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An Introduction

Researching

 by Surname

Researching

by Location

Gen-Tool Kit

Internet Resources

About This Webpage

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introduction

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Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the midwestern and Great Lakes regions of North America.  The state's name means "Land of the Indians," or simply "Indian Land." This name dates back to at least the 1760s but was first applied to the region by the United States Congress when the Indiana Territory was incorporated in 1800, separating it from the Northwest Territory.   Since its founding as a territory, settlement patterns in Indiana have reflected regional cultural segmentation present in the Eastern United States; the state's northernmost tier was settled primarily by people from New England and New York, Central Indiana by migrants from the Mid-Atlantic states and from adjacent Ohio, and Southern Indiana by settlers from the Southern states, particularly Kentucky and Tennessee.

German is the largest ancestry reported in Indiana, with 22.7% of the population reporting that ancestry in the Census. Persons citing American (12.0%) and English ancestry (8.9%) are also numerous, as are Irish (10.8%) and Polish (3.0%). Most of those citing American ancestry are actually of English descent, but have family that has been in North America for so long, in many cases since the early colonial era, that they identify simply as "American". In the 1980 census 1,776,144 people claimed German ancestry, 1,356,135 claimed English ancestry and 1,017,944 claimed Irish ancestry out of a total population of 4,241,975 making the state 42% German, 32% English and 24% Irish.

Located in the midwestern United States, Indiana is one of eight states that make up the Great Lakes Region. Indiana is bordered on the north by Michigan, on the east by Ohio, and on the west by Illinois, while Lake Michigan borders Indiana on the northwest and the Ohio River separates Indiana from Kentucky on the south.

Surname

The following are surnames of persons, found within our databases, as having been either

born, married or died in this U.S. State. Names in dark red denote direct ancestral surnames.

McVicker; Moreland; Pinnell; Scruggs and allied families

Allison;   Charles;   Crigger;    Davis;   Eubanks;   Evans;   Gardner;   Golliday;   Horrall;   McMahan;   McVicker;   Montgomery;   Moots;   Moreland;   Peachee;   Rigdon;   Robertson;   Ross;   Tiffin;   Williams

Bozarth; Peiffer; Quigley; Rhubart and allied families

Dellinger; Knecht; Pfeffer; Silar and allied families

Fry;   Hauer;   Howard;   Schlott

Click on this link to find out more about each surname listed above as well as other surnames found within our three family databases.

This link will also lead you to surname resources at Rootsweb, and information about the world-wide distribution of a surname.

Use this free genealogy site to help you get the best genealogy searches from Google™ by using your family tree, for your research. It will create a series of different searches using tips or   "tricks"  

that    will   likely   improve your results. The different searches will give you many different ways of using Google and the Internet to find ancestry information about this or any other Surname.

Click on the LINK to the right to see more information about the World distribution of any surname.  You can get greater

detail for any of the maps by clicking on the area, i.e state, county that you are interested in.

research location

Our Ancestral Counties

Gazetteer of Places

Historical Changes in County Boundaries

County Research (Genealogical)

County Research

 (General Info.)

Where in the World

are My Ancestors?

Our Ancestral Counties

The following named counties are associated with the history of our DIRECT ancestors.   To select a specific ancestral county, go to our ANCESTRAL LOCATIONS home page. Here you will find additional links to our county pages where you can obtain information about our family gen-sites, images of localities, and surnames of persons, in our database, who have lived in the selected county.

Click on this thumbnail map for a full-sized version.

DAVIESS

Gazetteer of Places

The following Links will take you to gazetteers that identify places within this U.S. State.  These resources feature profiles of cities, towns, neighborhoods and subdivisions.  In addition this site contains maps, data and directions for a wide variety of physical, cultural and historic features.

