Free Guide to Research at the Ohio History Center

If you have Ohio ancestors, you’ve probably wondered what you might be able to find about them at the Ohio History Center (OHC) in Columbus. The OHC Archives/Library holds many major collections of the Ohio History Connection (formerly Ohio Historical Society). It’s a key repository for anyone working on Ohio genealogy.

To help you get the most from the OHC Archives/Library website, or to aid you in planning a research trip, I’ve written a guide called Connecting With Your Ancestors at the Ohio History Center. It originally appeared as an article in the Summer 2014 issue of Ohio Genealogy News, published by the Ohio Genealogical Society.

I’m pleased to announce that the article is now available to view or download absolutely free on my website, Buckeye Family Trees.

The guide attempts to answer many questions you might have, such as:

• What kinds of resources does the Archives/Library have?
• How do I use the online catalog?
• What do I need to know before visiting OHC?
• What facilities do they have for researchers?
• Can I bring my camera or scanner?
• What if I can’t find what I need? 

To get your copy, just visit Buckeye Family Trees and select the “Free Guide to OHC” tab, or use this link: http://www.buckeyefamilytrees.com/free-guide-to-ohc.html. Click on the button to read, download, save, or print the article for your personal use.

Staffed with friendly and knowledgeable archivists, OHC is one of my favorite places to do genealogy research. I hope you’ll find this a helpful tool in the search for your Ohio ancestors.

--Shelley

Researching 'Til You Drop in Fort Wayne

It seems like there’s never too much of a good thing in the Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library. Even with hoards of eager genealogists descending on it all at once—like they have this week for the FGS 2013 Conference—library workers and volunteers have kept a busy but cheerful profile.

It’s not as though we haven’t put them to the test. Swarms of visitors mean answering countless questions, giving lots of impromptu tours, patiently explaining how to use the copier/scanners, finding obscure reels of microfilm, and above all, re-shelving endless piles of books. The library was so busy on Wednesday that the volunteers actually ushered people around to help them find an available seat. But in spite of the crowds, the mood inside the Genealogy Center remained upbeat and friendly, as people poured through books and periodicals in search of information that might bring them closer to understanding their ancestors.

The library is offering extended hours this week—until midnight, for the truly hardy—for conference attendees. Hats off to the Allen County Public Library for anticipating and accommodating the needs of their visitors!

--Shelley

Ohio Agricultural Schedules at the State Library of Ohio

As people moved into and across America, many of them had one primary objective: to find a piece of land where they could start a farm and make a life for their families. Personally, I’m descended from a lot of farmers. But there are all sizes and types of farms—wheat farms, vegetable farms, dairy farms, cattle ranches, and so forth. How do you find out what kind of farm your ancestor had, what he produced, how big it was, or what it was worth?

Fortunately, the U.S. government was interested in knowing that, too. Granted, their reasons were different than ours as family historians today, but their data will do just fine. From 1850 through 1880, they compiled an Agricultural Schedule along with the regular Population Schedule for each census year. These records provide a lot of interesting detail for our family stories.

Nancy of My Ancestors and Me recently wrote a wonderful blog post about the agricultural censuses. She described what they were, what questions the enumerators asked, and where you can find them. Because she did such a fine job, I suggest you hop over and read “Farmers in Your Family Between 1850 and 1880?” now. I was quite envious to hear that agricultural schedules for some states are available online. As far as I know, none of the Ohio ones are.

Here’s an example of what one page from an agricultural schedule looks like (this is Alexander Township, Athens County, Ohio, in 1860):

One of the largest collections of Ohio agricultural censuses (outside of the National Archives) is on microfilm at the State Library of Ohio in Columbus. Not all census years for all counties are there, but many are. I thought it might be helpful to give you a peek at this collection and a list of exactly what’s available. There is no name index for the Ohio agricultural censuses, so you need to know the county and the township your ancestor lived in to find him. You can get that information easily enough from the regular U.S. population census of the same year.

Here is a county-by-county listing of the agricultural schedules available at the State Library of Ohio:

Adams: 1850, 60, 70

Allen: 1850, 60, 70

Ashland: 1850, 60

Ashtabula: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Athens: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Auglaize: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Belmont: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Brown: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Butler: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Carroll: 1870, 80

Champaign: 1870, 80

Clark: 1880

Clermont: 1880

Clinton: none

Columbiana: none

Coshocton: none

Crawford: none

Cuyahoga: none

Darke: 1850, 60

Defiance: 1850, 60

Delaware: 1850, 60

Erie: 1850, 60

Fairfield: 1850, 60

Fayette: 1850, 60, 70

Franklin: 1850, 60, 70

Fulton: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Gallia: 1850, 60, 70

Geauga: 1850, 60, 70

Greene: 1850, 60, 70

Greene: 1850, 60, 70

Guernsey: 1850, 60, 70

Hamilton: 1850, 60, 70

Hancock: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Hardin: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Harrison: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Henry: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Highland: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Hocking: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Holmes: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Huron: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Jackson: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Jefferson: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Knox: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Lake: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Lawrence: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Licking: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Logan: 1850, 60, 70, 80

