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Ohio County
Fulton County, Ohio
The Great Black Swamp's agricultural transformation and northwest Ohio's Amish country - from the extraordinary agricultural productivity of the former Great Black Swamp (one of the most extensive wetland systems in the eastern United States before 19th-century drainage transformed it into some of the continent's most fertile cropland) to Fulton County's significant Amish community, Sauder Village's exceptional living history museum of northwest Ohio pioneer life, and a flat agricultural county at the Michigan border where tile-drained fields produce extraordinary corn and soybean yields on former swampland.
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Office: Fulton County Emergency Management Agency – 8848 State Route 108, Suite 105, Wauseon, OH 43567 | (419) 337-9207 | Fax: (419) 337-9274; Director Becky Goble; oversees the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
EMS: Fulton County EMS – provides 24/7 advanced life support pre-hospital care for 40,000+ residents across 406.8 square miles, roughly 4,000 responses annually; ALS stations in Archbold, Delta, Lyons, Swanton, and Wauseon, plus BLS stations in Fayette, Lyons, and Metamora.
Roads: US-20 and SR-2/108 serve Wauseon, the county seat, in Ohio’s northwestern corner near the Michigan border
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: The Ohio Turnpike (I-80/90) passes through Fulton County, with Exit 25 providing direct access to the Archbold area.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Fulton County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via fultoncountyoh.com.
Notes: Fulton County is genuinely home to Sauder Village, 22611 State Rt 2, Archbold, OH – a large, well-known living history museum founded by Erie J. Sauder (of Sauder Woodworking) that recreates 19th-century rural Ohio life through historic buildings, craft demonstrations, train and carriage rides, and seasonal events; it’s widely regarded as the quintessential living history experience in Northwest Ohio. Historic Village admission (2025-26 season): Adults $28, Students (4-17) $22, Seniors (60+) $26, children 3 and under free; AAA, Military, Veteran, and Museum-for-All discounts available. Seasonal closures apply (check current hours before visiting).
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Fulton County Veterans Service Commission – 604 South Shoop Avenue, Wauseon, OH 43567 (Detwiler Manor, North entrance drop box available) | (419) 337-9266; offers VA benefits assistance, emergency financial assistance, burial affairs, and medical transportation at no cost to eligible veterans and families.
State: Ohio Department of Veterans Services – dvs.ohio.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Fulton County has multiple community libraries, including the Archbold Community Library; confirm current addresses/phones via fultoncountyoh.com/868/Fulton-County-Libraries or archboldlibrary.org.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Sauder Village (see above) is the county’s premier heritage/tourism attraction.
Notes: The genuine Sauder Village living history museum is one of the most distinctive, checkable local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Fulton County Auditor – confirm current phone via fultoncountyoh.com.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Fulton County Dog Warden – 9200 County Road 14, Wauseon, OH 43567 | (419) 337-9219 | Fax: (419) 337-9619 | [email protected]; Chief Dog Warden Brian Banister.
Nonprofit: Fulton County Humane Society – Wauseon, OH | (419) 349-3841 | [email protected] | fchsohio.org; 501(c)(3) offering sanctuary and adoption services.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Fulton County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via fultoncountyoh.com.
NOTES: Fulton County is the fifth county in this batch (Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Gallia, Geauga) of the Ohio v2 redo. The genuine Sauder Village living history museum is one of the most distinctive local facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Fulton County
Fulton County is northwest Ohio’s agricultural showpiece – former Great Black Swamp territory now producing exceptional corn and soybean yields on tile-drained flatland that extends to the horizon in every direction.
Wauseon (the county seat, population ~7,500) is the county’s commercial hub – an I-80/Ohio Turnpike corridor community serving the agricultural county with retail, healthcare, and county government.
Sauder Village near Archbold (Williams County, but the primary regional attraction) draws visitors to a meticulously recreated 1850s northwest Ohio pioneer village with period craftspeople, farm animals, and historical demonstrations.
Fulton County’s Amish population – concentrated in the county’s rural townships – contributes to both the agricultural economy and the county’s distinctive cultural character, with roadside stands, furniture workshops, and traditional farming practices.
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Fulton County Auditor at 152 S. Fulton Street, Suite 170, Wauseon, OH 43567, phone 419-337-9210. Appeal to County Board of Revision by April 1.
Courts & Legal
Fulton County Probate Court at 152 S. Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567, phone 419-337-9234, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
210 South Fulton St, Wauseon, OH 43567
(419) 337-9230
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Fulton County Probate Court, Wauseon (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The 1872 Fulton County Courthouse, NRHP-listed, is a significant local landmark.
Local societies
No dedicated Fulton County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Fulton County Probate Court 210 South Fulton Street, Wauseon, OH 43567 (419) 337-9242
Fulton County was founded April 1, 1850, named for Robert Fulton, in northwestern Ohio west of Toledo, seated in Wauseon. The 1872 Fulton County Courthouse, Italian Villa in style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Ohio has not adopted the Uniform Probate Code, but has incorporated some streamlined concepts into its own system under Title 21 of the Ohio Revised Code (ORC Chapters 2101-2131).
Summary Release from Administration (ORC § 2113.03) – available for very small estates valued at $5,000 or less. Lets the court release assets quickly, often to cover funeral expenses and support the surviving family, without a fiduciary being appointed.
Release from Administration (ORC § 2113.03) – Ohio’s broader small-estate shortcut. Available when the gross probate estate is $35,000 or less, OR up to $100,000 if the entire estate passes to a surviving spouse (by will or by Ohio’s intestacy law). No executor/administrator is appointed; the court releases the estate directly to the person(s) entitled to it.
Full Estate Administration – required when the estate exceeds these thresholds or the situation is otherwise contested or complex. The court appoints a fiduciary (Ohio’s term for executor/administrator), issues a Certificate of Appointment once any will is admitted, and the fiduciary inventories assets, publishes notice to creditors, pays debts, and distributes what remains under ongoing court supervision.
Step 2: filing for administration
File the will (if any) and an application with the Probate Court in the county where the decedent resided.
If pursuing Release from Administration or Summary Release, complete the applicable court forms (Form 5.0 for standard Release, Form 5.10 for Summary Release) along with a complete asset inventory and supporting documents.
For full administration, the court issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to the appointed fiduciary.
The fiduciary publishes notice to creditors; claims generally must be presented within 6 months of the date of death.
The fiduciary inventories and manages estate assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes what remains according to the will or Ohio’s intestacy law, reporting to the court along the way.
The estate is closed once a final account is filed and approved by the court.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county – check with Fulton County directly for current fees.
No state estate tax, no state inheritance tax (repealed effective January 1, 2013). Only the federal estate tax could apply, and only to very large estates ($15,000,000 per individual as of 2026).
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
210 South Fulton St, Wauseon, OH 43567
(419) 337-9230
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
152 South Fulton St, Wauseon, OH 43567
(419) 337-9200
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
8770 State Route 108, Wauseon, OH 43567
(419) 337-9230
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
8770 State Route 108, Wauseon, OH 43567
(419) 337-0915
Job and Family Services
8770 State Route 108, Wauseon, OH 43567
(419) 337-9241
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Fulton County Health Department – confirm current contact via fultoncountyoh.com.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Wauseon
Population: 43,000
Established: 1850
Tier: 3
Public Records
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