Adams County, Ohio Genealogy

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

Ohio Online Genealogy Records

Adams County, Ohio Record Dates

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

Description
The county was named after John Adams, the second President of the United States. It's county seat is West Union and was organized in 1799. It is located in the Southwestern area of the state.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. Hometown Locator

The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Counties
Brown County •  Highland County  •  Pike County  •  Scioto County  •  Mason Countn KY  •  Lewis County, KY

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
1910  Fire burned the courthouse, resulting in the loss of most of the will books and other probate files, as well as some other records.

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

Biography
Adams County Biographies for more information.

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


 * Adams County Cemeteries (web content preserved on Archive.org, volunteer transcriptions)
 * Famous Politicians buried in Adams County (PoliticalGraveyard.com)

Cemetery Listings (no burial information)


 * GPS Coordinates for Adams County Cemeteries (GenealogyTrails.com)

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
Local Histories


 * Evans, Nelson Wiley, A history of Adams County, Ohio from its earliest settlement to the present time: including character sketches of the prominent persons… (West Union, Ohio: E.B. Stivers, 1900) Digital version at Internet Archives; Google Books; FamilySearch Digital Library; also available on microfilm at.
 * Thompson, Carl N., Thompson's Historical Collections of Adams County, Ohio (West Union, Ohio : Adams County Historical Society (Ohio), c1991).

Land and Property

 * 1797-1837 -Adams County Deeds Courtesy of OhioGenWeb Archives


 * 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

 * Maps of Ohio (1788-1940)
 * 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.

Military

 * 1888-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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 $
 * 1914-1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1914-1918 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1916-1920 - at FamilySearch — index

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.

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1800-1977 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Online Newspapers


 * The People's Defender

Online Newspaper Abstracts


 * Obituaries and Death Notices
 * Newspaper Articles Courtesy of OhioGenWeb

Newspaper Extracts and Abstracts in Book Form

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


 * 1786 - 1998 Ohio Wills and Probate Records 1786-1998 at Ancestry.com — index and images $


 * 1789 - 1996 at FamilySearch.org — images


 * Early to 1910 - Adams County Ohio Will Index prior to 1910
 * 1883-1924 Wills - Adams County. Courtesy of OhioGenWeb Archives

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.

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

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
 * 1810 - Index to Tax List Courtesy of Ohio GenWeb Pages
 * 1816-1838 Tax RecordsAbout 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 ($)
 * 1821–1962 at FamilySearch Historical Records – free. This is an incomplete index of extractions of original records and of patron-submitted records. This index is not complete for any particular place or region. Information may have been previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.
 * 1841-2003 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1856-1893 - Township birth records Courtesy of OhioGenWeb
 * 1908-1998 Ohio, Birth Index, 1908-1998 at Ancestry.com ($) — index

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
FamilySearch has a large collection of Ohio marriage records digitized and on microfilm.

Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1789-2013 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images;
 * 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 some 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.
 * 1800-1942 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 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 ($)
 * 1803-1999 - Ohio Marriage Records Courtesy of OhioGenWeb

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1840-2001 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 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, 1938-2018 Ohio, Death Records, 1908-1932, 1938-2018 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images
 * 1909 - Adams County Deaths 1909 Courtesy Genealogy Trails
 * 1913-1937 - Death Index 1913-1937
 * Social Security Index Rootsweb

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Websites

 * Adams County OHGenWeb
 * Adams County, OH History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Ohio Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Ohio Digital Collections statewide database links
 * Adams County OH Genealogy
 * OHGenWeb - Adams County
 * UsGenWeb - -Adams County
 * Genealogy Trails, Adams County, Ohio
 * Ohio Genealogy Express
 * Ohio Genealogy Express