The Clark County Public Library provides photocopies of obituaries and newspaper articles. The cost is $2.50 per name or article requested. Copies are sent by mail and the Library will cover the cost of return postage and envelopes.
To ask a question regarding geneaology or local history, you may call the Reference Department at (937) 328-6903 or email us at askhistory@ccpl.lib.oh.us [1].
Rootsweb.com is one of UsGenWeb's projects. They also sponsor important special projects at the national level and this website provides an entry point to all of those pages as well.
Due to staff and time limitations, the Library is unable to conduct extensive genealogical research. Requests must be of a specific nature and only indexed resources within the Library's collection will be checked. You can e-mail queries to askhistory@ccpl.lib.oh.us [30].
The Clark County Public Library provides photocopies of obituaries and newspaper articles. The cost is $2.50 per name or article requested. Copies are sent by mail and the Library will cover the cost of return postage and envelopes.
The Newspaper index will provide you with the headline, date and page number for articles that appeared in the Springfield News-Sun newspaper from January 1, 2000 to February 29, 2008. A card file index is available at the Main Library covering 1975 to December 31, 1999. Please note that the index covers articles pertaining to Springfield and Clark County news only (no statewide or national news). The Springfield-News Sun website also has a searchable archive [31] dating back to 2004. Newspapers can be viewed on microfilm at the Main Library on 201 S. Fountain Ave. Copies can be made for 15 cents per page in the library. To receive an article by mail, please send the headline, date, and page number (if available) and $2.50 per article to:
Clark County Public Library
Reference Department
201 S. Fountain Ave.
P.O.Box 1080
Springfield, OH 45501-1080
The Clark County Public Library provides photocopies of obituaries and newspaper articles. The cost is $2.50 per name or article requested. Copies are sent by mail and the Library will cover the cost of return postage and envelopes.
An index to over 1,600,000 obituaries, death & marriage notices & other sources from Ohio [32]from the 1810s to the present day. Visit the link below to connect to the Ohio Obituary Index.
Ohio Obituary Index at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center [32]
The state of Ohio began recording births and deaths in 1867. In Clark County, births and deaths between 1867 and August, 1908 were recorded in ledger books located at the Probate Court. The Library has copies of these ledgers on microfilm. The ledgers covering 1867 to 1887 includes an index that groups names by the first letter of the last name. In other words, you have to scan through all of the A's to locate George Andrews, then go to the page number indicated to see the entry. The ledgers covering 1887 to 1908 are not indexed. However, entries in each year are grouped by the first letter of the last name. So, if you know that George Andrews died between 1887 and 1908, but don't know the precise year, you have to scan each year's "A" entries.
The Library has listings of inscriptions for over 100 cemeteries in Clark County.
Inscriptions from the following cemeteries are available at the Library.
The Library has indexes to the Census for Ohio for the years 1820 through 1880. Census microfilm for Clark, Champaign, Greene, and Madison Counties is available for 1820 through 1930.
The Library collects published family histories for any family with a connection to Springfield or Clark County. To search for genealogy books related to a particular family, select the keyword search option in the Library's OPAC [33], then type in the surname and the word genealogy.
The I.G.I. on microfiche is a worldwide index of about 187 million deceased persons. Most of the names come from vital records from the early 1500's to 1875. Other names were submitted by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for temple ordinance work. Information provided includes births, christenings, and marriages. *Please note that the following countries are no longer available in the microfiche edition: Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland and U.S.S.R. & Baltic States. The updated version of the I.G.I. for these countries is available on compact disc at any Family History Center as part of the FamilySearch program. You may also search the I.G.I. online at www.familysearch.org [20].
The Library owns microfilm copies of naturalizations from the Common Pleas Court (1820-1854), the District Court (1852-1884), and the Probate Court (1820-1906). As with the vital records, each microfilmed book contains an index that groups entries by the first letter of the last name. The Library also has a print copy of An Index to Naturalization Records from Clark County, Ohio 1820-1906 and Greene County, Ohio 1831-1954, printed by Wright State University. The original naturalization records are housed in the University's Department of Archives and Special Collections.
The Library owns microfilm copies of property deeds from the Recorder's Office for the years 1818 through 1901. The deeds are indexed by grantor and by grantee. The Deed Index is a separate set of microfilm and covers the years 1818 through 1968. To view deeds dated later than 1901, you will still have to visit the Recorder's Office.
