Jefferson County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
Jefferson County was named for Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, Secretary of State, and Vice President of the United States at the time of the County’s creation. The county is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jefferson County Courthouse 301 Market St Steubenville, OH 43952 Phone: 740-283-8583 Jefferson County Website

Probate Judge has marriage, probate and naturalization records; Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1797; County Recorder has land records from 1797; Board of Health has birth and death records

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

Funeral Homes

 * Clarke Funeral Home, Toronto
 * Everhart-Bove Funeral Home
 * Shorac Funeral Homes
 * Mosti Funeral Home
 * J.E. Foster Funeral Homes

Genealogies

 * Ohio Valley Genealogies : Relating Chiefly to Families in Harrison, Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio and Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania. 1900. By Charles Augustus Hanna. New York : [J.J. Little Co.] Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).

Guardianship

 * early to 1818 DiThomas, Mary E., Court appointed, and chosen guardians from Common Pleas Court journals, Jefferson County, Ohio, to 1818 FS Library US/CAN Book 977.1 A1 no. 271.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Land Records at USGenWeb Ohio Archives - including Grantor and Grantee Indexes, and Deeds

Local Histories

 * Doyle, Joseph B., 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold, 1910). Online at Google Books, FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Andrews, J.H., Centennial Souvenir of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio: 1797-1897, (Apollo, Pennsylvania: Closson Press, 2006) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive
 * Caldwell, J.A., History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio: and incidentally historical collections pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley (Wheeling, West Virginia: Historical Pub. Co., 1880). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books, Hathitrust
 * Caldwell, J.A., Index to J.A. Caldwell's History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, (Salt Lake City, 1975). Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Miligan, T.V., History of Jefferson County, Ohio: An Address Delivered at the Centennial Celebration on 4 July 1876, (Westerville, Ohio: F.J. Milligan, 1993).
 * Doyle, Joseph Beatty., 20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio and Representative Citizens. (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing, 1910). Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Hunter, W.H., The Pathfinders of Jefferson County, Ohio, (Ohio: Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, 1885). Online at Google Books - article in the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society Magazine (click on the first link or go to page 95)
 * Sinclair, Dohrman J., Pioneer Collection of Jefferson County, Ohio, (Stephens City, Virginia: Commercial Press, 1984).
 * Sinclair, Mary Donaldson, Pioneer Days, (Steubenville, Ohio: M.D. Sinclair, 1962) online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Atlas of Jefferson Co., Ohio, from actual surveys by and under the Direction of F.W. Beers. F.W. Beers & Co. (New York) 1871. Online 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.

Civil War Civil War service men from Jefferson 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 Jefferson County.


 * - 98th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies A and D, majority Jefferson County

World War I
 * 1914-1918 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1914-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
 * 1916-1920 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization Records


 * 1903-1925 Naturalization Certificates and index at Jefferson County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Certificates were the final piece of paperwork issued to the individual after completing the naturalization process with the court. The certificate is proof of their naturalization.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1977 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Newspapers

 * 1793-late 1900s at History Connection —  Select county.
 * 1793-2009 Ohio Newspapers, 1793-2009 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * Early-late 1900s Newspapers at Ohio Memory — sort by County, City, Time Period, and more.
 * Newspaper Articles at USGenWeb Ohio Archives
 * The Herald-Star, Steubenville

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, index and images
 * 1797-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1850 Ohio Tax Records, 1800-1850 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 1800-1850 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Birth

 * 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.
 * 1797-1901 Index of Marriages of Jefferson County at USGenWeb Sites Ohio
 * 1800-1942 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.
 * 1800-1958 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.
 * 1908-1932, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1908-1932, 1938–1944, and 1958–2007 at FamilySearch– How to Use this Collection
 * 1913-1944, 1954-1963 Ohio Death Index, 1913-1944, 1954-1963 at MyHeritage ($) — index
 * 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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Wintersville Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Public Library of Steubenville & Jefferson County - an affiliate library

Libraries
Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County Main Library 407 South 4th Street Steubenville, OH 43952 740-282-9782 Email: [mailto:egrubbs@seolibraries.org egrubbs@seolibraries.org] Website

Schiappa Branch-Ohio Room  4141 Mall Dr Steubenville, OH 43952 740-264-6166 Email: [mailto:egrubbs@seolibraries.org egrubbs@seolibraries.org] Website

Museums
Jefferson County Historical Association 426 Franklin Ave Steubenville, OH 4395 740-283-1133 Email: [mailto:jcha4268@gmail.com jcha4268@gmail.com] Website Historic Fort Steuben 120 S 3rd St Steubenville, OH 43952 740-283-1787 Email: [mailto:info@oldfortsteuben.com info@oldfortsteuben.com] Website

Societies
Jefferson County Chapter OGS P O Box 2367 Wintersville, OH 43953 Physical Address: 501 Fifth Street Stratton, OH 43961 740-346-2820 Facebook 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
 * Jefferson County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * OHGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Ohio USGenWeb Archives
 * Ohio Historical Society - Jefferson county
 * – 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.