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SEARCH FOR YOUR ANCESTORS IN THESE OHIO GENEALOGICAL DATABASES:
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Meigs County History and Information
County History | Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records |
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Meigs County Facts

Meigs County was created on January 21, 1819 and was formed from Athens and Gallia Counties. The County was named for Governor Return J. Meigs, Jr., who was Postmaster General when the county was erected. Pomeroy is the county seat of Meigs County, Ohio. The first settler, probably Nathaniel Clark, arrived in 1816. The town was named for Samuel Wyllis Pomeroy, who was an early resident of the community. Although Meigs County was formed in 1819, Pomeroy did not become the county seat until 1841. 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 Meigs County are Athens County (north), Wood County, West Virginia (northeast), Jackson County, West Virginia (east), Mason County, West Virginia (southeast), Gallia County (southwest), Vinton County (west).

Meigs County Municipalities Include Middleport, Pomeroy, Racine, Rutland, Syracuse. Townships Include Bedford, Chester, Columbia, Lebanon, Letart, Olive, Orange, Rutland, Salem, Salisbury, Scipio, Sutton. Other localities Include Chester, Darwin, Langsville, Long Bottom, Portland, Reedsville, Tuppers Plains

 

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

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Records at the Meigs County Courthouse

See Also Ohio Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

All Departments below are in the Meigs County Courthouse 100 W 2nd St, Pomeroy, OH 45769; Phone: +1-614-992-3806, unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at ? . NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

   Meigs County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1819, Birth / Death Records from 1867-1908 and Probate Records from 1820 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: 740-992-3096
   The Probate Court handles the following administrative functions: the probating of wills, estate administrations (full estates and releases from administration), trusts, guardianships of incompetent adults and minors, commitment hearings for the mentally ill and mentally challenged, adoptions, birth corrections, name changes, delayed birth registrations, custodial accounts, lost heir accounts, order disinterments, and issues marriage licenses. In addition, the Court tries litigation issues in all the above matters. A unique aspect of the Probate Court is that the Probate Judge is the ex-officio Clerk of Courts, thus, the Court performs all the duties as its own Clerk of Courts (indexing, filing, docketing, etc.).

   Meigs County Recorder has Land Records from 1819 and is located at 100 E Second Street, Pomeroy, OH 45769; Phone: 740-992-3806, Fax: 740-992-2867
    In Ohio, the Recorder, as an elected official, is charged by law with the exacting duty of keeping certain specific records which may include: deeds, mortgages, financing statements, easements, leases, federal tax liens, personal tax liens, military discharges, powers of attorney, mechanics liens, plats, recognizance liens, partnerships, living wills, zoning resolutions, etc.

   Meigs County Clerk of Court of Common Pleas has Court Records from 1819 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: 740-992-3096 or 740-992-2895
   The Clerk of Courts of Common Pleas is responsible for various administrative and ministerial duties in conjunction with the Court of Common Pleas.  These duties include filing, docketing, indexing, and preserving all court pleadings for civil, felony criminal and domestic relations cases.  The Clerk of Courts must also follow procedure required by law and issues writs to carry out Court orders.  Some of these writs include summons, subpoenas, warrants to arrest and to convey to penal institutions, and signing the death warrant in capital cases.  The Clerk is responsible for the receipt and disbursement of all money paid into the court system. Other services provided by the Clerk of Court of Common Pleas are accepting bonds, recording notary commissions, administering oaths, keeping naturalization records, and recording and retention of coroner records.

There are a few online databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include:Ohio Land Records and Ohio Early Land Ownership Records.


Search Online Click Here to Search Ohio Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Meigs County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Court Records by clicking the link below:

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Meigs County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Ohio

Search Online Click Here to Search Ohio Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.

Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. Birth, Marriage, Divorce & Death Certificates Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Often in as few as three business days!

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:

  • Birth & Death Certificates: The state of Ohio began issuing certificates for births on December 20, 1908. The Ohio Department of Health holds birth certificates for the state of Ohio from December 20, 1908 to the present. The Vital Statistics Office maintains statewide Death Certificates from 1954 to the present. Individual health departments in the county or city where the death took place keep certificates for their local area (not statewide).
    • Cost: $16.50 per certificate, payment is payable to the Treasurer State of Ohio. The cost for each authentication is $5.00 payable to the Secretary of State of Ohio. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $16.50 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
    • Processing Time: 3-6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
    • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE
  • Marriage & Divorce Certificates: The State of Ohio Vital Statistics Office maintains the abstracts of marriages and divorces that occurred in Ohio from January 1, 1954, to present.  Abstracts are brief forms that list limited information extracted from the original marriage licenses or divorce decrees.  This limited information is used for index purposes and the filing of the marriage or divorce within the State of Ohio. We do not have marriage licenses or divorce decrees on file, only abstracts. An abstract is not a marriage license or divorce decree. Please contact the following agencies: Marriage License - County Probate Court; Divorce – County Clerk of Court
  • To request a certified copy of a marriage license contact the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the license was obtained.To request a certified copy of a divorce decree contact the Circuit Clerk in the county where the decree was granted.
    • Cost: Include a fee of $3.00 per 10 year search per last name with request.  Allow 4 to 6 months for the search. Please do not send cash in the mail.
    • Processing Time: Allow 4 to 6 months for the search by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY. Mail your search request to: Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, 246 N. High Street, 1st Floor, P.O. Box 15098, Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098

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
Phone: (614) 466-2531. You can also obtain the birth/death record from the city or county health department office where the event occurred, provided there is no court or legal action. You may download the application and submit it in person or by mail to the nearest local health department.
Order By Mail:  Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. However, people are urged to allow sufficient time for delivery for all birth/death records. Mail a check or money order of $16.50 for each certified certificate. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address: Ohio Department of Health, Vital Statistics, P.O. Box 15098, Columbus, Ohio 43215-0098. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
Order On-Line:  To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek

The Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library has most birth records before 1908 and copies of original death certificates on microfilm for the period December 20, 1908 through 1953.

