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This page will provide you with information that will help you in your genealogy and ancestry research for the state of Ohio. It includes a timeline for the state, when the state began recording vital records, what US and State census records are available, a map of the counties in the state and link to page showing when counties were formed, and links to a variety of genealogy and ancestry resources for the state of Ohio.
1669 – French explorer Robert de La Salle explores the Ohio River claiming the land for the French.
1763 – The British take over after the French and Indian War. 1782 – The Gnadenhutten massacre occurs when 96 Lenape Indians are killed by an American militia.
1783 – The United States takes control after the Revolutionary War.
1787 – Ohio becomes part of the newly created Northwest Territory.
1788 – The first permanent settlement is established in Marietta.
1794 – The Battle of Fallen Timbers is fought between a Confederacy of Native Americans in Ohio and the United States.
1803 – Ohio becomes the 17th state.
1812 – The War of 1812 is fought against the British and their Native American allies.
1816 – Columbus becomes the capital.
1837 – The Proctor & Gamble Company is established in Cincinnati.
1898 – The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is established in Akron.
1955 – The Ohio Turnpike opens.
1995 – The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame museum opens in Cleveland.
Ohio enacted a statute in 1856-57 that required birth, death, and marriage registration, a law that was generally disregarded. A later 1867 law again required registration of birth and death records. Some of these are extant. Two types of ‘death records’ known to be in existence before 1867 are records of cholera deaths, registered during some epidemics, and veterans’ deaths, representing only a small proportion of the deaths that occurred. The third law, which went into effect on 20 December 1908, set up the current record keeping system in Ohio.
Ohio Vital Records at rootsweb and Ohio Vital Records at FamilySearch.org, has more details regarding vital records.
Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org has a variety of online collections. I have included many of these in the links below.
Federal
Population Schedules
Industry and Agriculture Schedules
Mortality Schedules
Union Veterans Schedules
You can find more county information at Ohio County Resources, originally written by Carol L. Maki and Michael John Neill for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. This includes County name, address, date formed, parent county(ies), and dates first recorded birth, marriage, death, land, probate and court records.
Ancestry.com has a variety of online Data Collections. Membership may be required.
Ohio History Connection
https://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Timeline_of_Ohio_History
eReference Desk – Ohio
https://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-history-timeline/ohio.html
Ducksters – Ohio
https://www.ducksters.com/geography/us_states/ohio_history.php
DatesandEvents.org – Ohio
http://www.datesandevents.org/american-timelines/35-ohio-history-timeline.htm
The History Junkie – Ohio History and Timeline for Kids
https://thehistoryjunkie.com/ohio-history-and-timeline-for-kids/
Sources
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