Wayne County, Indiana History and Genealogy Research Guide and Links

WAYNE COUNTY, Indiana
History <-> Genealogy

Note: An old Wayne County of the Northwest Territory was created in 1796 which included portions of the present states of Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. This Wayne county was abolished in 1800, however, another "old" Wayne County, Indiana Territory was created in 1803, and included portions of the present states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.
*First created in 1811 as a county of the Indiana Territory, one of original IN state Counties in 1816.
*County seat: Richmond
The present Wayne county is located in eastern Indiana, with the state of Ohio at it's eastern boundary.
*Cities, Towns & Communities include: Abington, Beesons, Bethel, Boston, Cambridge City, Centerville, Chester, Dalton, Dublin, East Haven, East Germantown, Economy, Fountain City, Franklin, Greens Fork, Hagerstown, Hiser, Hoover Mill, Jacksonburg, Locust Grove, Middleboro, Milton, Mount Auburn, Pennville, Richmond, Spring Grove, Wayne, Webster, West Grove, Whitewater, and Williamsburg.
Note: The town of Franklin is located in Dalton Township, however, there is also a township named Franklin in Wayne County.

**Townships in Wayne County**
(North = Top)
Dalton Township	Perry Township	Green Township	New Garden Township	Franklin Township
Jefferson Township Jackson Township	Clay Township Harrison Township	Webster Township Center Township	-> ->	Wayne Township
	Washington Township	Abington Township	Boston Township	->

Surrounding Counties:
                                      N = Randolph County, IN   ENE = Darke County, Ohio
W = Henry County, IN    WAYNE COUNTY       ESE = Preble County, Ohio
SW = Rush County, IN      S = Union County, IN
See American Local History Network State Selection Page to visit Ohio.

WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA
First created in 1811 as a county of the Indiana Territory, one of original IN state Counties in 1816; County seat is Richmond. Note: An old Wayne County of the Northwest Territory was created in 1796 which included portions of the present states of Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. This Wayne county was abolished in 1800, however, another "old" Wayne County, Indiana Territory was created in 1803, and included portions of the present states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.

+ MAPS + TOWNS + TOWNSHIPS + NEIGHBORING COUNTIES +
+ CHURCHES + CEMETERIES + MUSEUMS and HISTORIC SITES +
+ NEWS & NEWSPAPERS +
+ COMMERCE, TOURISM & ONLINE COMMUNITY +
+ HISTORY & GENEALOGY: Articles & Online Databases + BIOGRAPHIES +
+ NATIVE AMERICAN: THE PEOPLE + NATURE +
+ ARCHIVES & LIBRARIES for Further Research +
+ COUNTY GOVERNMENT & Vital Records +
+ PROFESSIONAL HISTORICAL GENEALOGY RESEARCH +

MAPS
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Interactive map of Wayne County, Indiana (present day).
1875 Map of Wayne County, Indiana, from Higgins Belden & Co. (see citation)
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.
NATIVE AMERICAN
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Visit the Miami Nations Homepage
The Miami Language
Miami History and History of the Delaware, by Lee Sultzman.

MUSEUMS & HISTORIC SITES
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The National Road - "...J. Gould, who traveled the entire length of the road in 1839, noted the National Road was for the most part "Macadamized and finished in the most desirable manner as far as Columbus in Ohio" In Indiana, he continued, ".... about four miles at Richmond...., a short piece at Centerville, about six miles at Indianapolis, and three miles at Terre haute, together with a few bridges, are completed in the same substantial manner."
Levi Coffin House: State Historic Site, built in 1839 - A part of the legendary Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves of pre-Civil War days
Wayne County Historical Museum
Overbeck Art Pottery Museum

Overbeck Art Pottery, produced from 1911 until 1955, Cambridge, IN

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum - Historical Information

CHURCHES
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Religious Organizations in Wayne County, Indiana
Quakers of Richmond & Wayne County, Indiana : "...From pioneer days to the present, the Richmond and Wayne County area has been an important national and international center for Quaker activities and institutions..."
Brethren Life: Migrations, by Merle C. Rummel - Roads Used By The Brethren For Migration...including: Bullskin Road, Zane Trace, The River, Kanawha Trace, Moving West, Monocacy Road, Valley Road, Carolina Road, Braddock Road, Wilderness Road, Canada Road, Forbes Road, Delaware Road, National Road and Wayne Road.
Earlham School of Religion: Quaker ministries - Earlham Libraries > Friends Collection and Archives.
Local Catholic Church History & Genealogy Research Guide & Worldwide Directory + Indiana* Page.

CEMETERIES
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WayNet: Cemetery Web Sites for Wayne County, Indiana
Indiana State Library.

Indiana Cemetery Locator Database

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.

