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Perry County:
coal towns & community history

Find the people behind the mines, the photographs behind the memories, and the records behind places that changed. Ten research starting points for Perry County, Ohio.

Addresses and access notes ↓

Perry County, Ohio: repository locations and selected major roadsUS 22SR 13SR 93SR 668SR 371New Straitsville5New LexingtonN ↑≈ 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 ↓

Jump to collection details and access instructions

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.

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.

WATCH THE WALKTHROUGH

Coal miner ancestors: where to look beyond the census

Follow an occupation toward company records, archival collections and community knowledge. A collection description is a research lead, not proof that a particular ancestor appears in it.

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Sources checked October 12, 2026. Based on institutional descriptions, original documents, and locally published access routes. No staff confirmation or onsite inspection.

Former mining town does not always mean ghost town.

Research vanished settlements alongside communities that still have residents. Keep the town, township, mine, company, and school district separate in your notes. Regional collections may cross county lines.

For community photographs, preserve the original caption and ask who identified the people. Facebook pages can connect you with local knowledge, but login or membership may be required.

STOP 01 / REGIONAL MINING HISTORY

Little Cities of Black Diamonds & the Miners’ Registry

Start with a miner, a company, or a town that changed its name.

Useful for southern Perry County and the wider southeastern Ohio coal region.

What you can find

The organization describes a registry of more than 11,000 miners, compiled from records and oral histories. Its regional town list includes San Toy, Congo, Hemlock, Corning, Rendville, and Shawnee.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Open the registry description and use the organization’s historian/contact route to ask about a name, spelling variants, mine, or employer. The page reviewed describes the registry and accepts contributions; it is not a verified online surname-search interface.

A question you can ask

Does the registry include [name/variants], working near [town] in [years]? What original document or interview supports the entry?

Keep in mind

This is a compiled regional aid, not a complete employee roster. Towns on its list span several counties. Confirm the jurisdiction for each place.

STOP 02 / MUSEUM / MAPS / GROUP PHOTOGRAPHS

New Straitsville History Group & Dunkle Hall

A school, church, or mine photograph may identify more than one generation.

A strong lead for New Straitsville, nearby mining communities, and organizations connected to them.

What you can find

A January 2018 preservation report documents 43 panoramic photographs and a final inventory of 250 map items. Its photo finding aid includes school classes, congregations, coal-mine workers, and brick-plant groups; some entries note names.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Read the report’s attached inventories, then contact the history group through its Facebook page to ask about an item and arrange access. The 2018 report describes archive work moving from Dunkle Hall to a trailer next door. Confirm the current research location before visiting.

A question you can ask

Can I consult [accession number/title] from the panoramic photograph or Kachlemacher map inventory? Are names recorded, and is a scan available?

Keep in mind

The 2018 report establishes historical holdings and project progress. It does not establish current opening hours or that every map and photograph is online. Facebook access may require login.

STOP 03 / CEMETERY / ORAL HISTORIES

Rendville / Scotch Hill Cemetery Project

Look beyond a gravestone transcription to the community around it.

Useful for Rendville families, Black Appalachian history, and people whose graves may be unmarked.

What you can find

Ohio State’s project describes a burial list, photographed monuments, resident recollections, and work on unmarked graves. The project brings cemetery evidence and community memories together.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Begin with the OSU project description, then follow its cemetery website. Compare a name with the monument image, map, and other burial records. Some project pages returned temporary errors during review.

A question you can ask

Is [person] on the burial list or among the unmarked-grave leads? What source supports the identification, and are there related photographs or interviews?

Keep in mind

A missing marker does not establish that someone was not buried here. Attribute an interview to its speaker and distinguish recollection from a contemporaneous record.

STOP 04 / COMMUNITY HISTORY / FACEBOOK

Rendville Historic Preservation Society

Find the families preserving a former coal town’s story.

A community lead for family photographs, buildings, mining history, and local memory.

What you can find

The society preserves Rendville’s history and structures and links to cemetery and coal-town archaeological projects. OSU’s research-resources page identifies its Facebook group as a place where families share photographs and memories.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Use the society website for contact and projects. Try the linked Facebook group for community leads; current group privacy, membership requirements, and activity were not verified.

A question you can ask

I am trying to identify [family/building] in [approximate year]. Is there a dated photograph, caption, or original source I could compare?

Keep in mind

A Facebook identification is a lead. Record who supplied it, when, and their basis for knowing before incorporating it into a family conclusion.

