Formed March 1, 1808 from Montgomery and Butler counties — named for Commodore Edward Preble · county seat Eaton. Repository addresses, online record links, and a free printable record checklist below.
Short episodes that walk through Preble County's records, one record type at a time.
Formation · Settlers & Migration · Probate · Land · Tax · Churches · Newspapers · Where to Look
Watch on YouTube101 E. Main St., Courthouse 2nd Floor, Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 456-8137
Wills, estates, guardianships, and marriage licenses, with a public docket search tool.
101 E. Main St., Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 456-8173
prebco.org/347/Recorders-Office
Deeds, land contracts, mortgages, easements, and liens.
101 E. Main Street, 3rd Floor, Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 456-8160
Divorces, civil suits (including partition suits that divide land among heirs), and Common Pleas journals. Before 1852, this court also handled wills and estates.
101 E. Main Street, Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 456-8148
Current tax lists and property transfer records. Early tax duplicates are on FamilySearch and at the Ohio History Connection.
450 S. Barron St., Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 456-4250
In-house genealogy collection covering Preble and contiguous counties, plus "Preble County Records Online" for marriage records and a digitized Ohio Memory collection.
The Preble County OGS chapter shows as "No Chapter" on OGS's current directory — the library's genealogy room is confirmed active and holds much of the same material.
7693 Swartsel Rd., Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 787-4256
preblecountyhistoricalsociety.com · Tue 4–7pm, Thu 10am–2pm
A separate organization from the library's genealogy program above — a museum and nature reserve with its own archives/research section.
615 Hillcrest Dr., Eaton, OH 45320 · (937) 472-0087
Birth records after Dec. 20, 1908; death records after 1927. Records before 1909 are at the Probate Court; deaths 1909–1927 route through the Ohio History Connection.
Find A Grave — Preble County and Interment.net — Preble County.
Not sure which office has what? See Which County Office Holds What.
Many Preble County record books are filmed and free to view at FamilySearch (free account required).
In Full-Text Search, add Preble County, Ohio as the place to find names inside handwritten deeds, wills, and court books. How to use it.
Preble County was formed in 1808 from Montgomery and Butler Counties. For records made before then, search the parent counties:
Most of Preble County's land was federal Congress Lands, surveyed in townships and sections and first sold through U.S. land offices. The first buyer of each tract received a federal patent.
Titles that covered Preble County, historic and current, with where to search each one. Not every historic title has been digitized — several survive only on microfilm.
| Title | Years | Where to Search |
|---|---|---|
| Eaton Democrat | 1847-1856 | Chronicling America (Library of Congress) |
| Preble County Democrat | 1857-1859 | Chronicling America; GenealogyBank |
| The Democratic Press (Eaton) | 1860-1865 | Chronicling America (near-complete run digitized) |
| Eaton Weekly Democrat | 1870-1873 | Chronicling America |
| The Eaton Democrat | 1875-1887 | Chronicling America |
| Register-Herald (Eaton) | 2012-present | GenealogyBank (2012-present); microfilm — Preble County District Library |
Fill in what you're looking for, print it, and take it with you to the courthouse or library.
Brick Walls & Buckeyes
brickwallsbuckeyes.com · Preble County, Ohio
Addresses and links last checked October 2026.
County guides, record walkthroughs, and brick wall breakthroughs. Subscribe on YouTube and tap the bell so new episodes find you.
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