How does the Oak tree fit into genealogy you ask?
Well, prior to the European settlement Ohio’s forests covered 95 percent of the state; it was said that a squirrel could travel from one corner of the state to the other without touching the ground.
Auglaize County would have been in that landscape – possibly part of those elm-ash swamp forests transitioning into oak-hickory forests. Imagine your ancestors arriving to find an unbroken sea of trees, with only Native American trails winding through the forest.
The Oak tree is not just a symbol, but a living connection to the world of our earliest settlers. Those oak trees were literally the landscape that shaped their lives and stories.
So, as we scroll through pages of our county history think of the Oak Tree and see if you find a connection to one of those branches.
This page provides access to historical records, expert research guides, and tools for tracing family histories—from Ohio’s heartland to wherever your ancestral journey leads.
Auglaize County Genealogical Society
PO Box 2021
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
The Auglaize County Genealogical Society was founded in 1979 and is a member of the Ohio Genealogical Society. The Chapter collects, publishes, and maintains local genealogical records, including cemetery transcriptions, courthouse abstracts, and family histories. It also supports research through publications, programs, and cooperation with the Auglaize County Historical Society and local libraries. The Chapter can be found on Facebook as well.
Auglaize County Historical Society
206 W Main St
Wapakoneta, OH 45895
(419) 738-9328
Established in 1963, the Society collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the history of Auglaize County and its people through exhibits, programs, and publications. The Society is also active on Facebook.
Cridersville Historical Society
111 West Sugar St
PO Box 2444
Cridersville, OH 45806
Preserves and shares the history of Cridersville through exhibits, community programs, and local historical projects. Active on Facebook with updates and event announcements.
Minster Historical Society
West 4th Street
Minster, Ohio
Preserves the village’s German Catholic heritage and collaborates with the county-wide society.
New Bremen Historic Association
120 N. Main Street
New Bremen, OH 45869
Focus on German heritage and early settlers.
New Knoxville Historical Society
105 East German Street
New Knoxville, OH 45871
Preserves and shares the history of New Knoxville and surrounding Auglaize County communities through biographies, early home records, church histories, and exhibits at the Heritage Center. Maintains publications, books, memorabilia, and a brick memorial project to help local heritage thrive.
Ohio Historical Society
800 E. 17th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43211
Now called Ohio History Connection, it preserves and shares Ohio’s heritage through 50+ historic sites, museums, and archives. It supports education, research, and community engagement to connect people with the state’s diverse stories.
St. Marys Historical Society
223 South Main Street
St. Marys, Ohio 45885
Phone: 419-394-7069
Focuses on canal history, pioneer families, and local industry.
There may be additional historical or genealogical groups in the county not listed here. If you know of one, please let us know so we can add it.
Ancestry
Largest subscription genealogy site with billions of records, including census, vital, immigration, and military collections. Offers DNA testing and access to user-submitted family trees.
American Ancestors – NEHGS
Focus: New England and early American families
Strength: Colonial records, scholarly research
Archives.com
Focus: Genealogy site offering access to over 11 billion records, including census, vital, military, and newspaper collections.
Aimee Cross (AncestryAimee)
Aimee blends coaching and research with a lively teaching style. Her site and YouTube channel offer tutorials, brick wall strategies, and encouragement for genealogists at every level.
Amy Johnson Crow
A professional genealogist and educator known for her blog, podcast, and practical research strategies. Her site offers tools for organizing, storytelling, and making sense of complex records.
Findmypast
Focus: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland — deep parish, census, and civil records
Strength: Military records and British newspapers
Fold3
Named for the third fold in a military flag ceremony, honoring veterans and their legacy. Offers digitized military records for the U.S. and UK, including Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWII service files, draft cards, pension applications, and photos.
The Formidable Genealogist
Jen Shaffer is a professional genealogist who shares daily research tips and case studies across multiple platforms. She specializes in solving brick walls and offers both free and subscription-based guides. Jen has also appeared on Inside Edition and Relative Secrets.
Genealogy TV – Connie Knox
Connie Knox offers a membership-based site with premium tutorials, research strategies, and downloadable guides. Her work focuses on helping genealogists of all levels build skills and break through brick walls.
GenealogyBank
Focus: Historical newspapers and obituaries
Strength: Deep U.S. coverage, especially smaller towns
MyHeritage
Focus: Autosomal DNA testing — connects you with relatives across both sides of your family, going back about 5–7 generations.
Strength: Ethnicity estimates and a strong international user base for global matches.
Newspapers.com
Focus: Largest online archive of historical newspapers, offering access to over 1 billion pages from 29,000+ publications across the U.S. Ideal for uncovering obituaries, birth and marriage announcements, and social news.
NewspaperArchive – Global Newspaper Access
Focus: Global newspaper access
Strength: Older papers and international coverage
AncestryAimee
Free genealogy education from longtime researcher Aimee Cross, including tutorials, research strategies, and beginner-friendly explanations. Great for learning methods, understanding records, and improving tree accuracy.
Cyndi’s List
A free, categorized index of 330,000+ genealogy links. A trusted starting point for online research across every topic imaginable.
Ellis Island
Search 65+ million arrival records from 1820–1957 at the Port of New York. Includes ship manifests and digitized images.
FamilySearch
Free access to billions of records, family trees, and research guides. Backed by the LDS Church and ideal for global research.
Findagrave
Free cemetery database with 250+ million memorials. Includes birth/death dates, photos, and family links.
Immigrant Ship Passengers
Browse historic manifests by ship name from the 1870s–1950s. Great for tracing transatlantic voyages and iconic vessels.
