Family Search Record

Watch out pay sites. Recently a site was developed that allows you to search many records previously available only on pay sites. Check this link out.

FamilySearch Record Search

Good luck in your search.

Huron County- Marriage Records

Marriage records are important for verifying and confirming relationships. In Huron Co., OH the records can be found at the Huron County Court House and the Bowling Green archives.

The records at the court house run from 1818 to present. This is again the place to obtain records that are certified. It is wonderful that the records reaching such a early date.

The Archives in Bowling Green has the marriage records from 1818 to 1977.

Be certain when checking marriage records for the witnesses on the document. They often can provide valuable clues of marriages and related surnames.

Good luck in your marriage hunt.

Outline of things to come

I will be attempting to keep up with this blog a couple of times a week. The blog will contain a review of the available records in a particular county. The review of the local libraries and other resources will also be included. Other surprises will come up along the way.

Please be sure to email on other ideas you may have concerning this blog. Tomorrow I will be starting the profile of a new county.

Welcome Back

It has taken some time to come to this conclusion, but I am going to start doing my blog again. Thank you for the many kind emails of motivation. They have done a lot to help me get to this point. Look for me to resume the articles beginning tomorrow.

Please send me any questions you might have concerning future articles. Please spread the word.

Temporary Stoppage

Over the last few weeks the amount of readership for this blog has decreased dramatically. To me this is a indication that I am not reaching the audience with interesting and helpful information. The amount of time I spend researching the daily blogs does not warrant the readership. Thank you for your support in the past.

In a few days I will make a final decision.

Upcoming week

I will be in upstate New York during the upcoming week so I am spending the weekend writing this weeks blogs ahead of time. Have a great weekend and I will continue my overviews on Monday.

Allen County Public Library- Ft Wayne IN

If you have not made the trip to the Allen County Public Library in Ft Wayne, IN you have missed out on one of the largest genealogical libraries in the country. It is well worth the trip. They have just redone it in the last year and have all there resources available in the racks. Here is a link to a tour of the library.

http://www.genealogycenter.info/video/

Have a great weekend.

Huron County OH- Births

Records of birth in Huron County can be found in three different places in the county. They are the the Probate Court (1867-1908), Health Department (1908-present and the archives in Bowling Green.

The Probate court is located along with the Health department in Norwalk. It is at these two places that you would go to get your certified copies of records. Indexes also exist for these records. Be sure to make copies of these records to help in proving and confirming facts related to a person's birth. This information tends to be good, because it is given by the parents.

The archives records are indexed and also include the corrections to the records. The records run from 1867 to 1908. All of these records are on microfilm.

Tomorrow I will be covering a library in the area. Have a great day.

Huron County Ohio- History

The county of Huron was formed in 1809 out of portion of the area known as the Connecticut Reserve. The area of Huron was known specifically as the Firelands. The county was names after the Huron Indians that lived in the area.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 eliminated most of the lands claimed by individual states. The Firelands area was a exception to this change. This region was given as compensation to those resident of Connecticut that had lost their homes during the Revolutionary War due the activities of the British army. This is why the majority of the people living in this area can trace their genealogical roots back to New England.

Tomorrow I will cover a library in the area. Have a great day.

Hardin County- Solider's Relief Commision

A often overlooked source for genealogical information is the records that have been collected by the Soldier's Relief Commission. The primary source for these records at the archives in Bowling Green. These are records are often overlooked and provide valuable resources on your Civil War ancestors.

They have a group of miscellaneous records related to the Civil War soldiers and there care by the county. (1880's-1890's, 1932-1945). The actual relief records ( 1874-1896). Be certain to check these records out for the valuable information that they contain.

New county in the AM. Have a great day.

Hardin County- Obituaries

The fantastic thing about obits in Northwest Ohio is that most of them have been indexed. All of the information is available on line and can be ordered on line. The wonderful list is located on the Hayes Obituary Index. RB Hayes Obituary Index

The other location to locate these records is at the library in Kenton as well at the Hardin County Genealogical Connections.