The Library also owns microfilm copies of mortgages from the Recorder's Office for the years 1835 through 1851. The mortgages are indexed by mortgagor and by mortgagee. As with the Deed Index, the Mortgage Index is a separate set of microfilm and covers the years 1818 through 1968. To view mortgages date later than 1851, you will still have to visit the Recorder's Office.
[59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59] [59]
The Clark County Public Library has created a card file index of references to people, places, things, and events in Clark County history from over 100 titles in our local history collection. Materials indexed include local histories, biographies, institutional and business histories, military histories, atlases, and more. This index is located in the Main Library. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance.
The Main Library has Springfield telephone books dating back to 1922. Due to their fragile condition, all phone books prior to 1968 are kept behind the Reference Desk. No photocopying is allowed from these books.
The process of tracing the history of your home may involve the use of a variety of different resources in a variety of different locations.
These resources may include such things as guides to architectural periods and styles, city directories, property records, utility records, maps, building permits, and much more. They may be housed in the local library, historical society, municipal or county government offices, or even in private collections.
This guide is an introduction to the primary locations for house history information in Clark County.
Tracing a house history is historical detective work that may lead you down unexpected alleys. Keep in mind that family records and papers, old photographs, personal journals, letters, scrapbooks, etc. may provide clues to a homes past as well.
Resources at the Clark County Public Library
How-to Guides
The Clark County Public Library has books and pamphlets that tell you how to go about tracing your home's history. The title and call number locations of these materials are listed below.
House Histories: A Guide to Tracing the Genealogy of Your Home [60] (REF 728.08 LIGHT)
Tracing the History of Your House: A Guide to Sources [61] (REF 728.09 BARRATT)
Nearby History: Exploring the Past Around You [62] (973.072 KYVIG)
If These Walls Had Ears: The Biography of a House [63] (976.773 MORGAN)
You may find clues to the history of your house by looking at architectural features. These guides identify historic house styles and the timeframes in which they were built. Keep in mind that architectural periods overlap and houses frequently have characteristics of more than one style.
The American Family Home, 1800-1960 [64] (728.37 CLARK)
A Field Guide to American Houses [65] (917.3049 MCALESTER)
A Field Guide to American Architecture [66] (720.973 RIFKIND)
Ohio - An Architectural Portrait [67] (720.9771 CAMPEN)
Log Construction in the Ohio Country, 1750-1850 [68] (720.9771 HUTSLAR)
The Log Architecture of Ohio [69] (728.7 HUTSLAR)
A Field Guide to American Houses [65] (917.3049 MCALESTER)
City Directories can be used to research the people who once lived in your house. The Clark County Public Library, Main Library has Springfield City Directories dating back to the year 1852.
Early editions provide an alphabetical list of residents and businesses in the city, as well as a guide to city streets. Beginning in 1915, the Directories also include an address guide, which lets you look up an address and see who resided there. Springfield City Directories are located in the Springfield reference area under the call number SP REF 917.7149 SPRINGFIELD.
The Library owns microfilm copies of deed and mortgage books for Clark County as listed below. The original records are held at the County Recorder's Office. See the next section for further information.
Index of Deeds, 1818 - 1968 ; by grantor (21 rolls) and by grantee (17 rolls)
Deeds, 1818 - 1901 (70 rolls)
Index to Mortgages, 1818 - 1968 ; by mortgagor (19 rolls) and by mortgagee (9 rolls)
Mortgages, 1835 - 1851 (3 rolls)
Resources in County Offices
The Clark County Recorder's Office houses various types of property records dating back to the County's formation. Here you can trace back property ownership using deed indexes and books, mortgage indexes and books, and plat maps in bound form or on microfiche. Records can be searched by computer from 1988 to the present in the Office or at the following website:
It is important to remember that these records pertain to the sale or transfer of land. Buildings and structures on the land are assumed to be included and may or may not be mentioned in the records. These records are accessed by name. If you are interested in a particular piece of property, but have no information on a current or past owner, you will need to visit the Auditor's Office first. Information about that office is below. The records room is open during the hours listed and, while staff members are there to assist, you are responsible for your own searching.
