Butler County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
Butler County was named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 fighting Indians in northern Ohio. The county is located in the western area of the state.

County Courthouse
Butler County Courthouse 101 High St. Hamilton, Ohio 45011-2732 Phone: 513-887-3000 Butler County Website

County Health Department has birth and death records. Probate Judge has marriage and probate records. Court Clerk has divorce and court records. County Auditor has land 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

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
 * Hamilton

Directories

 * Rural Directory, Butler County, 1932-1934 at The Lane Libraries

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Bureau of Land Management index at OHGenWeb Archives
 * 1836 Butler County 1836 land ownership maps at OHGenWeb

Local Histories

 * A History and biographical cyclopaedia of Butler County, Ohio: with illustrations and sketches of its representative men and pioneers (Cincinnati, Ohio: Western Biographical Pub. Co., 1882) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Bartlow, Bert S., Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio ([Indianapolis, Ind.] B. F. Bowen &amp; Co., 1905) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940) at MapofUS.org
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * Butler County, Ohio Veteran Search at Soldiers, Sailors, and Pioneers Monument, Butler County
 * Veteran Searches: Military Discharge (DD214) at Butler County Recorder

 Spanish-American War
 * Karl W. Heiser. Hamilton in the war of 98 : a complete history of Hamilton in the Spanish-American war : illustrated. Hamilton, Ohio : Republican Pub. Co., 1899. FS Library Digital Images

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.
 * 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Early to late-1900's Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
 * Newspaper Articles at OHGenWeb Archives

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.
 * 1811-1869 Wills at OHGenWeb Archives

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Birth

 * 1800-1962 Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1821-1962 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1841-2003 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry ($); index
 * 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 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.
 * 1970-2003 Ohio, Marriages, 1970 - 2003 at MyHeritage ($); index

Death

 * 1765-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images; selected counties, incomplete; includes, death, church, and cemetery records
 * 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.
 * 1908–1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1908–1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 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
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index at Ohio History Connection
 * 1918-1953 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Divorce

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

Archives
Butler County Records Center and Archives 123 North Third St Hamilton, Ohio 45011 513-887-3437 Website

FamilySearch Centers

 * Fairfield/Hamilton Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Middletown Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Oxford Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * West Chester Ohio FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Hamilton Lane Library 300 North Third Street Hamilton, Ohio 45011 513 894-7156 Website Smith Library of Regional History A Department of the Oxford Lane Public Library 441 S. Locust Street Oxford, Ohio 45056 513 523-3035 Website MidPointe Library - Middletown 125 South Broad Street Middletown, Ohio 45044 513-424-1251 Website Midpointe Library System Genealogy Collection

Museums
Middletown Historical Society Canal Museum 1605 North Verity Parkway Middletown, Ohio 513 422-7161 Website
 * Located along the historic route of the Miami-Erie Canal, the Canal Museum, a relocated lock tenders house, offers Middletown and Miami-Erie Canal history through artifacts, photographs, and videos.

Monroe Historical Society Museum Main and Elm Streets Monroe, Ohio 45050 513 539-7310 Website
 * The Museum houses many displays and artifacts depicting the history of Monroe, platted in 1817, and the surrounding area.

Trenton Historical Society Museum 17-A East State Street Trenton, Ohio 45067 513 988-9634
 * The Museum, located in the circa 1890 Adam Shafer house, displays exhibits relating to the development of Trenton, platted 1816, and the surrounding area.

Chrisholm Historic Farmstead 2070 Woodside Road Hamilton, Ohio 513 867-5835 Website
 * This home was built in 1830 by Christian Augspurger, leader of the local Amish-Mennonite settlement. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1873 with the present brick farmhouse being built by Samuel Augspurger in 1874.

Butler County Historical Society Benninghofen House 327 North Second Street Hamilton, Ohio 45011 513 896-9930 Website
 * This is the restored mansion of Hamilton industrialist, John Benninghofen. The Italianate style structure was the home of Benninghofen family members from 1874-1947. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Societies
Butler County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society P.O. Box 13006 Hamilton, Ohio 45013 Email:[mailto:BCOGS@butlercountyogs.org BCOGS@butlercountyogs.org] Website Butler County Historical Society 327 North Second Street Hamilton, Ohio 45011 513-896-9930 Email:[mailto:bcomuseum@fuse.net bcomuseum@fuse.net] Website Butler-Warren County African American Historical Society 4521 Poppy Drive P.O. Box 715 Middletown, Ohio 513-424-1791 Southwest Butler County Genealogical Society P. O. Box 243 Hamilton, Ohio 45012 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
 * Butler County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * Butler County Rootsweb site at Rootsweb
 * Butler County GenWeb
 * Butler County USGenWeb Archives
 * – 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.