Monroe County, Indiana History and Genealogy Research Guide and Links

MONROE COUNTY, Indiana
History <- > Genealogy

*First created in 1818, from Orange county.
*County seat: Bloomington.
Located in south central Indiana.
*Cities, Towns & Communities include: Arlington, Buenavista, Bloomington, Broadview, Cascade, Chapel Hill, Clear Creek, Dolan, Eastern Heights, Ellettsville, Elwren, Fleener, Garden Acres, Handy, Harrodsburg, Highland Village, Hindustan, Hoosier Acres, Hunter Switch, Kirby, Kirksville, Knight Ridge, Leonard Springs, Marlin Hills, Modesto, Mt. Tabor, New Unionville, Sanders, Smithville, Stanford, Stinesville, Sunny Slopes, Unionville, Van Buren Park, Woodville Hills and Yellowstone.
Select this LINK to see GENERAL Monroe County information and links.
Select from the TOWN list above to learn which township the community is located in, and view information and links specific to that area.
Select from the TOWNSHIPs Table below to view information and links specific to the township.
Disclaimer: 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.

**Townships in Monroe County**
(North = Top)
Bean Blossom Township	Washington Township	Benton Township
Richland Township	Bloomington Township	Benton Township
Van Buren Township	Perry Township	Salt Creek Township
Indian Creek Township	Clear Creek Township	Polk Township

Surrounding Counties:
            NW = Owen County, IN   N = Morgan County, IN
W = Greene County, IN     MONROE COUNTY     E = Brown County, IN
                                           S = Lawrence County, IN

Hoosier Net: Monroe County Community Network
City of Bloomington Home Page
Monroe County Historical Society, Inc.
Monroe County Historical Society Museum & Genealogy Library

202 E. Sixth Street - Bloomington, IN 47408
Phone: (812) 332-2517 or Genealogy Library: (812) 355-5588.
Online Monroe County Databases - including Land Records, Biographies and more!
About Monroe County
Monroe County Townships and Ranges Map

gis.iu.edu: 1856 Plat Map of Monroe County, Indiana
Wylie House Museum - "...Built in 1835, Wylie House was the home of Indiana University's first president, Andrew Wylie, and his family..."
William Hammond Mathers Museum - Indiana University's museum of world cultures.

Indiana University: IU-Bloomington Home Page.

The Libraries at Indiana University.
Main Library: Phone: (812) 855-8028

Geology Library: Phone: (812) 855-7170

A Look at the Lilly Library: A guide to Indiana University's rare book and manuscript library, and Online Resources.

The Monroe County Historical Society mss.

The Monroe County, Indiana, History mss.

countyhistory.com: for Monroe County, by Ronald Branson!
Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Chicago : F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1884.
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.
1856 Plat Map of Monroe County, Indiana
Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.
The Political Graveyard, for Monroe County, Indiana, created and maintained by Lawrence Kestenbaum, a web site about U.S. political history, politicians and cemeteries.
Hoosier National Forest
Indiana State Archives.

Family History Resources
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.

Monroe County Public Library - Phone: (812) 349-3050.
Monroe County Public Library - Indiana Room!!!

1882-1940 Monroe County, Indiana, Death Record Index,
1820 Indiana Census Index, by Lori!
INMONROE-L Archives, online at rootsweb
Rootsweb Database Index
Rootsweb Regional Index
Indiana State Library.

Indiana Cemetery Locator Database
Indiana Biography Index
Index of Indiana Marriages Through 1850.
WWII Servicemen Index
Images from the County
County Newspaper Holdings (in Indianapolis)

Monroe County Government
Monroe County Health Department (For Birth & Death Certificates from ca. 1882)

Monroe County Circuit Court Clerk (For Marriage, Divorce & Probate Records)

Monroe County Recorder

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

Researching onsite, and with the vast resources of the Allen County Public Library, holding one of the largest genealogical collections in North America. Search the Library's online catalogue to see some of the printed resources available for a location or topic.