Lorain: 1850, 60, 80

Lucas: 1850, 60, 80

Madison: 1850, 60, 80

Mahoning: 1850, 60, 80

Marion: 1850, 60, 80

Medina: 1850, 60, 80

Meigs: 1850, 60, 80

Mercer: 1850, 60, 80

Miami: 1850, 60, 80

Monroe: 1850, 60, 80

Montgomery: 1850, 60, 80

Morgan: 1850, 60, 80

Morrow: 1860, 80

Muskingum: 1860, 80

Noble: 1860, 80

Ottawa: 1860, 80

Paulding: 1860, 80

Perry: 1860, 80

Pickaway: 1860, 80

Pike: 1860, 80

Portage: 1860, 80

Preble: 1860, 80

Putnam: 1860

Richland: 1860

Ross: 1850, 60

Sandusky: 1850, 60

Scioto: 1850, 60

Seneca: 1850, 70

Shelby: 1850, 70

Stark: 1850, 70

Summit: 1850, 70

Trumbull: 1850, 70

Tuscarawas: 1850, 70

Union: 1850, 70

Van Wert: 1850, 70

Vinton: 1850, 70

Warren: 1850, 70

Washington: 1850, 70, 80

Wayne: 1850, 70, 80

Williams: 1850, 70, 80

Wood: 1850, 70, 80

Wyandot: 1850, 70, 80

Whew, that’s a lot of counties, isn’t it? 

Some of the Ohio agricultural censuses are available on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which means you can order them for delivery to your nearest Family History Center. To see what they have, go to the article on “Ohio Census” at FamilySearch.org. Scroll down to the Federal Non-Population Schedules, and then to the Microfilm Images category.

The State Library of Ohio is located at 274 E. First Avenue, Columbus, 43201. It’s open 8 am-5 pm Monday to Friday, although as with any archive, you should call ahead to confirm if you’re making a special trip. I hope this information helps you discover more about your farmer ancestor in Ohio! 

--Shelley

The Joy of Holding History in Your Hands

As genealogists, we’re taught to always seek the original record whenever possible, rather than relying solely on a transcription, abstract, index, or database for information. That’s because the original might reveal additional information, expose errors made in the transcribing or abstracting process, and help put the record into context. But another benefit has to be the sheer thrill of seeing and touching a document that an ancestor created.

I recently was able to view the declaration of intention to naturalize that my great-great-grandfather, John Herrel, filed at the Hamilton County Probate Court in 1881. The county’s surviving citizenship records are held at the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library. You can read about the online database in which I discovered the record in my previous post, Planning My Visit to the University of Cincinnati Archives. I also talked briefly about my experiences at the library in A Fine First Day in Cincinnati.

The provenance of the records in this collection, as explained in “Hamilton County Citizenship Records, 1837-1916” on the UC Archives website, is an interesting one: “This collection of immigration records includes original and restored Declarations of Intention to Naturalize and Naturalization papers filed in Hamilton County approximately between 1837 and 1916. During a riot in 1884 the courthouse was burned and many records series were destroyed. A great number of the citizenship documents were lost forever but a significant number survived and others were restored.”

Due to the fragile nature of the documents, photocopying them is not permitted. I was, however, allowed to take a picture with my digital camera, and the GeniusScan app on my iPhone gave me a nice image.

Transcription:

Declaration of Intention

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

THE STATE OF OHIO,

HAMILTON COUNTY

Personally appeared before me, the undersigned, Probate Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk of the PROBATE COURT within and for the County of Hamilton aforesaid

John Herrel

a native of Germany

aged about 21 years, bearing allegiance to the Emperor of Germany

who emigrated from Havre on the 7^th day of August

1880 and arrived at New York on the 29^th

day of August 1880, and who intends to reside within the jurisdiction and under

the GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES, to-wit:

And he makes report of himself for NATURALIZATION, and declares on oath

that it is bona fide his intention to become a CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

and to forever renounce and abjure all ALLEGIANCE AND FIDELITY to every Foreign Prince, Potentate, State and Sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the

Emperor of Germany

(John Herrel)

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 25^th day of March 1881

                                             Isaac B. Matson

                                             Probate Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk

         By Henry Rechtin

         Deputy Clerk

I HEREBY CERTIFY the foregoing to be a true copy of the original record.

In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed

The Seal of said Court, at Cincinnati, the day and year last above written.

