Start your family research at Cuyahoga County Public Library.
Use our Contact form to
ask our Genealogy Specialist a question.
About the Collection
The Library’s Genealogy Collection is
located in our Fairview Park Branch. The collection contains nearly 6,000 books, 100 journals and newsletters, and thousands of microforms. The collection emphasizes resources for Cuyahoga County, Ohio and portions of the eastern United States. Many excellent beginner’s guides are available for visitors getting started in genealogy, while the extensive number of bibliographies, indexes and abstracted items are useful to the advanced researcher.
Genealogy Workshops
Genealogy Specialist Joni Mihelich leads classes at branches throughout Cuyahoga County Public Library.
Online Resources
Premium Online Resources
Your Library card gives you free access to genealogy databases in our Premium Resource collection, including:
Must-See Websites for Genealogists
Cyndi's List
Follow 250,000 links to high-quality websites in more than 150 topical areas.
FamilySearch
A mammoth site containing hundreds of millions of names and much, much more. Created and maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints.
Rootsweb
The oldest and largest free genealogical website, Rootsweb contains searchable databases like the Obituary Daily Times and maintains thousands of mailing lists, bulletin boards and surname lists.
The USGenWeb Project
A clearinghouse for local genealogical information such as transcribed (copied) marriage, obituary and tombstone information. Visitors may post questions and requests for assistance with like-minded researchers.
The WorldGenWeb Project
The international counterpart to The US GenWeb Project.
Genealogy in Cuyahoga County
Cleveland Necrology File
Contains paid death notices from Cleveland newspapers between 1850 and 1975.
The Cleveland News Index
Newspaper death notices and obituaries from 1975 to the present.
Cuyahoga County Archives
A key repository of local records.
Genealogy Resources at Cleveland Public Library and Genealogical Records & Resources in Cuyahoga County
Discover Cleveland Public Library’s genealogy resources, and find local agencies that house vital records.
Historical Marriage License Index
Lists brides and grooms from 1810 to April 1998 through the Cuyahoga County Probate Court.
The Plain Dealer Obituaries
Read full text death notices, as published in
The Plain Dealer.
Western Reserve Historical Society
The Western Reserve Historical Society serves as the primary center for the study and presentation of Northeastern Ohio's human history.
Genealogy Beyond Cuyahoga County
Linkpendium
The definitive directory to genealogical resources on the web.
National Archives and Records Administration
Because the National Archives’ records come from every branch of the federal government, almost all Americans can find themselves, their ancestors or their community in the archives.
Ohio Death Certificate Index
Search Ohio death certificates between 1913 and 1944.
vitalrec.com
Provides instructions for ordering vital records (birth, marriage, death, divorce) from every U.S. state.
Your Immigrant Ancestor
Castle Garden Records
Find information on 10 million immigrants who arrived from 1830 to 1892, the year Ellis Island opened.
Ellis Island Records
Search and view passenger lists of the 20 million immigrants who arrived here between 1892 and 1954.
Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild
Offers transcribed lists of passengers arriving in the United States on more than 4,000 ships.
Ship Passenger Lists and Records Online
An inventory of passenger lists and records, including domestic and international arrivals and departures.
United States passenger lists & records (arrivals international passenger lists
Webpages by Steve Morse
Employ this search utility for dramatically improved results on more than 100 genealogy websites.
Making Connections
Cleveland District Round Table
Find genealogical society activities in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties.
Cyndi's List
Categories to explore include "Queries & Message Boards," "Chat & IRC," "Finding Living People" and "Lookups & Free Searches by Volunteers.”
Rootsweb
A one-stop shop for mailing lists, message boards, surname lists and queries; excellent for researchers new to making connections online.
Must-Have Forms
Recommended Reading
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