Make sure to make copies. Note the date and page as well as the name of the newspaper for these records.

Have a wonderful day.

Library Visit

t amazes me the difference in the collections of one library to the next. Yesterday I was at the Toledo Public Library and I am always amazed how it changes and evolves from one visit to the next. The library is one that I first started doing my research in when I was thirteen and continues to be one of my favorites. A observation that came to me yesterday when I was there the amount of people doing their genealogy. It would be neat if they would have a sign in area that you could also list the names you are searching. Have often thought that I could be sitting right next to the solution to my genealogical problem.

The second observation was how wonderful it is to be able to trace a surname on line. Yesterday I went through probably fifty books with out finding anything. It also never stops surprising me on how many books do not have indexes. Many of the older publications lack the proper index.

Be sure to get out and support your local library.

Break

I will be traveling to the library today to conduct some research. Should hopefully be able to post the results next Saturday. Have a wonderful weekend.

Hardin County, OH- Connections

As most of you know by reading my bio that I do speaking engagements in front of various groups on the subject of the Civil War and genealogy. While talking with the speaker coordinator about a upcoming talk I am doing for the Allen Co., OH OGS I mentioned that I was currently profiling research in Hardin Co. Debbie indicated that I need to mention the fine work that the folks at the local chapter of the OGS do in Hardin County. They have a genealogical resource center in Kenton that has a tremendous amount of information on the county and it's families. It was also brought to my attention that they will do court house searches for out of towners.

Here is the ling to their site. Lot's of information and understanding can be gained on Hardin county records from this site.

www.hardincountyconnections.com

Folks be sure to support your genealogical groups.  They do a tremendous job with
helping to preserve our local history.  Have a great weekend.

Hardin County, OH- Death Records

Death records in Hardin County are stored and available at two different locations. The first is at the courthouse in Kenton and the archives in Bowling Green, OH. Provide valuable information concerning our relatives and relationships.

The courthouse records start in Hardin Co and run from 1867 to current. It is here that you can obtain the certified copies. As I always say if you are visiting in person be sure to call ahead to make sure they will be open when you are coming and be patient if you are going in person or mailing in your request.

The second area to locate the death records would be at the archives in Bowling Green. The archives has copies of both the index and the actual death records. Their information only runs from 1867 to 1908. All these files are on microfilm.

Just a note on the local chapter of the OGS in Hardin County. I have learned through the grape vine that they offer a wonderful resource in both record and services to help those seeking information in the county. In the AM I will try to profile more information on this group. Have a wonderful day.

Hardin County, OH- Marriage Records

There are two primary locations for searching for marriage records in Hardin County. They are the Probate Court in Kenton and the archives in Bowling Green. There are several types of records that can be located.

At the court house in Kenton the records located there run from 1833 to present. These records are indexed so when searching you can find all people with a particular surname and when they were married. This is especially good when looking for a uncommon surname in a particular area. Be sure to look for variances in spelling when doing this search.

The archives in Bowling Green has several types of records including the index (1833-1959), records (1833-1935), marriage and minister license record (1833-1884) and Marriage Returns (1852-1859). All of these records are located on microfilm.

Be certain to make copies when looking at these records. Don't ignore the witnesses, because they often provide valuable clues to relationships.

Tomorrow I will profile a library in the county. Have a great day.

Hardin County - Birth Records

When it comes to birth records in Hardin Co. , OH you have several places to locate them depending on the time period that you are looking for the person. They are the Hardin County courthouse in Kenton and the archives in Bowling Green.

Birth records at the courthouse run from 1867 to present. This is where you would be able to get certified copies for this time period. As with all places of this type be patient with the staff and allow for some time with your search.

Finally the archives in Bowling Green has the birth records running from 1867-1908. They also have a copy of index to birth registration and corrections that runs from 1867-1986. All of these records are on microfilm.

Birth records give you excellent first hand information on time and place of birth. This is also the best source for parentage. Always make copies of these records for proof and verification.

Good luck in your search.

