Research Databases

Search records, books, serials, and other historical records specific to African Americans to trace your genealogy or to do research.  

Search by name, by where a person lived or browse by region or states. The Map Center contains maps from across the United States. Data is compiled from the Social Security Death Index, U.S. Federal Census, UK Census Collection, immigration and military records, court, land and probate records and more. More than 4,000 databases include census data, passenger lists, birth, marriage, and death records.

Access biographical information on more than 335,000 people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines. 

Fold3 Library Edition (ProQuest) is the premier collection of historical military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served from the Revolutionary War through recent conflicts.

The HeritageQuest Online collection can help people find their ancestors and discover a place’s past, while also providing a comprehensive treasury of genealogical sources rich in unique records, local and family histories, and finding-aids.

Database containing death certificates of persons that died in Ohio from 1913-1944, 1954-1963. Use the index information to help in obtaining a copy of particular death certificates.

An evolving, online encyclopedia from the Ohio Historical Society. Find information, images, timelines, maps, and documents about Ohio’s history, geography, geology, animals, and American Indian populations.

Project to bring together digital versions of historical collections from more than 330 archives, historical societies, libraries, and museums. Search or browse more than 26,000 primary sources dating from prehistory to the present. Take the Ohio Memory Challenge. Read essays about Ohio topics. Create your own scrapbook.

Large scale street plans – including building outlines, property boundaries, and building use - produced by the Sanborn Fire Insurance Company from 1867 to 1970. Locate buildings and neighborhoods. See a neighborhood "as it was". Study the growth of towns and cities. Identify the impact of new developments.