Center for Archival Collections

Genealogy Resources: Ottawa County

Established: 6 March 1840 County Seat: Port Clinton
Geographical Names Newspapers Local Government Records	Indexes Churches Online Resources

Geographical Names (active post offices in bold)

Allen Township
Bay Township
Benton Township
Carroll Township
Catawba Island
Clay Center
Clay Township
Curtice
Danbury
Danbury Township
Eber
Elliston
Elmore
Erie
Erie Township

Frenchtown
Genoa
Germanville
Graytown
Gypsum
Harris Township
Hineline
Isle St. George
Johnsons Island
Kramer
Lacarne
Lakeside
Lakeside-Marblehead

Limestone
Locustpoint
Marblehead
Martin
Middle Bass
Nina
North Bass Island
Oak Harbor
Ottawa
Ottawa City
Peachton
Piccolo
Point Marblehead

Portage Township
Port Clinton
Put-in-Bay
Rehburg
Rockyridge
Salem Township
Toussaint
Trowbridge
Van Rensalaer Township
Velliquete
Vine Ridge
Whitestown
Williston

Newspapers

Newspapers are useful to genealogical research because of the obituaries and community news appearing in them. The following communities published newspapers with information relating to Ottawa County residents. To see the CAC's holdings for each title, go to the Guide to Newspaper Holdings, select the letter the city name begins with and scroll down or use your browser's search function to locate the description of the newspapers. Newspapers may also be located at your local public library or at the Ohio Historical Society.

Elmore
Genoa

Lakeside
Marblehead

Oak Harbor
Ottawa

Port Clinton
Put-in-Bay

Local Government Records

Counties, townships, and cities all keep records of interest to family historians. Probate Court records include Births and Deaths (first recorded in 1867), marriages, wills, and guardianships. Naturalization records may also be found here as well as in the Court of Common Pleas. For a full listing of offices, see Ottawa County Guide to Local Government Records .

Researchers interested in contemporary records, or any record not listed here on the CAC's inventories should contact the Ottawa County Courthouse for more information.

Indexes

Search the BGSU Libraries online catalog for Ottawa County, Ohio histories and atlases. The following indexes have been compiled and are available for use at the Center for Archival Collections.

Cemetery inscriptions of Ottawa County, Ohio.
Index to Declarations of Intention (pOG 2278 ref); Naturalizations (pOG 2777 ref)
Marriages from the Probate Court, Ottawa County, Ohio, 1840-1890
Obituaries and Memorial Cards of Some Ottawa Co. People, indexed by Martha Dykes.
Ottawa, Sandusky, and Seneca Counties, Ohio, newspaper obituary abstracts, 1836-1870

Most local government record volumes are indexed at the front of each volume. Some separate indexes have been prepared and form part of the local record series. These include:

Births, 1876-1890, 1r (#36)
Naturalization Records, 1907-1930, 1r (#68)
Naturalization Records and Declarations of Intention, n.d., 1r (#68)

Online Resources

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