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.
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)
2021-2022 Calendar
September 3rd
"What Can Possibly Be Wrong With This!"
Chapter President, Barb Petroski will speak on how searching the internet for family can lead to some amazing "facts."
October 2nd
First Settlers' Luncheon - 11:30 a.m.
Portage County Historical Society
No inductions this year - Just a social for the Chapter. Any PCCOGS member can attend and bring one guest. Pizzas will be ordered once everyone has arrived. There will be no need to pre-register but it would help us to set up tables and chairs if we can have confirmation that you will be attending. Payment will be made at the luncheon toward the pizzas. Pop will be available. We are looking forward to seeing everyone.
November 6th
"Navigating the Records
from the War of 1812"
From bounty land to pensions, there are no shortage of genealogical records for soldiers from The War of 1812. Brian Rhinehart invites you to learn how and why these records were created, how to make sense of them, and what those records can contain for your ancestors!
Brian is a professional genealogist and speaker and is the owner of CivilWarRecords.com. He is a graduate of Boston University’s Certificate of Genealogy Research and the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (GenFed) in Washington DC. A direct descendant of six Civil War soldiers, Brian specializes in research and record retrieval for Civil War and War of 1812 soldiers at the National Archives in Washington DC and has retrieved military files for hundreds of clients there. https://civilwarrecords.com/
December 4th
Attendees are asked to share Christmas memories.
January
No Meeting
February 5th
"Early Settlers of Windham, Ohio"
Lynnea St. John of the Windham Historical Society will share information about the early setters of this Portage County township.
March 5th - To Be Announced
April 2nd - To Be Announced
May 7th - To Be Announced
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.
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. These family names have been approved as ancestors of the members of First Settlers of Portage County: Abel, Atkinson, Barnes, Boles, Braucher, Breck, Chapin, Chittenden, Colton, Eatinger, George, Gillett, Grate, Hall, Heard, Hollister, Hoon, Hoot, Jones, Kenneley, Kent, Krumrein, Ladd, Long, McCall, Miller, Moore, Morrison, Morton, Neall, Osborn, Palmer, Parsons, Patterson, Pettijohn, Plumb, Rees, Russell, Schmitt, Shirtliff, Smith, Thatcher, Thomas, Viets, Warner, Weldy, Williams, and Wilson.
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)
No Meetings Held in June, July or August