SEARCH Other States
| AL | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT |
| DE | FL | GA | ID | IL | IN |
| IA | KS | KY | LA | MA | MD |
| ME | MI | MN | MO | MS | MT |
| NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY |
| NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA |
| RI | SC | SD | TN | TX | UT |
| VA | VT | WA | WV | WI | WY |
Van Wert County History and Information |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
County History |
Court Records |
Vital Records |
CENSUS Records |
TAX Records |
Military Records |
Church & Cemetery | Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites | |
||||||||
|
||||||||
Van Wert County was created on February 12, 1820 (Organized in 1837) and was formed from Darke, Shelby and Mercer Counties. The County was named for Isaac Van Wart, one of the captors of spy John André in the American Revolutionary War--the spelling was changed for the county name. The County Seat is Van Wert. Van Wert County borders the state of Indiana about 70 miles southwest of Toledo. Issac Van Wert was a Revolutionary War hero. The first white to settle the area was Captain James Riley who established the village of Willshire in 1820. The city of Van Wert is also the county seat. It is known as Ohio's Peony capital because of the abundance of Peony flowers. It is also the home of the first public library in the United States. Clerk of Courts has divorce & civil court records; Probate Judge has birth & death records 1867 to 1908, marriage records from 1840, probate records from 1837; Board of Health has birth & death records from 1908; County Recorder has land records from 1823. Some early records, 1820-1837 may be found in Mercer County. See also County History for more historical details. The Health Department has Birth & Death Records from 1908-Present, see the Vital Records section for more details. For birth and death records prior to Dec. 20, 1908, contact the Probate Court of this county. Counties adjacent to Van Wert County are Paulding County (north), Putnam County (northeast), Allen County (east), Auglaize County (southeast), Mercer County (south), Adams County, Indiana (southwest), Allen County, Indiana (northwest). Van Wert County Municipalities Include Delphos, Van Wert, Convoy, Elgin, Middle Point, Ohio City, Scott, Venedocia, Willshire, Wren. Townships Include Harrison, Hoaglin, Jackson, Jennings, Liberty, Pleasant, Ridge, Tully, Union, Washington, Willshire, York.. Other localities Include Glenmore, Vinton, Hamden, McArthur, Wilkesville, Zaleski. Townships Include Brown, Clinton, Eagle, Elk, Harrison, Jackson, Knox, Madison, Richland, Swan, Vinton, Wilkesville. Other localities Include Creola, New Plymouth, Ray
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
All Departments below are in the Van Wert County Courthouse Main Street, Van Wert, OH 45891; Phone: +1-419-238-2558, unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.vanwertcounty.org/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. Van Wert County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1840, Birth / Death Records from 1867-1908 and Probate Records from 1840 and is located at 121
E Main Street, Rm 104,
Van Wert, OH 45891;
419-238-0027 Van Wert County Recorder has Land Records from 1824 and is located at 121 E Main Street, Rm 206, Courthouse, Van Wert, OH 45891; Phone: 419-238-2558, Fax: 419-238-5410; Email: recorder@vanwertcounty.org Van Wert County Clerk of Court of Common Pleas has Court Records from 1837 and is located at 121
East Main St., 2nd Floor, Van Wert 45891-0000, (419) 238-6159
Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Court Records by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Ohio did not make it a law to keep birth records until 1867. Ohio made it a law to record births in 1867. County probate courts kept birth records between 1867 and December 19, 1908. There is no statewide index to birth records from 1867 through December 19, 1908. Go to the list of county probate court birth records held at the Ohio Historical Society. If the Ohio Historical Society does not hold a county's birth records, please contact the county's probate court. Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, 225 Neilston Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215; (614) 466-2531. Same-day service available to walk-in customers (for Ohio birth and death records only)., P.O. Box 570, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Please allow up to approximately 3 weeks to 6 months for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:
Order In Person: Same day service is available to walk-in customers. This is the fastest way to obtain a birth certificate. When you arrive, you will complete an application and pay the $16.50 required fee. Walk-in address is Ohio Department of Health,
Vital Statistics,
225 Neilston Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Van Wert County, Ohio are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850 ,1860 ,1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Van Wert County, Ohio are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms. See Also Statewide Records that exist for Ohio Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Census Records by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Ohio showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Maps. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Maps by clicking the link below: |
