Established in 1935, the Works Projects Administration (later Works Progress Administration) was developed to aid the out-of-work after the stock market crash of 1929 followed by the Great Depression. The Federal Writers' Project (Federal Project Number One) created jobs for unemployed librarians, clerks, researchers, editors, and historians. One of the many projects was the series titled "Inventory of the County Archives of Ohio."

"The archival guide herewith presented is intended to meet the requirements of day-to-day administration by the officials of the county, and also the needs of lawyers, business men and other citizens who require facts from the public records for the proper conduct of their affairs. The volume is so designed that it can be used by the historian in his research in un-printed sources in the same way he uses the library card catalog for printed sources.

"The inventories produced by the Historical Records Survey Program attempt to do more than give merely a list of records - they attempt further to sketch in the historical background of the county or other unit of government, and to describe precisely and in detail the organization and functions of the government agencies whose records they list. The county, town, and other local inventories for the entire county will, when completed, constitute an encyclopedia of local government as well as a bibliography of local archives."

The original WPA volume for Ashland County contained maps showing the evolution of Ohio judicial districts and flow charts which have been omitted in this volume. The information herein is verbatim except for obvious spelling errors. Included are Abbreviations, Legal Terms, and Explanatory Notes; and Addresses and Websites. An index to inventory entries adds to the value of this work.