsylvania and New England. Includes over 20 million manuscripts for genealogical research and northeast Ohio history. They have the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of Shaker materials. Other important collections include the American Civil War, and the automotive industry.


 * Kermit J. Pike, A Guide to the Manuscripts and Archives of the Western Reserve Historical Society (Cleveland, Ohio: Western Reserve Historical Society, 1972). ;.
 * Western Reserve Historical Society. History Library. Card Catalog to the Manuscripts Collection in the Library of the Western Reserve Historical Society (Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1974). ;.

Wright State University Dunbar Library Special Collections and Archives 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy Dayton, OH 45435-0001 Telephone: 937-775-2092 Fax: 937-775-4109 E-mail: [mailto:archives@www.libraries.wright.edu archives@www.libraries.wright.edu] Internet: Genealogy


 * Books, maps, census records, and other research materials for the eleven counties including churches, labor unions, businesses, social and welfare agencies, women's organizations, papers of private individuals and public officials, photos, published and unpublished family histories.

Ohio Network of American History Research Centers These six regional history centers collect Ohio records such as newspapers, printed materials, and local government records:


 * University of Akron Libraries
 * University of Cincinnati Libraries see above
 * Ohio History Connection see above
 * Western Reserve Historical Society see above
 * Wright State University Library see above
 * Youngstown Historical Center of Industry and Labor


 * An inventory of each center's holdings is: Ohio Historical Society, Abstract of Ohio County Inventory, 1803-1977. Columbus, OH: OHS, 1977..

Ethnic and Religious Repositories
American Jewish Archives 3101 Clifton Ave Cincinnati, OH 45220 Telephone: 513-2211875 Fax 513-221-7812 Internet: Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives

Archdiocese of Cincinnati 212 East Eighth Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Telephone: 513-621-2086 E-mail: Contact us Internet: Archdiocese of Cincinnati Archive

Archives of Ohio United Methodists Ohio Wesleyan University Beeghly Library 43 Rowland Ave Delaware, OH 43015 Telephone: 740-368-3285 E-mail: [mailto:aoum@owu.edu aoum@owu.edu] Internet: Archives of Ohio United Methodism

Irish American Archives Society Collection at the Western Reserve Historical Society. Internet: Irish American Archives Society.

Mennonite Historical Collections Bluffton University Mussellman Library 280 W College Ave Bluffton, OH 45817 Telephone: 419-358-3251 Internet: Mennonite Historical Collections

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 50 East Freedom Way Cincinnati OH 45202-3913 Telephone: 513-333-7654 E-mail: [mailto:OH_freedomcenter@ldsmail.net OH_freedomcenter@ldsmail.net]. Internet: Genealogy at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center


 * The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is more a museum (few original manuscripts) than an archives. However, it has a Family History Center for ordering microfilms, and Ancestry.com access on the Internet.

Palatines to America German Genealogy Society Resource Center PO Box 141260 Columbus, Ohio 43214 Telephone: 614-267-4700 E-mail: Contact us e-mail form Internet: Palatines to America German Genealogy Society


 * They have an extensive collection of German immigrant ancestor files. Their book collection is at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

Shakers see the Western Reserve Historical Society  above.

Outside of Ohio Repositories
National Archives at Chicago 7358 S. Pulaski Rd. Chicago, IL 60629-5898 Phone: (773)948-9001 Fax: (773)948-9050 E-mail: [mailto:chicago.archives@nara.gov chicago.archives@nara.gov] Internet: http://www.archives.gov/chicago/


 * Includes federal censuses 1790–1930; selected military service indexes, pension indexes, passenger lists, and naturalizations. Free computers for Ancestry, Heritage Quest, or Fold3. Federal agency, civil, and criminal court records of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Allen County Public Library 900 Library Plaza Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802 Telephone: 260-421-1225 E-mail: [mailto:genealogy@acpl.info genealogy@acpl.info] Internet: Genealogy Center ACPL


 * This is the second-largest genealogy collection in the United States and the largest genealogy collection in a public library. Its holdings include more than 350,000 printed volumes and 513,000 items on microfilm and microfiche. It has a premier genealogical periodical collection, local histories, genealogies, databases, military, censuses, directories, passenger lists, ethnic sources, and Canadians. They have a great Ohio collection.

Newberry Library 60 West Waltron Street Chicago, IL 60610 Telephone: 312-255-3512 Email: [mailto:genealogy@newberry.org reference@newberry.org.]


 * A large Chicago repository with genealogies, local histories, censuses, military, land, indexes, vital records, court, and tax records many from Ohio, the Mississippi Valley, eastern seaboard, Canada, and the British Isles.

Guides

 * David R. Larson, ed., Guide to Manuscript Collections and Institutional Records in Ohio, ((S.l.) : Society of Ohio Archivists, 1974). ;.
 * Paul D. Yon, Guide to Ohio County and Municipal Records for Urban Research. (Columbus, Ohio : Ohio Historical Society, 1973). ;.
 * Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, Directory of Museums, Historical Societies, and Associated Organizations in Ohio (Granville, Ohio : Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, 1981). ;.

Almost every county in Ohio has a branch of the OGS that actively collects, preserves, and publishes local records. There are many other societies in Ohio proactive in promoting research.

To find other repositories of Ohio records, see also:


 * United States Archives and Libraries
 * Ohio Societies.