The beginnings of Putnam Co. Ohio occurred back in 1820 when it was created out of Shelby County. The legal jurisdiction during this time was with Wood County, OH to the north. Then in 1824 the county of Williams was created and the jurisdiction was switched to Williams. Finally the county became a sole unit with a act passed in 1834.
The county was a names after Israel Putnam who was a popular military figure at the time from Massachusetts. In the early days a large part of the area as we know it today was still inhabited by Indian tribes. Slowly in the 1830 period settlers of German and Swiss heritage. The settlement was greatly effected though by the presence of the Black Swamp that covered a good portion of the Northeast portion of the county. This would create a natural barrier to people attempting to settle in this area.
The people of this area were primarily German Catholic and Mennonite. The migration into this area began in the early part of the 1830's. The areas of origin of many of the early ancestors was from eastern Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina. The Mennonites were a people of faith and tended to travel with others of the same belief. Another group that blended into the Mennonites were the Quakers. Many can trace their roots back to Lancaster Co. PA which is a major area of for Mennonites.
Tomorrow I will be discussing the many records that are available for this county.
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