Monroe County Communities

Bean Blossom Township communities include: Mt. Tabor and Stinesville.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Benton Township communities include: Fleener.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Bloomington Township communities include: Arlington, Bloomington, Cascade, Dolan, Eastern Heights, Marlin Hills and New Unionville.

City of Bloomington Home Page

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Monroe County Public Library - Phone: (812) 349-3050.

Monroe County Public Library - Indiana Room

   303 E. Kirkwood Ave. - Bloomington, IN 47408 Phone: (812) 349-3080.

Bloomington and Monroe County Facts

Genealogy Collections

Monroe County Government
Monroe County Health Department (For Birth & Death Certificates from ca. 1882)
   119 West Seventh Street - Bloomington, IN 47404-3989
   Phone: (812) 333-2543.
Monroe County Circuit Court Clerk (For Marriage, Divorce & Probate Records)
     301 North College Ave. - # 201, Bloomington, IN 47404
   Phone: (812) 349-2614.
Monroe County Recorder
   100 W 5th Street, # 122 - Bloomington, IN 47404 Phone: (812) 349-2520.

Clear Creek Township communities include: Harrodsburg and Smithville.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Indian Creek Township communities include: Buenavista and Kirksville.
USGS: Buenavista location map.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Perry Township communities include: Broadview, Clear Creek, Handy, Hoosier Acres, Sanders and Sunny Slopes.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Polk Township communities include: Chapel Hill and Yellowstone.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Richland Township communities include: Ellettsville, Hunter Switch and Whitehall.
USGS: Hunter Switch Location map.

Presbyterian Cemetery: Ellettsville, Richland Township, Monroe County, Indiana

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Salt Creek Township communities include: Knight Ridge and Woodville Hills.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Van Buren Township communities include: Elwren, Garden Acres, Highland Village, Kirby, Leonard Springs, Stanford and Van Buren Park.

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Washington Township communities include: Hindustan, Modesto and Wayport. An 1875 map shows a Bryant's Creek P. O. near Hindustan, in section 14.

Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana: Historical and Biographical, By Charles Blanchard, Chicago : F. A. Battey & Co., Publishers, 1884.

(p. 531)
WAYPORT AND HINDOSTÁN.
Two villages have been founded in Washington Township : The first,
Wayport, was laid out on Sections 28 and 33, in April, 1851, by Isaac
Gillaspy, Thomas Gillaspy and G. W. Smith, proprietors, and James
Washburn, surveyor. Sixteen lots were laid out. One store, a blacksmith
shop, a post office, etc., sum up the history of the town. Hindostán
was laid out in June, 1853, on the northeast quarter of the northeast
quarter of Section 14, by Charles G. Corr, proprietor, and James Wood-
burn, surveyor. Twelve lots were laid out on the Martinsville &
Bloomington State Road, and just north of the Columbus & Gosport
State Road. One store, a few shops and offices also sums up the importance
of this little hamlet.

Hindustan Cemetery: Located in the town of Hindustan, on Old Highway 37, at the intersection of Farr Road (Section 14, Washington Township)

Index of Cemeteries, by Townships, Monroe County, Indiana - 1939/1940 W. P. A. Maps of Monroe County cemeteries.

Partial List of Printed Resources for Monroe County include:

Monroe County in Focus : Portrait of an Indiana County. Gayle Cook and Diana Hawes. (Authors). Will Counts. (Photographer). Bloomington, Indiana : Discovery Press, c1990. (977.201 M75CO).
Monroe County, Indiana Family Heritage, 1987. The Book Committee, Monroe County Historical Society. (Compiler and Preparer). Bloomington, Indiana : The Society, c1987. (977.201 M75MM).
Atlas of Monroe County, Indiana, 1856 : indexed by townships. Monroe County Historical Society (Ind.) Bloomington, Ind. : Moore County Historical Society, 1975. (977.201 M75A).
Historic Treasures: True Tales of Deeds with Interesting Data in the Life of Bloomington, Indiana University and Monroe County--written in simple language and about real people, with other important things and illustrations,. Forest M. "Pop" Hall. (Compiler and Publisher). Bloomington, Indiana : Indiana University Press, ca.1922. (977.202 B62H).

