Hamilton County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 15865
Cincinnati, Ohio 45215-0865
Telephone:  (513) 956-7078

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A chapter of the
Ohio Genealogical Society

Pioneers and Early Settlers

 
Here we have information on specialized indexes of pioneers and early settlers of Hamilton County and Cincinnati that are not found elsewhere on this website, such as in our Lineage Societies, including the Settlers and Builders Index. Currently we have the Hamilton County Pioneer Index and the Index to Columbia Township Hamilton County, Ohio Record Book. Other specialized indexes of Hamilton County pioneers and early settlers may be added to this page in the future.
 
Hamilton County Pioneer List
 
The Pioneer List Index is a work in progress, and is mainly a collection of information on early pioneers in the Greater Cincinnati and Hamilton County area. The information has been collected and extracted from various sources, and is intended to give the researcher tips about their ancestors from sources that are not traditionally checked. The information about an individual can vary widely between the different sources, and also between time periods.
 
The names in this index are not only of Hamilton County ancestors, but can also be from other Ohio counties in the southwestern portion of the state, as well as counties in northern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana. A biographical sketch frequently accompanies the names mentioned in the Cincinnati Commercial newspaper.  
 
Microfilms of the original newspapers can be found at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) Main Branch at 800 Vine Street in the Magazines and Newspapers Department. The library offers a service to copy and either mail or email copies of these newspapers’ articles. Send a request for a copy to irfpublicdesk@cincinnatilibrary.org
 
The names and information extracted from the Cincinnati Pioneer Society are from the member list register, and the original registers can be found at the Cincinnati History Library and Archives in the Cincinnati Museum Center. New members wrote their own names and sometimes a brief biography into the books when they joined. The call number for this collection is MSS fC574P RMV. The member list is contained in Volume 3 of the collection, and the name can be found on the page number listed in the Pioneer List Index below. When the Pioneer Association formed in the 1850s, the requirement was that a member had to have settled in Hamilton County before 1812, but that requirement was modified in later years.
 
Index to Columbia Township Hamilton County, Ohio Record Book  New May 2024
 
The Columbia Township Hamilton County, Ohio Record Book was added to the CHPL digital library several years ago, but with over 7000 references to township residents, a search for names takes much time and effort. The book contains hundreds of pages of records from Columbia Township, one of the three original townships of Hamilton County.
 
This index of names of those mentioned in township transactions, residential lists, officers, tax payers, etc. is a searchable PDF and includes name, year, category, and the page and image number for each entry. Some have no page numbers and other page numbers are duplicated, so the image number is most helpful. Once you have opened the PDF file in a PDF viewer press Ctrl+F to open the text search box.
 
NOTE: This index is available to HCGS members only.   The following link will take you to the Members Area.  Members must be logged in to access the index.  If you are not a member you can Join HCGS (for as little as $20/year) and have access to this database.
Once a person of interest is located, a researcher can find the entry in the Record Book on the CHPL digital library at http://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll15/id/378840.
 
Types of information
  • Ear Marks on cattle, 1791–1861
  • Estrays taken up, 1855–1890
  • Squirrel Tax payments, 1808
  • Apprentices, 1808–1867
  • Militia Roll, 1844
  • Warned to leave township, 1809-1852
  • Other township business
 
 
 
Page modified: 2024-05-06 RTB