Decatur County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Decatur County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Decatur County was named for Commodore Stephen Decatur, Jr., a naval officer in the First and Second Barbary Wars, and in the War of 1812. Decatur was mortally wounded in a duel in 1820.[1] The county is located in the southeastern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Decatur County Courthouse
150 Courthouse Square Suite 5
Greensburg, In 47240
Phone: 812-663-8223
County Website
Decatur County Health Department
801 North Lincoln Street
Greensburg, IN, 47240
Health Officer: Arthur Alunday, MD
Phone Number: 812-663-8301
Fax: 812-663-4174
Email: vitalrecords@decaturcounty.in.gov
Health Department
County Clerk has marriage record from 1822, divorce, probate and court records.
Board of Health has birth and death records. [3]
Health Department has birth records and death records.
Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Decatur County, Indiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1882 | 1822 | 1882 | 1822 | 1822 | 1822 | 1807 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
- A Genealogical and Biographical Record of Decatur County, Indiana. 1900. Chicago [Illinois]: Lewis Publishing Company. Online at: Hathitrust; Internet Archive; Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Occupations
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing Decatur County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 5,887 | — |
| 1840 | 12,171 | 106.7% |
| 1850 | 15,107 | 24.1% |
| 1860 | 17,294 | 14.5% |
| 1870 | 19,053 | 10.2% |
| 1880 | 19,779 | 3.8% |
| 1890 | 19,277 | −2.5% |
| 1900 | 19,518 | 1.3% |
| 1910 | 18,793 | −3.7% |
| 1920 | 17,813 | −5.2% |
| 1930 | 17,308 | −2.8% |
| 1940 | 17,722 | 2.4% |
| 1950 | 18,218 | 2.8% |
| 1960 | 20,019 | 9.9% |
| 1970 | 22,738 | 13.6% |
| 1980 | 23,841 | 4.9% |
| 1990 | 23,645 | −0.8% |
| 2000 | 24,555 | 3.8% |
| 2010 | 25,740 | 4.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Decatur County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- African Methodist Episcopal Church (Greensburg, Indiana), Negro Cemetery (Clarksburg, Indiana), Decatur County (Indiana). Historian, Black history, Decatur County, Indiana,'(Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987 ) FHL US/CAN Film 1531735 Item 18 FHL Collection
- Baldwin, Jane (Main Author), Baker, Ray Stannard, b. 1870 (Added Author), A history of the Negro in Decatur County, Indiana, (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987) FHL US/CAN Film 1531732 Item 6 FHL Collection
- Underground Railroad Sites: Decatur County Historic Preservation & Archaeology. IN Gov DNR
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See Indiana Land and Property for additional information about early Indiana land grants and patents.
After land was transferred from the government to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded at the Decatur County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Decatur County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- Atlas of Decatur Co., Indiana. 1976. Knightstown, Indiana : Bookmark. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat). Reprint of original published: Chicago : J. H. Beers, 1882.
- History of Decatur County, Indiana. 2 Vols. 1915. By Lewis A. Harding. Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat). Index: Every Name Index, compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Historic Indiana Atlases for Decatur County at University Library (IUPUI)
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
- List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 Decatur County, Indiana. - Internet Archive
Civil War
Civil War service men from Decatur County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Decatur County.
- 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
- 7th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, F, and Reorganized Companies D, E, G
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized H
- 20th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Companies E, and G
- 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company A
- 37th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, and H
- 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A, and D
- 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 83rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 89th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies H, I, and K
- 93rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 123rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, H, and I
- 134th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies B, C, D, and E
- 146th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, E, G, and H
- 156th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
Civil War Books:
- "Civil War," in "Military Record," Chapter 17 of Harding, Lewis A. 1915. History of Decatur County, Indiana its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families. (Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen.) (page 420-464, Regiment, Companies,Name's) Online at: FamilySearch Digital Book; 977.216 H2h v. 1, 977.216 H2h v. 2 FHL US/CAN Book FHL Collection; other library Vol. 1 Intertnet Archive; Vol.2 Internet Archive
World War I
- History of Decatur County's part in the World War, 1914-1918 - Internet Archive.
- World War I Draft Registration Cards Ancestry($), 1917-1918 Decatur County
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
World War II, 1941-1945
- Decatur County, Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps -AccessGenealogy
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Indiana newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Decatur County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry $
School Records[edit | edit source]
School Records
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
- 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry $
- 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1750-1993 - Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry ($)
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Decatur County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Batesville Indiana Family History Center
Township Line Rd
Batesville IN 47006
812-934-3443
E-mail:IN_Batesville@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Decatur Indiana Family History Center
88 Cardinal Pass
Decatur IN 46733
260-438-7354
E-mail:IN_Decatur@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Decatur County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Decatur County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Historical Society of Decatur Inc.
222 North Franklin Street /PO Box 143
Greensburg, IN 47240
Phone Number: 812-663-2764
Website Facebook
Decatur County Historical Society
PO Box 163
Greensburg, IN 47240
Tri-Genealogical Society
C/O Willard Library
21 First Avenue
Evansville, IN 47710
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
- Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Search by county or keyword
- Indiana Memory Click the map or select a statewide collection
- List of indexes and databases at Indiana State Library
- Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Free and Members-only. Select a county
- EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for county histories. Select a county.
- Decatur County. USGenWeb project page for Decatur. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county..
- Decatur County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Decatur County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/decatur/ accessed 3/02/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Decatur County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decatur_County,_Indiana accessed 3/02/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Decatur County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decatur_County,_Indiana (accessed 2 August 2013).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Decatur County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decatur_County%2C_Indiana, accessed 06 December 2019.