Hardin County- History

Hardin County, OH was formed in 1833 out of the county of Logan. The name for the county came from John Hardin who was a leader during the Revolutionary War, but was killed by Indians while going on a peace mission for George Washington. The county seat is located in Kenton.

I will begin tomorrow by covering the birth records in the county. Thank you again for your continued support of this site.

Sunday News

Off to church this morning. Will be starting a new county in the AM. Have a great weekend.

The Big Blast

Well we have all survived the big blast yesterday. I know folks to the west of me got hit harder than here in the Toledo area. Enjoy the weather.

I hope some of you will be traveling to the Sandusky library today for the talk on Johnson's Island. Should be a very interesting talk.

Have a great Saturday.

African American Research- Sandusky Library

Here is a great program for those doing African American Genealogy.

Author, teacher, and genealogist Tony Burroughs says researching your family tree can lead to amazing finds - the secret to success is asking many questions. Mr. Burroughs, author of Black Roots: A Beginner's Guide to Tracing The African American Family Tree, will present a daylong workshop on methods and resources for African-American genealogy research on Saturday, February 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Library Program Room, Terrace Level. A book signing will be held after the workshop.

Mr. Burroughs has appeared as an expert in the PBS series "Ancestors" and "African American Lives with Henry Louis Gates" and in the Discovery Channel documentary "The Real Family of Jesus." In addition to his writing, appearances, and service in genealogical organizations, Mr. Burroughs teaches genealogy at Chicago State University. A one hour lunch is on your own. Registration is required. To register, call 419-625-3834 and press 0 to speak with a switchboard operator (9-5, Monday-Friday) or press Option 6 to leave a message.

Have a great Friday and stay safe here in snowy Northwest Ohio.

Williams Co., OH- Military Records

Williams county has a interesting collection of military records related primarily to those solders that fought in the Civil War. The papers are know as the Civil War Bounties and Military papers. They are located in the office of the county auditor. All of the records are located at the archives in Bowling Green.

The records include items related to exemptions, discharges, receipts, correspondences, fiscal records, relief payments and statements, applications and claims. The records start in 1859 then stop. They start up again and run from 1861-1892. These records will offer valuable information on your ancestors that fought in the Civil War.

Additional records exist for Militia rolls and they run from 1858, 1861-1865, 1867 and 1877. These lists primarily list a persons name and what part of the county they come from. Geographic proof and spelling of name would be important verification from these documents. These records typically apply to men that could not serve for various reasons in the regular army.

These records are often over looked. People do not realize that there are war records at the county level. Have a wonderful day.

Naturalization Records- Williams Co., OH

The county of Williams is unique, because they had many gaps in recording the Naturalization records in the county. Records are stored in two separate locations. They are the Common Pleas Court and the archives in Bowling Green.

The records at the county level are located at the Common Please court in Bryan. Dates are sporadic on their coverage. Here are the dates from the archives and they will be the same at the courthouse. 1836-1839, 1842, 1860-1864, 1873-1906 and 1922-1929. Be sure to check ahead prior to looking for your records to make sure your relative falls within these dates. Another place to check would be the neighboring counties and Toledo. They have no letters of intent.

Searching for these types of records in Williams Co will be a challenge. Have a great day.

Williams Co.- Will records

The discovery of a ancestors will offers valuable clues to ones life and relatives listed in the will. This document will provide valuable clues to a persons life that you will not find anywhere else in your search. Wills for the county of Williams exist in the court house at the probate court in Bryan and the archives in Bowling Green.

The courthouse records are located in the Probate Court and run from 1824- 1959. Over 29 volumes of wills exist for this period of time. Be sure to know the approximate time of death and work back from that date to locate your will. Time varies on the filing of a will from days to years. Sometimes these searches can be extensive.

The archives in Bowling Green has those wills that run from 1809 to 1852 and then they start up again in 1858 to 1911. All these records are on microfilm.

Be certain to make copies of these documents so that your are able to trace all the names in the document. Wills offer valuable clues to blood relationships that may not be available in any other document. Daughters are often listed with maiden names and executors on the will may also be relatives with different last names.

