| The Court is able to provide assistance
to area genealogists and citizens conducting research during
all normal business hours of the Court, including Saturday
mornings. Although the Court is not able to conduct extensive
research, we are very happy to help provide guidance and information
in locating records and specific information that may be useful
to family researchers. Estates, guardianships, trusts, and
marriage records are held as far back as 1840. We also hold
birth and death records from 1867 through 1908.
We are in the process of creating an electronic
Historical Marriage Index that is available through the Index
section of our web site. Through the use of this and our General
Index, the past 22 years of marriage records can be searched
through our web site.
PRESS RELEASE
FROM: JUDGE BILL SPICER
DATE: October 7, 2008
SUMMIT COUNTY PROBATE COURT RECEIVES GRANT
Hundreds of thousands of historic records will be
freely available online
Ancestry.com,
FamilySearch,
and the National
Association of Government Archive and Records Administrators
(NAGARA) announced on July 24, 2008, that Judge Bill
Spicer and the Probate Division of the Summit County Common
Pleas Court in Akron, Ohio, were awarded a 2008 Grant
for the digitization of Summit County Marriage, Birth, and
Death Records. The Court’s grant was one of only two
awarded in 2008, and has an estimated value of $150,000.
This significant grant will make it possible for Summit County
to digitally preserve and provide free on-line access to select
historical documents.
The project targets 1840 to 1980 marriage
records for over 550,000 individuals, birth records prior
to 1908 for over 46,000 individuals, and death records prior
to 1908 for over 22,000 individuals. A free, searchable name
index linked to the digital images of the original records
will be made available to the public through the Probate Court’s
web site www.summitohioprobate.com and the
grant partners’ sites.
"As a result of the grant, our web
site, which was chosen as one of the 10 best in the country
by the National College of Probate Judges, will now have the
added distinction of being a model for the state and country
for accessing historical Court records,” said Judge
Spicer. “Not only will it improve access, but by reducing
the need to see the often-fragile originals, it will make
the Court’s job of preserving hundreds of thousands
of original records easier. The project is a far-sighted and
important effort in preserving local history. On behalf of
the Court and the citizens of Summit County, I thank the project
sponsors for selecting Summit County Probate Court as its
2008 Grant recipient.”
This is the first year that this national
grant was offered. It is sponsored by Ancestry.com and FamilySearch,
and administered by NAGARA. Under the grant, FamilySearch
will digitize the original documents on-site in the Summit
County Courthouse by the end of 2008 and Ancestry.com will
create an electronic index linked to the images. The entire
project is scheduled for completion in 2009.
About FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization
that maintains the world's largest repository of genealogical
resources. Patrons may access resources online at FamilySearch.org
or through the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah,
and over 4,500 family history centers in 70 countries. FamilySearch
is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. and is registered
in the United States of America and other countries.
About Ancestry.com
With 26,000 searchable databases and titles
and nearly 3 million active users, Ancestry.com is the No.
1 online source for family history information. Since its
launch in 1997, Ancestry.com has been the premier resource
for family history, simplifying genealogical research for
millions of people by providing them with many easy-to-use
tools and resources to build their own unique family trees.
Ancestry.com is part of The Generations Network, Inc., a leading
network of family-focused interactive properties, including
www.myfamily.com,
www.rootsweb.com,
www.genealogy.com
and Family Tree Maker. In total, The Generations Network properties
receive nearly 8.5 million unique visitors worldwide. (©
comScore Media Metrix, March 2008.) To easily begin researching
your family history, visit www.ancestry.com. |