STOP 05 / PHOTOGRAPHS / RECORDINGS

Perry County District Library & Digital Shoebox

Search for a street, school, mine, or community as well as a surname.

Useful when a family story names a place but you need a dated image or local context.

What you can find

The library points to historical photographs and documents in Digital Shoebox, including Perry County Memories oral-history recordings. The digital project covers southeastern Ohio, not just this county.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Contact Perry County District Library about historical photographs and Perry County Memories recordings. The direct Digital Shoebox website currently fails certificate validation; its direct link has been removed. Do not bypass a browser warning.

A question you can ask

Do you have photographs or Perry County Memories interviews concerning [place/employer] in [years]? Is there a catalog description or transcript?

Keep in mind

Check the item’s creator, date, caption, and repository. An interview date is different from the years the speaker remembers. Direct digital access is currently unverified due to a certificate problem confirmed October 13, 2026.

STOP 06 / FORMER COMMUNITY / ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

San Toy: follow the surviving jurisdiction trail

A town can disappear while its administrative records survive elsewhere.

A worked research lead for San Toy and school records that may be described under adjoining townships.

What you can find

Ohio Attorney General Opinion 1135, dated October 11, 1927, discusses San Toy’s incorporation and school administration. It identifies territory associated with both Bearfield and Monroe township school districts.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Read the seven-page opinion and record its references to dates, boards, and jurisdictions. Then ask the relevant archive or school-record custodian about surviving minutes, school lists, and associated correspondence.

A question you can ask

Which surviving school or township records cover the San Toy territory discussed in Opinion 1135 (1927), including Bearfield and Monroe?

Keep in mind

This historical opinion is a jurisdiction lead, not proof that a particular school register survives or that a person attended. Use period boundaries rather than assuming modern ones.

STOP 07 / MAPS / FORMER MINES

ODNR mine maps: locate the industrial landscape

Put a mine name or remembered settlement back on a map.

Useful for testing where a coal operation stood near a town, road, or family property.

What you can find

The Ohio Geology Interactive Map includes abandoned underground mine points and known or partially known mine extents. ODNR also describes access to underground mine maps and copies.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

The previously linked ODNR pages returned missing-page responses during link checks. Call the New Philadelphia regional office at 330-339-2207 and ask about historical underground-mine maps and the current online access route. Preserve any mine identifier, location, company name, and map reference.

A question you can ask

Is a historical map available for [mine identifier/location], and what dates, company names, and coal seam does it show?

Keep in mind

Mine boundaries may be incomplete. A nearby mine does not establish a person’s employment or residence; compare with independent records. Direct map-information links were removed after missing-page responses on October 13, 2026.

STOP 08 / LOCAL MUSEUM

Corning Museum

Small community museums can point to photographs that never reached a national database.

A local inquiry route for Corning’s families, schools, businesses, and industrial past.

What you can find

County tourism lists a two-room museum in the high-school building on Corning Avenue. A detailed archival inventory was not verified.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Call 740-347-4520 to confirm operation, access, and whether staff can help with a specific research question. Tourism lists Wednesday 1–4 p.m. and appointments; confirm before travel.

A question you can ask

Do you hold labeled photographs or school and business material concerning [name/place/years]? May I consult or request a copy?

Keep in mind

A museum display and a research collection are different. Ask about original captions and permission to reproduce an item.

STOP 09 / HISTORIC HOUSE / COMMUNITY COLLECTION

Perry County Historical Society Museum, Somerset

Follow a donated object back to the family who preserved it.

A lead for Somerset families, local material culture, and donated community history.

What you can find

The library lists the society’s historic home as a museum and community center. County tourism describes community-donated displays, including Civil War material.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Use the society’s Facebook page or the library-listed numbers, 740-743-1374 or 740-659-2405, to arrange access. Current hours and a collection inventory were not independently confirmed.

A question you can ask

Do you have objects, photographs, or donor information associated with [family/place]? Are original descriptions or accession records available?

Keep in mind

Do not assume a displayed object proves the named family’s ownership without its provenance. Facebook may require login.

STOP 10 / LOCAL PUBLICATION / INDUSTRIAL HISTORY

Roseville & Crooksville: pottery-community histories

An occupation can lead you to a different set of neighbors and employers.

Useful for pottery workers, businesses, and families connected to the Roseville–Crooksville area.

What you can find

Roseville’s village website hosts a twelve-page sesquicentennial history PDF. The county villages directory also links Crooksville history and local community pages.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Read the village history for names and businesses, noting the page and any cited source. Use the county directory to reach community pages for Shawnee, Hemlock, and other places as additional leads.

