Local Repositories

• Birth Certificate Information – The Butler County Health Department maintains and issues birth certificates for Ohio from 1909 to the present.
• Death Certificate Information – The Butler County Health Department maintains death certificates for Butler County, Ohio from 1909 to the present, except for deaths which occur in the cities of Hamilton and Middletown. For deaths in the cities of Hamilton or Middletown, the city health departments are the appropriate agencies to contact to obtain a death certificate.

• Surname Index: One significant research tool is the surname index containing over 5,000 names. This index helps point researchers to specific published sources in our library.
• Directories: The library houses an extensive collection of Hamilton city directories including the years 1858, 1861-1862, 1875, 1876, 1884, 1893, 1899, and 1900 to 1976. Butler County directories can be found for 1873, 1883, 1920 and 1955. Middletown city directories include 1891, 1917 to 1966 and 1988.
• Reference Files: Photograph and reference files detail a variety of topics from businesses, leading citizens, churches, schools and settlements to canals, forts, wars, and presidents.
• John Woods Papers: A unique portion of the collection is the court papers of John Woods. These contain references to many early Hamiltonians (1799-1854).
• School Memorabilia: For those researching more recent residents, the library has Hamilton High School Annuals from 1898 through the 1950s. Also in the collection are a number of class photographs from various schools in Hamilton and the surrounding area.
• Microfilm: Microfilm holdings include Butler County census records for the years 1860, 1880, 1900, 1910 and 1920. Microfilmed newspapers include Venice Graphics,1887-1910; Butler County Press, 1900-1946; Deutsche-Amerikaner, all available issues; Edgewood This Week, 1981-1986; Hamilton True Telegraph, 1861-1870; Hamilton Herald, August 3, 1885 to 1887; Hamilton Daily Democrat, 1887-1888; Western Telegraph, 1841-1843.
• Vital Records: The library has various vital record compilations including Butler County marriage records 1803-1847 and 1853-1858, Butler County birth records March 1856 to March 1857 and 1867-1872, and a collection of obituaries 1908-1930, and marriages, deaths, and divorces which have been clipped from old newspapers and organized in binders.
• Cemetery Listings: A master index to twelve volumes of Butler County cemetery records covers most graveyards in the county.
• Area Histories: A collection of printed histories includes a number of volumes on Butler County, its early pioneers, and settlements. County histories for Montgomery, Hamilton, and Preble Counties of Ohio can also be found.
• Maps: Plat maps listing Butler County landowners include the years 1836, 1875, 1895, 1910, 1914, and 1930.
• Military Compilations: Books containing information on soldiers include: D.A.R. Patriot Index; Official Roster of Soldiers of the American Revolution Buried in Ohio; Roster of Ohio Soldiers, 1861-1866, War of the Rebellion; Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, World War I, 1917-1918.
• Business Collection: A filing system containing general information, original catalogs, primary documents, and photographs of local businesses. Includes information about the Estate Stove Company, Mosler Safe Company, Shuler and Benninghofen, and many more.

• Land Records – Their land records search system is available on the internet. Our indexes for all land documents from 1987 to present are available. Due to Social Security Numbers and other personal information that may be found within the documents, images are not available for viewing outside of our office.
• Military Discharge Records – A searchable database of all DD214’s that have been presented for recording is available online. Images of these documents are not public record and are not available to the general public.
• Veteran Grave Registration – A searchable database of Veterans’ Graves is available online. By searching a Veteran name, a listing of information such as Date of Birth, Entry Date, Discharge Date, and Date of Death may be available. This information is received by the recorder’s office from the Ohio Department of Vital Statistics and only contains the information that we are provided.
• Subdivision Plats – Our subdivision plats are available through the Butler County Engineer’s Office GIS system. By searching their system you will find tax maps, survey plats and links to the Recorder’s Subdivision Plats.

• Guardian Search – A guardianship is an involuntary trust relationship in which one party, called the guardian, acts for an individual called a ward. The law regards the ward as incapable of managing his or her own person and/or affairs.
• Estate Search – A probate estate is a legal proceeding provided for by Ohio law to determine the assets of a deceased person who was an Ohio resident at the time of death, the value of those assets, and the distribution of those assets to the persons entitled to them by law.

• Adoptee Access to Ohio Birth Records:
  • Adoption Prior to January 1, 1964 – Adoption records open to adoptee who was born and adopted in Ohio, with proper identification. Also, available for lineal descendants with proof of identity and genetic linkage. Click on link to download the form.
  • Adoption January 1, 1964 to September 18, 1996 – Adoptees can gain access to their adoption file and original Birth Records from the Ohio Department of Health beginning March 20, 2015. Biological birth parents can complete the Birth Parent information Packet through March 19, 2915. Click on link to download the forms.
  • Adoptions after September 18, 1996 – Adoption records are open to adoptive parents when the adopted person is 21 years or older, the records are open to the adoptee. Records wildly be opened if the required documentation and releases are on file.

