Indiana Local History <-> Genealogy
[Contact: Ann Mensch]

Indiana

*Additional Research Resources:

·         National Atlas of the United States

·         U.S. Census Bureau's Mapping and Cartographic Resources

·         U.S. Gazetteer, online search for place names.

·         U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts for Indiana

·         About Indiana

·         List of Indiana's Territorial and State Governors  

·         Access Indiana - http://www.in.gov/

o        Indiana Digital County Network

·         Indiana State Department of Health (Birth and Death Certificates)

·         Indiana State Information Center

o        Little Hoosiers Kid's Page!

o        Student Fact Book for Indiana

§         The Word "Hoosier"

·         Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites - Historic Sites List

·         Indiana Code: Table of Contents page.

Circuit Court Clerk (for marriage, divorce and probate records)
See a description of a Circuit Court Clerk's responsibilities from the Indiana Code, Article 17 (Circuit Court Clerks):  IC 33-17-1, Chapter 1. Powers and Duties.
County Recorder (For Land Records, such as Deeds and Land Transfers)
See a description of an Indiana County Recorder's responsibilities from the Indiana Code:

§         IC 36-2-11, Chapter 11. County Recorder.

o        IC 10-2-9 Chapter 9. Awards and Decorations

o        IC 23-4.  Indiana Code regarding Cemetery Associations and Regulations in Indiana.

·         Obtaining Indiana Birth and Death Certificates

·         Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project

o        Researching Tippecanoe County Cemeteries:  Notes from a Presentation, by Marlene Mattox, 7/01/00, reprinted on the Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project website.

o        Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries In the News

·         Indiana Recorders Association

·         Association of Indiana Counties

·         County websites via an Indiana map.

·         Indiana County Courts online

·         Indiana Historical Society    450 West Ohio Street - Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
   Phone:  (317) 232-1882,  (800) IHS-1830.

o        "What is a Hoosier?"

o        The Hoosier Genealogist - periodical.

o        Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History - periodical. Indiana Historical Society: Membership

·         The Society of Indiana Pioneers    450 West Ohio Street - Indianapolis, IN  46202.

·         Local County Library and Historical Society Directory

·         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

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

o        Online Databases

o        Indiana Cemetery Locator Database

o        Indiana Biography Index (published before 1990)

o        Indiana Biography Index (published since 1990)

o        Index of Indiana Marriages Through 1850.

o        Index of Indiana Marriages, 1993 through 2000

o        Newspaper Holdings: Holdings by county (in Indianapolis)

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

o        Indiana Public Libraries

o        Map of Indiana Libraries.

o        WWII Servicemen Database

o        Indiana Plat Books

o        Vital Information Exchange (VINE)

·         Indiana State Archives.
   6440 E. 30th Street - Indianapolis, IN 46219   Phone: (317) 591-5222

o        Family History Resources

o        Archives Land Records Index

o        The Indianapolis Donation

o        Fort Wayne Land Office Entries, 1823-1852

o        LaPorte-Winamac Land Office Entries, 1833-1855 .

o        Indian Lands Noted On The LaPorte-Winamac Land Office .

o        ICPR Collections

o        Naturalization Databases for the Indiana counties of Blackford, Dubois, Elkhart, Floyd, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Howard, Jefferson, Marshall, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Switzerland, Union, Wayne, and Whitley.

o        Central State Hospital Collection Index and History of patient life

o        Other Indiana Hospitals for the Mentally Ill and Developmentally Disabled

·         Indiana Archival and Historical Repositories

·         Index of Miami Names in Archives, The Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Ethnohistory Archives: The Miami Collection, online by Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and The Trustees of Indiana University.

·         Indiana Tourism - Enjoy Indiana! - Regional Tourism Online

·         Indiana County Maps

·         Extant Indiana Railroad/Railway Structures, by Railroad Station Historical Society, Inc.

·         railroaddata.com - links to over 4,000 railroad websites.

·         Keith's Collected Railroad Sites

·         Steam Locomotives

·         The Naturalization Process and the various records which may exist, by the Milwaukee County Historical Society, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, contains examples of the 3 types of records which may be filed during the naturalization process:  declarations of intent, petitions, and naturalization certificates! Though this is NOT an INDIANA site, it is an informative web page.

·         Ronald Branson's online Indiana counties collection: countyhistory.com!

·         Allen County Public Library - Digital Photo Collection for Allen County

·         Indiana Genealogical Society

·         Indiana Archival and Historical Repositories

·         The Underground Railroad, by Hazel Carrasco and Owen Solberg.

