Below is a brief history of the Fulton County General Health District, Ohio more commonly known as the Fulton County Health Department.

Ohio Legislature passed The Hughes Act and the Griswold Amendment to the Hughes Act in 1919 which mandated the establishment of General Health Districts in each county which was implemented in 1920.

The need for an agency which oversees the health of communities was brought into focus during the Swine Flu Epidemic of 1918. Communities experiencing this tragedy were frustrated by the fact that no person or agency had authority to implement procedures which would curb the spread of the disease. Not surprisingly, the first duties of health departments included quarantining homes of people with various communicable diseases and recording causes of death.

The minutes of the Fulton County Advisory Council in 1925 indicate that C.F. Hartmann, MD was the Health Commissioner. The Advisory Council was comprised of representatives from each township and town in the county and met once a year. The minutes of the Fulton County Board of Health begin in 1930.

The union of the Futon County General Health District and the City Health District of Wauseon is contained in a contract of 1982. The Fulton County Combined Board of Health was comprised of five members. Four appointed by the District Advisory Council and one by the City of Wauseon. The contract was amended in 2002 as a result of a change to Ohio Revised Code 3709.07 which created the Health District Licensing Council. This new Council appointed an additional Fulton County Combined Board of Health member bringing the number of Board members to six.