Counties of Morgan, Monroe and Brown, Indiana : Historical and Biographical, Charles Blanchard. (Author), F. A. Battey & Co., 1884.

The Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in Monroe County, Indiana, a paper read before the Monroe county historical society November and December, 1908. James Albert Woodburn. (Author). Indianapolis : E. J. Hecker, 1910. Series: (Indiana historical society. Publications, vol. IV, no.8) (977.2 IN5).
Veteran's Records Enrollments Monroe County, Indiana 1894. Art Westneat. (Compiler). Bloomington, Indiana : Monroe County Historical Society, 1995.
Reminiscences of Col. John Ketcham, of Monroe County, Indiana, by his pastor, Rev. T. M. Hopkins, of Bloomington, Indiana. Thomas M. Hopkins. (Author). Bloomington, Indiana : Whitaker & Walker, 1866. (977.201 M75H).
The Civil War Diary of Asberry C. Stephen. Stephen, Asbery C., 1839-1929. (Author). Oscar F. Curtis. (Editor, Transcriber and Introduction Author). [Bloomington] Monroe County Indiana Historical Society, 1973. (973.74 AA1STH).
The Underground Railroad in Monroe County. Henry Lester Smith. (Author). Bloomington, Indiana : Monroe County Historical Society, [1961] (Reprint of article from Sept., 1917 issue of Indiana Magazine of History.) (977.201 M75SM).
The New Purchase; or, Seven and a Half Years in the Far West, by Robert Carlton, esq. (Baynard Rush Hall, 1798-1863). Baynard Rush Hall. (Author). Indiana Centennial edition. James Albert Woodburn. (Editor). Princeton : Princeton University Press, 1916. (977.2 H14N).
Index to Birth Records, Monroe County, Indiana, 1882-1920, Inclusive, compiled [from record in County Health Office ...] Indiana Works Progress Administration. (Compiler). Bloomington, Indiana : W.P.A., ca. 1940? (977.201 M75UNB).
Index to Marriage Records, Monroe County, Indiana, 1853-1920, Inclusive, compiled [from record in Clerk's Office ...]. Indiana Works Progress Administration. (Compiler). Bloomington, Indiana : W.P.A., 1940? (977.201 M75UNMB).
Index to Supplemental Record: Marriage Transcript, Monroe County, Indiana, 1882-1920, Inclusive, compiled [from record in Clerk's Office ...] Indiana Works Progress Administration. (Compiler). Bloomington, Indiana : W.P.A., 1940? (977.201 M75UNMA).
Index to Death Record : Monroe County, Indiana, 1882-1920 Inclusive, Letters A-Z Inclusive. Indiana Works Progress Administration. (Compiler). [Indianapolis?, Indiana] : The Administration, ca. 194?. (977.201 M75UND).
Monroe County, Indiana Will Records, 1818-1904 : books 1 through 5. Ruth M. Slevin. (Copier). [s.l. : s.n., 19--] (977.201 M75SL).
Abstracts of Probate Records Monroe County, Indiana, 1818-1873. Ronald Burkhart and Kay Harrell. (Compilers). Bloomington, Indiana : Monroe County Historical Society, 1997. (977.201 M75B).
1939/1940 Maps of Monroe County Cemeteries. Claude F. Rice. (Researcher and Compiler). Bloomington, Indiana : Monroe County Historical Society, 1995. (977.201 M75N).
Cemeteries of Monroe County, Indiana. Oscar F. Curtis. (Author). Bloomington, Indiana : O.F. Curtis, 19?? (977.201 M75CU).
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.
New Sectional Township Map of Indiana. Chicago, Illinois : Higgins Belden & Co., 1875.

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