                                             Isaac B. Matson

                                             Probate Judge and Ex-Officio Clerk

         By Henry Rechtin

         Deputy Clerk

In this case, the online database had accurately extracted all the pertinent information from the record. I didn’t discover anything new by viewing it in person. But that didn’t diminish the joy of holding a 131-year-old document, especially one that had somehow managed to survive a courthouse fire, in my own hands.

Citation:

Hamilton County, Ohio, Citizenship Records, 1837-1916: loose items arranged alphabetically; see folder 24 (Heri-Hez), for 25 March 1881 declaration of intention by John Herrel; University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library, Cincinnati.

Planning My Visit to the University of Cincinnati Archives

I’ll be heading to Cincinnati a day before the NGS 2012 Family History Conference next week in order to do a little research. Cincinnati has a number of great libraries and archives, and the conference offers a good chance to explore them. Because my time will be limited, I’m trying to do a little prep work before I leave home to make the most of it. I’ve decided my first stop will be the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library.

Did you know that City of Cincinnati birth and death records from 1865-1912 are available online? The UC Archives has digitized them and created a searchable database with images, aptly named Cincinnati Birth and Death Records, 1865-1912. I’ve already checked this collection for known family members, but want to go back through and look for others who might be collateral family.

UC has also created an online index to Hamilton County Wills, 1791-1901. I didn’t find a will that I need, but if you do, you can view it at the Archives & Rare Books Library or request a copy of it from them. Instructions are given on their Important Information for Genealogists webpage.

Another online resource is UC Library’s database of Hamilton County, Ohio Citizenship Records, 1837-1916. I found an abstract of a Declaration of Intention for my great-great-grandfather, John George Herrel, there. Because these records are so fragile, they cannot be photocopied. But you are permitted to take digital photographs of them, which is what I hope to do.

UC is one of seven repositories in the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers. You can find a list of the resources in UC's Ohio Network Collection here. These are primarily Cincinnati and Hamilton County local government records. If you have German ancestors, like I do, you might also want to check out their German-Americana Collection. I had fun looking through their "German American Caricature in Vintage Postcards" collection.

I’m glad I decided to write this post, because in doing so I discovered that the UC Archives requests that genealogical researchers call ahead for an appointment. You can find out how to do this on their Information for Genealogists page. I called and have an appointment set up for next Tuesday to see John Herrel's original Declaration of Intention, which he submitted in 1881. The librarian gave me some tips for parking, too.

If anyone reading this has been to the UC Archives and Rare Books Library, I’d be interested to hear about your experiences and suggestions. And for those of you with Cincinnati ancestors, I hope you find their online databases helpful!

The Best Library Video Ever

Today’s edition of Dick Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter contains a brief article and a link to a wonderful video from the New York Public Library. Now I just spent a great weekend at the Allen County Public Library, and I’m fiercely loyal to my local Columbus Metropolitan Library, but this video makes me want to hop on the first plane to New York City. Check it out for yourself:

Is that cool, or what? “Know the past, find the future.” Speaks to the sleuth in all of us.

Kudos to the New York Public Library’s Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy on their video, and thanks to Dick Eastman for sharing it.

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Researching at Columbus Metropolitan Library

Doing Genealogy Research at the Ohio History Center

Last week I wrote about researching at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. My other favorite place in Central Ohio is the Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library. Located on the third floor of the modernistic Ohio History Center (OHC), the Archives/Library holds a massive amount of documents, books, newspapers, photographs, and other materials for family historians.

The Ohio History Center

Stacks of books ring the walls of the library. County histories and record compilations for all Ohio counties, some out-of-state guides, reference works, military indexes, and a large collection of Ohio city and county directories are available for browsing. Some newspapers and atlases are also on display. The majority of the library’s collection, however, consists of materials that must be paged. You’ll need to fill out a request slip for the items you want and a librarian will bring them to you. Because of this, it’s a good idea to consult the library catalog to make sure you don’t miss things of interest to you.

Part of the spacious Archives/Library reading room

The big wood tables provide plenty of space to spread materials out. You can bring your computer, but hand-held scanners are not permitted. In order to take pictures of documents with my digital camera, I signed a brief photography policy agreement and had to keep my flash off. If you want copies of something, the librarians will make them for you.

When I visit, I tend to spend a lot of time in the microfilm room, which feels small and cramped compared to the airy reading room. The library has extensive microfilm holdings of county records, state records, original land grants, and newspapers, among other things. To make the best use of your time, it's essential to use the online catalog to identify what you want and get the film numbers in advance. You load money onto a copy card to make printouts from the readers.

