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Ohio County
Morrow County, Ohio
Morrow County's Dearborn oak savanna and north-central Ohio's agricultural countryside - from Mount Gilead State Park's oak woodland and reservoir to the Kokosing River's clear-water trout habitat and Morrow County's position as one of the quieter north-central Ohio agricultural counties absorbing Columbus suburban growth pressure, and a county whose preserved landscapes and small-town character attract residents seeking rural living within commuting distance of Columbus and Mansfield.
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Office: Morrow County Emergency Management Agency – 140 South Main Street, Mount Gilead, OH 43338 | (419) 947-4041 | Fax: (419) 947-9200.
EMS: Morrow County Emergency Services – 140 South Main Street, Mount Gilead, OH 43338 | (419) 946-7727; incorporated as a non-profit in 1972.
Public Health After-Hours: Morrow County Health District – (419) 947-1545, option 6.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-42 and SR-95/61 serve Mount Gilead, the county seat, roughly 41 miles northeast of Columbus
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Mount Gilead is genuinely the geographic center of population of Ohio as of the 2010 census, located near the village of Marengo.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Morrow County Building Regulations – confirm current contact via morrowcountyohio.gov.
Notes: Morrow County is genuinely, distinctively the birthplace of Warren G. Harding, the 29th U.S. President, born November 2, 1865 near Blooming Grove (then known as Corsica) in North Bloomfield Township – a fact separate from Marion, Ohio (in neighboring Marion County), where Harding later grew up and where his home, presidential library, and gravesite are located. Harding’s father, physician George Tryon Harding, was also born in Blooming Grove. The birthplace site itself is no longer standing but is marked by an Ohio Historical Society marker on SR-97. Morrow County was organized in 1848 from parts of Marion, Knox, Richland, and Delaware counties, formed specifically because residents found the distance to all five original county seats excessive; it was named for Jeremiah Morrow, Governor of Ohio from 1822-1826. The Morrow County Courthouse and Jail (built 1852, Greek Revival, architects David Auld/Auld & Miller) is NRHP-listed. Mount Gilead’s town square also features Ohio’s historic and unique World War I Victory Memorial Shaft.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Morrow County Veterans Service Commission – 143 S. Main St., Mount Gilead, OH 43338 (also cited at 619 W. Marion Rd.); provides temporary financial assistance to eligible veterans and families with 90-day county residency; Commission composed of 5 honorably discharged veteran residents appointed to 5-year terms.
State: Ohio Department of Veterans Services – dvs.ohio.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Mount Gilead Public Library – 41 E. High Street, Mount Gilead, OH 43338 | (419) 947-5866 | Hours: Mon-Wed 10:30 AM-7 PM, Thu 10:30 AM-7 PM, Fri-Sat 10:30 AM-5 PM, closed Sunday; offers a free Seed Library program for cardholders. Additional county libraries: Cardington-Lincoln Public Library, 128 E. Main Street, Cardington, OH 43315 | (419) 864-8181; Perry Cook Memorial Public Library, 7406 County Road 242, Shauck, OH 43349 | (419) 362-7181; Selover Public Library, 31 State Route 95, Chesterville, OH 43317 | (419) 768-3431.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Mount Gilead State Park, the World War I Victory Memorial Shaft, and the Warren G. Harding birthplace historical marker (Blooming Grove) are the county’s signature attractions, alongside Amish farms and shops near Johnsville and Chesterville.
Notes: The genuine Warren G. Harding birthplace and Mount Gilead’s status as Ohio’s population center are distinctive, checkable local facts.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Morrow County Auditor – confirm current phone via morrowcountyohio.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Morrow County Dog Warden – 80 N Walnut Street, Suite A, Mount Gilead, OH 43338 | (419) 946-1747 | Fax: (419) 947-1860 | [email protected]; Chief Dog Warden Sarina Atwell.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Morrow County Division of Waste-water – confirm current contact via morrowcountyohio.gov.
NOTES: Morgan Morrow County is the third county in this batch (Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding) of the Ohio v2 redo. The genuine Warren G. Harding birthplace at Blooming Grove – distinct from his later home in Marion County – and Mount Gilead’s status as Ohio’s population center are distinctive local facts. 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 Morrow County
Morrow County is north-central Ohio’s quiet agricultural county – a rolling landscape of corn and soybean farms, small towns, and preserved woodlands that has maintained its rural character despite proximity to the Columbus and Mansfield metros.
Mount Gilead (the county seat, population ~3,500) is a compact courthouse town with a well-preserved small business district. Mount Gilead State Park – with a clear reservoir, oak woodlands, and hiking trails – provides recreation close to the community.
The Kokosing River flowing through the county’s eastern portion provides cold, clear water habitat supporting brown trout – an unexpected fishery in agricultural Ohio that attracts fly fishermen to its limestone-filtered flows.
Cardington (population ~1,800) is the county’s second community – an agricultural service town with a historic downtown reflecting the county’s 19th-century prosperity.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Morrow County Auditor at 48 E. High Street, Mount Gilead, OH 43338, phone 419-947-4880. Appeal to County Board of Revision by April 1.
Courts & Legal
Morrow County Probate Court at 48 E. High Street, Mount Gilead, OH 43338, phone 419-947-4086, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
48 East High St, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
(419) 947-2596
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Morrow County Probate Court, Mount Gilead (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Morrow 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
Morrow County Probate Court 48 East High Street, 3rd Floor, Mount Gilead, OH 43338 (419) 947-5575 Morrow County is in central Ohio, seated in Mount Gilead.
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 Morrow 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
48 East High St, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
(419) 947-2596
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
5252 State Route 61 South, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
(419) 947-2418
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
8 Home Rd, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
(419) 947-3111
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
21 West High St, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
(419) 947-1545
Job and Family Services
871 West Marion Rd, Mount Gilead, OH 43338
(419) 947-1755
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Morrow County Health District – 480 Douglas Street, Mount Gilead, OH 43338 | (419) 947-1545 | Hours: Mon-Thu 7:15 AM-5:15 PM, Fri 8 AM-12 PM.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Mount Gilead
Population: 35,000
Established: 1848
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Morrow County residents.
