Portage County Chapter
of the Ohio Genealogical Society
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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, 2024):
Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
6551 North Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266
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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)
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.
2026 Calendar
January, 2025
No Meeting
February 7th, 2026
"Homes, Farms, and Families Displaced by the Ravenna Arsenal, 1940–1943"
Chapter President Barb Petroski will be sharing a presentation focusing on the people and homes of Charlestown, Freedom, Paris, and Windham Townships that were displaced by the U.S. government for the construction of the Ravenna Arsenal in 1940.
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.
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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.
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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.
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​​​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.
Many homes were left standing for use by military personnel and other essential workers and were later sold and moved off the facility. These homes were assigned numbers and appear on a map of the arsenal property. The speaker is attempting to locate these homes in their current locations throughout Portage and Trumbull counties.
She is is seeking photographs of any homes or families that were located within the arsenal boundaries prior to 1940. If you have such a photograph and would like to share a copy, please email it along with the name of the family who lived in the home, the township, and, if possible, the name of the road on which it was located. Please email any photographs to pccogs.67@outlook.com. The deadline for submission is January 25, 2026.​​
March 7th, 2026
"DNA Research & Genealogy"
Mary Jamba will discuss the basics of DNA Research. Discover the uses DNA tests to find biological relatives, confirm family trees, and discover unknown ancestors by comparing shared DNA segments with others in large databases​
Mary has 26 years of genealogy research experience with a special interest in DNA. Currently, she serves as immediate past president of the Greater Cleveland Genealogical Society, program chair for the Western Reserve Historical Society Genealogical Committee, and DNA User Group Leader for the Computer Assisted Genealogy Group.
April 4th, 2026
“Research in the Western Reserve
Before 1850”
Research before 1850 in the U.S. can be difficult, and Ohio's Western Reserve is no exception. Genealogists will need to look at a variety of sources and records for answers and clues.In this presentation, Jane Gramlich will discuss the historical background and legacy of this unique area and the accompanying genealogical sources it offers both online and in local repositories.
Jane holds an M.A. in History and M.L.I.S. from Kent State University and has been a genealogy and local history librarian at the Akron-Summit County Public Library since 2007. She has served as Vice President and Program Chair of the Cuyahoga Valley Genealogical Society since 2015 and has been a trustee and newsletter editor for the Ohio Chapter of Palatines to America since 2021. Jane was a contributing author for Akron at 200: A Bicentennial History, published by the University of Akron Press. She has also written several articles for genealogical journals such as Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vermont Genealogy, and Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey.
May 2nd, 2026
"Samuel Corbitt's Journey from
County Down to Edinburg"
Paul Corbitt will present a case study of Scots-Irish genealogical research.
No Meetings Held in June, July or August
September 5th, 2026
"To Be Announced"
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October 3rd, 2026
"First Settler's Luncheon"
Details pending depending on applicant response ​
Portage County, Ohio
The name Portage comes from an Old Indian Path called Portage Trail, which ran between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers.
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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.
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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)
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November 7th, 2026
"To Be Announced"
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December 5th, 2026
"To Be Announced"
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