Blacks in Ohio, 1880: A Ten-Volume Series by Paul E. Nitchman This landmark ten-volume series by Paul E. Nitchman offers an exhaustive county-by-county transcription of African American residents from the 1880 U.S. Federal Census in Ohio. Compiled with meticulous care, each volume extracts detailed household-level data including names, ages, birthplaces, occupations, family relationships, literacy, and other key demographic information for Black individuals and families across the state. Spanning the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the series illuminates the lives of free Black communities—from rural townships to emerging urban centers—highlighting their resilience, labor, family structures, and contributions amid significant social and economic changes in the Midwest. It serves as an invaluable primary reference for genealogists tracing African American ancestry in Ohio, historians studying Black life during Reconstruction, and researchers exploring Ohio’s diverse heritage and the broader narrative of post-emancipation America. Originally self-published in the 1980s with later volumes completed in collaboration with the Ohio Genealogical Society, these transcriptions preserve and organize census records that might otherwise remain difficult to access. Volume 4 specifically covers Franklin, Fulton, Gallia, and Geauga Counties, providing targeted insights into Black residents in these diverse areas during this pivotal period.