Portage County Chapter
of the Ohio Genealogical Society
Promoting and stimulating knowledge and interest in the study of genealogy
Meeting Dates
First Saturday of the Month
(no regular meetings January, June, July, August, October)
10:00 a.m. until 12 Noon (unless otherwise noted)
Held at the Portage County Historical Society
Note: No refreshments served; may bring own coffee or other drink
in non-spill container (no food please)
*Programs are free and open to anyone interested
in doing family research or Portage County history.
Mailing Address (as of April 23, 2014):
Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
6551 North Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266
Portage County Historical Society
6549 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266
The Historical Society is located next to the Ravenna High School and just south and across the street from Maple Grove Cemetery.
Open Saturdays, 9:30 a.m.-Noon or by appointment
(call 330-296-3523 to verify hours)
2024 Calendar
January, 2024
No Meeting
February 3rd, 2024
"A Collection of Photos"
Kevin Gray will be showing photographs which he has scanned from the Portage County Historical Society collection.
March 2nd, 2024
"A History of Atwater Township"
Claude Custer from Atwater will present a program on the history of Atwater township
April 6th, 2024
“The Effective Use of FamilySearch.com”
John Tracy Cunningham, a member and trustee of OGS, will present a program on using the LDS family research website. Familysearch.com is a free genealogy website with countless records and Cunningham will share ideas on how to navigate the site for the best research results.
May 4th, 2024
"Where Can You Find
More Genealogy Education?"
Kelli Bergheimer will show us how to use different modes of education including webinars, conferences, meetings, institutes, courses, and more to enrich our genealogy knowledge. She is a writer, teacher, editor, and international genealogical speaker and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speaker's Guild. Learn more about Kelli at:
No Meetings Held in June, July or August
September 7th, 2024
"TBA"
October 5th, 2024
"TBA"
November 2nd, 2024
"History of Ravenna before 1900"
Wayne Enders, President of the Portage County Historical Society, will present a slide show.
December 7th, 2024
"TBA"
WELCOME TO PCCOGS
We welcome you to the website of the Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. You're invited to explore our pages and consider becoming a member of our society. PCCOGS is a non-profit organization formed in 1972. Everyone is welcome from beginner to expert genealogist.
Genealogy Society | Portage County | Ohio
United States | Portagecountyohioogs
First Settlers of Portage County
Our earliest pioneers came into a vast wilderness with wild animals, no shelter, and miles between settlers. They cleared the land, built roads and homes, and laid the foundations for the prosperous and beautiful county we have today.
Members of the Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society may submit an application to be recognized as a First Settler of Portage County. You must be able to document and prove your relationship to the ancestor and that he or she resided in Portage County by December 31, 1840.
For First Settlers application, you need to have copies of written documents - such as marriage licenses, birth certificates, death certificates, will, estates - these are primary sources. Secondary sources are obituaries, census records, bible records, photos of tombstones, etc. Family trees from websites like ancestry.com are not accepted. If you have more questions, please email Barb Petroski, PCCOGS President, at pccogs.67@outlook.com.
Applications must be received by June 1 of the year in order to be eligible for membership for that year. There is a $15.00 fee required when the application is submitted. The chapter holds an annual luncheon honoring the approved applicants in October. Recipients receive a certificate and a free lunch. Applications may be downloaded by clicking the button below or by writing to First Settlers, P.O. Box 821, Ravenna, OH 44266.
Join the rolls of proud members who honor their Portage County forebearers. Click on the button below for a proven list of family names that have been approved as ancestors of the members of First Settlers of Portage County.
The bold names are Chapter members. The names under are their ancestors. The number by the members are the order that they were received. This is everyone that has been recognized as a first settler. If someone is interested in viewing any of the records for a certain name they need to request in writing (letter or email) and the chairman of First Settlers will contact them. Permission may be necessary to obtain from the First Settler member.
Portage County, Ohio
The name Portage comes from an Old Indian Path called Portage Trail, which ran between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers.
In June 1807, Portage County separated from it's parent county, Trumbull, and in June 1808 the first election was held. The last change to the county's boundaries occurred in 1840 when Summit County was erected from the western part of Portage.
The present townships are: Atwater, Aurora, Brimfield, Charlestown, Deerfield, Edinburg, Franklin, Freedom, Garrettsville, Hiram, Mantua, Nelson, Palmyra, Paris, Randolph, Ravenna, Rootstown, Shalersville, Streetsboro, Suffield, and Windham
(click on specific township's name to
go to their Historical Society's page or visit
Portage County Historical Society's page)