It’s worth noting that the OHS Archives doesn’t hold all the locally-created records for the entire state of Ohio. It’s one of seven facilities in the Ohio Network of American History Research Centers. Each of these regional facilities is the primary repository for certain counties. OHS is the designated repository for eight counties in Central Ohio, as well as 18 counties in Southeastern Ohio that it recently inherited from Alden Library in Athens. For an explanation and listing of all seven facilities, with links and a network map, click here.

The OHS Library/Archives homepage contains a lot of helpful links in various categories. Its online catalog search is a useful tool once you understand its quirks. It helps to ask yourself, “Where would this record have been created?” That will usually be a county or state government office. Enter a term such as “Delaware county births” in the search box (don’t abbreviate county). For land grant records, enter the name of the land office, i.e. “Marietta land office.” If you get a message saying no results were found, try different search terms.

Microfilmed newspapers have their own search tool, the Ohio Newspaper Index, which is not readily apparent on the Archives homepage. A huge number of papers from throughout the state are available.

The Ohio Historical Society, Columbus Metropolitan Library, and Franklin County Genealogical and Historical Society have partnered together to offer some great genealogy classes on various topics. To read about upcoming classes, click here, or select “Genealogy Workshops” on the Archives homepage. 

To visit the Archives, you first need to register for a researcher’s card at the front desk, which is on the ground level. Although there’s a charge to visit the Ohio History Center museum, access to the Archives/Library is free. Parking is also free. On the third floor are ample lockers for bags and coats (you’ll get the quarter back when you return the key). No purses or bags are allowed in the library. OHC is conveniently located right by the I-71 freeway at the 17^th Avenue exit, just north of downtown Columbus. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 am-5 pm (closed Sunday-Tuesday). The phone number is (614) 297-2510.


If you have any time left on your way out, you might want to stop by the gift shop. On my last visit, I picked up some really cool maps--one a reproduction of the first state map in 1804 and another of the Ohio canal system. There's nothing like a good map to give help you visualize the places your family called home.

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Researching at Columbus Metropolitan Library

Researching at Columbus Metropolitan Library: Abundant Genealogy

For Week 8 of her series 52 Weeks of Abundant Genealogy, Amy Coffin asks: Genealogy libraries (and dedicated departments in regular libraries) are true treasures in the family history community. Tell us about your favorite genealogy library. What or who makes it special?

I have two favorite places to do genealogical research in Central Ohio: the Columbus Metropolitan Library main branch and the Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library. To give a more detailed treatment of each, I’ve decided to do two separate posts, with the second one to follow next week.

Columbus Metropolitan Library

The Columbus Metropolitan Library main branch (CML) is where I fell in love with family history research. The classically elegant old building, a legacy of philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, has grown with the city over the years. Many years ago, I used to descend the worn marble stairs to the children's department. But the crown jewel of the library for me these days is the third floor in the new addition, home of the  Genealogy, History, and Travel Department.

Thanks to a dedicated staff and the acquisition of several important collections, CML is evolving into a major repository for those tracing their family history. It has resources for all 88 Ohio counties, plus state and county resources for other states. CML also boasts a substantial collection of family histories, military histories and records, city directories, maps and atlases, and lineage society books. Resources for tracing British, Huguenot, and German-speaking ancestors are particularly strong.

The work area features plenty of light and table space. Everything is available to browse in the stacks. Staff members are always wiling to give a quick tour, answer a question, or help a patron find something. That’s a good thing, because the amount of material has really grown. Over the past few years CML has been the recipient of sizable collections from:

• The State Library of Ohio
• Ohio Daughters of the American Revolution
• Ohio Huguenot Society
• Joy Wade Moulton British Isles Collection
• Palatines to America Germanic Genealogy Collection
• Franklin County Genealogical and Historical Society

All of these have been fully integrated into the library’s catalog, which is accessible from the Genealogy Department homepage. The page is loaded with links to other resources and tools. One of my favorites is The Columbus Dispatch Obituary Search, which indexes the years 1931-1997. A number of premium resources, including Heritage Quest, are accessible to library cardholders from home. (Update: in the few days since I published this post, CML changed the look and URLs of its webpages. I’ve changed the screen shot and links to reflect the changes.)

Russ Pollitt, department head, is active in local and state genealogy organizations. He and his staff have been busy digitizing the library’s photographic and postcard collections for the Columbus Memory project.

Russ Pollitt in the Genealogy, History, & Travel Department

A microfilm reading room on the same floor holds collections of over 20 historic newspapers, all censuses for Franklin County, and the Civil War prison records of Camp Chase, among other things. Microfilm printouts are free.

If you plan to go, here's some good things to know: The main Columbus Metropolitan Library is located at 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43215; phone (614) 645-2275. There’s an on-site parking garage (take the parking ticket into the library with you; you’ll pay before leaving the building). Photocopies are 10 cents. Computers are available in the department, or bring your own. CML was named Library of the Year by Library Journal in 2010.

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