Other than land records wills are the most valuable document in determining relationships within a family group. Have a wonderful day.

Williams County Ohio- Death Records

Death records are important to confirm facts about our ancestors and their relationships. Records in Williams county are in three different places. They are the Williams County Health Department that is located in Montpelier, OH, Williams Co. Record Center in Bryan and the archives in Bowling Green.

The Health Department records include those deaths in the county from 1909 to present. The records prior to this date run from 1867-1908. All certified records can be obtained at these two locations. Be sure to have the date narrowed down to the day or at least the year. Please be patient with the these folks as it takes time to retrieve the records.

The archives in Bowling Green has the death records on microfilm and they run from 1867 to 1943. All these records are on microfilm.

I will be discussing the wills in Williams County. Have a great day.

Snowy Sunday

Had some more snow over night. Going all be gone by Tuesday with a warm up. Have a great Sunday.

Recent Brickwalls

Recently I have been sent brick walls for Northwest Ohio. Over the next week I will be doing research on these lines. Next Saturday I will give updates on my search.

Have a great Saturday.

Sandusky Public Library- Upcoming Program

I wanted to let you know about a Library Program Room on Saturday, February 2, at 2:00 p.m. as author James E. Duffey discusses his recently published book Victim of Honor: The Story of John Y. Beall and the Northwestern Conspiracy. The book is a historical novel based on the plot engineered by Confederate officer John Yates Beall to free prisoners from the Johnson's Island Civil War Prison Camp. This all happens at the Sandusky Library in Sandusky, OH.

Update on the brick walls they are starting to come in now and I should be able to profile some of these in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your support.

Williams Co., OH- Marriage Records

Marriage records are important for verifying and confirming relationships. In Williams Co., OH the records can be found at the Williams County Records Center and the Bowling Green archives.

The records at the Center run from 1824 to 1984. This is again the place to obtain records that are certified. It is wonderful that the records reaching such a early date.

The Archives in Bowling Green has the marriage records from 1824 to 1941. They also have a index of the marriage records, but only from 1824-1868.

Be certain when checking marriage records for the witnesses on the document. They often can provide valuable clues of marriages and related surnames.

Good luck in your marriage hunt.

Williams County- Birth Records

When it comes to birth records in Williams Co., OH you have several places to locate them depending on the time period that you are looking for the person. They are the Williams County Records Center, Williams County Health Department and the archives in Bowling Green.

The Records Center is located in the county seat of Bryan, OH. Birth records located here run from 1867 to 1908. This is where you would be able to get certified copies for this time period. As with all places of this type be patient with the staff and allow for some time with your search.

For more recent records you should go to the Williams County Health Department that is also located in Bryan, OH. Here you will find records that run from 1909 to present.

Finally the archives in Bowling Green has the birth records running from 1867-1943. All of these records are on microfilm.

Birth records give you excellent first hand information on time and place of birth. This is also the best source for parentage. Always make copies of these records for proof and verification.

Good luck in your search.

Williams County Ohio- History

Williams County Ohio was originally formed in 1820. The county was named after David Williams who had been a Revolutionary War Hero. The original county seat has been in Defiance. This was changed when the area around Defiance became a county of the same name in 1845. The current county seat is in Bryan. Williams is bordered by Michigan to the North, Indiana to the west, Fulton Co. to the east and Henry Co. to the Southeast.

Tomorrow I will begin by profiling birth records in this county. Have a great day.

Ottawa County- Military Discharge Records

When researching a individual from a particular area with a military record they often overlook the county records. Ottawa County is no exception to keeping military records.

The records are called the Solders Discharge Records and run from 1865-1912. These records are located on microfilm at the Bowling Green Archives. These records will include time served, unit number, war fought and often any injuries received. It will also mention the next of kin.

Be sure to check out these records for further information on your ancestors past.

Cold Cold Sunday

I will continue with Ottawa Co. next week. Have a great Sunday.

Saturday Morning

I hope that this blog is providing valuable information on resources in our area. As you can see now the Bowling Green Archives is a must see for research in our area.

