Franklin County, Ohio
Genealogy, History & Facts

County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links

Franklin County, Ohio Facts

When was Franklin County, OH Created?
Franklin County was created on April 30, 1803 from Ross County. This county was named for Benjamin Franklin (1706-1791) -Founding Father, author, printer, satirist, political theorist, scientist, inventor and statesman.

What is the County Seat of Franklin County, OH?
The County Seat is located in Columbus also, the county government website is www.franklincountyohio.gov/fc/ .

What counties are adjacent to Franklin County, OH?
Bordering Counties are Delaware County, Licking County, Fairfield County, Pickaway County, Madison County, Union County .

Franklin County, OH Vital Records

Where can find Franklin County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Franklin County vital records can be found at the Ohio Department of Health which has Birth Records since Dec 20, 1908; Death Records since since 1954 and copies of Marriage and Divorce Records since 1918 to present There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Ohio for current fees and application process.

You can search online for Franklin County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Ohio Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail. The Archives Division has copies of births before 1908, death before 1944 and marriage records before 1949.

• County Vital Records Held at the OHS
  • probate court birth records list
  • probate court death records list
  • probate court marriage records list
•  U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• Social Security Death Index
• USGenweb Archives Ohio Marriage Project
• Ohio, County Births, 1856-1909
• Ohio, Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1962
• Ohio, Births and Christenings, 1821-1962
• Ohio, Marriages, 1800-1958
• Ohio, County Marriages, 1790-1950
• Ohio Marriage Index, 1970, 1972-2007
• Ohio Marriages, 1803-1900
• Ohio Divorce Index, 1962-1963, 1967-1971, 1973-2007
• Ohio Death Certificate Index, 1913 – 1944
• Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953
• Ohio, Death Index, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007
• Ohio Deaths and Burials, 1854-1997
• Ohio Deaths, 1908-1932, 1938-1944, and 1958-2007

Franklin County, OH Census Records

What Franklin County, OH census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Franklin County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Franklin Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Franklin Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Franklin Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. One can find free online and printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Ohio Census Records Research Guide

• Search The U.S. Federal Census Collection
• Franklin County, OH Census Records
• Franklin County, OH Census QuickFacts

Franklin County, OH Courthouse and Government Records

Franklin County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the Franklin County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Franklin County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Ohio courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Ohio residents. The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Franklin County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Ohio Courthouse Records Research Guide.

• Franklin County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 373 S. High St., Columbus 43215
  • Phone: (614) 462-3322
• Franklin County Clerk of Probate Court
  • Address: 373 S. High St., 22nd Fl., Columbus, Ohio 43215-6311
  • Phone: 614-525-3894
  • Marriage Records: 1803
  • Probate Records: 1805
  • Birth / Death Records: 1851
• Franklin County Recorder
  • Address: 373 South High Street, 18th Floor, Columbus, Ohio 43215-6310
  • Phone: (614) 525-3930
  • Land Records: 1800
• Franklin County Clerk of Court of Common Pleas
  • Address: 345 South High Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215
  • Phone: (614) 525-3453
  • Court Records: 1803
•  Ohio, Wills and Probate Records, 1786-1998
• BLM Land Records
• Franklin County USGenWeb Archives Project

Franklin County, OH Societies and Family History Resources

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Franklin County, OH?
A list of Franklin County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Ohio Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.

• Franklin County Chapter, OGS, 3378 Park St, Suite D, Grove City, OH 43123-2630; Phone: (614) 871-2110; meets quarterly at various locations in Columbus. Contact society for dates and times. The Franklin County Genealogical Society specializes in genealogical records for Franklin County and has records on other Ohio counties and other states. The Society has published eleven books on local cemeteries including Camp Chase Cemetery, and has Plat Maps, an Inventory to Chancery, a name index to Ohio Supreme Court records, and Will Books A & B, C & D. Every name index to the 1870 Franklin County Census.
• Franklin County Historical Society; c/o COSI, 333 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215-2738; Phone: (614) 228-2674; The Franklin County Historical Society is presently doing business as COSI, Ohio’s Center of Science and Industry. (See listing for COSI)
• African American Historical & Education Center at Columbus, PO Box 91132, Columbus, OH 43209-7132; Phone: (614) 258-4496; The African American Historical & Education Center focuses on the collection, research, dissemination, and exhibition of local African American history. Located in the David Jenkins Memorial Reading Room of the Blanche M. Van Hook Home, the Center maintains exhibits and a research library focused on Columbus African American history.
• Amalthea Historical Society, 4445 Central College Rd, Westerville, OH 43081-9318; Phone: (614) 891-6363; The Amalthea Historical Society preserves and promotes the history of the Central College Area. It maintains the Virginia Stone Milligan Memorial Library that serves as the Society’s repository of the history and genealogy of the area having over 500 volumes dating from the late 1700s. The Library, housed in the 1864 chapel of the Central College Presbyterian Church, also maintains a quantity of archival manuscripts and photographs relating to the area’s founders.
• American Historical Villages, 6502 Old Mill Run, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068-1622; Phone: (740) 335-0002;
• Bexley Historical Society, 2242 E Main St, Bexley, OH 43209-2319; Phone: (614) 235-8694; The Bexley Historical Society is an educational association. It seeks to promote interest and pride in the historical development of the community and in the accomplishments of its citizenry. It endavors to research, assemble, preserve and publish a valuable storehouse of materials including artifacts, memorabilia, photographs, and genealogical records relevant to the heritage of the Bexly community.
• Columbus Historical Society, 51 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215-3887; Phone: (614) 224-0822; The Columbus Historical Society seeks to promote education in Columbus history by offering members and any other interested persons information on the life, activities and structures of Columbus.
• Canal Winchester Area Historical Society
• Clintonville Historical Society
• Columbus Jewish Historical Society
• Dublin Historical Society
• Franklinton Historical Society
• Gahanna Historical Society
• German Village Society
• Grandview Heights Marble Cliff Historical Society
• Groveport Heritage & Preservation Society
• Hilltop Historical Society
• Livingston House Society
• Lockbourne Heritage Society
• New Albany-Plain Township Historical Society
• Northwest Franklin Co. Historical Society
• Obetz Historical Society
• Ohio Folklore Society
• Ohio Genealogy Center
• Ohio Historic Bridge Association
• Ohio Historic Preservation Office
• Ohio Historical Society
• Otterbein College Archives
• Reynoldsburg-Truro Historical Society
• Southwest Franklin County Historical Society
• Upper Arlington Historical Society
• Victorian Village Society
• Westerville Historical Society
• Whitehall Historical Society
• Worthington Historical Society
• Ohio Historical Society, Archives-Library Division,  1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus, OH 43211; Telephone: 614-297-2300
• Ohio Genealogical Society, 713 South Main Street, Mansfield OH 44907-1644

