Portage County Ohio Genealogy Society

03/24/2026

03/24/2026

Portage County Infirmary

Spread over 325 acres in the uplands of Shalersville Township, the old infirmary once contained fertile fields, rich pastures, and inviting woodlands on a self-sustaining farm. It was originally established in 1839 as the Portage County Poor House. Residents included the poor, elderly, and infirm. In 1888 an annex for insane inmates was built at the north end of the main building. Ten years later, over 50 of the mentally ill residents were transferred from here to the state facility in Mansfield. A “commercial hotel” across the street accommodated “tramps” and transients who would work on the farm in exchange for food and a place to sleep. All infirmary residents were in bed by 9, got up at 5, and had breakfast at 6:30. Dinner was served at 11:30 and supper was at 5:30. Most of the food was grown on the farm, including wheat, oats, vegetables and meat. There was a chapel for religious services, a morgue, and a cemetery. In 1930 there were about 60 people living here. None of these buildings still stand, and the cemetery has been plowed over.

03/24/2026

While researching names of those buried in the Infirmary Cemetery, one name stood out.
This image shows trees in front of the house at 1644 Lake Rockwell Road, which was built in 1871. It was owned by the Barry family. They were among the first Spiritualists to settle near the Brady Lake area. Francis Barry (1826-1905) was a socialist, abolitionist, and equal rights advocate. He refused to refer to Cordelia Barry as his wife. He wrote much about his political beliefs, including a number of letters to Frederick Douglass. He is best known as the founder of a short-lived free love commune in Berlin Heights Ohio in the 1850s. It was an early attempt at creating a utopian society. The Kent newspaper described Francis as one of the most interesting individuals in northern Ohio. After moving to Portage County he became involved in with the Greenback Party, aiming to prevent monopolies. When he was 72 years old he miraculously escaped harm when he was hit by a train near the Earlville Station. When Francis Barry was no longer able to care for himself he moved into the Portage County Infirmary in Shalersville. His remains are buried in the Infirmary Cemetery. His house in Brady Lake was purchased by John Beckwith in 1924 and although surrounded by trees, it still stands today.

03/24/2026

The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at the Portage County Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St in Ravenna Ohio at 10:00 a.m.

The guest speaker will be Jane Gramlich who will present “Research in the Western Reserve Before 1850.” 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. Gramlich 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 written several articles for genealogical journals such as Ohio Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vermont Genealogy, and Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey.

The program is free and open to anyone interested in genealogy or historical research. For up to date information please visit our web site at https://www.portagecountyohioogs.org/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Portage-County-Ohio-Genealogy-Society-635440526851524.

03/03/2026

The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Portage County Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St in Ravenna Ohio at 10:00 a.m.

The guest speaker will be Mary Jamba, who will discuss the basics of DNA research in genealogy. Jamba has 26 years of genealogy research experience with a special interest in DNA. Her formal education includes degrees in psychology, human development and religion. Mary has solved over a hundred cases of unknown biological parentage using genetic genealogy. 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.

The program is free and open to anyone interested in genealogy or historical research. For up to date information please visit our web site at https://www.portagecountyohioogs.org/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Portage-County-Ohio-Genealogy-Society-635440526851524.

02/07/2026

Our archives loves getting genealogical material but sometimes they're a challenge! This paperwork, much of it in shorthand, relates to the Holaday-Curl family of Clinton County, OH; written around 1930 by Martha Louise Holaday (1909-1991), who worked as a stenographer. If you can read shorthand, shoot us an email to help us decipher this material.

02/07/2026

Don't wait too long! Online, early-bird registration is now OPEN for the 2026 OGS Conference being held April 29 - May 2, 2026. Visit www.ogs.org/2026-conference for more information and to register. Don't miss out on early-bird pricing.

01/13/2026

The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Portage County Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St in Ravenna Ohio at 10:00 a.m.

The guest speaker will be Barbara Petroski, who will present “Families Losing Their Farms During the Construction of the Ravenna Arsenal 1940”. Petroski will focus on the individual families that lost their homes and livelihood and the effect it had on their lives. Photographs of the remaining homes within the boundary of the Arsenal will be presented and attendees are encouraged to bring their own photos of homes and families dating to the time period. The program is free and open to anyone interested in genealogy or historical research. For up to date information please visit our website at https://www.portagecountyohioogs.org/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Portage-County-Ohio-Genealogy-Society-635440526851524.

Members are reminded to renew memberships by February 15th if you wish to stay on the surname list. Dues are $12.00 for an individual and $14.00 for joint membership (2 people/same address). Please make checks payable to Portage County Chapter OGS and turn it in at the meeting or mail to 6551 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, OH 44266.

12/16/2025

PORTAGE COUNTY CHAPTER OF OGS SEEKING PHOTOS
The February program of the Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will focus 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.

The speaker for the February 7 presentation 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.

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.

Please email any photographs to pccogs.67@outlook.com. The deadline for submission is January 25, 2026.

11/29/2025

The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at the Portage County Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St in Ravenna Ohio at 10:00 a.m.

The guest speaker will be Brian Rhinehart, who will present “Uncovering an Unlikely Civil War Story through Federal Records, about a 60 year-old soldier, originally from New Hampshire".

The program is free and open to anyone interested in genealogy or historical research. For up-to-date information please visit our web site at https://www.portagecountyohioogs.org/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Portage-County-Ohio-Genealogy-Society-635440526851524.

The next genealogy program will be February 7, 2026 (no January meeting).

10/21/2025

The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet on Saturday, November 1, 2025 at the Portage County Historical Society, 6549 N. Chestnut St. in Ravenna, Ohio, at 10 a.m.

The guest speaker will be Wayne Enders who will continue his program on the History of Ravenna, Portage County through photographs. The time frame covered in this series will be from 1900 to 1980.

The program is free and open to anyone interested in genealogy or historical research. For up to date information please visit our web site at https://www.portagecountyohioogs.org/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Portage-County-Ohio-Genealogy-Society-635440526851524.