Hamilton County Recorders Office

Dave Pittinger, Wayne Coates, and Jim Dempsey

Last Wednesday, ten lucky HCGS members got to spend the morning at the Hamilton County Recorders Office. Wayne Coates, Hamilton County Recorder, Dave Pittinger, Chief of Staff and Jim Dempsey provided an overview of the workings of the Hamilton County Recorders Office. This was followed up with a tour of the office and the many materials they hold.

Board Member-at-Large, Jim Dempsey, discussed the process he has used to digitize and preserve materials for the benefit of all of us. He, and two volunteers from the Latter Day Saints, are responsible for digitizing over two million records at a rate of more than 70,000 records a week. Hamilton County served as a template for record preservation, and their efforts are being duplicated in other Ohio counties.

In order to view some of the records that have been uploaded to familysearch.org, follow this link.
After signing in, search on records: United States, Ohio, Hamilton.

You can then browse through the images in the collection, including land and property, naturalization, vital records, military, and probate records. These collections are frequently updated, so you may want to look for additional records added to the collection.

If you were unable to attend either of these sessions and would like to be put on a waiting list, please send an email to Kathy Reed at programs@hcgsohio.org. Put "Recorders Office" in the subject line and asked to be notified should another opportunity occur.

Submitted by: Kathy Reed

African-American Genealogy: Tearing Down the Brick Walls

African American Genealogy Webinar-2 sessions

February 14-Main Library - Huenefeld Tower Room

This year, the Library is proud to announce a free two- session webinar with Michael G. Hait, professional genealogical researcher and lecturer, co-sponsored by the Friends of the Public Library and the Hamilton County Genealogy Society.

African American Genealogy: Tearing Down the Brick Walls. Michael G. Hait, CG

11 am-Main Library (First Session)

Brick walls in African-American genealogy can be caused by lack of records or improper research habits. Learning to research effectively can help to avoid these brick walls. This presentation includes a case study to demonstrate proper techniques for researching an African-American family in Maryland, from evaluating known information to identifying parents to locating the final slave owner.

Freedmen’s Bureau Records   Michael G. Hait, CG

2 pm-Main Library (Second Session)

The Freedmen’s Bureau's records, kept from 1865-1872, contain a wide range of data about the African American experience during slavery and freedom. Among the records are marriage registers and other records that give the names, ages, and former occupations of freedmen and names and residences of former owners. For some states there are census lists, details of labor and apprenticeship agreements, back pay records, complaint registers, personal data about black soldiers (including company and regiment), school records, hospital registers, census records, and records of murders committed against freedmen.  Hait will explain the challenges and rewards that a researcher will encounter using this collection.