Microfilm

The Main Library has 2 digital microfilm reader/scanner machines located in the Local History & Genealogy section available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Print copies can be made at a cost of 15 cents per page. Scanning is available at no cost, but you must have a USB/flash drive to save your scans.

NEWSPAPERS

The Main Library has local Springfield newspapers on microfilm dating back to 1860. Today’s Springfield newspaper, the Springfield News-Sun, emerged from a long line of local papers after various mergers and name changes.  The following list of titles and dates are available at the Main branch of the Clark County Public Library:

  • Springfield Daily News: 2, 1860 – Feb. 13, 1865

(Title Variation: Springfield News - published tri-weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Nov. 22, 1862 – Dec. 1864)

  • Springfield Republic-Times: 2,1865 – Dec. 31,1883; Jan. 1,1885 – Dec. 31,1888; Jan. 1,1891 – Dec. 31, 1891; Jan. 1, 1895 – June 29, 1895; Jan 2,1899 – Dec. 30,1899

(Title Variations: Daily News, Daily News & Republic, Springfield Daily Republic, Springfield Daily Republic & Advertiser, Springfield Globe Republic, Springfield Republic-Times) (merged with the Daily Press to form the Press-Republic)

  • Press-Republic: July 1, 1901 – Dec. 31, 1901; April 1, 1902 – Dec. 31, 1902; April 1, 1903 – June 30, 1903; Jan. 1, 1904 – May 31, 1905

(Formed through the merger of the Daily Press and the Springfield Republic-Times)

  • Springfield Daily Morning Sun: 11,1894 – June, 1976 (Morning edition of the Springfield Daily News)
  • Springfield News-Sun (formerly Springfield Daily News): June 1,1905 – present

Additional newspaper available on microfilm at the Main Library:

  • Champion City Times: April 10, 1886, Jan. 1, 1887 – June 30, 1888
  • Farm and Fireside: scattered issues from December 1877 through December 1921
  • Springfield Daily Democrat: Oct. 30,1889 (special industrial edition), Oct. 13,1896 – Oct. 16,1896, Oct. 19,1896 – Oct. 21,1896, Oct. 24; 27; 28, 1896
  • Springfield Daily Times: June 20,1908 – Feb. 14,1911 (Title Variations: Springfield Times and Republican Gazette, Springfield Morning Times and Republican Gazette, Springfield Morning Times, Springfield Daily Times)
  • Springfield Gazette: April 01,1905 – Dec. 30,1905; July 02,1906 – June 15,1908 (Title Variations: Springfield Daily Gazette, Daily Republican Gazette, Springfield Gazette)
  • Springfield Republic: Jan. 6, 1863 – Dec. 29, 1864 (triweekly published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
  • Springfield Times: Feb. 24,1911 – May 01,1914 (weekly published on Friday)
  • Springfield Weekly Gazette: Oct. 4, 1906 – Dec. 26, 1907 (published on Thursday)
  • Springfield Weekly News (formerly Mad River Valley News and Clark County Journal): Jan. 6, 1860 – Dec. 28, 1860 (published on Friday)
  • Springfield Weekly Republic: Jan. 3,1884 – July 10,1884, Jan. 3,1889 – Dec. 25,1890, Jan. 7,1892 – Dec. 27,1894, Jan. 2,1896 – Dec. 29,1898
  • Springfield Tri-Weekly Republic: August 24, 1863 – August 19, 1964
  • Tribune (Official Organ of the Springfield Trades & Labor Assembly): June 7, 1918 – May 23, 1919
  • South Charleston, Ohio Sentinel: Sept. 20, 1882 – July 18, 1888 (scattered issues), 1917 – Nov. 23, 1983 (partial years: 1911, 1912, 1917, 1919, 1921, 1953, 1954) (Other scattered issues are missing throughout)

BIRTH/DEATH RECORDS

The state of Ohio began recording births and deaths in 1867. In Clark County, births and deaths between 1867 and August, 1908 were recorded in ledger books located at the Probate Court. The Library has copies of these ledgers on microfilm. The ledgers covering 1867 to 1887 includes an index that groups names by the first letter of the last name. In other words, you have to scan through all of the A’s to locate George Andrews, then go to the page number indicated to see the entry. The ledgers covering 1887 to 1908 are not indexed. However, entries in each year are grouped by the first letter of the last name. So, if you know that George Andrews died between 1887 and 1908, but don’t know the precise year, you have to scan each year’s “A” entries. The original ledger books are located at the Clark County Probate Court, 50 E. Columbia St., Springfield, Ohio and are indexed in a card file.

Birth and death records dating from August, 1908 to the present are located at the Clark County Combined Health District, 529 East Home Rd., Springfield, Ohio 45503.

CENSUS ENUMERATIONS

The Library has indexes to the Census for Ohio for the years 1820 through 1880. Census microfilm for Clark, Champaign, Greene, and Madison Counties is available for 1820 through 1930.

MARRIAGE RECORDS

The Library owns microfilm copies of the marriage records from Probate Court for the years 1818 through 1968. Each microfilmed book contains an index (located at either the front or back of the book) of female and male names. Print indexes are available for years 1818-1925: Marriage records of the brides and grooms in the Probate Court records of Clark County, Ohio, 1818 through 1866, Marriage records of the brides and grooms in the Probate Court records of Clark County, Ohio, 1866-1925: Grooms, & Marriage records of the brides and grooms in the Probate Court records of Clark County, Ohio, 1866-1925: Brides.

NATURALIZATIONS

The Library owns microfilm copies of naturalizations from the Common Pleas Court (1820-1854), the District Court (1852-1884), and the Probate Court (1820-1906). As with the vital records, each microfilmed book contains an index that groups entries by the first letter of the last name. The Library also has a print copy of An Index to Naturalization Records from Clark County, Ohio 1820-1906 and Greene County, Ohio 1831-1954, printed by Wright State University. The original naturalization records are housed in the University’s Department of Archives and Special Collections.

PROPERTY RECORDS

The Library owns microfilm copies of property deeds from the Recorder’s Office for the years 1818 through 1901. The deeds are indexed by grantor and by grantee. The Deed Index is a separate set of microfilm and covers the years 1818 through 1968. To view deeds dated later than 1901, you will still have to visit the Recorder’s Office.

The Library also owns microfilm copies of mortgages from the Recorder’s Office for the years 1835 through 1851. The mortgages are indexed by mortgagor and by mortgagee. As with the Deed Index, the Mortgage Index is a separate set of microfilm and covers the years 1818 through 1968. To view mortgages date later than 1851, you will still have to visit the Recorder’s Office.

WILLS

The Main Library has copies of wills from the Probate Court on microfilm from 1819 through 1902. As with the vital records, each microfilmed ledger contains an index that groups entries by the first letter of the last name.
Wills from 1818 to 1970 are on microfilm at the Clark County Probate Court, 50 East Columbia, Springfield, Ohio 45502. The original records are stored at the Clark County Historical Society, 117 S. Fountain Ave., Springfield, Ohio 45502. Original records from 1970 to the present are at the Probate Court.

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