Indiana Local History <-> Genealogy 
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CLAY COUNTY, Indiana
History <-> Genealogy

*First created in 1825.
*County seat: Brazil.  Though the present county seat is in Brazil, the first county seat was located in Bowling Green, and the first courthouse built there in 1827.  In 1877, the Clay County Courthouse was built in Brazil.
*Cities, Towns & Communities include:  Ashboro, Asherville, Barrick Corner, Bee Ridge, Benwood, Billtown, Bogle Corner, Bowling Green, Brazil, Brunswick, Buchanan Corner, Carbon, Cardonia, Center Point, Cherryvale, Clay City, Cloverland, Coalmont, Cory, Cottage Hill, Eel River, Harmony, Hickory Island, Hoffman Crossing, Hoosierville, Howesville, Knightsville, Lap Corner, Lodi (historical), Martz, Old Hill, Perth, Poland, Pontiac, Prairie City, Prattsville P. O. (historical), Purdy Hill, Roadman Corner, Saline City, Shady Lane, Six Points, Staunton, Stearleyville, Turner and Wickville (historical).
Click HERE for General Clay County information and links, OR
Select a town from above to go to the township location, with links and information specific to that area, OR, select a township from the following Township Table:
Please note:  Though the information on this web page is believed to be correct, the possibility of error remains.  Please notify the webmaster should an error be found.
 

Surrounding Counties:
                              N = Parke County, IN  NE = Putnam County, IN
W = Vigo County, IN     CLAY COUNTY     E= Owen County, IN
                                    S = Green County, IN

·         Indiana State Library.    140 North Senate Avenue - Indianapolis, IN 46204-2296

o        Online Databases

o        Indiana Cemetery Locator Database

o        Indiana Biography Index

o        Index of Indiana Marriages Through 1850.

o        Index of Indiana Marriages, 1993 through 2000

o        Newspaper Holdings: Holdings by county

o        Images of Indiana: 92 Counties // from Adams to Whitley

o        Indiana Public Libraries

o        Map of Indiana Libraries.

o        WWII Servicemen Database

   P.O. Box 23 - Brazil, Indiana 47834   Phone: (812) 448-8457.

from SPC Archive Data, converted by Doug Speheger, NWS/Norman OK

  • Brazil Public Library

    204 N. Walnut Street - Brazil, IN 47834  -  Phone: (812) 448-1981  Fax: (812) 446-3215.
    The library has the Brazil Times newspapers from July 1907, in addition to other genealogy and history reference resources.

 

   Courthouse - Brazil, IN 47834-2659  -  Phone: (812) 442-1442.

  • Clay County Circuit Court (For Marriage and Divorce Records)

   609 East National Avenue - Brazil, IN 47834  -  Phone: (812) 448-9024 .

  •    The clerk does not research to locate records.  If you do not already have a specific reference number to a file, research is offered by the Clay County Genealogical Society for a fee.  Contact: P.O. Box 56 - Center Point, IN 47840-0056;  Phone: (812) 835-5005.
  • Clay County Prosecutor -

   609 East National Avenue - Brazil, IN 47834  -  Phone: (812) 448-9028.

  • Clay County Sheriff Department

   120 S. Alabama Street - Brazil, IN 47834.

Clay County Communities

Brazil Township - Encompasses the City of Brazil.

·  City of Brazil, Indiana

·  The Brazil Times - online news

·  Brazil Public Library
    204 N. Walnut Street - Brazil, IN 47834  -  Phone: (812) 448-1981.


Cass Township - Communities include: Poland.


Dick Johnson Township - Township 13 N, Range 7 W
Communities include: Bee Ridge and Perth.
The following appear within Dick Johnson Township, on an 1880 county map:  The village of Lodi appeared in section 4, of northwestern Dick Johnson Township, at the Vigo County line; the village of Wickville was located in section 2, in the northeastern portion of the township; and Prattsville P. O. was located in northern Dick Johnson Township.


Harrison Township - Communities include: Barrick Corner, Clay City, Eel River  and Martz.


Jackson Township - Communities include: Asherville, Hoosierville, Prairie City, Roadman Corner, Stearleyville.  The community of Lap Corner is located on the Jackson-Sugar Ridge Townships line.


Lewis Township - Communities include: Bogle Corner, Brunswick, Buchanan Corner, Coalmont and Howesville.  The community of Old Hill is situated on the Perry, Lewis and Harrison Townships intersection line.


Perry Township - Communities include: Cory and Hickory Island.


Posey Township - Communities include: Billtown, Cloverland, Cottage Hill, Purdy Hill, Staunton and Turner.  The community of Cherryvale is situated on the Vigo-Clay County line.


Sugar Ridge Township - Communities include: Ashboro, Center Point and Saline City.  The community of Lap Corner is situated on the Sugar Ridge-Jackson Townships line.

·  Clay County Genealogical Society - Township Map of Clay County    P.O. Box 56 - Center Point, IN 47840-0056  -  Phone: (812) 835-5005.


Van Buren Township - Communities include: Benwood, Carbon, Cardonia, Harmony, Knightsville, Pontiac and Shady Lane.


Washington Township - Communities include:  Bowling Green, Hoffman Crossing and Six Points.

·  Bowling Green, Indiana.


Additional Research Resources:

·         Indiana Historical Bureau    140 North Senate Avenue - Room 408 - Indianapolis, IN 46204-2296
   Phone: (317) 232-2535   TDD: (317) 232-7763   E-mail: ihb@statelib.lib.in.us

o        Download Indiana Historian Magazines

o        Indiana Historical Markers

o        Indiana Governors' Portraits Collection

o        Documents Leading to Statehood

§         Northwest Territory Ordinance: 1787

§         1801 Map of Northwest Territories

§         Map of Indiana Counties in 1816 - by John Mellish, 1817.

