What is the purpose of the Project?

To provide a free, publicly accessible lineage-linked database of genealogical information to anyone interested in the history or genealogy of Meigs County, Ohio.

No. In order to protect the privacy of living people, no person with a birthdate after 1 January 1921 will be included in the database. In addition, no person with a birthdate between 1 January 1900 and 31 December 1920 will be included in the database without a known death date.

Each person in the database must have lived in Meigs County at some time before 1921, or be the parent or child of someone who did. In other words, if Person A was born in Pennsylvania, married in Meigs County, and had children in Indiana, both Person A and his parents and children are eligible. Neither his grandparents or grandchildren would be eligible (assuming they had no direct connection to Meigs County, of course.)

The database currently contains data on everyone listed in the 1850 U.S. Federal census of Meigs County. Family relationships were established where it seemed that they might reasonably be inferred.

I am currently adding data from sources such as birth, marriage, death, land and probate records. Family relationships will be modified based on these data sources.

Eventually, yes. Right now, I don't have time to edit them and merge them into the database.

Absolutely! I don't pretend to be an expert on any Meigs County families other than my own (and not even on some of them!) The best way to participate in refining the database is to join the Project mailing list at

If you don't care to join the mailing list, just send your comments, data, etc. directly to me.

I do have to reserve the right to determine the content of the database. The buck has to stop somewhere. If a situation arises in which a difference of opinion cannot be resolved, the alternate opinions may be noted in the database.

No.

First, the 1850 census transcription will be published in HTML format on my Meigs County web site. This will allow me to include the data in my site index and to link it to entries in the database. In addition, I have placed a GEDCOM of the database on Rootsweb's WorldConnect server, and will possibly place one on other GEDCOM servers. I will not knowingly place the data on any site that might publish it on CD or charge for access in any form.

Honestly, whenever I get some spare time to work on it. Like everyone else, I have family and work responsibilities, and in addition I have to maintain the Meigs County site. I might even work on my own genealogy research once in a while!

I plan to shoot for at least two updates per year. We'll see how it goes.