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Logan County:
portrait negatives, Indian Lake history & family records

Explore portrait negatives, Indian Lake history & family records, with source links and practical instructions for planning your research.

Addresses and access notes ↓

Logan County, Ohio: repository locations and selected major roadsUS 33US 68SR 47SR 274SR 2922,3BellefontaineN ↑≈ 5 miles
Selected repository locations for present-day orientation. Numbers match the research stops below. Select a marker to open its stop. Locations are approximate, not entrances or driving directions. Grouped numbers identify nearby repositories; use the address key for individual locations.

Explore local streets and repository locations ↗

Not sure where to begin? Build a free three-step research plan → Choose your question, period and records already checked.

Explore records coverage by year ↓

Community history groups and access notes · Additional collection references

Explore focused collection routes ↓

How to search and interpret selected collections ↓

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PLAN YOUR RESEARCH ROUTE

Match the stops to the repository

Several stops can lead to the same repository. Maps show selected verified locations, not every guide stop or every community represented in the records. Use each stop’s access instructions, including for online and out-of-county collections. Check access before traveling.

  • Stop 2: Logan County History Center, Donna Spencer Photo Archives
    521 East Columbus Avenue, Bellefontaine, OH 43311

    Archives are on the Transportation Museum second floor; Wednesday/Friday 1–4 or appointment. Ask about studio identifiers.

    Repository information · Map position source
  • Stop 3: Logan County Genealogical Society Library
    521 East Columbus Avenue, Suite B, Bellefontaine, OH 43311

    Ask about consultation or purchase; society hours Wednesday, Friday and Sunday 1–4, with appointments for distant visitors.

    Repository information · Map position source
Other guide stops not shown on this map

These stops may be online collections, shared repositories or locations not yet confirmed for mapping. Follow the collection’s access instructions.

Map sources and limits

County outlines: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 cartographic boundaries . Selected major roads: 2024 TIGER/Line primary and secondary roads . Public repository addresses checked against the sources above, with approximate Census geocoder positions. Unmatched addresses and out-of-county repositories are listed in the key rather than assigned a guessed position. Markers identify contact locations, not collection coverage. Historical boundaries, township lines and current traffic conditions are not shown. Prepared November 3, 2026.

Sources checked October 23, 2026. Based on public institutional descriptions, not staff confirmation or an onsite visit. Confirm current access before traveling.

Bring one focused question.

Start with a name or place, approximate years, and the fact you want to establish. These are selected research starting points. A catalog, index, museum exhibit and original record provide different kinds of evidence.

STOP 01 / DIRECTORIES / MAPS / OBITUARIES

Knowlton Library Local History Room

Combine an address, newspaper reference and county map.

What you can find

The library lists incomplete Bellefontaine directories for 1923–2008, county histories, atlas and plat maps, historical files and microfilm equipment.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Visit the Bellefontaine local-history room or send a focused inquiry to info@logancountylibraries.org. A scanner and copier are available nearby.

A question you can ask

Ask for the newspaper issue and complete obituary behind an index result.

Keep in mind

Directory years are incomplete; an obituary index is a pointer, not the full notice.

STOP 02 / PHOTOGRAPHS / RAILROADS / INDIAN LAKE

Logan County History Center Archives

Look for studio portraits and the surroundings of family life.

What you can find

The Donna Spencer Photo Archives includes Hadley Studios photographs and negatives, plus Lee Woodruff and Benedetti portrait negatives. Other holdings include newspapers, 1830–1960, railroad and Indian Lake files.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Research is offered Wednesday and Friday afternoons and by appointment on the Transportation Museum’s second floor. Contact historycenter@loganhistory.org.

A question you can ask

Ask about identification indexes and reproduction permission for a portrait or locality.

Keep in mind

Unidentified photographs require evidence before assigning names.

STOP 03 / COURT RECORDS / FAMILY FILES

Logan County Genealogical Society Library

Investigate records transferred outside the courthouse.

What you can find

The library lists probate records, 1818–1959, civil and state court records, 1818–1950, surname files and selected newspaper abstracts, 1829–1905.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Arrange help through the society at the Transportation Museum. Confirm the specific volume before travel.

A question you can ask

Ask whether a reference is an original file, copy or abstract.

Keep in mind

The museum and county custody lists use different ranges; confirm exact coverage. Newspaper abstracts are incomplete.

STOP 04 / DIGITAL LOCAL HISTORY

Logan County Digital Collection on Ohio Memory

Browse county material preserved by the library and historical society together.

What you can find

This collection is a joint Logan County Libraries and Logan County Historical Society digitization project.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Browse the collection directly and search place names, institutions and surnames separately.