All materials in the Recorder's Office are in the public record and can be photocopied.
The Clark County Recorder's Office
31 North Limestone St.
Springfield, OH 45502
Office # (937) 521-1705
Hours 8 - 4:30, M-F
http://www.ohiorecorders.com/clark.html [71]
The Clark County Auditor's Office houses records related to the appraisal of property within the county for tax purposes. This is the place to start if all you are interested in is the date on which your house was built. Property records can now be searched online through the Auditor's website:
Look for the "Property Search" link. Property can be searched by parcel number, owner's name, or address. Click on the parcel number in your results list to view additional data. Click on the "Improvements" tab to see the year built. With this information, you can go to the Recorder's Office and trace ownership of the property backwards through time. Also available in the Auditor's Office are full-size plat maps and aerial photographs. Plat maps are created when a section of land is subdivided into building lots. These maps show lot boundaries and dimensions.
The Clark County Auditor's Office
31 North Limestone St.
P.O. Box 1325
Springfield, OH 45501
Office # (937) 521-1860
Hours 8 - 4:30, M-F
Links:
[1] mailto:askhistory@ccpl.lib.oh.us
[2] http://www.ohiomemory.org/
[3] http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/OMP/NewDetails?oid=935362&&format=list&results=10&sort=title&searchstatus=1&hits=1&searchstring=History+of+the+Manufacturies+of+Springfield%2C+Ohio+&searchmark=0&count=1
[4] http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/OMP/NewDetails?oid=971600&&format=list&results=10&sort=title&searchstatus=1&hits=1&searchstring=sketches+of+springfield+1852&searchmark=0&count=1
[5] http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/OMP/NewDetails?oid=942607&&format=list&results=10&sort=title&searchstatus=1&hits=1&searchstring=Champion+Reaping+and+Mowing+Machines+Brochure&searchmark=0&count=1
[6] http://worlddmc.ohiolink.edu/OMP/NewDetails?oid=942516&&format=list&results=10&sort=title&searchstatus=1&hits=1&searchstring=Buckeye+Agricultural+Works+Brochure+&searchmark=0&count=1
[7] http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Eohclark
[8] http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Eohcccogs
[9] http://www.aaggmv.org/
[10] http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Eohclark/how2obitqry.htm
[11] http://www.ohiohistory.org/dindex
[12] http://www.daddezio.com/cemetery/index.html
[13] http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Eohclark/vitals.htm
[14] http://www.rootsweb.com/%7Eohclark/census.htm
[15] http://www.tdn-net.com/genealogy/mvgi/mvgi-idx.htm
[16] http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/gov_records/
[17] http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/
[18] http://www.cyndislist.com/
[19] http://www.ellisisland.org/
[20] http://www.familysearch.org/
[21] http://nhd.usgs.gov/gnis.html
[22] http://www.ogs.org/
[23] http://recordsproject.com/
[24] http://www.rootsweb.com/
[25] http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohclark
[26] http://www.usgenweb.com/
[27] http://www.vitalrec.com/
[28] http://www.ancestry.com/
[29] http://ancestrylibrary.proquest.com/
[30] mailto:askhistory@ccpl.lib.oh.us?subject=Ask%20History
[31] http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/services/archive/
[32] http://index.rbhayes.org/hayes/index/
[33] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/
[34] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#A
[35] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#B
[36] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#C
[37] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#D
[38] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#E
[39] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#F
[40] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#G
[41] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#H
[42] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#I
[43] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#J
[44] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#K
[45] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#L
[46] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#M
[47] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#N
[48] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#O
[49] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#P
[50] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#Q
[51] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#R
[52] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#S
[53] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#T
[54] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#U
[55] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#V
[56] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#W
[57] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#Y
[58] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#Z
[59] http://ccpl.lib.oh.us/pamphlet.shtml#toppy
[60] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=2175
[61] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=350963
[62] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=252811
[63] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=28659
[64] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=182733
[65] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=74181
[66] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=63625
[67] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=72431
[68] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=113073
[69] http://catalog.ccpl.lib.oh.us/polaris/view.aspx?CN=159672
[70] http://www.landaccess.com/
[71] http://www.ohiorecorders.com/clark.html
[72] http://www.clarkcountyauditor.org/
[73] http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/partneraccess.aspx