Listed record inventories
Selected holdings and indexes for Washington County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.
Census records
- Agricultural Census 1850, 18701850; 1870
- Census 1800 to 19301800 to 1930
- Industrial Census 1820, 1850, 1860, 1870, 18801820; 1850; 1860; 1870; 1880
Other records
- Auditor’s Civil War Roster, ca. 1860-18701860-1870
- Final Records, v. 1-6, 1795-18141795-1814
- General Quarter Sessions 1800-18021800-1802
- Poll Books and Tally Sheets 1802-18241802-1824
County government
Court records
Poor relief and institutions
- County Home Infirmary Register, 1836-1872; 1864-1872; 1877-1884; 1873-19201836-1872; 1864-1872; 1877-1884; 1873-1920
- County Home Board of Directors Minutes 1865-1891; 1910-19141865-1891; 1910-1914
Marriages, births and deaths
- Death Records, 1867-19081867-1908
- Marriages v. 1-3, 1803-18651803-1865
- Mortality Schedule 1850, 18601850; 1860
Deeds and land
- Deeds, v. 1-10, 1788-18091788-1809
- Marietta Land Office Records 1800-18291800-1829
Military records
- Military Recorder Record of Deceased Soldiers & Sailors 1861-1865 (1880)1861-1865; 1880
- Recorder Military Discharges, v. 2, 1861-1899; v. 3, 1864-19141861-1899; 1864-1914
Wills and estates
- Probate Records v. 3-4, 1823-18321823-1832
Tax records
- Tax Lists 1801, 1803, 1811, 1812, 18131801; 1803; 1811; 1812; 1813
See the repository's descriptions and search options
Repository access note: Selected microfilm holdings from the Ohio Genealogical Society’s published 2012 inventory. This is a historical inventory: confirm that the film is still available, along with current visit, copying and access conditions, before relying on it. These are holdings at the society, not a complete county courthouse inventory. Census spans do not imply that every census survives; the 1890 population census is largely lost. Some original catalog titles contain historical terminology.
Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.
Where to find the records
- Washington County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county recorder, the probate court, the clerk of the court of common pleas and the Ohio History Connection, and any online record search the county offers.
- The county recorder
Deeds, mortgages and other land records.
- The probate court
Wills, estates and guardianships, marriage licenses, births and deaths registered from 1867 to 1908, and most naturalizations from about 1859 to 1906.
- The clerk of the court of common pleas
Civil cases, divorces, and naturalizations before about 1859 and after 1906.
- The Ohio History Connection
In Columbus: state records, death certificates, and county records at its archives and regional network.
- Ohio History Connection Archives & Libraryfree
The state's historical society archives and library in Columbus, with state and county records and death certificates.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Ohio, Washington" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Land not yet in any county
Later formed partly from Washington County: Adams County, Athens County, Belmont County, Columbiana County, Fairfield County, Gallia County, Jefferson County, Monroe County, Morgan County, Muskingum County, Noble County, Perry County, Ross County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1788, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Ohio's probate courts registered births and deaths from 1867 until statewide registration began in 1908, so for those years ask the probate court of the county.