County Research Guide

Butler County, Ohio

Formed March 24, 1803 from Hamilton County · county seat Hamilton. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.

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Butler County, Ohio Genealogy & History

Short episodes that walk through Butler County's records, one record type at a time.

Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look

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Where the records are

Butler County Probate Court

Historic Butler County Courthouse, 101 High Street, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 887-3294

[email protected] · probatecourt.bcohio.gov

Wills, estates, adoptions, guardianships, marriage records, and name changes.

Butler County Recorder's Office

130 High Street, 2nd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 887-3192

recorder.bcohio.gov

Deeds, plats, historical land records, and veteran discharge (DD214) records.

Butler County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)

315 High Street, 5th Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 887-3278

butlercountyclerk.org

Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.

Butler County Auditor

130 High Street, 3rd Floor, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 887-3154

butlercountyauditor.org

Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.

Lane Public Library — Cummins Local History Room & Smith Library of Regional History

300 North Third Street, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 894-7156

lanepl.org/local-history-genealogy

Local history books, directories, yearbooks, maps, historic newspapers, and photo collections across two rooms (Hamilton branch and the Oxford branch's Smith Library).

Butler County Historical Society — Benninghofen House

327 N. Second Street, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 896-9930

[email protected] · bchistoricalsociety.com

Artifacts, county historical archives, and monument/veterans records.

Southwest Butler County Genealogical Society

P.O. Box 243, Hamilton, OH 45012 · Meets 3rd Wednesday monthly at the Historical Society Auditorium

A separate organization from the Historical Society. Maintains a 12-volume master cemetery index covering most county graveyards.

Vital records — split by jurisdiction

Butler County General Health District: 301 South Third Street, Hamilton, OH 45011 · (513) 863-1770 · [email protected]

City of Hamilton Health Dept: (513) 785-7080 (death) / 785-7094 (birth) · City of Middletown Health Dept: (513) 425-7851

The county Health District covers births/deaths 1909–present countywide, except deaths within Hamilton or Middletown city limits, which route to those cities' own health departments.

Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.

Before Butler County existed

Butler County was formed in 1803 from Hamilton County. For records made before then, search the parent county:

Land: Symmes Purchase

Part of Butler County lies in the Symmes Purchase, land bought by John Cleves Symmes between the Great and Little Miami Rivers and resold to settlers. Early sales are traced through the Hamilton County deed books.

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.

More for Butler County

Newspapers of Butler County

Titles that covered Butler County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.

TitleYearsWhere to Search
The Butler County Press (Hamilton)1900–1946Chronicling America — 1,743 issues digitized
Hamilton Telegraph1847–1857Microfilm only — check Lane Libraries (Cummins Room) or Butler County Historical Society
Butler County Democratc. 1870–1909Microfilm only — Lane Libraries local history collection
Hamilton Journal-News1971–current (predecessor titles to 1879)Newspapers.com; microfilm 1987–2013 at Lane Libraries; current at journal-news.com
The Miami Student (Oxford, Miami University)1867–currentCurrent at miamistudent.net; historic run at Miami University's King Library

Download the Newspaper Research Log (PDF)

Printable Record Checklist

Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.

Brick Walls & Buckeyes emblem Brick Walls & Buckeyes brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Butler County, Ohio

Vital & Probate

Birth record (check county vs. Hamilton/Middletown city health dept)
Death record (check county vs. city health dept)
Marriage record (Probate Court)
Will / estate administration file
Guardianship / adoption record
Divorce or court case (Clerk of Courts)

Land & Property

Deed / land transfer (Recorder's Office)
Mortgage record
Veteran DD214 discharge record
Tax duplicate
First land purchase or patent (BLM GLO or county deeds)

Community & Print

Newspaper mention (Journal-News)
Church record (baptism, membership, burial)
Cemetery record / headstone photo (SWBCGS master index)
County history mention (Benninghofen House)
Census record (Lane Library)

Addresses and links last checked October 2026.

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