Adams County, Ohio Genealogy

Guide to Adams County Ohio genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

United States Ohio  Adams County

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Hamilton and Washington counties in 10 July 1797.
 * County Seat: West Union
 * Neighboring Counties: residents may also have records in Lewis County, Kentucky(south)·Scioto(east)·Pike (northeast)·Brown (west)·Mason County, Kentucky (southwest)·Highland (north)

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Adams County boundary changes.

Record Loss
There was a courthouse fire in 1910, resulting in the loss of most of the will books and other probate files, as well as some other records.

Biography
Adams County Biographies for more information.

Cemeteries
Burial Information


 * The Tombstone Transcription Project (Ohio USGenWeb)
 * Digital Images of Adams County, Ohio Gravestones (Search ohiogravestones.org)
 * Adams County Cemeteries (RootsWeb, some broken links but also some good info)
 * Adams County Cemeteries (web content preserved on Archive.org, volunteer transcriptions)
 * Cemeteries of Adams County (FindAGrave)
 * (See Ordering Microfilm to learn more.)
 * Famous Politicians buried in Adams County (PoliticalGraveyard.com)

Cemetery Listings (no burial information)


 * GPS Coordinates for Adams County Cemeteries (GenealogyTrails.com)
 * List of Adams County Cemeteries (Location information at ePodunk. No burial information.)

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

See Ohio Cemeteries for more information.

Census

 * Census Index Online
 * Census for Adams County
 * 1820 United States Federal Census $
 * 1830 United States Federal Census $
 * 1840 United States Federal Census $
 * United States Census 1850
 * United States Census Population Schedules, 1850 (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * United States Census 1860
 * 1860 United States Federal Census $
 * United States Census 1870
 * United States Census 1880 (Index only)
 * 1880 United States Federal Census $
 * United States Census 1900
 * 1910 United States Federal Census $
 * United States Census 1920
 * 1930 United States Federal Census $
 * United States Census 1930

General

 * Adams County, Ohio Churches
 * Topographic Map Church Features in Adams County, Ohio

Court Records

 * Adams County Ohio Court Directory
 * Many Court and Guardianship Records for Adams 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.

Emigration and Immigration
Adam County migration records

Funeral Homes

 * Funeral Homes Near Adams County, Ohio

History
A History of Adams County, Ohio: From Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, 1900. (Internet Archive)

Local Histories

 * A History of Adams County, OhioFrom Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, including, Character Sketches of the Prominent Persons Identified with the First Century of the County's Growth. By Nelson W. Evans and Emmons B. Stivers.
 * Many History Records for Adams 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 . 
 * Adams County Biography (WorldCat)
 * Biographical Index
 * Adams County, Ohio (WikipediA)
 * Historical Collections of Ohio by Henry Howe 1888
 * A Book of Clevelanders
 * Thompson, Carl N., Thompson's Historical Collections of Adams County, Ohio (West Union, Ohio : Adams County Historical Society (Ohio), c1991) {{FHL|381959|item}|disp=FHL 977.186 H2t}}

Land and Property

 * Many Land Records for Adams 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

 * Adams County, Ohio 1895 U. S. Plat Map
 * Adams County, Ohio Map
 * Category: Maps of Adams County, Ohio
 * Map Showing Adams County, Ohio
 * Adams County, Ohio
 * Adams County Map
 * Many Maps for Adams 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.

Revolutionary War

 * Adams County Military in the Revolutionary War
 * Revolutionary Veterans living in Adams County Ohio and Revolutionary Veterans Service Information

War of 1812
War of 1812 Adams County Ohio Veterans

Civil War

 * Civl War Research Database $
 * Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
 * Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

World War I

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

World War II

 * U. S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 $
 * U. S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 $
 * United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 Collection Description: Images of cards for men, age 45-64 (born 1877-1897), included in the fourth draft conducted on Arpil 27, 1942.

Newspapers
Online Newspapers


 * The People's Defender

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * Obituaries and Death Notices

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Probate Records

 * Adams County, Ohio Will Testators
 * Adams County Ohio Will Index prior to 1910


 * 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.