COMMERCE, TOURISM & ONLINE COMMUNITY
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Richmond, Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau

The Old National Road - Trails of Days Long Past
The Underground Railroad - The Levi Coffin House

Waynet : Richmond & Wayne County - Resources and Information.

Did You Know...? Interesting Facts and Information about the Richmond/Wayne County Area, gathered by by the Richmond/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.

NATURE
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NEWS & NEWSPAPERS
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Local News from WayNet
Palladium-Item - Local News and Obituaries
Indiana State Library.

County Newspaper Holdings (in Indianapolis)

BIOGRAPHIES
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countyhistory.com: for Wayne County, by Ronald Branson!
Paul Hadley (ca. 1880-1971) - Artist and designer of the Indiana state flag, Paul Hadley was a long-time Mooresville, Morgan County, Indiana resident. He died, in 1971 in Richmond, Wayne County, Indiana. Biography is by Jane Ruddick.
The Political Graveyard, for Wayne County, Indiana, created and maintained by Lawrence Kestenbaum, a web site about U.S. political history, politicians and cemeteries.

HISTORY <-> GENEALOGY: Articles and Online Databases
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Waynet : Richmond & Wayne County - Resources and Information.

Did You Know...? Interesting Facts and Information about the Richmond/Wayne County Area, gathered by by the Richmond/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
Detailed History of Richmond & Wayne County, Indiana : "...Founded by North Carolina Quakers who settled along the Whitewater River in 1806, Richmond..."
Government in Wayne County, Indiana.

Revolutionary War Soldiers of Wayne County, Indiana
Wayne County, Indiana Cemetery Websites
Wayne County Recorder

Manumission of Slaves - 1835

The National Road - "...J. Gould, who traveled the entire length of the road in 1839, noted the National Road was for the most part "Macadamized and finished in the most desirable manner as far as Columbus in Ohio" In Indiana, he continued, ".... about four miles at Richmond...., a short piece at Centerville, about six miles at Indianapolis, and three miles at Terre haute, together with a few bridges, are completed in the same substantial manner."
Richmond - Brookville Canal (1839) and the Whitewater Canal (1836-1865).
Levi Coffin House: State Historic Site, built in 1839 - A part of the legendary Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves of pre-Civil War days
Richmond / Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau

The Old National Road - Trails of Days Long Past
The Underground Railroad - The Levi Coffin House

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.

LOC: The city of Richmond, Indiana 1884. [By] Albert Downs. Printed by J.W.C. Gilman & Co. Downs, A. E. (Albert E.). Boston, O.H. Bailey & Co. [1884]
Wayne County, Indiana Government Marriage License Records
Earlham College Libraries

Friends Collection & College Archives

Wayne County Genealogical Society
WayNet: Genealogy Resources for Wayne County, Indiana
1820 Indiana Census Index, by Lori!
The Doughboy Center - presented by The Great War Society.
World War II Veterans Online Information Center
USA Veterans' Administration

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

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)

ARCHIVES & LIBRARIES for Further Research
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The Taming of the Wilderness: Indiana's Transition from Indian Hunting Grounds to Hoosier Farmland: 1800 to 1875, by Leon Hesser - This new book approaches 19th Century Indiana history through early documents, letters and the author's own Quaker family history. It boldly addresses Native American and slavery issues which arose during this era of Indiana's history, while not neglecting the simple, day-to-day lifestyles of the early settlers, as related by those who lived during this era. It is available for sale as an e-book or in either paperback or hardcover.
Wayne County Genealogical Society
Wayne County Historical Museum
Earlham College Libraries

Friends Collection & College Archives

Cambridge City Public Library
Centerville and Center Township Library
Dublin Public Library

Hagerstown-Jefferson Township Public Library

Morrisson Reeves Library

COUNTY GOVERNMENT & Vital Records
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Wayne County Government Home Page
Government in Wayne County, Indiana.

Contacts to obtain many documents and certified copies:

Wayne County Government (Official)

Wayne County Court House

Wayne County Annex Building

Wayne County Health Department (For Birth & Death Records from ca. 1882)

Wayne County Clerk of Courts (For Marriage and Divorce Records)

County Clerk -

Wayne County, Indiana Government Marriage License Records .
Wayne County Clerk: Online Wayne County Marriages Database - 23,604 marriage records from 1811 to December 1903 so far...

Fees: Marriage records are $1.00 for each copy, or $2.00 for a certified copy. Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request.

Wayne County Recorder

Manumission of Slaves - 1835

Wayne County Probate Clerk
Wayne County Surveyor (For County Maps)

Wayne County Communities

Abington Township communities include: Abington.

Locust Grove Cemetery, coordinated by Theresa Berghoff, located on Centerville Road, north of the town of Abington, in Abington Township, Wayne County, Indiana

Boston Township communities include: Boston and Locust Grove.

