Girls Industrial School

 

The Ohio Historical Society is pleased to announce a new addition to our Online Resources: Girls Industrial School Inmates’ Case Records Index. We have added these records to the Boys Industrial School Index so that one search finds both young men and women. We hope that this online index improves access to this resource for genealogical and family history research. Currently, this database indexes the admission records from 1869 to 1943.

Over the years, the school has had several name changes: 1869-1872, State Reform and Industrial School for Girls; 1872-1878, Girls’ Industrial Home; 1878-1965, Girls’ Industrial School; after 1965, Scioto Village; and later, Riverview Juvenile Correctional Facility. The State Reform and Industrial School for Girls was created by act of the Ohio General Assembly on March 5, 1869. The purpose of the school was “the reformation of exposed, helpless, evil disposed, and vicious girls.” In 1878, the term “incorrigible” was added. A five-member board of trustees purchased a piece of property known as the Ohio White Sulphur Springs Resort, eighteen miles north of Columbus. The first six girls were admitted to the school in October 1869.

There are two State Archives Series dealing with the Girls Industrial School inmates that researchers will find interesting.

Series 649 consists of the Ohio Girls’ Industrial School Register of girls received and paroled from 1881-1944. These records list girls received at and paroled from the school. Receiving records include inmate’s name, number, date of receiving, date of birth, race, county of residence, family number, and remarks. Discharge records include inmate’s name, discharge date, number, whether or not on trial, whether or not under limitation, whether or not indentured, whether or not paroled by a special act of the board, whether or not deceased, whether or not escaped, and remarks. These records are not on microfilm, researchers must use original records in the Reading Room.

Series 653, the Ohio Girls’ Industrial School Inmate case records, 1869 to 1911, are completely indexed online. These records (on microfilm GR 3405-GR3406) are arranged chronologically and contain case records listing inmate’s name, number, date received, birth date, age, nationality, father’s name, mother’s name, habits of parents, education of parents, occupation of father, county of residence, court, name of sentencing judge, office held by judge, offense, education level, health, any special marks, employment (if any), and miscellaneous remarks.

Researchers may use the index to collect volume and page numbers for specific records. Visitors to the Archives/Library may use the microfilm or original records free of charge at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus, and make copies there for a nominal fee, currently 25 cents per page. If you wish to mail in your request, Research Services staff will make uncertified copies and mail them to you for $7.00 per record.

Visit the Girls Industrial School Inmates’ Case Records Index at www.ohiohistory.org/resource/database/industrial

 

Stillborn Death Records

All genealogists use vital records as information sources. One intriguing area of vital records is stillbirth records. Often these sad events are not openly discussed among family members and thus the information is not readily available to searchers. The situation is not made any easier by the creators of the records, as is the case with Ohio stillbirth certificates. Although the Ohio Department of Health began creating state death certificates on December 20, 1908, the way they handled stillbirth deaths varied from year to year.

Beginning in 1909, in the case of stillborn deaths or infants born dead, the presiding doctor or midwife was to issue a death certificate for the infant. These certificates can be found among the main run of Ohio Death Certificates. The certificate may contain a complete name, if the parents named the child, or the name may appear as “stillborn.” These certificates are indexed in the main run of Death Certificates. The Certificates are located in the main run of the Death Certificates.

In 1918, the Ohio Department of Health changed the way they were recording death certificates for stillborn infants. ODH created a series of records separate from the main run of death certificates, “Stillborn Death Certificates”. These records are indexed by parent surname in the Ohio Death Certificate Index but sometimes show the first name of the infant as Stillborn. These certificates are housed in a separate series of volumes and thus the volume and certificate numbers appear to be much lower that the other names in the Index. There is a gap, from 1920 to 1921, in this series of Stillborn Death Certificates. In 1920 and 1921, the Stillborn Death Certificates are filed with and indexed with the main run of Ohio Death Certificates. Researchers can locate certificates by using the main index to locate the name, year of death and volume and certificate number.

In 1942, the law changed again, and ODH began creating “Fetal Death” certificates. These are not indexed in the Ohio Death certificate index at all. OHS does not currently have an index to these records. Researchers can locate specific certificates if they know the year and month of death. The certificates are arranged by month and then alphabetically by county name. Thus for 1942, the certificates are ordered: January, Adams through Wyandot; February, Adams through Wyandot; etc.

 

Boys Industrial School

The Ohio Historical Society hosts an online index of Boys Industrial School inmates’ case records to improve access to this resource for genealogical and family history research. Currently, this database indexes the admission records from 1858 to 1944. The web address is www.ohiohistory.org/resource/database/industrial

The establishment of the Ohio Reform Farm (or School) was authorized by the Ohio General Assembly on April 7, 1856. A law enacted April 17, 1857, outlined in detail the organization of the institution. Located on 1,170 acres five miles south of Lancaster, Ohio, the Ohio Reform Farm was the first institution in the United States to be operated on the cottage or “family” plan rather than the “big-house” system. Each “family” of 40 boys, who ranged in age from ten to eighteen, was supervised by an “Elder Brother.” The Boys Industrial School was governed by a Board of Commissioners until 1911. At that time, control was given to the newly created Ohio Board of Administration, which in turn created a Bureau of Juvenile Research in 1913 to “test, examine, and evaluate delinquent juveniles entrusted to its care.” In 1921, this bureau was transferred to the Ohio Department of Public Welfare. The Ohio Department of Mental Hygiene and Correction began overseeing the Boys’ Industrial School in 1954. In 1963, the Ohio Youth Commission was created and assumed control of the Boys’ Industrial School. The institution ceased to operate as a juvenile reformatory in July 1980. The campus was converted to a medium security prison (Southeastern Correctional Institution) for adult offenders under the supervision of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Early records consist of a double page spread is divided into six columns: Name and Parentage (birthplace, date received, parents’ names and nationality); Commitment (offense, by whom committed); Education (including Sunday School for some years); Health and Special Marks; Employment (including parents’ occupations for some years); and Miscellaneous (bad habits such as tobacco, profane language, intoxicants, truancy; and remarks on discharge). Beginning in 1913, the form of the entries changed to one page per boy, and added more information, such as previous commitments and family data.
The Industrial School trained young men to specific trades and then placed the youth outside of the institution to work in these trades. In some cases, these placements were not successful, and the boys were re-committed to the School. Each time a youth was committed to the School, the original Inmate Number was used. Thus a name with multiple entries will have multiple commitment records.

You may use this index to obtain information about any admission records that you wish to order. You may use the microfilm containing the original inmate case records free of charge in the Microfilm Reading Room at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus, and make copies there for a nominal fee, currently 25 cents per page. If you wish to mail in your request, Research Services staff will make uncertified copies and mail them to you for $7.00 per record.