Below is a list of online resources for Meigs County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

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Meigs County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

Search Online Click Here to Search Ohio Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Meigs 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 Meigs 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 Meigs County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Census Records by clicking the link below:

  • Ohio Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 (Northwest Territory) Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index (Washington County); 1810 Washington County Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; Early Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule.
  • Meigs County, Ohio Census Books at Amazon.com

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Meigs County Maps & Atlases

   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.



Meigs County, Ohio Township Map

  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
   You can view rotating animated maps for Ohio showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.

Below is a list of online resources for Meigs County Maps. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Maps by clicking the link below:

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Meigs County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Ohio

Search Online Click Here to Search Ohio Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

   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 Meigs County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Military Records by clicking the link below:

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Meigs County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

   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 Meigs County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

  • Meigs County, Ohio Tax Books at Amazon.com

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Meigs County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Ohio Genealogical Addresses

   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 Meigs County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • Meigs County Chapter, OGS, PO Box 346, Pomeroy, OH 45769-0345, Meigs County Chapter, OGS meets on the second Tuesday of the month, September through May, except for December at the Meigs County Museum, Butternut in Pomeroy, OH.
  • Meigs County Museum, 144 Butternut Ave, Pomeroy, OH 45769; 740-992-3810
  • Meigs County Health Dept, 112 E Memorial Dr, Pomeroy, OH 45769; 740-992-6626
  • Pomeroy Public Library, 216 W Main St, Pomeroy, OH 45769-1032; 740-992-5813, Fax: 740-992-6140; Email: meigscty@oplin.lib.oh.us 
  • Local Ohio Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
  • Ohio Historical Society, Archives-Library Division,1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211; Telephone: 614-297-2300
    The Ohio Historical Society Archives/Library is, by law, the archives for the State of Ohio. As such, we collect, preserve, and make available to the public, documents pertaining to the operation of state and local governments.
  • Ohio Genealogical Society, 713 S. Main St, Mansfield, OH 44907-1644;(419) 756-7294, [EMAIL]
  • Columbus Metropolitan Library, Genealogy Division, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, OH 43215. 614-645-2ASK (2275);The Genealogy Division holds microfilm; printed, typescript, and manuscript collections, including family and local histories; atlases; cemetery records; city directories; military records; censuses and census indexes; and transcribed records provided by the Ohio chapters of the DAR.
  • Ohio Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
  • Ohio Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

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Meigs County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Ohio

Search Online Click Here to Search Ohio Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Meigs County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Meigs 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 Meigs County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Search Online Click Here to Search Ohio Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

   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 Meigs County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Meigs County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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County History

On January 21, 1819, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Meigs County. Residents named the county in honor of Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., a former governor of Ohio. The county used to be parts of Gallia and Athens Counties. During the American Civil War, the Battle of Buffington Island took place in Meigs County. This was the only battle to occur in Ohio. The Ohio Historical Society maintains a monument to the Battle of Buffington Island in Meigs County.

Meigs County is located in southeastern Ohio. The county’s southern border lies along the Ohio River. It is predominantly rural, with less than one percent of the county’s 429 square miles consisting of urban areas. The county is also in the heart of Appalachia. The county seat is Pomeroy. With a population of 1,966 people, Pomeroy was the county’s third largest community in 2000, ranking behind Middleport (2,525 residents) and Chester Township (2,332 residents). Unlike many of Ohio’s more rural counties, Meigs County’s population has remained relatively steady, with the total number of residents at 23,072 people in 2000. The county averages fifty-four people per square mile.

The largest employers in Meigs County are farms, government positions and retail businesses. During the nineteenth century, county residents earned money especially through coal mining, iron ore excavation, and salt processing. In 1999, the per capita income in the county was 16,436 dollars, with 20.4 percent of the people living in poverty. This is one of the lowest per capita income averages and highest poverty rates in Ohio.

Pomeroy is the county seat of Meigs County, Ohio. The first settler, probably Nathaniel Clark, arrived in 1816. The town was named for Samuel Wyllis Pomeroy, who was an early resident of the community. Although Meigs County was formed in 1819, Pomeroy did not become the county seat until 1841.

Pomeroy grew quickly. This growth primarily resulted from an abundance of coal in the region. Thousands of people during the 1800s made their living from mining the coal. The first coal mine opened in 1819. By 1846, approximately 1,600 people resided in the town, which contained four churches, one newspaper office, two iron foundries, one machine shop, and ten stores. Pomeroy continued to grow over the next several decades, attaining a population of 5,560 people in 1880. During the 1880s, most residents found employment in salt or coal mining. Two bromine factories existed in the town, as did two newspapers, seventeen churches, and two banks. Due to a declining amount of coal and salt in the region, Pomeroy’s population dropped to 4,726 residents in 1890.

During the twentieth century, Pomeroy’s economic situation deteriorated. Salt and coal mining declined dramatically, forcing many residents to move elsewhere to find employment. With a population of 1,966 people, Pomeroy was the county’s third largest community in 2000, ranking behind Middleport (2,525 residents) and Chester Township (2,332 residents). Meigs County ranks as one of Ohio’s poorest counties.

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