Indiana Cities - profiles of 3,631 Indiana cities, towns & neighborhoods

Indiana Schools search by city, county, or address

Indiana Physical Features such as lakes, islands & steams

Indiana Cultural Features such as parks, hospitals & airports

Indiana Civil Features such as Native Areas and Political Subdivisions

Search by Name, County, ZIP Code or Area Code

* includes but not limited to Cemeteries, Churches, Locales,

Military Installations;  Populated Places, Post Offices, Schools, Streams, and Trails

Indiana, United States

Details | Resources | Counties | Cities | Cemeteries | Surveys |

Boundary changes

     Conducting genealogical research in the United States requires an understanding of State and County boundaries.  As the population grew more counties were created to meet the public’s need for localized governments.  This phenomena was common in all states during the 17^th, 18^th and 19^th centuries.  As such you may be looking for records in the wrong county or state. 

     The web site for the Atlas of Historical County Boundary Project provides interactive maps for all states. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries is meant to be a resource for people seeking records of past events, as well as people trying to analyze, interpret and display county-based historical data like Land Records, Probate Records, Court Records, Tax Records, and Vital Records that document birth, death, and marriage.  The following link will take you to a list of all the boundary changes to this State and each county or equivalent within this U.S. State, as well as the date these changes occurred.  Each entry is followed by a citation to the primary source(s) used to determine the change.

View Interactive Map

Maps and text covering the historical boundaries, names, organization, and attachments of every county, extinct county, and unsuccessful county proposal from the creation of the first county through 31 December 2000. Choose a date (day, month, and year) to view historical county configurations against the modern county network. Use the toolbar to zoom, pan, measure, view descriptions and citations, or print a desired map. Use the Help button on top right of the interactive map frame to read full descriptions of how to use the layers and tools on the interactive map site.

View Index of Counties and Equivalents

Complete index of every county, county equivalent, or other area relevant to the evolution of state and county boundaries; includes extinct and proposed counties, non-county areas, and provides cross references for name changes, and hyperlinks to corresponding entries from the Individual County Chronologies. Also accessible from the County Index link at the bottom of the interactive map frame.

View Consolidated Chronology of State and County Boundaries

Organizes the historical data chronologically, combining all the county events into a single composite entry for each date. Each entry is followed by a citation to the primary source(s) used to determine the change. Also accessible from the Chronologies link at the bottom of the interactive map frame.

View Individual County Chronologies

Organizes the historical data alphabetically by county name with each entry covering all the changes to a single county or equivalent. Each entry is followed by a citation to the primary source(s) used to determine the change. Also accessible from the Chronologies link at the bottom of the interactive map frame.

County Research (Genealogical)

Clicking on a Link (below) will take you to the County’s website.  Here you will find additional links to more information specific to that location.    The USGenWeb Project also sponsors important Special Projects, at the national level, that were created to collect and disseminate data that goes beyond county and state lines.

Adams;   Allen;   Bartholomew;   Benton;   Blackford;   Boone;   Brown;   Carroll;   Cass;   Clark;   Clay;   Clinton;   Crawford;   Daviess;   Dearborn;   Decatur;   Dekalb;   Delaware;   Dubois;   Elkhart;   Fayette;   Floyd;   Fountain;   Franklin;   Fulton;   Gibson;   Grant;   Greene;   Hamilton;   Hancock;   Harrison;   Hendricks;   Henry;   Howard;   Huntington;   Jackson;   Jasper;   Jay;   Jefferson;   Jennings;   Johnson;   Knox;   Kosciusko;   La Porte;   Lagrange;   Lake;   Lawrence;   Madison;   Marion;   Marshall;   Martin;   Miami;   Monroe;   Montgomery;   Morgan;   Newton;   Noble;   Ohio;   Orange;   Owen;   Parke;   Perry;   Pike;   Porter;   Posey;   Pulaski;   Putnam;   Randolph;   Ripley;   Rush;   St. Joseph;   Scott;   Shelby;   Spencer;   Starke;   Steuben;   Sullivan;   Switzerland;   Tippecanoe;   Tipton;   Union;   Vanderburgh;   Vermillion;   Vigo;   Wabash;   Warren;   Warrick;   Washington;   Wayne;   Wells;   White;   Whitley;   Unknown County

County Research  (General)

Wikipedia is a multilingual, Web-based, free-content encyclopedia project based mostly on anonymous contributions. Clicking on a Link (below) will take you to the Wikipedia article about the county.  Here you will find additional links to guide the user to related pages with additional information.