A question you can ask

Record the item identifier, contributing institution and original description for each useful image.

Keep in mind

Selected digital material represents only part of the physical collections. A search miss is not a complete holdings check.

STOP 05 / MARRIAGES / HISTORICAL VITAL RECORDS

Logan County Probate Department

Use the county’s custody guide to choose the right office.

What you can find

The guide lists marriages from 1818 and births and deaths for 1868–1908 at Probate. Earlier probate material is also held by the genealogical society.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Contact Family Court through the county website before requesting a record or visit. Clerks do not perform extended genealogy searches.

A question you can ask

Request the register entry or complete case file with book, page or case number where known.

Keep in mind

Custody varies by record type and period. Confirm overlapping dates before assuming records are missing.

STOP 06 / LAND / NEIGHBORS

Logan County Recorder

Follow deeds and related instruments through the ownership chain.

What you can find

The recorder maintains land conveyances and encumbrances with indexes used for historical ownership research. The county genealogy guide lists deeds from 1818.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Use the official Document Search link, then contact 937-599-7201 about historical books or copy requests.

A question you can ask

Ask which grantor/grantee index covers the year and retrieve all pages of the deed.

Keep in mind

Earliest online coverage was not verified. Older books may require in-person work; staff do not undertake extended genealogical searches.

Keep the evidence and the next step.

Save the repository, collection title, dates, box or volume and page, link, and what you searched. Follow an index entry to the full record. Keep uncertain identifications separate from established relationships.

Explore the Ohio county map and directory

Know a collection we should include or an access detail to correct? Email hello@brickwallprotocol.com. Please include an official collection link when available.

LOGAN COUNTY / SELECTED RECORDS COVERAGE

Which collections cover your years?

Use these dated holdings to choose a next search. This is a selection of cataloged collections, not a complete inventory of Logan County records.

A range is a lead, not a guarantee. Bars show the dates stated by the cited catalog or inventory. They do not establish uninterrupted coverage, complete reporting or online image access. Unmarked years mean not represented in this selection, not that records were destroyed. Indexes and abstracts still need to be followed to the underlying record.

Sources reviewed October 26, 2026. Blue shows cataloged holdings; rust identifies indexes or compiled publications where the source specifies them. Read the format label and access notes for each row.

Index

Marriage record index

Listed years: 1818–1854.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use Knowlton Library Local History Room or ask Reference staff for the specified collection. Confirm format and availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Finding aid; obtain original record separately.

Local history holdings; format not specified

Birth records

Listed years: 1909–1989.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use Knowlton Library Local History Room or ask Reference staff for the specified collection. Confirm format and availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Library lists this span; confirm format/access before requesting.

Indexes

Death record indexes

Listed years: 1909–2001.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use Knowlton Library Local History Room or ask Reference staff for the specified collection. Confirm format and availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Indexes, not death certificates.

Directories

Bellefontaine city directories

Listed years: 1923–2008.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use Knowlton Library Local History Room or ask Reference staff for the specified collection. Confirm format and availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Explicitly incomplete; span does not imply every annual volume.

Confirm the historical jurisdiction as well as the date. A record may be held outside today’s county, and an inventory’s ending year does not mean recordkeeping stopped.

Check historical jurisdiction → · Find collections for my years →

FOLLOW THE COLLECTION

Additional collection references

Official catalog descriptions checked October 25, 2026. These notes identify research routes, not completed name-level searches.

Piatt Castle: seven-generation family archive

Piatt Castle describes an archive of business records, personal documents, newspapers, poetry and images spanning seven generations of the Piatt family.

How to begin: Research access is by appointment. Send a person, topic and date range when requesting a visit. Castle visitors can view the archive room and changing document exhibits, but that is different from a research appointment.

What remains uncertain: This is a family-centered archive, not a countywide genealogy index. Confirm relevant folders, copying arrangements and any restrictions before visiting.

COMMUNITY MEMORY

Community history groups and research leads

Local communities can help identify a place, photograph or possible source. These independently run groups are community leads, not catalogued archives or BWP partners. Keep the contributor, date, basis for an identification and original source together. Ask permission before republishing photographs or private contributions.

Facebook identities and visible access information checked October 25, 2026. Verification here concerns the group, not the accuracy of its members’ posts. No groups were joined and no messages were sent.

Logan County Ohio History & Genealogy

Private, discoverable Facebook group

A local history and genealogy community identified on Facebook. Use it as a starting point for a focused question about a surname, place or possible record source.

Access and rules: Facebook identifies this as a private, visible group. Membership approval is controlled by its administrators. Read the current rules before posting.

