Summit County was created on March 3, 1840 and was formed from Medina, Portage and Stark Counties. The County was named for the highest point on the Ohio and Erie Canal which was located there.. The County Seat is Akron.
Summit County has the highest
land along the Ohio Canal. The county is noted
for its chain of natural lakes. The Cuyahoga
and Tuscarawas Rivers flow through the county.
The city of Akron, the county seat, was laid out in 1825 by General Simon Perkins
of Warren, Ohio. Its name comes from a Greek word meaning "high". Although
best known as a leading producer of rubber, the city is also an important research
and development center, as well as one of the nation's leading producers of childrens
books and toys.
Probate Court maintains the following records: Estate Records 1840 to present,
births 1867 to 1908, marriages 1840 to present, deaths 1867 to 1908.
Family History Library has some birth, marriage, death, cemetery, civil court,
land, naturalization, probate & tax records. 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.
Summit County Municipalities Include Akron, Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Fairlawn, Green, Hudson, Macedonia, Munroe Falls, New Franklin, Norton, Stow, Tallmadge, Twinsburg, Boston Heights, Clinton, Lakemore, Mogadore, Northfield, Peninsula, Reminderville, Richfield, Silver Lake. Townships Include Bath, Boston, Copley, Coventry, Northfield Center, Richfield, Sagamore Hills, Springfield, Twinsburg Other localities Include Montrose-Ghent, Pigeon Creek, Portage Lakes. Other localities Include Ghent, Hammond's Corners, Montrose
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 Summit County Courthouse 209 South High Street, Akron, OH 44308; Phone: +1-216-379-2720, unless otherwise noted below. The Official County website is located at http://www.co.summit.oh.us/. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Summit County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1840, Birth / Death Records from 1867-1908 and Probate Records from 1839 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (330) 643-2350,
FAX: (330) 643-2393 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.).
Summit County Recorder has Land Records from 1840 and is located at Summit County Fiscal Office, 175 S Main Street, Rm 400, Akron, OH 44308; Phone: 330-643-2715, Fax: 330-643-8154; Email: jdonofrio@summitoh.net 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.
Summit County Clerk of Court of Common Pleas has Court Records from 1840 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number:
(330) 379-2512 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.
Below is a list of online resources for Summit County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Summit County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Ohio Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
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.
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
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 Summit County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Summit County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Ohio Obituaries Index 1830s-present - mostly Northwest counties (over 800,000 names) includes obituaries from these Ohio counties: Allen, Auglaize, Belmont, Defiance, Erie, Gallia, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Logan, Lorain, Miami, Ottawa, Paulding, Ross, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Washington, Wayne, Wood & Wyandot - coverage varies by county - also see the links below (copies of the obituaries can be ordered for a fee)
MOLO Obituary Index includes obituaries from newspapers in Ashland County (Loudonville), Coshocton County, Holmes County and Stark County (Massillon)
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Summit County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Summit 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.
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
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 Summit County Maps. Email us with websites containing Summit County Maps by clicking the link below:
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 Summit County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Summit County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Ohio (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
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 Summit County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Summit 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 Summit County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Summit County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Summit County Chapter, OGS, PO Box 2232, Akron, OH 44309-2232; Summit County Chapter, OGS meets the third Saturday of the month at 1:00pm at the Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., Akron. There are no meetings in August, November and December. The annual banquet is in November. Time and place of the banquet are announced in October., E-mail: summitogs@yahoo.com
Western
Reserve Historical Society,
10825 East Blvd.,
Cleveland, OH 44106 .
Summit
County Health Dept,
1100 Graham Road Cir,
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44224;
330-923-4891
Hudson
Library and Historical Society,
Dept. G.,
22 Aurora Street,
Hudson, OH 44236-2947, [EMAIL] meets at the Hudson Library and Historical
Library, 22 Aurora St., Hudson, OH.
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.
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.
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.
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 Summit County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Summit County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Ohio obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Ohio newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Ohio.