  For more information, visit the Ohio Department of Healths website or call (614) 466-2531.

  [Source: Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics] March 26, 2015

  Birth Record (1867-1908):
  Birth and Death Records from December 1908 to Present are at the Health Department. Birth Records can be accessed from any of the 88 Ohio counties’ Health Departments. Death records can be accessed only in the county in which the death took place.

  The birth and death records from the 20th of December through early 1913 were destroyed by the 1913 flood. However, the majority of the birth records can be obtained from the Ohio Department of Health. Death records from 1908 through 1953 are also available from the Ohio State Archives and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The death records for this same period are online at www.familysearch.org

  • Death Records* (1867-1908)
  • Delayed and Amended Birth Records (1872-1957):

  The Delayed and Amended Birth Records cover a range of birth dates within the time frame of 1872-1957 but they are not comprehensive for those years. These records are not only for individuals born in Butler County, but they also cover a wide range of birthplaces. The requirement was that the individual be a resident of Butler County at the time of filing.

  • Marriage Records (1803-Present)
  • Testamentary Records (1803-1959)
  • Will Records (1803-Present)
  • Estate Packets (1803-Present)
  • Estate Inventory Records (1803-1907)
  • Supreme Court Records (1852-1858)
  • Common Pleas Records (1822-1932)
  • Tax Duplicates (1820-1923)
  • Code Records (1853-1905)
  • Grand Lists (1848-1919)
  • County Infirmary Records (1840-1920)
  • Tax Assessor’s Records (1826-1855)
  • Naturalization Records (1804-1900’s)
  • Commissioners’ Minutes (1803- Present)
  • Book of Estrays [Strays](1803-1912)
  • Chancery Records (1815-1863)

• BUTLERVETS (Butler County, Ohio War Veteran Database search) – World War I (1917-1918); World War II (1941-1945); Korean War (1950-1954); Vietnam War (1963-1973); and Gulf War (1990-1991)
• Available Books & Documents –
  • 1836 Map – Shows Landowners
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War of 1812 (1 Volume)
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the Civil War (11 Volume)
  • Roster of Kentucky Union Soldiers in the Civil War (1 Volume)
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the Spanish-American War of 1898 (1 Volume)
  • Ohio in the Civil War (2 Volumes; First Volume gives brief biography of Ohio Generals in the Civil War;
  • Second volume gives brief histories and battles of each Ohio Regiment)
  • Official Records of the Rebellion (Civil War) for Union and Confederate Forces (130 volumes; official government records during the Civil War, i.e., correspondence between Generals, official reports and telegrams sent to Washington DC from the front)
  • Official Records of the Spanish American War (1898) (6 volumes)
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors & Marines in World War I (23 volumes)
  • A modest collection of general references regarding various American wars, including World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. 1836 Map – Shows Landowners
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the War of 1812 (1 Volume)
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the Civil War (11 Volume)
  • Roster of Kentucky Union Soldiers in the Civil War (1 Volume)
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the Spanish-American War of 1898 (1 Volume)
  • Ohio in the Civil War (2 Volumes; First Volume gives brief biography of Ohio Generals in the Civil War; Second volume gives brief histories and battles of each Ohio Regiment)
  • Official Records of the Rebellion (Civil War) for Union and Confederate Forces (130 volumes; official government records during the Civil War, i.e., correspondence between Generals, official reports and telegrams sent to Washington DC from the front)
  • Official Records of the Spanish American War (1898) (6 volumes)
  • Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors & Marines in World War I (23 volumes)
  • A modest collection of general references regarding various American wars, including World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.

• Butler County cemetery indexes
• Butler County census records on microfilm (1820-1920)
• Butler County deeds on microfilm (1803-1849)
• Butler County Infirmary records on microfilm (1800-1913)
• Butler County map of 1836, atlases of 1875 and 1895
• Butler County USGS topographical maps (7.5 minutes series)
• Cummins Photo Collection (over 3,000 photos from the mid-18th to early 20 century)
• Greenwood Cemetery interment records on microfilm (1823-present)
• Hamilton City Directories (1858-1859 and 1892-present)
• Hamilton newspapers on microfilm (1823-present)
• Hamilton Sanborn Insurance Maps (1892-1927+)
• Histories of Hamilton, Fairfield, Oxford and other places in Butler County
• Miscellaneous school yearbooks (circa 1910’s-1960’s; this is not a comprehensive collection)
• Ohio census indexes
• Passenger and Immigration List Index (Filby)
• Roster of Ohio soldiers for Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, and World War I