·   Adams

·   Allen

·   Bartholomew

·   Benton

·   Blackford

·   Boone

·   Brown

·   Carroll

·   Cass

·   Clark

·   Clay

·   Clinton

·   Crawford

·   Daviess

·   Dearborn

·   Decatur

·   DeKalb

·   Delaware

·   Dubois

·   Elkhart

·   Fayette

·   Floyd

·   Fountain

·   Franklin

·   Fulton

·   Gibson

·   Grant

·   Greene

·   Hamilton

·   Hancock

·   Harrison

·   Hendricks

·   Henry

·   Howard

·   Huntington

·   Jackson

·   Jasper

·   Jay

·   Jefferson

·   Jennings

·   Johnson

·   Knox

·   Kosciusko

·   LaGrange

·   Lake

·   LaPorte

·   Lawrence

·   Madison

·   Marion

·   Marshall

·   Martin

·   Miami

·   Monroe

·   Montgomery

·   Morgan

·   Newton

·   Noble

·   Ohio

·   Orange

·   Owen

·   Parke

·   Perry

·   Pike

·   Porter

·   Posey

·   Pulaski

·   Putnam

·   Randolph

·   Ripley

·   Rush

·   Saint Joseph

·   Scott

·   Shelby

·   Spencer

·   Starke

·   Steuben

·   Sullivan

·   Switzerland

·   Tippecanoe

·   Tipton

·   Union

·   Vanderburgh

·   Vermillion

·   Vigo

·   Wabash

·   Warren

·   Warrick

·   Washington

·   Wayne

·   Wells

·   White

·   Whitley

Where in the World  are My Ancestors?

Resources which enhance our knowledge of the places inhabited by our ancestors are almost as important  as  their  names.  The LINK

to the right will take you to Maps, Gazetteers,   and other helpful  resources  that will assist you in discovering Ancestral Locations. 

Gen tool-kit

Our “Gen-Tool Kit” has been primarily designed for those researchers who may be traveling to this location to perform on-site studies of their family history, or to just visit some of the interesting historical sites located therein.  It can be very satisfying to mix research with sightseeing at historical and scenic spots.  Such activity not only gives you an understanding of the land but a needed break from intense research sessions.  When visiting an ancestral state for genealogical research we’ve found that the three most important places to visit are the State Archives; the State Library; and the State historical and/or genealogical societies.  It is also good to plan ahead by contacting any site you intend visiting in order to ascertain where it is and when it will be open.  This is especially true with regard to historical and genealogical societies.

Most if not all of these links are to websites that do not require a subscription.  We hope that the following information will provide you with a better idea of what resources are available, within this county, to the family historian.

Cemeteries

History

Libraries, Museums

and Archives

Maps and Gazetteers

 Records

Societies

(History & Genealogical)

Cemeteries

• Indiana African American Cemeteries
• Indiana Cemeteries
• Indiana Cemetery Directory

