Archives

Ross County Court of Common Pleas
Probate-Juvenile Divisions

Building Address
21 West Main Street
Chillicothe, OH 45601

Mailing Address
2 N. Paint Street, Suite A
Chillicothe, OH 45601

Phone (740) 774-1177 ext 113 or (740) 774-1179 ext. 113

Hours of Operation

Tuesday & Thursday

8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Closed for lunch from noon-1pm

Closed on all legal holidays

Archives

The Archives is open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to 3:30 pm. and will be closed during lunchtime from 12:00pm to 1:00 pm. Please contact Brandy McCord at (740) 774-1179 ext 113 or by email at brandymccord@rosscountyohiocourts.gov for assistance.

Search archived records click here

Public Records Request :

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NOTES:

If you are looking for divorce records, you will need to contact the Ross County Clerk of Courts office. Those records are not kept in the Ross County Probate-Juvenile Court.
If you are looking for a birth or death record after 1908, you will need to contact the Ross County Health Department.

The Archives structure was originally build in 1878 as the Ross County Sheriff's jail and jailer's residence. It contained 16 cells used for males, one holding cell for females, and one holding cell for the mentally ill. Sheriff Fred Heinzelman was the last Sheriff to actually reside in the jail. When Sheriff Thomas Hamman took office in 1977, he converted the living quarters into office space.

In July of 1989, The Sheriff's Department moved into the newly completed law complex. The Ross County Commissioners then approved the use of the old jail as the Ross County Probate Archives. The Archives was officially dedicated and opened for public use in April of 1996.

This may be the first time you have visited the Probate Court of Ross County, Ohio. We would like to welcome you to the oldest Probate Court in Ohio.

The records of the Probate Court of Ross County, Ohio are a treasure trove of historical information. Many of these records pre-date the establishment of the State of Ohio in 1803.

Chillicothe was the capitol of the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio established by the Ordinance of 1787.

General Arthur St. Clair, the Territorial Governor, issued marriage licenses in Ross County in 1798 and the Probate Court continues this service today.

Estate records or inventories of decedent estates were filed in the Probate Court beginning in 1797. These early records reflect values made in two monetary systems, i.e. American dollars and cents and British pounds, shillings, and pence. Estates are also currently administered in this Court.

The Board of County Commissioners recognize the importance of these records and provide space for the storage of our inactive records by the establishment of the Ross County Archives.

All visitors are respectfully requested to treat all of these records with the utmost care being especially careful not to deface, alter, remove, or damage them in any way because many of them are irreplaceable.

Severe penalities may be imposed against anyone failing to honor this request.

On behalf of the Board of Commissioners and myself, I personally welcome you to our facility.

J. Jeffrey Benson , Judge

Marriage Records

Death Records

Marriage Record Index

Death Records Index

1867 - 1908 Probate Death Records - primarily township deaths

General Index to Probate Court Death Records

1798 - 1876 Marriage Registers - Personal Information not Included "Ross County Marriage Index" by Bob Casari

1888 - 1980 Health Department Records - primarily city deaths

1908 - Present - recorded and housed at the Health Department

1877 - 1900 Marriage Registers - Personal Information not Included "Ross County Marriage Index" by Bob Casari

1900 - 1976 Marriage Registers - Personal Information Included Indexed in individual volumes

1977 - 1992 Marriage Registers - Personal Information Included Indexed by males in General Marriage Index

Birth Records

(Recording not mandaated by law until 1867)

1993 - Present Marriage Registers - Personal Information Included Indexed in Individual Volumes - computerized

Birth Records Index

1867 - 1908 Probate Birth Records - primarily township records

General Index to Probate Court Birth Records

1888 - 1908 Health Department Records - primarily city records

1908 - Present recorded and housed at the Health Department

Marriage Affidavits

(Parental Consent of Underage Bride and/or Groom)

1816 - 1855

1855 - 1870

Delayed Birth Registration and Corrections

1871 - 1885

Delayed Birth Record and Change of Name Index

1886 - 1896

1941 - 1960 - 19 Volumes - indexed in each volume

1897 - 1900

Probate Records (General Index for all Probate Proceedings)

Probate Index

1797 - Present Estate Proceedings

1801 - Present Guardianship Proceedings

Naturalization Records

Lunacy Proceedings

1801 - Present Miscellaneous Suits

Library Microfilm Index

Ross County Genealogical Society

Chillicothe-Ross County Public Library

Ross County Health Department

Ohio University - Chillicothe Library

McKell Library

Questions & Answers

What is the cost of a copy?

An uncertified copy is $0.05 per page and a certified copy is $7.00 per page.

How do I get a copy?

Write down the information you are wanting, include a check or money order made payable to Ross County Probate Court along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail to: Ross County Probate Court Archives 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601.

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