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Paulding County:
ghost-town maps, county-home records & school enumerations

Explore ghost-town maps, county-home records & school enumerations, with source links and practical instructions for planning your research.

Addresses and access notes ↓

Paulding County, Ohio: repository locations and selected major roadsUS 24US 127US 30SR 613SR 1141,2PauldingN ↑≈ 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

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.

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 / NEWSPAPERS / YEARBOOKS

Paulding County Carnegie Library local history

Find the local notice or school image behind a family story.

What you can find

The collection lists county newspapers on microfilm, early twentieth-century yearbooks, and local books and pamphlets.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Ask about an exact title and year. The digital microfilm reader can create images for email.

A question you can ask

Does this newspaper issue or yearbook survive?

Keep in mind

Runs may be incomplete; a failed name search is not proof of absence.

STOP 02 / GHOST TOWNS / LAND / MUNICIPAL MINUTES

Carnegie Library maps and council records

Locate a settlement name that vanished from modern maps.

What you can find

Resources include an 1878 county map, a 1914 soil map, ghost-town and country-school maps, deeds for 1849–1940 and Paulding council minutes for 1874–1991.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Ask staff about access to the specific map or minute volume.

A question you can ask

Which historical township contains this vanished place?

Keep in mind

Map labels and property names need comparison with dated deeds; modern boundaries may differ.

STOP 03 / COUNTY HOME / SOLDIERS’ RELIEF

BGSU Paulding County Home and relief microfilm

Investigate public assistance as part of a family’s history.

What you can find

BGSU lists a County Home register for 1862–1990 and Soldiers Relief Commission case books and relief records covering selected periods from 1870–1936.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Book a Center for Archival Collections appointment or email cac@libanswers.bgsu.edu with the exact series.

A question you can ask

Does the register or relief entry identify a household member?

Keep in mind

Confirm access restrictions and gaps, especially for recent entries. Assistance is not evidence of a particular family relationship.

STOP 04 / SCHOOL DISTRICTS / TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENT

BGSU Paulding school and township records

Connect a rural address with its school or township.

What you can find

Holdings include school-age enumerations for 1931–1937, school-district maps, territorial-transfer resolutions and Brown Township cemetery deeds for 1897–1989.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Use the county finding aid’s reel numbers when requesting materials from BGSU.

A question you can ask

Which district served this address, and is the household in an enumeration?

Keep in mind

The series cover particular offices and years, not every Paulding school. Verify record content before expecting student details.

STOP 05 / COUNTY SETTLEMENT / COMMUNITY OBJECTS

John Paulding Historical Society and Museum

Add local context to the document trail.

What you can find

The library identifies the museum as a county-history repository.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Confirm current access directly using the library’s museum referral.

A question you can ask

Is there material about this community?

Keep in mind

Museum website unavailable during review; specific archival holdings and research services remain unverified.

STOP 06 / LOCAL RESEARCH / GENEALOGICAL GUIDANCE

Paulding County OGS

Bring a narrowly framed question to county researchers.

What you can find

The county chapter supports Paulding family-history research and lists its mailing address care of the Carnegie Library.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Confirm current contact arrangements through the chapter site or library before sending a research request.

A question you can ask

Which local source would distinguish these same-name residents?

Keep in mind

The chapter homepage was search-indexed but returned a fetch limit during review. Services, availability and fees require direct confirmation.

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.

PAULDING 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 Paulding 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.

Microfilm

Birth records

Listed years: 1867–1908.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use the linked inventory to identify the office, series and reel number. Contact CAC or book a research appointment before visiting. These are microfilm holdings, not a promise of online images. Ask about copies and any access restrictions.

Keep in mind: Cataloged CAC microfilm span; a range is not a guarantee of a record for every person or every year.

Microfilm

Death records

Listed years: 1867–1908.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use the linked inventory to identify the office, series and reel number. Contact CAC or book a research appointment before visiting. These are microfilm holdings, not a promise of online images. Ask about copies and any access restrictions.

Keep in mind: Cataloged CAC microfilm span; a range is not a guarantee of a record for every person or every year.

Microfilm

Marriage records

Listed years: 1839–1952.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use the linked inventory to identify the office, series and reel number. Contact CAC or book a research appointment before visiting. These are microfilm holdings, not a promise of online images. Ask about copies and any access restrictions.

Keep in mind: Cataloged CAC microfilm span; a range is not a guarantee of a record for every person or every year.

Microfilm

Will records

Listed years: 1852–1903.

Source, access and coverage limits

Use the linked inventory to identify the office, series and reel number. Contact CAC or book a research appointment before visiting. These are microfilm holdings, not a promise of online images. Ask about copies and any access restrictions.

Keep in mind: Cataloged CAC microfilm span; a range is not a guarantee of a record for every person or every year.

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 →

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.

Paulding 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 Paulding County Ohio History & Genealogy on Facebook

Follow a specific collection

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

Rural school geography and children

School-age enumerations and territory-transfer resolutions accompany undated district maps.

How to access it

Book an appointment and cite reels 3 and 110.

Evidence limit: Enumeration is not a class register.

Crane Township neighborhood disputes

Civil and criminal justice dockets supplement township school-fund accounts.

How to access it

Request Crane Township reels 1–4.

Evidence limit: Township-specific, not countywide.

Village legislation and council minutes

Council minutes, ordinances and resolutions document Paulding village decisions.

How to access it

Request municipal reels by series.

Evidence limit: BGSU minutes extend beyond the library listing.

Village newspapers in searchable scans

Digital titles include Antwerp Bee Argus, Oakwood News and Grover Hill News.

How to access it

Search online, then browse dated pages.

Evidence limit: OCR and published spans do not establish complete runs.

Consolidated and rural school yearbooks

Digital school books include Blue Creek, Haviland-Scott, Latty and Emerald Center.

How to access it

Choose the school title in the digital archive.

Evidence limit: Selected books; not every child or year.

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
Cataloged collection span

School-age youth

What it can tell you
An administrative enumeration can place a school-age child in a locality.

Selected listed years: 1931–1937

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

How to search, request and interpret this collection

Coverage and gaps
Catalog span; confirm individual issues and gaps. Enumeration is not a class register.

How to search
Check the township or district and exact enumeration year; record household context where the entry supplies it.

How to retrieve it
Request Paulding County Auditor Enumerations of School Age Youth, 1931–1937, reel 3, from BGSU’s Center for Archival Collections.

Practical access
Contact BGSU Center for Archival Collections to arrange consultation; cite County Auditor reel 3.

If nothing turns up
Enumeration does not prove classroom attendance, and the catalog span does not guarantee every child appears.

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

Check district changes in the territory-transfer resolutions.

Follow this research route →

Match collections to your research years →

Selected holdings / gaps or approximate scope

Territory-transfer resolutions

What it can tell you
School territory changes can explain why records moved between districts while a family stayed put.

Selected listed years: 1907–1923, 1925–1952

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

How to search, request and interpret this collection

Coverage and gaps
Separate listed runs, 1907–1923 and 1925–1952. School territory decisions, not pupil enrollment records.

How to search
Follow the dated resolution and its described territory; compare with the separately listed school-district maps.

How to retrieve it
Request Board of Education territory-transfer resolutions, 1907–1923 and 1925–1952, reel 110, from BGSU.

Practical access
Contact BGSU Center for Archival Collections; cite Board of Education reel 110.

If nothing turns up
The 1924 gap is retained. A district resolution is not an individual pupil record.

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

Return to school-age enumerations using the appropriate district.

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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