A question you can ask

Where can I find original photographs, business records, or worker information for [pottery/company] around [years]?

Keep in mind

A commemorative history is a later account. Follow its citations and compare dates and identities with original records. Community-page membership and availability vary.

FOLLOW THE RECORD

Collection details and practical access

Research checked October 14, 2026. The notes below supplement the original guide. Catalog dates describe holdings; online access and copying arrangements can differ. No requests or purchases were made.

Land indexes and probate finding aids

Collection and coverage

The Recorder’s AVA listings supply volume and page references; actual document images are not online. The genealogical chapter lists a two-volume Probate Index, 1818–1930, and a Township Assessor Birth and Death Records publication for 1882–1883.

How to access it

Locate a land reference yourself, then ask pcrecorder@perrycountyohio.gov or 740-342-2494 for a copy and current fees; staff do not perform searches. Probate inquiries go to pcpro@perrycountyohio.gov or 740-342-1493, 105 North Main Street, PO Box 167, New Lexington 43764. Ask for the original file behind a published probate reference.

Gaps and points to confirm

The chapter publications are finding aids/transcriptions, not demonstrated original images. Township completeness and the assessor originals’ custodian remain unresolved. No complete historic probate-image range was established. The January 2023 publication list is not a current price quote.

Perry County Memories and Digital Shoebox access

Collection and coverage

Perry County Memories is an oral-history project involving the library and local historical organizations. It points readers to Digital Shoebox.

How to access it

Ask reference@pcdl.org or 740-342-4194 for a particular narrator, interview date, transcript and a safe access route. Record the interview’s provenance separately from the events being remembered.

Gaps and points to confirm

Digital Shoebox previously triggered a certificate warning; this draft does not restore its direct links or advise bypassing the warning. Interview and transcript coverage remain incomplete. Its digitized Little Cities of Black Diamonds booklet is historical interpretation, not a mining employee roster.

Frank Buhla photographs of San Toy

Collection and coverage

Ohio University’s Frank Buhla Collection, MSS 113, includes late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century photographs of San Toy. Item buhla_box15_fld054, Series 02 Photographs, depicts a 1919 celebration at Sunday Creek Coal Company Mine No. 1.

How to access it

Search by San Toy or company name and retain the item ID and caption. Ask the Mahn Center, Alden Library fifth floor, about originals, scanning and use permissions.

Gaps and points to confirm

An unidentified crowd is not evidence that a particular ancestor attended. Reproduction fees remain unconfirmed. Neither township minute books nor miner employment rosters were verified by this lead.

Try one question: where did a mining family live?

  1. Write down every version of the place and employer names, with approximate years.
  2. Compare the Little Cities place map and ODNR mine locations with a period map.
  3. Look for photographs and interviews in Digital Shoebox and the local history groups.
  4. Identify the township and school jurisdiction for those years. San Toy’s 1927 opinion shows why this step matters.
  5. Compare the leads with census, land, school, and employment evidence. Save both supporting and conflicting information.

For the usual county record offices, use the library’s local-resource directory . Also explore Licking County and Franklin County.

Corrections or a useful local collection? hello@brickwallprotocol.com

PERRY 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 Perry 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

Marriage records

Listed years: 1818–1878.

Source, access and coverage limits

Ask the Ohio Genealogical Society library in Bellville to confirm the reel and current access before visiting, or inquire about its look-up/copy service.

Keep in mind: Selected microfilm holdings in an older inventory, updated 2012. These endpoints do not prove complete registration, every surviving volume, or online image access.

microfilm

Auditor license book

Listed years: 1837–1849.

Source, access and coverage limits

Ask the Ohio Genealogical Society library in Bellville to confirm the reel and current access before visiting, or inquire about its look-up/copy service.

Keep in mind: Selected microfilm holdings in an older inventory, updated 2012. These endpoints do not prove complete registration, every surviving volume, or online image access.

microfilm

Children’s home register, volume 1

Listed years: 1885–1918.

Source, access and coverage limits

Ask the Ohio Genealogical Society library in Bellville to confirm the reel and current access before visiting, or inquire about its look-up/copy service.

Keep in mind: Selected microfilm holdings in an older inventory, updated 2012. These endpoints do not prove complete registration, every surviving volume, or online image access.

microfilm

Sheriff jail register

Listed years: 1876–1927.

Source, access and coverage limits

Ask the Ohio Genealogical Society library in Bellville to confirm the reel and current access before visiting, or inquire about its look-up/copy service.

