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Local and Family History

Research Requests

If you are unable to visit our Library to conduct your own research, please review our Research Request Guidelines to learn about optional services.  Fees and limitations apply.

Collection Highlights:
  • Birth, Death & Marriage Indexes
  • CDs
  • Cemetery Indexes
  • City Directories
  • High School Yearbooks
  • Family Histories
  • Local History
  • Microfilm/Microfiche
  • Newspaper Index (limited availability)
  • Newspapers-local (Mid-1800s to present)
  • Obituary Index (Hancock County)
  • Ohio Census
  • Passenger Lists (including Germans to America)
  • Vital Records: Birth, Death and Will Indexes
Databases

In-Library Use (licensing restrictions)

  • Ancestry Library Edition (in-library use)

  Available 24/7 from your own computer

Digitization Project
  •  Digital Collection
  • In cooperation with the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, 12 public libraries across nine Northwest Ohio counties and NORWELD are partnering to implement a regional document digitization project.
  • Participating libraries include: Bellefontaine, Bluffton, Bowling Green, Clyde, Defiance, Elmore, Findlay, Metamora, Pemberville, Rossford, Swanton and Tiffin.
 
Equipment
  • 2 microfilm/microfiche reader/printer units
  • 4 microfilm viewers (these are for viewing only)
  • 3 Internet Workstations
Online Forms and Charts

Common forms and charts are available within the library and online at the following sites. 

Tours and Class Visits

  • If you or your group would like a tour of our Local & Family History collection or will be using our resources for a class project, please call 419-422-1712.

Family History File

We have research files for many local families. They are located in the filing cabinets behind the Genealogy Desk.

Listserv
The Hancock-L LISTSERV

Join Hancock-L and share your research with others via email.
OHHANCOC-L-request@rootsweb.com

 

Military History

The library has quite a large selection of military finding aids. The Civil War Rosters are at the Hancock County Historical Museum. Some of the titles include:

DAR patriots Index Vol. I,II, III and supplements
Index to Revolutionary Pensions
Roster of Ohio Soldiers, War of 1812
Pensioners of 1883
Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots (4 Vols.)
Abstracts to Revolutionary Pensions
Roll of Honor

WWII Memorial--add your veteran
Links
Online Obituaries
 
Health Department
  • Birth Records (1908-present)
  • Death Records (1908-present)
  • We have family histories from local families and prominent American Families. We accept family histories donated to this library that include Hancock County ancestors.
Census

The library holds the indexes to the Ohio Federal Population Census 1820-1880. We have various census indexes through 1930 for Ohio counties, we also have some statewide early census indexes. For Hancock County we have indices from 1830-1900 and we are working on the 1910 census index.

We have the the Courier newspaper on microfilm. We have birth, death, marriage, and Will records from the earliest time period to the contemporary time period for Hancock County. We have the Grantee/Grantor index for land records. We have the earliest deeds and some township records. We also have some church registry records.

We have an extensive collection of genealogy and local history materials.   Although our primary focus is Hancock County, we have indexes and histories for all Ohio counties.  We also have a large selection of how-to materials to assist you with your research. 

Staff is available to direct you to resources and to demonstrate the use of equipment and databases during your visit.   

Hancock Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society

Join the Society
Click here for information on how you can become a member>>

 

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