About the Ross County (Ohio) Genealogical Society --

The Ross County Genealogical Society was formed on January 30, 1973 with 17 people attending a meeting called to order by the late Marie Clark who became the first president.   There were 55 charter members that year.   That first meeting was held at the Chillicothe Telephone Company.  Future meetings were held at the Chillicothe City Building and then at the McKell Library.  In November of 1973 the first Newsletter was published.  In March 1975, RCGS was incorporated as a non-profit organization.   Primary income sources for RCGS are membership fees and book sales.   By the end of 1976 membership had grown to 312 members.   The Society’s collection of Library materials were first kept in members homes and then at the public library.   A one room office/library was obtained on South Paint Street in November 1981 and the books were moved in.    In 1982 “First Pioneers of Ross County” was formed

RCGS became a Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society at their annual conference held that year in Columbus on April 30, 1983.  The Library office moved again in 1987 to East Main Street and once again in 1991 to another location on South Paint Street where it remained until the purchase of the present location in 1996.  With the purchase of this building, which is ground level and handicap accessible, monthly meetings are now held at the library instead of elsewhere.

The library is staffed solely by volunteers and has extensive resources for the researcher.  The collection continues to grow at a steady rate.  The collection includes microfilm, family histories, census records, birth and death records, obituaries, cemetery records and numerous other state and county books and records.