Wanted to let you folks know that I am current working with the Lakeside Historical Society on a book. The book will cover a photographic history of Lakeside that dates from the 1870's to current day. Lakeside has been a popular destination for summer vacationers in our area for over 100 years. For those that do not know Lakeside is located by the Lake Erie Islands and the town of Marblehead in Ottawa Co.

Folks I run two other blogs on Northeast Ohio and Southeastern Michigan research. They have been very good at sending me their brickwalls. My intent is to use Saturdays to profile a persons genealogical challenge and show the steps to on solving them. Please send yours and let me use some of my thirty years of research experience to help you.

Thanks again for your support and have a great weekend.

Ottawa County Naturilization Records

The search for Naturalization and Intention records is important for any immigration ancestor. These documents provide valuable clues to the origins of family members. These records are located at two separate locations for Ottawa Co. Ohio.

The records in the county are located at the court house in Port Clinton under the Probate Court. The second location is at the archives in Bowling Green. These records run from 1860-1903 and are on microfilm.

Please look at the blog post for Putnam Co. Naturalization and Intention records for more information on these type of documents.

Ottawa County- Wills

When searching for Wills in Ottawa County Ohio you need to check in two places. One is at the county courthouse in Port Clinton and the archives in Bowling Green.

Please be sure to have the date of death for the person you are searching for when going to the courthouse in Port Clinton. The records run from 1889 to present. Make sure you make copies during your visit for verification and confirmation of facts.

The Archives in Bowling Green has the wills that run from 1889 to 1912. These are all on microfilm.

When checking wills be sure to pay attention to the individuals names in the will, but also those people that served as executors. The executors were often trusted relatives out of the immediate family and offer valuable clues to ones ancestry.

Ottawa County cemetery records

Cemetery record research is a important step in researching ones ancestors. There is nothing like the feeling when you discover a long lost ancestor after walking around a cemetery. You get a real connection with those in your family that have gone before.

Cemeteries come in three forms. They are the church burial yard, public cemeteries and family burial plots. If you are fortunate to have a person buried in a church cemetery the church will often have the records for the burial. This information is similar to a death certificate, but will often include more information. Public cemeteries also have burial records and these are often stored at the local sexton's office or with the township. Family burial plots are often not as well covered, but some records are kept with the township.

The Ottawa County area is blessed with may of the tombstones be documented through inscription. These records are located at the Ida Rupp Public Library in Port Clinton, OH. This helps in locating the cemetery and the area that a person is buried.

A note on rubbings of the stones. This practice is frowned on by most people in the genealogy field. The exposure to weather has resulted in many stones be difficult to read. Rubbings only help in more destruction to the surface of the stone. Use common sense when you are in the cemetery.

Tomorrow I will cover wills.

Ottawa County Ohio- Death Records

When researching death records in Ottawa Co., OH you have two places to locate the records. For certified copies the best place is to go to the courthouse in Port Clinton. The second place for not certified records is at the archives in Bowling Green.

The courthouse has all the death recorded death records in the county from 1869 to current. Please sure to have a good idea of the date prior to your visit. Limited access is granted for those records in the past seventy five years. Exceptions are proof of relationship.

The archives in Bowling Green has the death records from 1869 to 1908. These records are on microfilm.

In the case of both record sources be sure to make copies. Verification and proof are key to a excellent genealogy.

Wife is doing fine. She will be in the hospital for a few more days. Leaving to go there in a hour. Have a great day!!

Hospital Day

My wife is in for major surgery today. I will be back on line on Tuesday.

Brick Walls

On Saturdays I would like to profile peoples brick walls. I will research your family for free offering clues and solutions to your research. Then I would profile the search on the blog. Please send them to my email. Thank you.

Updates from the Hayes Public Library

These two items appeared in the Hayes website this week. Thought it would be of interest for those doing Sandusky county research and be interested in the Black Swamp.