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 Summit County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Summit County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Ohio Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
On March 3, 1840, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Summit County. It originally was a portion of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The county was named for the Portage Summit, the highest point along the Ohio and Erie Canal. The county grew very quickly, especially following the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Due to its proximity to transportation systems and an abundant supply of coal, iron ore, and steel, the county seat of Akron became a major site for the production of cereal, rubber, and numerous other products during the latter portion of the nineteenth century. Because B.F. Goodrich Company, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company were all located in Akron, the city became known as the "Rubber Capital of the World."
Summit County is located in northeastern Ohio and covers 413 square miles. The county has grown in recent years. Between 1990 and 2000, Summit County's population increased by 5.4 percent to a total of 542,899 residents in 2000. Akron is the largest community in the county, with 217,074 residents in 2000. The county averages 1,315 residents per square mile.
Summit County is overwhelmingly rural, with only fourteen percent of the county deemed to be urban. Still, only just over three hundred farms exist in the county. Most of the county is now covered with subdivisions. These areas are not populated enough to qualify as urban areas, but they are definitely not devoted to agriculture. Most residents earn their livings by working in service, sales, or manufacturing positions. The county's average income was just over twenty-nine thousand dollars per person in 1999, with 10.9 percent of the population living in poverty.
Akron was originally laid out in 1825 and in 1841 became the seat of Summit County. The name came from a Greek word meaning "an elevation" or "point." Originally, the community was located slightly south of its present location, in modern-day South Akron. Many of the town's earliest residents were Irish migrants employed to build the nearby Ohio and Erie Canal. After 1827, when the canal was completed between Akron and Cleveland, the community's business interests really began to prosper. Its location along the canal meant that many farmers brought their crops to Akron to be milled and then transported to other markets, and manufacturing interests such as mills, furnaces, and textiles also emerged.
By the second half of the 1800s, railroads connected the community to other important cities in Ohio, and other industries emerged. There were a number of stoneware and cereal manufacturers, as well as a well-known sewer pipe industry. The Barber Match Company, later a branch of the Diamond Match Company, produced one-fifth of all the matches in the United States. The Buckeye Mower and Reaper Company, originally located in Canton, moved to Akron in 1863. Probably among the most famous companies established in Akron were the B.F. Goodrich Company and the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, both rubber and tire manufacturers that began to prosper after the advent of the automobile age. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many migrants from the Appalachian region and European immigrants came to Akron looking for work in these industries. There was also a significant African-American population going back prior to the Civil War.
In the early twentieth century, Akron continued to grow. During the 1920s, Goodyear branched out into the zeppelin industry, a predecessor to modern-day blimps. The Great Depression hit the city particularly hard, and Akron reported industrial unemployment rates of sixty percent during the 1930s. In spite of the economic problems, the population continued to grow during this decade, possibly because of New Deal programs. The 1920s and 1930s were an interesting time for Akron. During Prohibition, organized crime, illegal alcohol production, and gambling were prominent in some parts of the city, and the Ku Klux Klan had a significant following. In fact, during the 1920s Klan members held many of the important local political positions, from mayor to school board members. Akron's economic problems from the Great Depression ended with the United States' entry into World War II. The need for wartime mobilization meant that factories were once again at full production, and the city grew once again as workers were recruited to make aircraft and other necessary military goods.
Following World War II, Akron's residents faced some difficult financial times. The traditional industries that allowed the city to prosper during the 1800s and early 1900s began to decline. As a result of this economic downturn, Akron has experienced a declining population. In 1950, nearly 275,000 resided in Akron. Fifty years later, Akron enjoyed a population of just over 217,000 people.
Despite the smaller population, Akron produced numerous famous residents during the twentieth century. Musicians Chrissie Hynde, James Ingram, and Ruby and the Romantics came from Akron, as did actress Melina Kanakaredes and model Angie Everhart. Astronaut Judith Resnik, who died in the Challenger explosion, and Nobel Prize-winning poet Rita Dove both graduated from high schools in Akron. The National Civic League also named Akron an All-American City in 1981 and in 1995.
