Formed June 7, 1807 from Trumbull and Geauga counties (Connecticut Western Reserve), organized January 22, 1811 · county seat Jefferson. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Ashtabula County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047 · (440) 576-3451
ashtabulacounty.gov/919/Probate-Court
Wills, estate/administration records, guardianships, adoptions, name changes, and historical marriage license records.
25 West Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047 · (440) 576-3762
ashtabulacounty.us/348/Recorder
Deeds, land/property records, and some historical vital record filings.
25 W. Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047 · (440) 576-3637
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
25 W. Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047 · (440) 576-3785
auditor.ashtabulacounty.us/dnn
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
4335 Park Avenue, Ashtabula, OH 44004
Askus@acdl.info · acdl.info/genealogy-archives
Combined collections of the former Ashtabula and Geneva libraries plus the Genealogical Society — clipping files, directories, yearbooks, photos, and microfilm.
4335 Park Ave, Ashtabula, OH 44004 · (440) 990-2340 · acgs@ashtabulagen.org
Cemetery transcriptions, family files, and an ongoing cemetery photographing/microfilming project.
5865 Lake Road, Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH 44041 · (866) 533-3277 · ashcohs@gmail.com
A separate organization from the Genealogical Society — museum artifacts and local history exhibits.
12 W. Jefferson Street, Jefferson, OH 44047 · (440) 576-6010, option 3
ashtabulacountyhealth.com/vital-statistics
Certified birth and death certificates, 1909–present.
Find A Grave — Ashtabula County and Interment.net — Ashtabula County, compiled by ACGS volunteers.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Ashtabula County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Ashtabula County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Ashtabula County was formed in 1807 from Trumbull and Geauga Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:
All of Ashtabula County lies in the Connecticut Western Reserve, land Connecticut kept when it gave up its western claims, sold privately through the Connecticut Land Company. There are no federal land patents here, so start with the earliest deeds at the county Recorder (or the parent county's Recorder).
Titles that covered Ashtabula County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Ashtabula Sentinel | 1832–1878 | Chronicling America |
| Ashtabula Weekly Telegraph | 1853–1886 | Chronicling America |
| Star Beacon (Ashtabula) | 1884–current | Historic run on Chronicling America; current at starbeacon.com |
| The News-Herald (Conneaut) | 1844–1992 | Early titles on Chronicling America; later years microfilm only — check Conneaut Area Historical Society |
| The Gazette (Jefferson) | 1876–current | Historic runs on Chronicling America; current at gazettenewspapers.com |
| Geneva Free Press-Times | 1902–1921 | Chronicling America |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Ashtabula County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.
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