County Research Guide

Clark County, Ohio

Authorized March 1, 1818 from Champaign, Greene, and Madison counties — named for Gen. George Rogers Clark · county seat Springfield. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.

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Clark County, Ohio Genealogy & History

Short episodes that walk through Clark 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

Clark County Probate Court

50 East Columbia St., Springfield, OH 45502 · (937) 521-1845

probate.clarkcountyohio.gov

Wills, estate/administration records, guardianships, marriage records, and historical birth/death filings pre-1908.

Clark County Recorder's Office

31 N. Limestone St., Springfield, OH 45502 · (937) 521-1705

clarkcountyohio.gov/632/Public-Records

Deeds, land records, mortgages, and some military discharge (DD-214) filings.

Clark County Clerk of Courts (Court of Common Pleas)

101 N. Limestone Street, 2nd Floor, Springfield, OH 45502 · (937) 521-1680

clarkcountyohio.gov/93/Clerk-of-Courts

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

Clark County Auditor

31 N. Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45502 · (937) 521-1866

clarkcountyauditor.org

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

Clark County Public Library — Local History & Genealogy Room

201 S. Fountain Ave., Springfield, OH 45506 · (937) 328-6903

[email protected] · ccplohio.org

Springfield city directories (1852–present), local newspapers on microfilm back to 1860, cemetery inscription listings for 100+ county cemeteries, and military rosters.

Heritage Center of Clark County (Historical & Genealogical Society)

117 S. Fountain Ave., Springfield, OH 45502 · (937) 324-0657

Genealogical Society office ext. 230, staffed Wed–Sat 10am–5pm · PO Box 2524, Springfield, OH 45501

heritage.center

The Genealogical Society operates as a chapter housed inside the Heritage Center's Fisher Family Library and Archives, not a separate physical location.

Clark County Combined Health District

529 East Home Rd., Springfield, OH 45502 · (937) 390-5600

ccchd.com/get-records/birth-and-death-records

Certified birth abstracts and death certificates, 1908–present, $24/copy.

Cemetery records

Find A Grave — Clark County and Interment.net — Clark County, including Rose Hill Cemetery, Springfield's largest.

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

Before Clark County existed

Clark County was created from Champaign, Madison, and Greene Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:

Land: Virginia Military District

Part of Clark County lies in the Virginia Military District, land Virginia set aside for its Revolutionary War veterans. It was surveyed in irregular metes and bounds, and the first owners' records follow a warrant, entry, survey, and patent trail.

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 Clark County

Newspapers of Clark County

Titles that covered Clark 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
Springfield News-Sun1982–current (predecessor titles to 1817)Newspapers.com (1885–present); current at springfieldnewssun.com; microfilm to 1860 at Clark County Public Library
Springfield Daily Republic1884–1905Chronicling America
Springfield Daily Gazette1879–1905Chronicling America
Springfield Transcript1867–1888Chronicling America
The Western Pioneer1823–1833Chronicling America
Clark County Public Library digital newspaper indexMultiple titlesarchives.ccplohio.org/digital/collection/newspapers

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 · Clark County, Ohio

Vital & Probate

Birth record (Health District, or Probate pre-1908)
Death record (Health District, or Probate pre-1908)
Marriage record (Probate Court)
Will / estate administration file
Guardianship record
Divorce or court case (Clerk of Courts)

Land & Property

Deed / land transfer (Recorder's Office)
Mortgage record
Military discharge (DD-214) record
Tax duplicate
First land purchase or patent (BLM GLO or county deeds)

Community & Print

Newspaper mention (Springfield News-Sun)
City directory (library, 1852+)
Cemetery record / headstone photo (Rose Hill + others)
County history mention (Heritage Center)
Census record (library)

Addresses and links last checked October 2026.

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