·         The Poorhouse Story, by Linda Crannell and CCS.

·         Indiana Biographies, by Deb Murray

·         French Forts

·         LOC: ca. 1775: An accurate map of North America. Describing and distinguishing the British, Spanish and French dominions on this great continent; exhibiting the present seat of war, and the French encroachments. Also all the West India Islands belonging to, and possessed by the several European princes and states. The whole laid down according to the latest and most authentick improvements, by Eman. Bowen, geogr. to His Majesty and John Gibson, engraver.  Published in London, Printed for Robt. Sayer [1775?] "Shows boundaries, cities and towns, roads, forts, missions, some industries, trails, trade routes, portages, and vegetation.  Also shows Indian villages and tribal territories, routes of navigation in the Gulf of Mexico, and navigational hazards along the coast.  Includes historical notes, references to symbols, notes on territorial claims, and insets of "A particular map of Baffin and Hudson's Bay" and "The passage by land to California."  Described in United States. Library of Congress. The Lowery collection. 1912. No. 409."

·         LOC: ca. 1750 Map: Carta geografica dell' America settentrionale. by L'Isle, Guillaume de, 1675-1726. Published: [Venezia, 1750]. "Covers area including North America, Central America and the Caribbean Islands.
Shows boundaries, cities and towns, forts, some trails, routes of exploration, and Indian villages and tribal territory.   Appears in the author's Atlante Novissimo (1740-50), v. 2."

·         LOC: ca. 1753, A Map of the western parts of the province of Pennsylvania, Virginia, &c.  Published: [1753?]  "To the Honourable House of Representatives of the Province of Pennsylvania this map is most humbly inscribed by their most obedient and humble servant."  Shows area from the Wabash River on the west to the Scioto River on the east, and from Lake Huron on the north to the Green River in Kentucky on the south.  While one is not an exact copy of the other, there is great similarity to the "Traders map" ascribed to John Patten in Howard N. Eavenson's Map makers & Indian traders, 1949.  On verso: No. 52. Map of the western parts of the province of Pennsylvania & Virginia &c. A sketch ...

·         ca. 1795-1802: A map exhibiting all the new discoveries in the interior parts of North America : inscribed by permission to the honourable governor and company of adventurers of England trading into Hudsons Bay in testimony of their liberal communications to their most obedient and very humble servant A. Arrowsmith, January 1st 1795. By Aaron Arrowsmith (1750-1823).  Published London : A. Arrowsmith, [1802].

·         Indian land cessions in the United States, comp. by Charles C. Royce, with introduction by Cyrus Thomas, Royce, Charles C., 1845-1923.  Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA (Call Number: E51  .U55 18th).  [Url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3701em.gct00002>]

·         A map of Louisiana, with the course of the Missisipi, and the adjacent rivers, the nations of the natives, the French establishments and the mines; by the author of ye History of that colony. 1757. Le Page du Pratz, d. 1775. London, Printed for T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt, 1763, Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA (Call Number: G4010 1757 .L4 Vault).  [Url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g4010.ar167200>]

·         A general map of the middle British colonies in America: Viz. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pensilvania, New-Jersey, New-York, Connecticut and Rhode-Island: Of Aquanishuonigy the country of the confederate Indians comprehending Aquanishuonigy proper, their places of residence, Ohio and Thuchsochruntie their deer hunting countries, Couchsachrage and Skaniadarade their beaver hunting countries, of the Lakes Erie, Ontario and Champlain, and of part of New France: Wherein is also shewn the antient and present seats of the Indian nations; carefully copied from the original published at Philadelphia, by Mr. Lewis Evans 1755, with some improvements by I. Gibson, [London] Sold by T. Jefferys, 1758.  Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA (Call Number: G3710 1758 .G5 Vault).  [Url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3710.ar071200>]

·         Native American and Early Area Map Resources, online by the Ohio Historical Society.

·         Brief description of the Indiana Territory development, online by the Ohio Historical Society.

·         A correct map of the seat of war. by Lewis, Samuel.  Published [S.l., 1812].  Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650.

·         Indiana Migrations Project, by Patrick Hays.

·         1816 Indiana Map, by John Melish (Philadelphia : John Melish, [1819], online by the Indiana Historical Society

·         Indiana Towns - 1826, from Sam Cline.

·         Indiana Post Offices-1875, from Sam Cline.

