[Photo:  Melrose (Ohio). 1890 circa. Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green State University (OH). Ohio Memory Project.]

Statistics (from 1882)
The population of the county in 1830 was 161; in 1840, 1,034; in 1850, 1,766; in 1860, 4,945; in 1870, 8,544; in 1880, 13,489.  Number of acres of arable or plow land as returned in 1880, 47,199. Number of acres meadow or pasture land, 7,230. Number of acres timber land, 205,970. Total number of acres in county, 260,399.

Click on the following links to read more history:

Geographic Position

Introductory History

Early Settlers

Formation

Soil and Timber

Canals and Railroads

Manufacturing

Offices

County Officers

War Record

Press

Source:  History of Paulding County by Prof. Everett A. Budd as printed in the Historical Hand-Atlas:  History of Northwestern Ohio and History of Paulding County, Ohio. H. H. Hardesty & Co., Publishers:  Chicago and Toledo. 1882.

Other Helpful Links

Ohio Historical Society

Paulding County 
Genealogy Society

Ohio Memory Scrapbook

Paulding County 
Carnegie Library

War Record
The war record which the county sustains for the part taken in the late Rebellion is a bright one, and well may it go down in history, covered with glory, to be cherished in the memory of the citizens and their posterity.

When the first tocsin of that unholy war was sounded and the wires flashed the news over a startled country that Fort Sumter had fallen, it fired the patriotic heart of many a brave backwoodsman of the county; and when the call for the three months' volunteers came, he said, "My country has been assailed, I will go and help defend her."  And within a few days a company had been raised, officered, equipped, and was on its way to the seat of war; this was Company G of the 14th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Its officers were John S. Snook, Captain; Alfred M. Russell, 1st Lieutenant; and John Crosson, 2nd Lieutenant.  The company served bravely with its regiment in the campaign of Western Virginia, and participated in the engagements of Philippi, and Carrick's Ford.  War-stained and weary it returned home in the early part of July, and when disbanded many of its members soon re-enlisted in other regiments that were forming.

The first company in the county organized for the three year's service was Company F of the 38th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

It was recruited during the Summer of 1861, and its first officers were John H. Adams, Captain; John Crosson, 1st Lieutenant; and E. W. Gleason, 2nd Lieutenant.

In the latter part of August it rendezvoused with the regiment in camp, at Defiance, and on the 8th of September started for Camp Dennison, and was soon in Kentucky, doing gallant service on the "tented field."  It veteranized in 1863, and served until the close of the war.

In the Fall of 1861 Captain P. H. Mooney recruited Company "C" of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  J. C. Banks was elected 1st Lieutenant, and George Kniss, 2d Lieutenant.  It joined the regiment at Camp Latty, near napoleon, in December, and in a few weeks was sent to the front.  It served in the Western Army, veteranized, took part in some of the hardest fought battles of the war, and was mustered out of service in 1865.

When the 14th Regiment was organized for the three years' service, Company "G" was raised in the county for it.  William Eckles was commissioned Captain, W. C. Crawford, 1st Lieutenant, and Henry B. Ferguson, 2d Lieutenant.  It veteranized, fought gallantly in the Army of the West, until mustered out at the close of the war.

The fourth company organized in the county for the three years' service was Company "I," of the 100th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  The company was recruited by Emanuel Kaufman, who was elected Captain, with Dennison S. Hughes, 1st Lieutenant, and Joseph S. Champion, for 2d Lieutenant. This company, also, did noble service until their country needed their services no longer.

In the Spring of 1863, the 42d Battalion Ohio National Guards, consisting of Companies "A," "B" and "c," was organized in the county and commanded by Major Andrew P. Meng.

In April, 1864, the battalion was called into active service, and rendezvoused at Antwerp, May 2d, drilled for a day or two, and was sent home with orders to report again for duty on the 10th of that month.

The 10th came, when the battalion reported as ordered, and was soon on its way to serve the General Government for the period of 100 days.

At Toledo it was found that the battalion did not have three maximum companies, and Company "C" was consolidated with companies "A" and "B."

With these two companies, the battalion proceeded to Columbus, Ohio, and were ordered to Camp Chase, four miles west of that city.

Here it was consolidated with the 32d Battalion, from Logan county, and one company from Montgomery county, Ohio; and became Companies "A" and "H" of the 132d Regiment Ohio National Guards, and was mustered into the United States service.  The officers of Company "A" were John Shirley, Captain; F. S. Cable, 1st, and Peter Snook, 2d Lieutenant; of Company "H," Captain, B. F. H. Hankins, and E. H. Day, 1st and William Good, 2d Lieutenant.

The regiment was sent to the army of the Potomac, was attached to the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, of the 18th army Corps, and did honorable service in the trenches around Petersburg, until its expiration of term.  The regiment was mustered out of service September 10, 1864.

Besides these companies that were organized in the county, many enlisted promiscuously in the companies of other counties, so that at one time during the war scarcely a "corporal's guard" was left in the county."

Then, let the heart of ever ex-soldier who may read this history swell with emotions of pride when he remembers that in the Great Rebellion he represented a county that, according to its population, sent more soldiers than any other county in the State of Ohio.  And remembering this, may the tender teardrop fall to the memory of their gallant comrades, who rallying around he flag of liberty, laid down their noble lives on the altar of their country.