• Indiana Cemetery Photos
• Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project
• Indiana State Library Cemetery Locator File  

history

List of National Register of Historic Places in Indiana

·         "Every Name Index" databases for Indiana county histories

·         History of the Indiana democracy, 1816-1916

·         An Illustrated History of the State of Indiana

·         Indiana Historic Sites and Structures Inventory

·         Guide to the Ghost Towns of Indiana

·         The History of Indiana

·         The History of the State of Indiana

·         Indiana Bibliography

·         Road to Indiana Statehood

·         Indiana Landmarks

Libraries, museums, arcxhives

·         Historic House Museums & Historic Structures

·         Historic House Museums in Indiana

·         Historical Museum Guide for Indiana

·         Indiana Historical Bureau

·         Indiana Memory : Indiana digital library

·         Indiana Public Libraries

·         Indiana State Archives

·         Indiana State Digital Archives

·         Indiana State Library Genealogy Division

·         The Association of Indiana Museums

Maps and gazetteers

·         Historic Indiana Atlas

·         Historic Indiana Maps

·         Historic Indiana Plat Books

·         Indiana County Maps 1790 - Present

·         Indiana Digital Map Library

·         Indiana Historic Atlases

·         Indiana Historical County Boundaries

·         Indiana Maps

·         Indiana Maps U.S. Map Collection, 1513-1990 $

·         Indiana Points of Interest

·         Indiana Post Offices

·         Indiana Towns and Cities  (USGS)

·         Maps of Indiana

·         Shelton & Kensett's Map Of The State of Indiana 1817

·         Vincennes district 1819

·         Map of Indiana 1822

·         Indiana 1823

·         Ohio and Indiana 1823

·         Ohio, Indiana 1823

·         Ohio and Indiana 1825

·         Map of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & part of Michigan Terr. 1826

·         Indiana 1828

·         Ohio, Indiana & Illinois And Part Of Michigan Territory 1831

·         Indiana, Ohio 1832

·         Indiana 1833

·         Missouri, Ill., Ind. 1833

·         Indiana 1835

·         New Map Of Indiana 1836

·         New map of Indiana, 1836

·         Indiana 1838

·         Map of Ohio and Indiana 1839

·         Indiana 1840

·         Indiana 1841

·         Map of the states of Indiana and Ohio 1842

·         Map of Indiana and Ohio with part of Michigan Territory 1842

·         Indiana 1845

·         New Map Of Indiana 1846

·         Indiana und Ohio 1854

·         New map of Indiana, 1854

·         Indiana 1856

·         County Map Of Ohio, And Indiana 1860

·         Ohio and Indiana 1860

·         Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky 1863

·         Indiana 1866

·         Ohio, Indiana 1870

·         Railroad distance & township map of Indiana 1871

·         Indiana State Atlas 1871 $

·         1874 Map of Ohio, Indiana

·         New sectional and township map of Indiana 1874

·         Indiana 1875

·         Indiana Post Offices-1875

·         New sectional and township map of Indiana 1876

·         Indiana State Atlas, 1876 $

·         Geological and Climatological maps of Indiana 1876

·         Colton's map of the state of Indiana 1877

·         State of Indiana 1878

·         Indiana 1879

·         Ohio, Indiana 1880

·         Outline Map of Indiana 1882

·         Clemens map of Indiana 1882

·         Indian names of lakes, rivers, towns, forts &c. of Indiana 1882

·         Geological map of Indiana 1883

·         Geological map of Indiana 1884

·         Post route map of Ohio, Indiana & Cinncinnati environs 1884

·         State of Indiana 1886

·         Indiana Between 1880 and 1889

·         Indiana 1890

·         Bridgman's New Sectional and Township Map of Indiana 1894

·         The Matthews-Northrup up-to-date map of Indiana 1894

·         Indiana 1895

·         Pam Rietsch's 1895 Atlas

·         Indiana 1897

·         Drainage map of southern Indiana 1901

·         Mendenhall's new road map & route book of Indiana, 1901

·         Mendenhall's road map and route book of Indiana, 1901

·         Mendenhall's guide and road map of Indiana, 1906

·         State of Indiana 1916

·         1922 Map of Indiana

·         Map of Indiana: points of interest & state highways 1923

·         Indiana State Atlas 1934 $

records

·         IN State Department of Health: Birth & Death Certs.