Where can I connect with other Franklin County, OH Researchers through message boards and forums?

https://www.archives.gov/research/census
• Ohio Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
• Ohio State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• Franklin County, Ohio Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Franklin County
• Franklin County, Ohio Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for Franklin County

What other genealogical resources are available in Franklin County, OH?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Franklin County.

Franklin Co. OH Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Ohio Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Ohio historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Ohio (1802 – 1970) (genealogybank.com)
• The Columbus Evening Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)  (search.ancestry.com)
• Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)  (search.ancestry.com)
• Franklin County: Columbus News Index Obituary Search 1932-1997 (columbuslibrary.org) from the Columbus Dispatch
• Franklin County, Ohio Books (amazon.com)
•  Search Ohio Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
• Franklin County Newspaper Articles (usgwarchives.net)
• Franklin County Obituaries (usgwarchives.net)

Franklin Co. OH Church / Bible Records & Cemeteries / Graveyards

• Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio: Camp Chase Cemetery  (search.ancestry.com)
• Franklin County Veterans Grave Search (franklincountyohio.gov)
• Worthington Cemeteries Database – Walnut Grove & Flint Union Cemeteries (worthingtonmemory.org) includes some obituaries
• Green Lawn Cemetery Burials 1848-1981 – Columbus, Ohio (delawareohio.us)
• Franklin Co., Ohio Graves (findagrave.com)
• Franklin County Cemetery Transcriptions and Tombstone Photos (usgwarchives.net)
• Franklin Co. Ohio Tombstone Photo Project (usgwarchives.net)
• Franklin County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• Franklin Co., Ohio Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• Franklin Co., Ohio Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• Franklin Co. Church Records (usgwarchives.net)
• Franklin Co. Bible Records (usgwarchives.net)
• Franklin County, Ohio Church Books (amazon.com)

Franklin Co. OH Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• County Biographies (usgwarchives.net)
• Penny Postcards From Franklin Co. (usgwarchives.net)
• County Photos (usgwarchives.net)

Franklin Co. OH General and History Websites

• See Also State History for Ohio
• Franklin County Ohio (genealogytrails.com)
• Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio History, Vol. 1  (search.ancestry.com)
• Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio History, Vol. 2  (search.ancestry.com)
• History of Franklin County, Ohio  (search.ancestry.com)
• Columbus, Ohio : its history, resources, and progress : with numerous illustrations  (search.ancestry.com)
• History of Madison Township, including Groveport and Canal Winchester, Franklin County, Ohio  (search.ancestry.com)
• Franklin County, Ohio Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• Franklin County, Ohio Wiki (familysearch.org)
• Franklin Co. OH Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• Franklin County History (usgwarchives.net)
• Franklin County, Ohio (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Ohio – Counties – Franklin (cyndislist.com)
• Franklin Co. OHGenweb (ohgenweb.org)
• Franklin County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• Franklin Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

Franklin Co. OH Immigration & Naturalization

• See Also Statewide Immigration and Naturalization Links for Ohio
• Franklin County Naturalization Records held by OHS (ohiohistory.org)

Franklin Co. OH Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Statewide Maps and Atlas Links for Ohio
• Franklin Co., Ohio Township Map
• Adams County Maps Index (usgwarchives.net)
• 1895 Franklin County Map (livgenmi.com)

Franklin Co. OH Military Records

• Ohio Military Records Research Guide
• Franklin County Military Records (usgwarchives.net)
• Ohio Military Records (Fold3.com) provides access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents belonging to the Ohio women and men which served. Great for Franklin County genealogists, researchers, historians and a lot more.

• Franklin Co., OH Schools & Directories
  • Columbus, Ohio Directories, 1887-92  (search.ancestry.com)
  • The Columbus business directory for 1843-4 : containing a brief history of the city and public institutions, the names of house  (search.ancestry.com)