Cincinnati Branch
5505 Bosworth Place
Cincinnati, OH 45212
T: (513) 531-5624

Fairfield Branch
4831 Pleasant Avenue
Fairfield, OH 45014
T: (513) 844-8866

Middletown Branch
4930 Central Avenue
Middletown, OH 45044
T: (513) 423-9642

Oxford Branch
6600 Contreras Road
Oxford, OH 45056
T: (513) 523-0643

• Online Resources (A library card is required in order to accesses these websites):
  • African American Heritage
  • Ancestry Library Edition (accessible only onsite at the library)
  • The Crout Collection
  • Heritage Quest Online
  • Kentucky Ancestors Online
  • Library Lens
  • Middletown Jornal
  • NewsBank – America’s Obituaries & Death Notices
  • Ohio Historical Society Searchable Databases
  • Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
  • Veterans of West Chester and Liberty Township Photography Archives

• McGuffey Digital Collection – Selected documents, primarily correspondence of William Holmes McGuffey from 1814 to 1932
• Miami Oral History Project – Video interviews of students, faculty, staff, and friends reminiscing of Miami through the years.
• Frank Snyder Photograph Collection – Photographs of Oxford and the Miami campus from 1897 to 1955.
• Western Round-up Student Newspaper – Student newspapers from Western College from 1930 to 1971.
• Victorian Trade Card Collection – Advertising trade cards dating from the late 19th and early 20th Century.

• Online Resources (A library card is required in order to accesses these websites):
  • Ancestry Library Edition (accessible only onsite at the library)
  • Biography and Genealogy Master Index
  • Fold3 History & Genealogy Archives
  • HeritageQuest
  • 19th Century U.S. Newspapers
  • ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Cincinnati Enquirer (1841-1922)
  • ProQuest Obituaries

• Books and Other Monographs – County histories for nearly all Ohio counties and nearby Indiana Biographies of prominent men and women from the area Travel journals & other narratives Family histories in various formats Teachers’ guides for instruction in local history Historical fiction with southwest Ohio settings
• Periodicals – Yearbooks from Miami University, Oxford College,Western College, and high schools: College Corner, Hanover, McGuffey, Morgan, Reily, Ross, Stewart, and Talawanda More than 20 subscriptions, including:
  • Ohio History
  • Ohio Valley History
  • Timeline
  • Ohio Genealogy News
  • Ohio Postal History Journal
  • Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly
  • Newsletters of local historical and genealogical societies Newspapers from Cincinnati, College Corner, Hamilton, Harrison, Oxford, and Ross in the 1800s and 1900s City and telephone directories for Cincinnati, Hamilton, Oxford, and other areas
• Maps – Fire insurance maps, topographic maps, and county atlases spanning two centuries
• Visual Images – Pictures of people, buildings, events, and more; including the Clyde Bowden Digital Postcard Collection and photographs by Frank R. Snyder, Gilson P. Wright, George R. Hoxie, and Robert E. White. A sample of photographs can be viewed here.
• Archives –
  • Records of Oxford Village and Township
  • Lemon Township civil dockets
  • Business records
  • Cemetery records
  • Church records
  • Records of clubs and organizations
  • Butler County birth, death, and marriage records
  • Butler County deeds and wills
  • Butler County tax re-appraisement records
• Manuscripts –
  • Diaries
  • Letters
  • Scrapbooks
  • Research notes
  • Family histories
• Oral Histories – Recordings and/or typed transcripts of interviews with:
  • Former slaves who moved to Ohio
  • Long-time residents of Oxford
  • WorldWar II veterans who served from Oxford
  • African Americans who moved from the South
• Historic District Walking Tours – These booklets include descriptions and archival photographs of historic buildings in Oxford. Print copies are available for free from Smith Library or viewed as PDFs online.
  • The booklets are:
    • University Historic District
    • Uptown Oxford Historic District
    • Western College for Women Historic District
• OHRAB History Hunt – This letter by David McMechan tells of life in rural Butler County in 1813. McMechan was a recent Irish immigrant when he wrote to Matthew Linn in New York, asking for news of mutual friends. The handwritten letter includes a report on the health of his family members and his desire to have more laborers to help clear the woods. In addition to owning a store, he also farmed, and his letter provides information on crops and livestock in Milford Township. Because he wrote in October of 1813, he provides a firsthand perspective on the War of 1812 in the western states and shares his optimism that the Americans will prevail over the British and Indians. (See if you can read the handwriting before looking at the typed transcript