Lisa Lisson
Creator of Are You My Cousin?, Lisa shares clear, encouraging guidance for family historians. Her articles and videos help researchers stay focused and make progress without overwhelm.
Library of Congress
Offers thousands of digitized family histories, maps, newspapers, and guides. Free online access to rich historical context.
National Archives
Official U.S. record keeper with census, military, immigration, and land files. Free online tools and regional research centers.
Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS)
Largest state genealogy society in the U.S. Offers Ohio-focused databases, webinars, and lineage societies.
Ohio Genealogy Express
Curated by Sharon Wick, this site offers a growing collection of historical and genealogical resources for Auglaize County, Ohio. Visitors will find county history, maps, photos of local towns, and opportunities to contribute data.
OHGenWeb Project
Free genealogy and history resources for all 88 Ohio counties. Includes transcribed records, tombstones, courthouse info, and special projects like postcards and African American archives. Volunteer-run and non-commercial.
Rootsweb
One of the oldest free genealogy communities. Offers hosted websites, message boards, and the WorldConnect family tree.
USGenWeb Project
A nationwide network of free genealogy websites, offering county-level transcriptions, maps, obituaries, and historical documents. Volunteer-powered since 1996, with no logins or paywalls — just open access to local history.
Wikitree
A free, collaborative global family tree with over 42 million profiles. Encourages accuracy, DNA connections, and community support.
Wright State University
Archival repository of genealogy records, local government archives, and manuscript collections for 11 counties in the Miami Valley region: Auglaize, Clark, Darke, Greene, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, Shelby, Logan, and Champaign. Includes birth/death records, church and township files, and family histories. A treasure for southwest Ohio research.
These Facebook communities offer a kind of digital front porch—where stories, support, and shared curiosity flow freely. Whether someone’s tracing ancestors in Ohio, Tennessee, or halfway across the globe, they’re part of a universal network of connection and care.
Allen County Ohio History & Genealogy
Public group for sharing Allen County history, genealogy finds, and personal ancestor stories.
Ancestors and Algorithms: AI for Genealogy
AI tools and tips for transcription, match analysis, and story‑building.
Ancestry Facebook Page
Official Ancestry.com news, articles, and offers.
Ancestry.com Users Group
Community for Ancestry.com users to share tips, hints, suggestions, and ask questions.
Auglaize County Ohio History & Genealogy Group
Private but visible group with 1,000+ members. Great for sharing family stories, asking research questions, and connecting with local historians.
Auglaize County Historical Society
Posts about events, volunteer opportunities, and archival milestones, including 175th anniversary activities and calls for community involvement.
Auglaize County Genealogical Society
Official chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society for Auglaize County.
Family History and AI – AI Genealogy Insights
Steve Little’s page on using AI to enhance genealogy research.
Family History Fanatics
Genealogy tips, DNA insights, and writing advice from Andy & Devon Noel Lee.
FamilySearch Community Pages
Collaboration and support for FamilySearch users.
FamilySearch.org Users
Tips, tricks, and troubleshooting for FamilySearch.
GenealogyBank
News, tips, and historical newspaper highlights from the GenealogyBank team, useful for research inspiration and record‑spotting.
Genealogy Do‑Over
Support for researchers “starting over” to improve skills and rebuild trees with better documentation.
Genealogy Help
General help and resource sharing for genealogy questions.
Genealogy Just Ask
Inclusive Q&A group for all experience levels.
Genealogy Squad
Expert‑moderated group for research strategies and problem‑solving.
German Genealogy Records Transcription
Help with transcribing and translating German records.
Gretchen’s Genealogy Organizing Plans
Tips, challenges, and strategies for organizing genealogy research and materials.
New Knoxville Historical Society – Facebook
Shares event announcements, photo albums, and community updates to keep local history active and connected.
Ohio Genealogical Society (OGS)
Events, resources, and research support for Ohio ancestry.
The Organized Genealogist
Tips for keeping genealogy research organized.
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK)
Volunteers offering free lookups, photos, and research help.
The Formidable Genealogist
Jen Shaffer’s active Facebook page featuring updates, tips, and genealogy content.
The Occasional Genealogist
The Occasional Genealogist will help you do great genealogy, despite the interruptions.
The Undertaker’s Daughter
Stories and discoveries from an undertaker’s daughter, focusing on cemeteries, tombstones, missing or forgotten marker details, and the history revealed through burial places.
Amy Johnson Crow on YouTube
Practical tutorials and thoughtful strategies for turning research into meaningful family stories.
Ancestry
Official Ancestry channel featuring tips and strategies from genealogy experts like Crista Cowan and Anne Mitchell. Nearly half a million subscribers.
Allen County Public Library – The Genealogy Center
One of the foremost genealogy libraries in the U.S. with over 300 videos covering research techniques and international genealogy resources.
Aimee Cross (AncestryAimee)
Energetic tutorials and coaching tips designed to help researchers break through brick walls.
FamilySearch
The go-to YouTube channel for family historians, featuring tutorials on using the world’s largest free genealogy platform.
Family History Fanatics
Andy and Devon Noel Lee offer practical, problem-solving videos with extensive coverage of DNA research topics and beginner-friendly tutorials.
The Formidable Genealogist
Features daily genealogy videos from Jen Shaffer, including research tips, methodology, record explanations, case studies, and practical strategies for solving brick walls.
Genealogy TV – Connie Knox
Free case studies, tutorials, and practical tips from a professional genealogist with decades of experience.
Lisa Lisson – Are You My Cousin?
Approachable, encouraging videos that help genealogists stay focused and make steady progress.
Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems
Wide variety of videos spanning genealogy technologies and strategies. Includes an archive of the popular Genealogy Gems podcast episodes.