The Clermont County Genealogical Society has nearly 1,700 books and microforms, 500 family histories, and many file cabinets full of information about Clermont surnames (family names) that have been collected over the past forty-seven years. All are available at the Batavia Branch of the Clermont County Public Library and contain historical and genealogical knowledge.
In the 1990s Richard Disney donated his collection of nearly 750 photos. The photos, captured over a span of more than 100 years, also have information on their reverse side which contains historical and genealogical facts about those Clermont places, events and people. CCGS volunteer Jennie Marshall organized the photos into five volumes with a 49-page index. The collection is one of our most popular at the library.
Photos include the following communities: Amelia, Bethel, Donham’s Hill, Locust Corner, Mt. Holly, Mt. Pisgah, New Palestine, New Richmond, Ninevah, Ohio Pike, Pierce Twp., Ten Mile Area, Upper and Lower Nine Mile Area, White Oak, and Withamsville.
However, we have no copies; photos deteriorate over time and a disaster could destroy all of this history.
CCGS has received a grant from Connect Clermont to help purchase a scanner and its patented Restore software, which uses AI to enhance images, a laptop and software, and two external hard drives. Over the next year, we will be scanning the photos and the information on their reverse side, storing them on external hard drives, digitally archiving them in cloud storage, and publishing the index on our www.ccgsoh.org website.
Scout and 4H clubs, students, genealogists and historians of all ages, current and future, will benefit from this historic preservation project.