History & Genealogy Birth Records, 1869-1909 | Birth Records, 1869-1909 |
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Searching Birth Records - Digital Images DatabaseTo search for a birth record, enter the "last name" or the "last name, first name" for that person in the Name Search box. Clicking on Advance Search allows you to narrow your search to a particular volume or browse through a volume. If your search is unsuccessful, try searching the Records of Birth Registration and Correction available on microfilm. This series does not contain a record of every birth in the county, but only those where the birth has never been recorded or has been recorded incorrectly. Introduction Birth RecordsThe birth records are arranged chronologically by the date the birth was recorded. The record contains the child's full name, date of birth, place of birth (city/township/county), sex, legitimacy, race, parents and their residence. Maybe indexed in the front by the child's last name or grouped together by the first letter in the last name. Record retention: Permanent. Legal. Historical. Ohio Revised Code 2101.12.
The probate judge maintained a permanent record of births and deaths from 1867 to 1908. This database includes the following volumes:
In 1909, the Health Department began recording births. This transition created an overlap in the record and a number of births for 1909 were recorded at Probate Court and the Health Department. History of the Probate CourtProbate courts existed in the Northwest Territory prior to Ohio's statehood. They had authority in probate, testamentary, and guardianship cases, although the probate judge and two common pleas judges issued all final judgments. In 1802 Ohio's first constitution abolished separate probate courts and transferred their authority to the common pleas courts. Separate probate courts reappeared in 1851, when Ohio drafted a new constitution. This gave the probate court the powers to grant marriages licenses and control land sales by appointed executors, administrators, and guardians. As a result of a 1912 constitutional amendment, county voters can decide by referendum whether of not to combine the probate court with the court of common pleas. In 1969, the probate court became a division of the court of common pleas.
The probate court has original jurisdiction in the settlement of estates. The court held limited jurisdiction in minor criminal offenses from 1851 to 1932. The probate judge maintained a permanent record of births and deaths from 1867 to 1908. Since the 1850s, the court has had jurisdiction over the appointment of guardians for minors and the mentally ill; the judge can also commit the mentally ill to institutional care. The probate court exercised jurisdiction in naturalization proceedings in the last half of the nineteenth century until 1906, when the federal government assumed this power. The probate judge serves a six-year term and must be a licensed attorney who has practiced law for at least six years prior to election. While most probate court records are open to the public, records pertaining to mental and medical examinations or adoption are closed by The Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43. Creating the Birth Records - Digital Collection DatabaseThe Greene County Room - Local History & Genealogy (GCR) department of the Greene County Public Library, Xenia, Ohio provided the funding, CONTENTdm software and staff time to complete this project. Deanna Ulvestad, Head Archivist, was the project manager. Jennifer Morrow, Joe Hill, Joe Greer, Local History Associates, entered metadata and proofread the transcriptions for 18,898 birth names. Jim Mann, Technology Coordinator, provided a dedicated server and dealt with storage and delivery issues. But the GCR did not do it alone, this multi-phased project required detailed planning and close collaboration with the following organizations:
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