Hancock County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is located in the Northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Hancock County Courthouse 300 S Main St Findlay, OH 45840-3345 Phone: 419-424-7008 Hancock County Website

County Recorder has land records; Probate Judge has birth, marriage, death and probate

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

Catholic
 * 1796-2004 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1790-1907 Bureau of Land Management Records at OHGenWeb - scroll down for the index.

Local Histories

 * Spaythe, Jacob A.; History of Hancock County, Ohio: geographical and statistical (Toledo: The B.F. Wade Printing Co., 1903) Online at FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Beardsley, D.B.; History of Hancock County, Ohio: from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time Together with Remeiniscenses of Pioneer Life Incidents, Statistical tables and Biographical Sketches (Springfield, Ohio: Republic Print Co., 1881). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books Internet Archive, Ancestry ($)
 * Brown, Robert C.; History of Hancock County, Ohio : Containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc.; portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of the northwest territory, history of Ohio, statistical and miscellaneous matter, etc., etc (Chicago, Illinois: Warner, Beers and Co., 1886). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books Internet Archive Ancestry ($)(Indexed)
 * Kimmell, J.A.; Twentieth Century History of Findlay and Hancock County and Representative Citizens, (Chicago, Illinois: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1910). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Google Books

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
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.
 * 1888-1919 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection..


 * -99th Regiment, Ohio Infantry, Companies D and G

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
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 Obituaries at USGenWeb

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.
 * 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

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

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.
 * 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.
 * 1908–1953 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
 * 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

 * Findlay Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Lima Ohio FamilySearch Center
 * Findlay-Hancock County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Findlay Hancock County Public Library 206 Broadway St Findlay, OH 45840 419-422-1712 Email: [mailto:askgenealogy@findlaylibrary.org askgenealogy@findlaylibrary.org] Website McComb Public Library 113 S Todd St McComb, OH 45858 419-293-2425 Website

Museums
Hancock Historical Museum 422 W Sandusky St Findlay, OH 45840 419-423-4433 Website

Societies
Hancock County Chapter, OGS P.O.Box 672 Findlay, OH 45839-0672 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
 * Hancock OHGenWeb May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Hancock OHGenWeb Archives
 * Hancock County OH Genealogy at LDS Genealogy
 * – 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.