§         Map of Indiana Counties in 1830

§         Historic Indiana Map Collection

§         Indiana Boundaries

§         Indiana's Counties in 2000 with map and origin of county names.

§         Digital Images Online Library

§         Order Book of the U. S. District Court for the District of Indiana, 1817-1833 and Name Index, compiled by Doria Lynch

§         Abstracts of the Records of the Society of Friends in Indiana (Quaker Records), edited by Ruth Dorrel and Thomas D. Hamm

·         NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

o        The Genealogy Page.

[ Additional Research Resources for All Indiana Counties ]
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PROFESSIONAL HISTORICAL GENEALOGY RESEARCH
Ann McRoden Mensch, Professional Historical Genealogist

Researching on-site, and with the vast resources of The Allen County Public Library, holding one of the largest genealogical collections in North America.

Printed resources for Clay County, Indiana include:

  • Indiana Atlas & Gazetteer.  First Edition, Second Printing.  Yarmouth, Maine:  Delorme.  1998.
  • School and Library Atlas of the World.  Fred W. Foster, Ph.D. (Editor).  Sycamore, Illinois:  School and Library Publishing Company.  1982.
  • A History of Clay County, Indiana : Closing of the First Century's History of the County, and Showing the Growth of its People, Institutions, Industries and Wealth.  2 Vols.  William Travis.  (Author).  New York : Lewis Pub. Co., 1909.  Photocopy. Ann Arbor, Mich. : University Microfilms International, 1978. (Gc 977.201 C57T V.1).  [Note: Includes indexes.].
  • Clay County, Indiana history, 1880-1984.  The Clay County Historical Society, Mildred E. Hill, Chairman.   (Compiler and Editor).   Brazil, Indiana : The Society.  1985.  (Gc 977.201 C57CL).
  • Clay City and Harrison Township, Clay County, Indiana; the Centennial Edition of Their History,


Illustrated, 1873-1973.  Olive D. Coleman Francis.  (Author).  Clay City, Indiana : Clay City Centennial Committee. 1973.   (Gc 977.202 C56F

  • Clay County, Indiana Landowners Tract Book no. 1 1810-1855.  Pearl Finley.  (Compiler).  (Gc 977.201 C57C).
  • Tri-annual Atlas & Plat Book, Clay County, Indiana. Rockford Map Publishers.  Rockford, Illinois : Rockford Map Publishers.  ca.1966.  (Gc 977.201 C57R).
  • Clay County, Indiana Index of Names of Persons and of Firms.  Works Progress Administration of Indiana.  (Compiler).   The Indiana State Library.  (Sponsor).  Indianapolis, Indiana : [s.n.]. 1938.
  • The Encyclopedic Directory of Clay County, Indiana: Giving a List of Householders of the County,


Their Post Office Address, Occupation, Location, School District, Section number, Township, Politics, Religion, Assessed Value of Real Estate, Nationality, Where Born, When Born, When Came to Clay County, etc., Including a Map of Clay County.   Welman & Thirey, Publisher. 1896. (Gc 977.201 C57E).

  • Index to Birth Records Clay County, Indiana, 1882-1920 inclusive.  Indiana Works Progress Administration.  (Compiler).  [Indianapolis?, Indiana] : The Indiana Works Progress Administration.  1939.
  • Index to Death Record Clay County, Indiana, 1882-1920 inclusive, letters A-Z.  Indiana Works Progress Administration.  (Compiler). [Indianapolis?, Indiana] : The Indiana Works Progress Administration.  1940.
  • Index to Marriage Record Clay County, Indiana, 1860-1920 inclusive.  Indiana Works Progress Administration.  (Compiler).  [Indianapolis?, Indiana] : The Indiana Works Progress Administration.  1940.
  • Clay County, Indiana Marriage Records, 1851-1869.   Robert E. & Phyllis J. Selby.  (Compilers).  Kokomo, Indiana (3405 W. Zartman Rd., Kokomo 46901) : R.E. & P.J. Selby.  ca.1981.  (Gc 977.201 C57SE).
  • Clay County, Indiana, Will Abstracts, 1848-1867.   Charles M. Franklin.  (Author).  Indianapolis, Indiana (P.O. Box 39128, Indianapolis 46239) : Olde Genealogie Shoppe, ca.1983.  (Gc 977.201 C57F)
  • Sherfey & Kidd Funeral Directors : Records from 1880 to 1902.  Ben Coffman.  (Compiler).  Center Point, Indiana : Clay County Genealogical Society, 1990.  (Gc 977.201 C57SH).
  • Clay County, Indiana Cemeteries.  General Francis Marion Chapter, D.A.R. Daughters of the American Revolution.  (Retyped).  Marion, Indiana : The D.A.R. Society. 1981. [Reprint. Originally published : William Oard Chapter, D.A.R., 1950.]  (Gc  977.201 C57CC).
  • Cemetery records of Clay County, Indiana.  Vol. 1.  Betty Herbert...[et al.] (Compilers).  Center Point, Indiana : Clay County Genealogical Society, Inc.  1997.  (Gc 977.201 C57H, V.1).  [Note: Vol. 1. Posey Township Cemeteries includes : Billtown / Bryan-Morgan, Carpenter/Cloverland, Clearview, Eppert, German Lutheran, Reffet, Rule, German, Vest, and Wools.
  • Clay County, Indiana Cemetery Records : Owen, Pell, Calcutta.  Moris L. Buck.  (Compiler). Brazil, Indiana : M.L. Buck. 1970.  (Gc 977.201 C57BU

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Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002-2008, by Ann Mensch.  All Rights Reserved.