Center Township communities include: Centerville, West Grove, and a portion of greater Richmond.

Centerville and Center Township Library

West Grove Cemetery, est. in 1814 as a Quaker cemetery, located in Center Township, Wayne County, Indiana

Clay Township communities include: Greens Fork and Hoover Mill.

Greens Fork, Clay Township, Wayne County, Indiana
Fairfield Cemetery Index, Compiled by Jayne L. Beers.
South Cemetery, compiled by Porter Davis, located at Greens Fork, Wayne County, Indiana
Sugar Grove Cemetery Index, Compiled by Frances (Fouts) Wilson in 1996.
Evans Cemetery, by Jayne Beers, located on Smoky Row Road, on private farm, Clay Township

Dalton Township communities include: Dalton and Franklin.

Franklin Township communities include: Bethel and Whitewater.
Concord-Methodist Episcopal Cemetery, located on the west side of Hollansburg Pike, in Franklin Township, Wayne County, Indiana
Mount Vernon Cemetery, located on Wallace Road, Franklin Township, Wayne County, Indiana

Green Township communities include: Williamsburg.
- Waynenet: Williamsburg, Indiana Information
Harrison Township communities include: Jacksonburg.
Kepler Family Cemetery, coordinated by Granville Coomes, located on Washington Road, Harrison Township, Wayne County, Indiana

Jackson Township communities include: Cambridge City, Dublin, East Germantown, Hiser, Mt. Auburn, and Pennville.
Overbeck Art Pottery Museum

Overbeck Art Pottery, produced from 1911 until 1955, Cambridge, IN

Huddleston Farmhouse Inn Museum - Historical Information

Cambridge City Public Library
Dublin Public Library

Heiney Cemetery, coordinated by Tim and Sabrina Benner, located on Frank Meyers Road, near Symonds Creek Road intersection, in Jackson Township, Wayne County, Indiana

Jefferson Township communities include: Hagerstown.
Hagerstown-Jefferson Township Community.
Hagerstown-Jefferson Township Public Library

New Garden Township communities include: Fountain City.

Levi Coffin House: State Historic Site, built in 1839 - A part of the legendary Underground Railroad for fleeing slaves of pre-Civil War days
Brittain-Reynolds Cemetery, located on Bragg Road, in New Garden Township
Friendship Baptist Cemetery, located in New Garden Township

Perry Township communities include: Economy.

Perry Township, Wayne County, IN (1874 Map)

History of Economy and Perry Township, Wayne County, IN
Economy, IN Home Page - includes historical maps, history and community information with an Economy, IN (1874 Map)

Washington Township communities include: Beesons and Milton.

Wayne Township communities include: Chester, East Haven, Middleboro, and the City of Richmond. A small portion of greater Richmond extends into Center Township.

City of Richmond
Waynet : Richmond & Wayne County - Resources and Information.

Did You Know...? Interesting Facts and Information about the Richmond/Wayne County Area, gathered by by the Richmond/Wayne County Chamber of Commerce.
Detailed History of Richmond & Wayne County, Indiana : "...Founded by North Carolina Quakers who settled along the Whitewater River in 1806, Richmond..."
Government in Wayne County, Indiana.

Richmond / Wayne County Convention and Tourism Bureau

The Old National Road - Trails of Days Long Past
The Underground Railroad - The Levi Coffin House

Richmond - Brookville Canal (1839) and the Whitewater Canal (1836-1865).
LOC: The city of Richmond, Indiana 1884. [By] Albert Downs. Printed by J.W.C. Gilman & Co. Downs, A. E. (Albert E.). Boston, O.H. Bailey & Co. [1884]
Wayne County Historical Museum
Morrisson-Reeves Library - Richmond

Genealogy Holdings at Morrisson-Reeves Library - Wayne County Resources
Morrisson-Reeves Library Newspaper Index

Earlham College Libraries

Friends Collection & College Archives
Quakers of Richmond & Wayne County, Indiana : "...From pioneer days to the present, the Richmond and Wayne County area has been an important national and international center for Quaker activities and institutions..."
Brethren Life: Migrations, by Merle C. Rummel - Roads Used By The Brethren For Migration...including: Bullskin Road, Zane Trace, The River, Kanawha Trace, Moving West, Monocacy Road, Valley Road, Carolina Road, Braddock Road, Wilderness Road, Canada Road, Forbes Road, Delaware Road, National Road and Wayne Road.
Earlham School of Religion: Quaker ministries - Earlham Libraries > Friends Collection and Archives.

Webster Township communities include:

[ 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. Search the Library's online catalogue to see some of the printed resources available for a location or topic. .

Printed resources for this page 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.
New Sectional Township Map of Indiana. Chicago, Illinois : Higgins Belden & Co., 1875.

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