Schools

 * Adams County Schools
 * School Records
 * Many School Records for Adams 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.

Courthouse
Adams County Courthouse 110 W. Main St. West Union, Ohio 45693-1347 Adams County Courthouse (Wikipedia) Phone: 937–544–5547


 * Probate Court has births and deaths 1888-1893, marriages 1803-1853 and from 1910, probate records 1849-1860 and from 1910.
 * Court Clerk has divorces and court records from 1910.
 * County Recorder has land records from 1797.
 * Board of Health has births and deaths from 1908.

Family History Centers
Adams Ohio Family History Center. For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online on the FHC directory.

Libraries

 * Libraries

Societies
The Adams County Historical Society 507 N. Cherry St. West Union, Ohio 45693 Phone: 937-544-8522


 * Adams County Genealogy Genealogical Society West Union, Ohio
 * Ohio Historical Society

Taxation

 * Index to Tax List of 1810 Adams County
 * Tax Records 1816-1838 About this collection

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * Recordings of Births The Adams County, OH Courthouse was destroyed by fire on February 25,1910. All official Probate Court Birth Records were destroyed. Births may be found in the "Adams County,OH Probate Court Assessor Books," (1879 thru 1895) and the "Restored Adams County, OH Board of Health Birth Records," (1857 to 1909).
 * 1800-1962 - Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962 at ancestry.com ($)
 * 1821–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This is an incomplete index of extractions of original records and of patron-submitted records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. Information may have been previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * 1856–1909 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. The collection includes a name index and images of county birth records in Ohio. The time period and type of record varies by county.
 * 1908-1964 - Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1964 at ancestry.com ($)

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1789–1994 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Name index and images of county marriage records acquired from local courthouses.
 * 1800-1945 - Marriages of Adams County, Ohio and Marriage Data - Adams County Ohio 1800-1945
 * 1800–1958 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free; Index. Name index to marriage records from the state of Ohio. Microfilm copies of these records are available at the Family History Library and FamilySearch Centers. Due to privacy laws, recent records may not be displayed. The year range represents most of the records. A few records may be earlier or later.
 * 1803-1900 - Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900 at ancestry.com ($)
 * 1896 - 1896 Marriage License Issued
 * 1898-1912 - Ohio Marriages at ancestry.com ($)
 * 1970-2007 - Ohio Marriage Index, 1970, 1972-2007 at ancestry.com ($)

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

MARRIAGE IN ADAMS COUNTY OHIO: The first law regulating marriages in the Territory was published in the fall of 1788, at Marietta.


 * Section 1. Provided that males of the age of fourteen, and not prohibited by the laws of God, might be joined in marriages.
 * Section 2. Provided that any of the Judges of the General Court or Common Pleas or ministers of any religious society within the district in which they resided, might solemnize marriages.
 * Section 3. Provided that before being joined in marriage, the parties should give notice of their intentions by having them proclaimed the preceding Sabbath in their congregation ; or notices in writing under the hand and seal of one of the Judges before mentioned, or a Justice of the Peace of the county, and posted in some public place in the town where the parties respectively resided ; or a license might be obtained from the Governor, under his hand and seal, authorizing the marriage without the publication aforesaid.

A supplementary act was passed August I, 1792, empowering every Justice of the Peace to solemnize marriages in their respective counties, after publication aforesaid, or upon license.

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1889 Adams County Adult Deaths: 1889 Courtesy OhioGenWeb
 * 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, 1958-2002 Ohio Deaths, 1908-1932-, 1938-1944, 1958-2002 - Ancestry ($)
 * 1909 Adams County Deaths 1909 Courtesy Genealogy Trails
 * 1913-1937 Adams County Death Index 1913-1937 Courtesy OhioGenWeb
 * Adams County Social Security Index Rootsweb

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Web Sites

 * Ohio Digital Collections statewide database links
 * OHGenWeb - Adams County
 * UsGenWeb - -Adams County
 * Genealogy Trails, Adams County, Ohio
 * Ohio Genealogy Express
 * Ohio Genealogy Express

Populated Places

 * Place Names