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Ohio County
Noble County, Ohio
Noble County's Utica shale energy boom and Appalachian Ohio resilience - from Caldwell's courthouse serving one of southeastern Ohio's most rural communities to Noble County's position as one of the most productive Utica shale natural gas counties in Ohio (the shale boom of the 2010s brought unprecedented royalty income and industrial activity to a county that had been economically stagnant for decades) and the rolling Appalachian hill landscape that makes Noble County one of the most scenically appealing but economically challenging corners of the state.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Noble County Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security – (740) 732-7387 | 48535 Coldwater Creek Rd, Caldwell, OH 43724; maintains the Noble County Hazard Mitigation Plan (updated periodically per state/federal requirements, with public review at the Commissioner’s Office in the courthouse).
Public Health Emergency: Noble County Health Department – 44069 Marietta Rd, Caldwell, OH 43724 | (740) 732-4958.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-78, SR-541, and SR-564 serve Caldwell, the county seat, in the deeply wooded, unglaciated Allegheny Plateau of southeastern Ohio
Transit: No dedicated county-wide public transit system was found in this search – confirm directly with the county or your city
Notes: Noble County is 404 square miles with 1,185 total miles of state, county, and township roadway; borders Morgan, Muskingum, Guernsey, Monroe, and Washington counties.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Noble County Building/Permits – confirm current contact via noblecountyohio.gov.
Notes: Noble County holds a genuinely remarkable distinction in American energy history: the Thorla-McKee Well, drilled in 1814, is recognized as the first oil well in North America, and the county was for a time a center of Ohio oil production. Noble County was established by the Ohio General Assembly in 1851, one of Ohio’s younger counties, named for early regional settlers. In a dramatic historical event, the U.S. Navy dirigible USS Shenandoah (ZR-1) broke apart in a storm over Noble County in 1925, killing 14 of the 43 crew members aboard – one of the earliest major airship disasters. IMPORTANT for InmateAid: the Noble Correctional Institution, a medium-security state prison for men (roughly 2,480-inmate capacity), has operated in Caldwell since 1996.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Noble County Veterans Service Commission – 190 Courthouse, Room 1A, Caldwell, OH 43724 | (740) 732-5567 | Hours: Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri 8 AM-4 PM, Thu 8 AM-12 PM; Veteran Service Officer Joe Williams; established under Ohio’s 1886 Veterans Service Commission legislation, funded via county property tax levy; provides temporary financial assistance and VA appointment transportation.
State: Ohio Department of Veterans Services – dvs.ohio.gov
Key Assets: The Thorla-McKee Well historical site and the county’s deeply wooded ridge-and-hollow Appalachian Plateau terrain are the county’s signature natural and historic features.
Notes: The genuine “first oil well in North America” heritage is one of the most historically significant, checkable facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Noble County Auditor – confirm current phone via noblecountyohio.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Noble County Dog Warden – 18259 County Road 40, Caldwell, OH 43724 | (740) 732-7881 | Fax: (740) 732-5702.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Noble County Solid Waste – confirm current contact via noblecountyohio.gov.
NOTES: Noble County is the fifth county in this batch (Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding) of the Ohio v2 redo. The genuine “first oil well in North America” heritage (Thorla-McKee Well, 1814) and the Noble Correctional Institution (InmateAid-relevant) 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 Noble County
Noble County is southeastern Ohio’s energy transformation county – a remote Appalachian community whose economy was dramatically altered by Utica shale natural gas production in the 2010s.
Caldwell (the county seat, population ~1,700) is a small hill-country courthouse community – the Noble County Courthouse and modest downtown serve a widely dispersed rural population in one of Ohio’s least densely populated counties.
The Utica shale formation’s productive core runs through Noble County, and the 2010s fracking boom brought a significant economic stimulus – royalty payments to landowners, well pad construction, pipeline installation, and related industrial activity provided income streams to a community that had seen steady population decline for decades. The long-term economic sustainability beyond the initial drilling boom remains a significant community question.
The county’s rolling Appalachian topography – forested ridges, narrow hollows, and small farm clearings – creates scenery that attracts hunting, fishing, and recreation visitors.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Noble County Auditor at 260 Courthouse, Caldwell, OH 43724, phone 740-732-5601. Appeal to County Board of Revision by April 1.
Courts & Legal
Noble County Probate Court at 260 Courthouse, Caldwell, OH 43724, phone 740-732-5681, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
PROBATE COURT
150 Courthouse Sq, Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-5631
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Noble County Probate Court, Caldwell (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Noble 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
Noble County Probate Court 300 Courthouse Square, Caldwell, OH 43724 (740) 732-5047 Noble County is in southeastern Ohio, seated in Caldwell.
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 Noble 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
150 Courthouse Sq, Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-5631
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
47592 County Home Rd, Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-5631
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
BOARD OF ELECTIONS
45 South St, Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-2551
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
45 South St, Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-4958
Job and Family Services
130 Courthouse Sq, Caldwell, OH 43724
(740) 732-5624
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Noble County Health Department – 44069 Marietta Rd, Caldwell, OH 43724 | (740) 732-4958.
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