·         Indiana 1895 Atlas, by Pam Rietsch at: prietsch@ismi.net

·         1852 Map of the state of Indiana compiled from the United States surveys by S. D. King, Washington City. Exhibiting the sections & fractional sections; the situation & boundaries of counties; the location of cities villages & post offices canals, rail roads and other internal improvements, carefully laid down.

·         1858 Johnson's map of Indiana showing the rail roads and townships compiled from the latest & best authorities.

·         1860 Colton's map of the state of Indiana compiled from the United States surveys & other authentic sources, exhibiting sections, fractional sections, railroads, canals &c.

·         1888 Cram's township and rail road map of Indiana.

·         Digital Collections of IUPUI University Library

·         U.S. Census Bureau:

o        States and Counties, Quick Facts - Interactive County Maps for Indiana.

o        The 1930 Census

·         Historical U. S. Census Data Browser

·         Color Landform Atlas of the United States

·         American FactFinder

·         Use the query form, at USGS, to map features including cemeteries, churches, populated places, and more.  Please note that the map town listed with a feature may be used as a map reference for the site, and may not be the town where the feature is actually located...Select a map to see the location of the actual feature.  This database may not be complete, and, as with any database, there may be errors.

·         USGS: National Map Viewer, search for geographic features and locations.

·         The Federal Geographic Data Committee

·         Mapping: http://terraserver.microsoft.com/

·         MapStats - for Indiana - provides statistics and links to additional data sources produced by more than 70 agencies in the United States.

·         Indiana Township Maps

·         EPA: EnviroMapper - Indiana Map -allows users to view spatial data at the national, state, and county levels, as well as utilize GIS functionality, such as displaying multiple spatial layers, zooming, panning, identifying features, displaying latitude and longitude, and querying single Envirofacts points.

·         Bureau Of Land Management - General Land Office Records: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming land patents and State Resources for Research

o        Land Descriptions : Township / Range

o        http://www.co.blm.gov/

·         MapQuest

·         Microsoft Expedia Maps - find address, directions, etc.

·         Local Catholic Church History & Genealogy Research Guide & Worldwide Directory + Indiana*  Page.

·         Indiana Timeline

·         Enjoy Indiana - Tourism

·         Railway List, online by Technical Society for Rail Operations Safety & Signaling

·         Indiana in the Civil War, by Kristopher and Larry Ligget

o        Indiana Regiments in the Civil War - a must see for IN Civil War research

o        Letters, Diaries and Stories

·         Library of Congress - Civil War Maps Collection and Civil War Photographs

o        W.P.A. Life Histories

·         National Personnel Records Center:

·         The Nineteenth Century in Print:  The Making of America in Books and Periodicals

·         How to Make Money for the Missionaries: An original Essay written by a Girl eleven years old, and read by her at a Woman's Foreign Missionary Meeting in Indiana, from "The American missionary", Volume 34, Issue 3, Mar 1880, online from Cornell U. MOA.

·         Indiana National Guard:

o        History of the Indiana National Guard

o        Decorations and Medals

o        Units and Locations Map

·         Indiana War Memorials

o        Parks and Monuments

o        Art and Architecture

o        Indiana Battleflag Collection -  a photo and brief history of a few select battle flags in the Indiana War Memorial Commission's collection.

·         Library of Congress:  Civil War Battles by State

o        American Civil War Alphabetic List of Battles,

·         eHistoryCivil War Battles by State, Civil War Units & Regimental Information and more.

·         The National Park ServiceMilitary History

·         An Overview of Records at the National Archives Relating to Military Service, By Trevor K. Plante

·         Access to Military Service and Pension Records

·         Indiana Townships Association: Identify Townships, population and contact.

o        Specific duties of the civil township Trustee.

·         Indiana Association of Cities and Towns.

·         Pacific Information Resources, Inc.: Free Public Record Database - for Indiana

·         Indiana Naturalization records to 1951 - counties included: partial

·         Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum

·         They Answered the Call: Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919, by Mitchell Yockelson.

·         WWI Document Archive - and Photo Archive

o        Co. K, 2nd Indiana Infantry - WWI (photo)

·         U.S. Army Military History Institute: Unit Histories - WWI

·         The Doughboy Center - presented by The Great War Society.

o        Genealogical Resources

·         World War II Veterans Online Information Center

·         The Vietnam Veterans of America:  The VVA

·         USA Veterans' Administration

o        Request Deceased USA Veterans' Records? Phone: 1-800-827-1000.

o        Regional and Local offices contacts page

o        Indiana Department of Veterans' Affairs

o        Indianapolis, Indiana Regional Office