"SANDUSKY DAILY NEWS NOW ON MICROFILM

Thanks to the Sidney Frohman Foundation, a four-year run (1933 - 1937) of the only surviving copies of the Sandusky Daily News has been preserved on microfilm. Volunteers will soon enter obituary data from these issues into the Hayes Obituary Index. A second set of the film was donated to the Sandusky Public Library in Sandusky, Ohio. We hope that in 2008, we can film the final four-year run (1937 - 1941)."

BLACK SWAMP MEMORIES

If you would like to learn more about Northwest Ohio's Great Black Swamp, you will enjoy Black Swamp Memories, a digital scrapbook filled with information and images of families and communties of the region known as the Black Swamp. The site is a service of the Wood County District Public Library in partnership with the BGSU Center for Archival Collections, Hancock Historical Museum, Northwest Regional Library System (Norweld), Wood County Genealogical Society, Wood County Historical Center and Museum. The scrapbook was created with funding from a federal grant award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Have a great Saturday. Send me those Brickwalls!!!

Ira Rupp Public Library- Port Clinton, OH

The library in Port Clinton contains city directories, historical atlases, collections of oral histories, books, and microfilm. In addition, the library makes available a number of research databases of interest to genealogists and others.

The following local newspapers are available on microfilm at the library.

• The Daily News, 1956- 1969
• Ottawa County Democrat, 1857- 1864
• Ottawa County Herald, 1906- 1928
• Ottawa County News, 1865- 1956
• Ottawa County News Democrat, 1894- 1929
• Ottawa County Union, 1869- 1871
• The Peninsular News, 1916- 1987 (partial)
• Port Clinton Herald and Republican, 1937- 1969
• Port Clinton News Herald, 1969- present
• The Port Clinton Progressive Times, 1922- 1931
• Port Clinton Republican Herald, 1927- 1936

This is a tremendous amount of newspapers to go over for obituaries.

Good luck in your search. The library is located at

310 Madison St.
Port Clinton, OH 43452

Ottawa County, OH- Marriage Records

Marriage records can be found in two different locations in Ottawa Co., OH. The two places to look are at the courthouse in Port Clinton, OH and the archives in Bowling Green.

The records come in three different forms. They are the marriage index (1840-present), marriage records(1840-present) and loose files of marriage records (1869-1913). Records at the archives on the marriage records runs to 1952, index to 1864 and the loose to 1913.

Remember the primary facts of a marriage record are the persons getting married, date and location. A often over looked portion of the record is the name of witnesses. These names can offer valuable clues to relationships. Copies of this document should be made for proof and future confirmation of facts.

Ottawa County, OH- Birth Records

The location of birth records in Ottawa Co., OH is at the County courthouse in Port Clinton and the archives in Bowling Green. Birth records in the county did not start until 1867.

The records at the courthouse come in three different forms. The actual birth records that run from 1867 to present, general index of births 1867 to present and index to births that run from 1876 to 1890. The archives has the same records, but they run only to 1908. Records at the archives are on microfilm.

Birth records are important documents for finding the date of birth, parents name, place of birth and sex. These provide valuable information in your genealogical research. Please be sure to maintain copies of this document to help in proving out your lineage.

Ottawa County, OH- History

Ottawa County was formed out of Erie, Lucas and Sandusky counties on March 6 ,1840. The word Ottawa was used by Indians to describe a person that trades goods. The land is made up mostly of area formerly known as the Black Swamp. It was not until the 1830's when the land was drained that settlers came to this area in large numbers. A small portion of the county was in the Firelands area. The county seat is located in Port Clinton, OH.

We will begin discussing the genealogical records on Wednesday.

Fulton County- Wills

The wonderful thing about wills in Fulton Co. OH is that some survived the fire in 1865. The wills can be found in two different places.

The first place to look for wills in the county is at the county court house in Wauseon. Remember the staff is limited and be patient with the courthouse folks when requesting information. Dates for the wills run from 1859-present.

The second place to look for wills is at the archives in Bowling Green, OH. Here they have all the wills that run from 1859-1970. I believe these are all on microfilm.