·         Births and Christenings 1773-1933

·         IN Birth Certs., Death Records, Marriage Licenses

·         Indiana Births, 1880-1920 $

·         Indiana Death Index 1882-1920

·         Indiana Death Records

·         Indiana Marriage Records Project

·         Indiana Marriages 1811-1959

·         Indiana Genealogy Records

·         Indiana Marriages 1780-1992

·         Indiana Marriages to 1850 $

·         Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 $

·         Indiana Marriages, 1845-1920 $

·         Indiana State Library Genealogy Database

·         Indiana Vital Records Information

·         Online Indiana Death Records & Indexes

·         Pre-1882 Indiana Deaths

societies

·         Great Lakes Chapter Assoc. of Professional Genealogists

·         Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana

·         Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution

·         Indiana Genealogical Society

·         Indiana Historical Society

·         The Indiana Society Children of the American Revolution

·         Indiana State Society: United States Daughters of 1812

·         Italian Heritage Society of Indiana

·         Magna Charta Dames & Barons Indiana Division

·         Old Northwest Historical Society

·         Palatines to America Indiana Chapter

·         Society of Civil War Families of Indiana

·         The Society of Indiana Pioneers

Internet resources

The Google search engine  button  and following web sites    may     provide    you

with additional information to assist with your research about   this   U. S.   State. 

General Resources

Locality Specific Resources

FREE Record Collections

Our Genealogy Reference Library

·         GenealogyLinks.net

·         n2genealogy.com

·         50states.com - States and Capitals

·         United States Research Wiki – Family Search

·         Kindred Trails.com

·         Genealogy Trails History Group

·         United States Research Wiki – Family Search

·         Family Search,  USA IGI Batches, Localities

·         Birth & Marriage Records Indexes for USA

·         Record Search - Family Search.org

·         Genealogy.com: Resources by county

·         Libweb - Libraries on the Web

·         The USGenWeb Project

·         RootsWeb Town Search 1.0

·         Genealogy Forum: U.S. States

·         Rootsweb.com – U.S. Message Boards

·         Cyndi's List – United States Index

·         USGenWeb Archives

·         Data Base Collections at Ancestry.com ($)

·         Ancestry.com Wiki

·         Linkpendium

·         Histopolis.com – Collaborative Genealogy and History

·         MyGenealogist.com

·         Access Genealogy

·         DistantCousin.com - archive of genealogy records

·         Searchable Death Indexes & Records

·         Census Finder –Free Census and other Records

·         StateGenSites - U.S. Genealogy Sites by State

Locality Specific Resources

·         Genealogy Links – Indiana

·         Indiana at n2genealogy.com

·         50states.com -  Indiana

·         Research Wiki - Indiana

·         Kindred Trails.com – Indiana

·         Genealogy Trails History Group – Indiana

·         Indiana Research Wiki

·         Indiana Genealogy Forum

·         Rootsweb Message Board – Indiana

·         Cyndi's List – Indiana

·         USGenWeb Archives – Indiana

·         Indiana Data Collection at Ancestry.com ($)

·         Ancestry.com Wiki - Indiana

·         Linkpendium - Indiana

Free Records & Databases

All of the records and databases we’ve collected are FREE and can be accessed and searched online without having to pay for a subscription.   We have divided our collected into 14 record types as follows: Biographical; Birth; Cemetery; Census & City Directories; Church; Court; Death; Immigration & Naturalization; Land; Marriage; Military; Newspapers; Occupational; and Tax Records.    We try not to list any sites that have only a few records for the purpose of getting you to a website that will charge a fee to actually see the record beyond just a name.  

This Link will take you to our

collections of FREE Records.  

Genealogy Reference Library

The following Link will take you to our library of genealogy reference books that pertain to this U.S. State.   Here you will find books about the history and records of this State, as well as its counties and other localities such as towns and churches.   The collection also contains research works about State military units and personnel during America’s wars.  In addition, there are resource texts about the ethnic and religious groups who settled in this State.

This Link will take you to our

collections of reference books.  

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-- This webpage was last updated on --

01 October 2012