||||||||
|
||||||||
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Military Records by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
Tax records for Ohio began as early as 1800. The archives section of the Ohio Historical Society has a collection of original Ohio tax lists from the state auditor's office. They include lists from the county's organization to 1838, usually arranged by county and township. They are not indexed. County courthouses hold various tax records that have not been inventoried. They are in the office of the county auditor or the county records manager. The FHL has microfilm copies of all known extant tax records 1800-38 for Ohio. The National Archives-Great Lakes Region retains numerous federal tax records for Ohio. These include assessment books for 1867-73 and corporate and personal records for District 10, Toledo, and District 11, Columbus. Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Tax Records by clicking the link below: |
||||||||
|
||||||||
The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over. Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
There are many churches and cemeteries in Van Wert County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Van Wert County Tombstone Transcription Project. Religion in Ohio was an early and important factor in settlement. The first Moravian mission was established in 1772. Presbyterians and Quakers were in the state at an early date, the latter having established forty-three monthly meetings and settlements between 1801 and 1883. The Presbyterians founded seventeen towns between 1784 and 1799. Baptists, Congregationalists, several reformed groups, Lutherans, Disciples of Christ, United Brethren, Methodists, and Catholics arrived prior to 1850. By 1890 the latter two denominations were the largest in the state. The Methodist circuit in Ohio was organized in 1798, with circuit riders traveling from log cabins to camp meetings across the territory. In 1831 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints migrated from New York to Kirtland in Lake County. No thorough survey exists of any of the holdings of individual churches in Ohio, although many are on microfilm through the FHL. The Ohio Genealogical Society is presently undertaking a church records survey. According to the Ohio Genealogical Society, the majority of Ohio counties have published cemetery records in one form or another. They suggest contacting local societies or one of the major genealogical libraries in the state. Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Van Wert County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Van Wert County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
On February 12, 1820, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Van Wert County. Residents named the county in honor of Isaac Van Wert, a hero of the American Revolution. Van Wert helped capture Benedict Arnold, the most notorious traitor in American history. Van Wert County was originally part of territory set aside for Ohio’s Indian people by the Treaty of Greeneville. Van Wert County is located in the northwestern part of Ohio. Its western border helps form the boundary between Ohio and Indiana. The county seat is Van Wert, which is the largest community in the county with a population of 10,690 people in 2000. Just over one percent of the county’s 410 square miles are deemed to be urban. The county averages seventy-two people living in each square mile. Between 1990 and 2000, the county experienced a 2.6 percent decrease in population. This is typical of Ohio’s more rural counties, as residents seek better opportunities in the state’s larger cities. In 2000, the county’s residents numbered 29,659 people. Most of Van Wert County’s residents find employment in agricultural positions, with ninety percent of the county’s acreage under cultivation. The county ranks ninth in the state in soybean production. Manufacturing, retail, and service positions finish second, third, and fourth respectively. In 1999, the county’s per capita income was 22,916 dollars, with 6.4 percent of the county’s residents living below the poverty level. The town of Van Wert is the county seat of Van Wert County, Ohio. In 1837, James Watson Riley established the community. Riley named Van Wert after the county. The town grew slowly, but thanks to the presence of two railroad lines and the discovery of oil in the region, making Van Wert a center of trade, the community had 5,548 residents in 1890. In 1888, Van Wert contained four newspapers and nine churches. Numerous manufacturing businesses existed in the community. The town’s largest employer was the Eagle Stave Company, which manufactured barrel staves, with seventy-eight employees. Several other companies manufactured products for the oil industry, which was booming in this region of Ohio during the late nineteenth century. During the twentieth century, most Van Wert County residents found employment in agriculture. Van Wert city inhabitants primarily worked in businesses that provided services or products for the county’s farmers. This remains true today. In 2000, Van Wert was the county’s largest city. With a population of 10,690 people in 2000, the city contained over one-third of all of Van Wert County’s residents |
||||||||
|
||||||||