Verification limits: The group identity and visible access information were checked. Member contributions and specific holdings were not independently verified. Ask permission before reusing an image or private contribution.

Open Logan County Ohio History & Genealogy on Facebook

Follow a specific collection

Additional collection-level routes checked November 3, 2026. Confirm current access before visiting.

Three portrait-studio collections

Hadley Studios photographs and negatives join negative collections from Lee Woodruff Photography and Benedetti Photography, including many portraits.

How to access it

Archives are on the Transportation Museum second floor; Wednesday/Friday 1–4 or appointment. Ask about studio identifiers.

Evidence limit: No published date spans or identification guarantee. Reproduction permission is separate from viewing.

Village, school and business files

Files cover county villages, schools, businesses, organizations, railroads and Indian Lake. Local newspapers span 1830–1960. Search a workplace or school to connect family events to community evidence.

How to access it

Arrange archive research and specify community and years.

Evidence limit: Newspaper span does not establish every issue; subject files lack published dates.

Named funeral-home record publications

Published record compilations cover Kennedy Funeral Home 1898–1918, VanHorn 1915–1985 and Postle 1920–1950 (A–K and L–Z).

How to access it

Ask about consultation or purchase; society hours Wednesday, Friday and Sunday 1–4, with appointments for distant visitors.

Evidence limit: These are publications, not a claim that original funeral registers are held.

Bokescreek births and Belle Center abstracts

Publications include Bokescreek Township Births 1924–1930 and Belle Center Herald Voice abstracts 1918–1931. These narrow place-based works can expose events missed in a countywide search.

How to access it

Request the named publication and its source references.

Evidence limit: Abstracts omit information; inspect the original when available.

Common Pleas parties and institutional inmates

The society sells an 1875–1919 Common Pleas index including plaintiffs and defendants, plus an Infirmary & Children’s Home Inmates publication.

How to access it

Ask for the entry and original case or institutional citation.

Evidence limit: The institutional publication has no stated years; it receives no planner range.

BEFORE YOU SEARCH

Understand the collection. Choose your next step.

Two selected collections, with practical ways to search and interpret the result. These are research suggestions, not findings about a particular person.

  1. Choose a source
  2. Check its limits
  3. Search and record
  4. Follow the next lead
Index / listed span

Kennedy Funeral Home compilation

What it can tell you
A funeral-home publication may lead to a service or burial record. Identify which details are transcribed and who supplied them.

Selected listed years: 1898–1918

Date overlap is a lead, not a guarantee of complete coverage.

How to search, request and interpret this collection

Coverage and gaps
Published compilation listed for 1898–1918. The catalog does not establish complete originals or their current custody.

How to search
Search the named publication and record its page, entry date and any original register reference. Distinguish service dates from death dates.

How to retrieve it
Ask Logan County Genealogical Society about consulting or purchasing Kennedy Funeral Home Records, 1898–1918, and whether originals can be traced.

Practical access
Contact the society about consultation, copies or purchase; confirm availability and current terms.

If nothing turns up
The publication concerns one firm. A missing entry does not exclude a local death or a service handled elsewhere.

Read the collection source ↗

Source review: 2026-11-04; repository description checked, individual entries not inspected. Search and interpretation suggestions are BWP guidance.

Then try this

Compare a plausible entry with another burial or death source.

Follow this research route →

Match collections to your research years →

Index / listed span

Bokescreek Township birth compilation

What it can tell you
A township birth compilation is a locator for an event record. Verify the underlying entry before using a reported relationship as proof.

Selected listed years: 1924–1930

Date overlap is a lead, not a guarantee of complete coverage.

How to search, request and interpret this collection

Coverage and gaps
Publication catalog lists Bokescreek Township births, 1924–1930. Not all Logan County births; original record access must be checked separately.

How to search
Check surname variants and the publication’s introduction, then note whether dates refer to birth or registration.

How to retrieve it
Ask the society for Bokescreek Township Births, 1924–1930, and the source citation for the entry.

Practical access
Ask Logan County Genealogical Society about this publication and current consultation or purchase options.

If nothing turns up
The township and period are narrow. A birth registered elsewhere or omitted from the compilation may not appear.

Read the collection source ↗

Source review: 2026-11-04; repository description checked, individual entries not inspected. Search and interpretation suggestions are BWP guidance.

Then try this

Follow the civil birth-record route for an original or certified record.

Follow this research route →

Match collections to your research years →

HELP KEEP THIS GUIDE USEFUL

Know a collection we should include?

Suggest a correction, an overlooked collection or an updated access detail. An official link or source helps us check it before making a change. Please leave out private family documents and sensitive personal information.

Suggest a correction or collection

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