Paulding County Carnegie Library
Paulding County 
Genealogy Society

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[Above Photo: Hubert Koenn family, c.1910. Courtesy of Kathy Clark Roth]

Hayes Obituary File

Local History 

(Click here to go to Paulding County Local History)

The Collection

The collection includes titles the Genealogy Society has made available for research and purchase --  Click here for complete listing and prices.

• Obituary titles and files consisting of obituaries and death notices from old newspapers.  Society members have compiled eight books and comprehensive death notices on 3x5 cards.

• Census reports from Paulding and surrounding NW Ohio counties are available on micro-film from 1840-1920.

• Wills up to 1902 and marriage licenses to 1952 are available on micro-film.

• County newspapers including the Paulding Republican, Paulding Democrat, Paulding Progress and newspapers from Grover Hill, Payne, Oakwood and Antwerp are available on micro-film from as early as the mid 1800s.

• Several family histories with Paulding County ties are included in the collection.

• The 1860 and 1880 Paulding County Census Reports are available.

• Naturalization records from 1853-1930 are available on micro-film.

• Brown Township Cemetery deed records are available from 1897-1989.

• Court of Common Pleas, Civil Journal and Chancery Records, Clerk of the Courts on microfilm dating 1839-1880, are available, making them some of the first county records.

Membership:  Click here for membership information and a membership form

Publications:  Click here for a full listing of publications the Society has for sale

Meetings:  Meetings of the Paulding County Genealogy Society are held on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m., except July, August and December.  Unless otherwise announced, the meetings are held in the meeting room of the Paulding County Carnegie Library, 205 S. Main Street, Paulding, Ohio.  Click here for a map to the library.

First Families of Paulding County 
You are eligible to join the First Families of Paulding County is your ancestor was here by December 31, 1880. 
To join First Families:
-- You must be a member of the Paulding County Genealogy Society when your application is submitted
-- You must be able to prove each generation back to the ancestor that was in the county by December 31, 1880, including yourself
-- A fee of $10 for adult and $5 for a child is due at the submission of the application
The First Family banquet is held on the fourth Sunday of October.  New members are presented a certificate documenting their ancestry as a first family.

Genealogy Research
The Paulding County Carnegie Library welcomes researchers from throughout the United States, Canada and the world to visit the library when beginning a search for their Paulding County roots.  Searching for ancestry can be a great adventure. The extensive collection at the Paulding County Carnegie library can help you get started.

The Paulding County Carnegie Library is also within easy driving distance (40 miles) from the Allen County Public Library (ACPL) in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  The ACPL owns one the largest genealogy collections in the country and is world renown for its resources and comprehensive collection. Visit the ACPL web site at: http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/

[NOTE: Effective April 14, 2010, there will be a $2.00 charge per obituary request that is filled by the Paulding County Carnegie Library staff. Contact the library at 419-399-2032 for more information.]

Lodging in the Village of Paulding
Research many times takes more than one day.  The following lodging facilities are available in the Village of Paulding:
Bittersweet Inn, 11797 SR 111, Paulding, Ohio  45879.  Phone 419-399-2861. Clean, picturesque, remodeled farm home.  Relaxing atmosphere. One mile from library.

For hotels/motels/inns in Defiance, Ohio; Van Wert, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Indiana contact their local Chamber of Commerce Offices --
http://www.defiancechamber.com/
http://www.vanwertchamber.com/
http://www.fwchamber.org/


Tips for Getting Started
- Write down everything you can find out about your ancestors from your own knowledge or by interviewing living relatives. You can do this in a notebook to begin.  Write down full names, places where they passed away, marriages, etc. Keep track of dates.
- Put your information in chronological order. A five-generation chart is helpful.  Most public libraries can find a chart for you, or you can find one by conducting an online search.
- Visit your public library and consult "how to" books on tracing your ancestry.

Explore these helpful genealogy web sites:
Cyndi's List. 
Ancient Faces 
Treasure Maps.
ROOTS-L Home Page. 
Ancestry's Homepage.  
The FamilyTreeMaker Homepage. 
Everton Publisher's Genealogy Page.  
Yahoo Genealogy Collection of Sites.