Hancock County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Hancock County, Ohio Record Dates

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Logan County 12 February 1820.
 * County Seat: Findlay

Description
The county was named for John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. It's county seat is Findlay and was founded 12 February 1820. It is located in the Northwestern 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
Henry County •  Wood County  •  Secena County  •  Wyandot County  •  Hardin County  •  Allen County  •  Putnam County

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Ohio county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Ohio County Boundary Maps" (1788-1888) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Bible Records
For an extensive list of resources for Bible Records see Ohio Bible Records.

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

Catholic

 * 1796–2004 - at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This collection includes images of parish registers recording the events of baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and death in the Diocese of Toledo (Ohio), Roman Catholic Church. These records are accessed by browsing the images by county. In addition to traditional parish registers, this collection includes miscellaneous cemetery records, Books of the Elect, Professions of Faith, Sick Call registers, etc.

Local Histories

 * Beardsley, D.B., History of Hancock County, Ohio: from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, (Springfield, Ohio: Republic Print Co., 1881). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Brown, Robert C., History of Hancock County, Ohio: Containing a History of the County, Its Townships, Towns, (Chicago, Illinois: Warner, Beers and Co., 1886). Digital copy at Google Books Internet Archive Ancestry ($)(Indexed)


 * Kimmell, J.A., Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1910). Digital copy at Google Books

Land and Property

 * 1790-1907 - Bureau of Land Management records Courtesy OhioGenWeb

Maps

 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Military

 * 1888-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Civil War
Civil War service men from Hancock 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 Hancock County.


 * -99th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and G
 * -Jacob A. Spaythe includes history Hancock County Companies in History of Hancock county, Ohio (1903)

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 Online Newspaper Abstracts Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

USGenWeb Ohio Newspapers

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.
 * various years - community contributed wills Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Courthouse
Hancock County Courthouse 300 S Main Street Findlay, OH 45840-3345 Phone: 419.424.3911 County Recorder has land records; Probate Judge has birth, marriage, death and probate

Family History Centers

 * Lima Ohio Family History Center
 * Findlay 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.

Libraries
Findlay Hancock County Public Library 206 Broadway Street Findlay, OH 45840 419-422-1712(voice) 419-422-0638 (fax)


 * Genealogy Section


 * Obituary resources

Museums
Hancock Historical Museum 422 West Sandusky Street Findlay, OH 45840 Phone: 419-423-4433


 * Research

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

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records
 * 1841-2003 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1789-2013 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1800-1958 - at FamilySearch – free; Index.
 * 1800-1942 - at FamilySearch — index
 * various years - community contributed marriage records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1840-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1908-1953 - Ohio Deaths 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.
 * various years - community contributed deaths records Courtesy OhioGenWeb Archives

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Websites

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