Keep in mind: Selected microfilm holdings in an older inventory, updated 2012. These endpoints do not prove complete registration, every surviving volume, or online image access.

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.

Ohio University: coal-company manuscript collections

The official directory lists Columbus and Hocking Coal and Iron Company (MSS155) and Peacock Coal Company Ledgers (MSS253). These regional collections are leads to investigate for a company, mine, place and period.

How to begin: Follow the finding-aid links from the directory. Ask the Mahn Center which volumes or files cover your location and years, whether they name individuals, and how to consult them or request copies.

What remains uncertain: The listing confirms the collections, not a particular Perry County worker. Detailed coverage and employee-level contents were not established in this review; a ledger is not automatically a payroll record.

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.

Rendville Historic Preservation Society

Public Facebook group

The group describes its purpose as sharing stories and discussing historical preservation of Rendville, Ohio, in southern Perry County. Use it to explore community connections and ask a focused Rendville history question.

Access and rules: Facebook identifies the group as public and visible. Its rules allow Rendville-related posts only and prohibit self-promotion, spam and irrelevant links. Facebook may still prompt visitors to sign in.

Verification limits: The group identity, description, visibility and posted rule were checked. Individual recollections, photographs and identifications have not been independently verified.

Open Rendville Historic Preservation Society on Facebook

Perry County Ohio History & Genealogy

Private, discoverable Facebook group

A community lead for Perry County history and family research.

Access and rules: Facebook identifies this as a private, visible group. Membership approval is controlled by its administrators. Read the current rules before posting. Posted rules restrict promotion, advertising or selling; keep research questions on topic.

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 Perry County Ohio History & Genealogy on Facebook

Southeast Ohio Coal Mining - Family History

Public Facebook group

A regional community for southeast Ohio coal-mining family history. Ask about a named mine, company, place and period; its coverage is broader than Perry County.

Access and rules: Facebook identifies this as a public, visible group; sign-in may still be requested. 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 Southeast Ohio Coal Mining - Family History on Facebook

Follow a specific collection

Additional collection-level routes checked November 2, 2026. Confirm current access before visiting.

New Straitsville graduation photograph

1913. Robinson Cave graduation; NSHS 0008.

How to access it

Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

Evidence limit: Single photograph; names require original review.

Perry County Sunday School convention panorama

1915. New Straitsville, May 1915; AC-0077.

How to access it

Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

Evidence limit: Single event, not county membership coverage.

Brick plant workers photograph with names

1920. BP 0048 e; inventory distinguishes named and unnamed versions.

How to access it

Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

Evidence limit: Ask for named version and transcription.

New Straitsville school panorama

1921. NSHS 0064.

How to access it

Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

Evidence limit: No complete class register claimed.

Keyota Mine train photograph

1927. McCunville; CM 0029.

How to access it

Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

Evidence limit: Industrial context, not a payroll.

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
Listed holding span; completeness not established

New Straitsville graduation photograph

What it can tell you
A dated group photograph with a documented caption can provide a school-event lead.

Selected listed years: 1913

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

How to search, request and interpret this collection

Coverage and gaps
1913. Robinson Cave graduation; NSHS 0008. Single photograph; names require original review.

How to search
Preserve the full photograph, accession and supplied name key; distinguish caption evidence from unverified identifications.

How to retrieve it
Ask New Straitsville History Group for NSHS 0008, the 1913 Robinson Cave graduation photograph, and its caption provenance.

Practical access
Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

If nothing turns up
A single event photograph is not a complete school register. Names in an inventory require checking against the original caption.

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 with school and other dated records.

Follow this research route →

Match collections to your research years →

Listed holding span; completeness not established

Brick plant workers photograph with names

What it can tell you
A named industrial group photograph can suggest workplace connections.

Selected listed years: 1920

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

How to search, request and interpret this collection

Coverage and gaps
1920. BP 0048 e; inventory distinguishes named and unnamed versions. Ask for named version and transcription.

How to search
Request the named version and transcribe its caption exactly, keeping uncertain readings visible.

How to retrieve it
Ask for BP 0048 e, the 1920 brick-plant photograph; the 2018 inventory distinguishes copies with and without names.

Practical access
Ask New Straitsville History Group for accession and named version before visiting Dunkle Hall. Report is Jan 30, 2018, not evidence of current opening hours.

If nothing turns up
The photograph alone does not establish employment dates, every worker or the accuracy of later annotations.

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

Test workplace leads against independent local records.

Follow this research route →

Match collections to your research years →

HELP KEEP THIS GUIDE USEFUL

Know a collection we should include?

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