Remember when looking at a will to make copies. It is very important to connect all the names in the will. Many times this will be your first clue of a daughters married name. Executors should also be traced, because they tend to be relatives or in-laws. Be sure to check for both spouses and be sure to check for more than one filing of a will. Inventories of estates are also important documents to locate, because they provide clues to the existence of family bibles

Good luck in your search.

Break Day

Have a great Sunday.

Volunteer

I have noticed during my searches on the internet that many of the libraries local history rooms and genealogical groups are looking for volunteers. The projects vary from cataloging collections, helping fellow genealogist with challenges, documenting cemetery stones and helping with new items. Please help your local library or genealogy group so we all can benefit from the work.

Please send me your brickwalls and I will help you with them. Click on my profile by my picture and this will take you to my email. This will be featured in my Saturday posts as I help discover solutions.

Thank you again for all your support and have a great weekend.

Williams County Public Library

When doing genealogical research in Williams Co., OH the place to start is at the main library in Bryan, OH. They have a fantastic collection of information on genealogy and tracing your ancestors in Williams Co.

The library includes a vast collection of histories and genealogies related to the county. Family and county histories are a important starting point when researching your ancestors. Remember to not only look for the surname in the index, but check the section about the town or township that the person lived. Local histories often are overlooked and provide valuable clues to origins of our ancestors.

The collection also includes microfilm of the local newspapers that include Bryan, Edgerton, Edon and Montpelier. A obituary index is in the collection for Bryan and other parts of the county. As I have mentioned in the past on obits they are often short, but should always be consulted for clues.

Maps and historical atlases will offer clues to the location of where our ancestors lived in the county. The collection has a extensive collection.

Also in the collection are cemetery records, census records and family history files. The family history files are over 1000 Williams county families.

As I have mentioned numerous times before document, document, document. A genealogy without proof is just fiction.

The Williams County library is located at

107 East High St.
Bryan, OH 43506

The local history room is open during normal library hours. Be sure to check out this valuable resource when you have Williams Co. ancestors.

Fulton County- Cemeteries

Cemetery record research is a important step in researching ones ancestors. There is nothing like the feeling when you discover a long lost ancestor after walking around a cemetery. You get a real connection with those in your family that have gone before.

Cemeteries come in three forms. They are the church burial yard, public cemeteries and family burial plots. If you are fortunate to have a person buried in a church cemetery the church will often have the records for the burial. This information is similar to a death certificate, but will often include more information. Public cemeteries also have burial records and these are often stored at the local sexton's office or with the township. Family burial plots are often not as well covered, but some records are kept with the township.

The Fulton County area is blessed with may of the tombstones be documented through inscription. These records can be accessed via the internet on the Archbold Community Library website. This helps in locating the cemetery and the area that a person is buried.

A note on rubbings of the stones. This practice is frowned on by most people in the genealogy field. The exposure to weather has resulted in many stones be difficult to read. Rubbings only help in more destruction to the surface of the stone. Use common sense when you are in the cemetery.

Tomorrow I will cover wills.

Fulton Co., OH- Obituaries

Obituaries can offer valuable information on the deceased and their family. The information in obituaries can vary widely. Some is simply date of death, funeral services and age. This tends to be the vast majority, but some offer valuable information on origins, life time achievements and living relatives. Be sure to use additional sources to document items that appear in the obituary.

The following newspapers were published in the county over time and in many cases more than one paper may list a obituary. At the Archbold library are the following newspapers.

Archbold Herald- 1/4/1893- 6/9/1898
Archbold Advocate- 1/18/1900- 12/5/1907
Archbold Buckeye- 1905- Present

The following papers are located at the Wauseon Public Library.

Fulton County Expositor- 1/1/1875- Nov. 4, 2003
Republican- 1/16/1868- 7/30/1981
Fulton County Tribune- 5/19/1883- 11/21/1924

Make sure to make copies of the obits, because things that appear in the obit that do not make sense now will make more sense at a later point when you find more information.

Tomorrow cemetery searches.

Happy New Year

Hope everyone is having a great holiday. Back with obituaries in Fulton Co., OH on Wednesday. Have a great day.