Genealogy Resources

Genealogy and Local History Collection

How to Find What We Have

Browse: All of our Ohio county history books and atlases are located in the reading room on open shelving as well as over half of our out-of-state histories and genealogies. Be sure to browse in the microfilm cabinets too.

Use the Online Catalog: We have much more behind the scenes in our closed stack area. You must use our online catalog to find these books or check us out on the web – maurice.bgsu.edu

Check under…

Name of county
- Family name
- Specific subjects

To find the complete list of what we have. Write the call number onto book request cards and give to the librarian to retrieve. Any books with ORR designation are in the Reading Room and you may find them yourself.

Highlights of Collection

County history books for almost every Ohio county
County atlases for almost every Ohio county
County and state history books for many states other than Ohio
City/county directories for Fremont, Sandusky (city), Erie County, Sandusky County
Ohio Civil War roster and alphabetical index
Hundreds of Civil War regimental histories, including 19 rolls of microfilmed histories from the Ohio Historical Society
WPA County Records Inventories – detailed lists of county courthouse records for some Ohio counties published in the 1930’s.
Biographical file – an extensive collection of files containing research done on various families and topics throughout the years, indexed in the Hayes Obituary Index. (Link)
Local history file – clippings and articles on a variety of local businesses, churches, schools and other subjects. (Link)
Genealogical periodicals from Ohio and some states; also newsletters from various genealogical societies, along with most of the states’ historical journals

Ohio Obituary Index

A unique obituary and local history name index on computer (over 3,000,000 names) of Ohio papers, from 1810’s to the present, especially from the Northwest Ohio. Also includes indexes to other Sandusky County sources such as funeral home registers, wills, estates, and some history books from Ohio.

Microfilm Holdings

Entire Ohio Census, 1820-1940
Newspapers: Fremont from 1839; Sandusky (city) from 1822; Clyde from 1876, Norwalk from 1830 and Bellevue from 1877 to 1950’s
Large collection of county histories (including state and regional histories) for: California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
City directories from 1861 to 1901 for: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo (1861-1912)
Many Sandusky County courthouse records, such as tax lists, marriages, wills and estates, deeds

Photographic Collection

Large holdings of historical photographs of the Sandusky County area, the Hayes family, and the Gilded Age time period (Civil War – World War I).

Manuscripts & Archives

Extensive holdings in local area history including records of funeral homes, businesses, churches, townships and villages, personal or family papers, Sandusky county probate records, deeds, and Justice of the Peace records. See Manuscripts (Link) for detailed information.

Newspapers

Extensive newspaper collections for all of Ohio and some other states.

Online Genealogical Subscriptions

Ancestry Institution Edition - Similar to ancestry.com, the Library provides free in-house access to this powerful genealogical research tool, including international data sources.

Fold3.com – Free in-house access to this paid website which emphasizes military records, including complete Revolutionary War pension files, War of 1812 pension files and other collections from the National Archives

NewspaperArchive.com - Millions of digitized newspaper pages indexed and viewable in the Library

AmericanAncestors.org - An in-house subscription to the New England Historic and Genealogical Society's website and databases .

MyHeritage.com – Free in-house access to over 5 billion primary historical records from the United States, Europe, and other regions, with coverage starting from the 16th century

“I have an attack of genealogical mania. It came on about ten days ago, superinduced by reading a family tree which a friend sent me. It is in a violent form but I trust it will soon abate. I have got up into the Cooke tree and am lost. Can you help me out?" Rutherford B. Hayes to “Uncle Scott,” Cooke, March 4, 1870