Indiana Genealogy and History Guide

Indiana Genealogy Online:

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

General Resources:

 

 Indiana quick facts:

  • Indiana Statehood:
    11 December 1816
  • Indiana State Capital:
    Indianapolis
  • Indiana Counties:
    92 Counties - County Map  
  • Indiana State Nickname:
    The Hoosier State
  • Indiana State Bird:
    Cardinal
  • Indiana State Flower:
    Peony
  • Indiana  State Song:
    "On the banks of the Wabash"
  • Indiana  State Motto:
    "The crossroads of America"

Indiana Genealogy Resources:

Indiana State Archives
6440 E. 30th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46219
(317) 591-5222

Indiana State Library
140 N. Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 232-3675

IN State Dept. of Health
Health, 2 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46204
(317) 233-1325

Allen Co. Public Library
200 E. Berry Street
P.O. Box 2270
Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
(270) 421-1200

NARA
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740
(866) 272-6272

Indiana Genealogy Research Guide:

Indiana Census Records:

The NARA (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration) houses the Indiana Federal Census for the years 1820 through 1930 except for 1890 which was destroyed in a fire. The Indiana State Archives and Indiana State Library has some non-population censuses for Indiana:

ISA = Indiana State Archives
ISL = Indiana State Library
NARA = U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

  • 1800:
    • ISL-partial index
  • 1807:
    • ISL-Territorial Census
  • 1820:
    • NARA-Population Schedules, Manufactures Census
    • ISL-Population Schedules
  • 1830:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules
  • 1935:
    • NARA-Business Census
  • 1840:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules
  • 1850:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules, Mortality Schedules
    • ISA-Agriculture Schedules, Industry/Manufacturing Schedules
  • 1860:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules, Mortality Schedules
    • ISA-Agriculture Schedules, Industry/Manufacturing Schedules
  • 1870:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules, Mortality Schedules
    • ISA-Agriculture Schedules, Industry/Manufacturing Schedules
  • 1880:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules, Mortality Schedules
    • ISA-Agriculture Schedules, Industry/Manufacturing Schedules, Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes
  • 1890: destroyed in warehouse fire
  • 1900:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules
  • 1910:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules
  • 1920:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules
  • 1930:
    • NARA-Population Schedules
    • ISL-Population Schedules

Indiana Military Records:

Military records at the Indiana State Archives include:

  • Black Hawk War records
  • Mexican War records
  • Civil War records
  • Spanish-American War records
  • Indiana National Guard records
  • World War I records
  • World War II records
  • Korean War records
  • Veterans' graves registration file for 51 Counties
  • Index to the records of the Indiana State Soldiers Home

Descriptions and scope of these collections.

These are just a few of the online databases available for Indiana military records:

Indiana Vital Records:

Statewide mandatory recording of vital records in Indiana didn't start all in one year like some states. Death records were sent to the State Board of Health starting in January 1900, birth records starting in October 1907, and marriage records in 1958.

Indiana marriage record application registration became mandatory in 1800. Marriage license and certificates are the responsibility of the county clerks office and are usually complete from the date of formation of the county to the present.

  • WPA (Works Projects Administration) marriage records indexes for 68 of Indiana's 92 counties covering the years 1850 to 1920 are available at the Indiana State Archives and the Allen County Library.
  • The Indiana State Board of Health has compiled "The Indiana Marriage Index" which goes from 1958 to 1965.
  • Marriage Indexes from 1966-1981 are available from the Indiana State Archives (Commission on Public Records).

Indiana birth record copies prior to 1907 are kept at the appropriate local health department office.

Other sources of birth records are:

Indiana death record copies prior to 1900 are kept at the appropriate local health department in the county where the death actually occurred.

Indiana divorce records are kept by county circuit courts. Copies of divorce decrees may be ordered from the circuit court clerk of the county where the case was filed.

Indiana Genealogy Subscriptions Online:

Genealogy resources for Indiana are available online. Some websites offer free databases and other information for the online researcher, but the subscription websites hold a more consistent amount of quality data and offer free trials to that data.

Condensed History of Indiana

 

Peony graphics courtesy of Santa Lady