Authorized December 26, 1817 and organized March 1, 1818, from Fairfield, Washington, and Muskingum counties · county seat New Lexington. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Perry County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTubePerry County Courthouse, 105 N. Main St., New Lexington, OH 43764 · (740) 342-1493
perrycountycourt.com/ProbateCourt
Wills/estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage records (1818–present), and indexes to early birth/death records (roughly 1867–1908).
212 S. Main St., New Lexington, OH 43764 · (740) 342-2494
Deeds/land transfers, mortgages, oil and mineral rights records, military discharge records, and county maps.
105 N. Main Street, New Lexington, OH 43764 · (740) 342-1022
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
212 S. Main Street, New Lexington, OH 43764 · (740) 342-2074
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
117 S. Jackson St., New Lexington, OH 43764 · (740) 342-4194
Lower-level Genealogy & Local History Room houses the Perry County OGS chapter's collection, plus the Perry County Baseball Hall of Fame and Januarius MacGahan displays.
P.O. Box 275, Junction City, OH 43748 · perrycountychapterogs@yahoo.com
Formed 1982. Meets 2nd Saturday of Jan/Mar/May/Jul/Sep/Nov at the District Library. Publishes the quarterly "Heirlines" newsletter and 30+ books of cemetery/census/vital records.
No separate Perry County (Ohio) historical society was confirmed — the OGS chapter above appears to be the county's primary genealogical/historical resource.
2235 State Route 13 NE, New Lexington, OH 43764 · (740) 342-5179
vitalstatistics@perrycountyohio.gov
Ohio birth/death certificates, 1908–present, $25/certified copy. Pre-1908 records route to the Ohio History Connection.
Find A Grave — Perry County and Interment.net — Perry County.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Perry County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Perry County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Perry County was formed in 1817 from Washington, Fairfield, and Muskingum Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:
Part of Perry County lies in the Refugee Tract, a strip set aside by Congress for Americans from Canada and Nova Scotia who supported the Revolution.
Other parts of the county were federal Congress Lands or smaller special tracts. Where land was sold by the federal government, the first purchase appears as a federal patent.
Titles that covered Perry 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Perry County Weekly | 1859-1870 | Chronicling America (Library of Congress, free) |
| New Lexington Herald (incl. Perry County Index) | 1876-1901 | Chronicling America (Library of Congress, free) |
| Perry County News | 1933-1935 | Chronicling America (Library of Congress, free) |
| Somerset Press | 1873-1977 | Chronicling America; also GenealogyBank, MyHeritage |
| Perry County Tribune | 1941-present | Chronicling America (early runs); current at perrytribune.com |
| Perry County District Library local history collections | 1800s-present | PCDL local history & digital archive, New Lexington branch |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Perry 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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