R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Indiana
Research Outline
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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Family History Library Catalog
     Record Selection Table
Archives And Libraries
Bible Records
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
     Federal Censuses
     Territorial And State Censuses
Church Records
     Baptist
     Disciples Of Christ
     Lutheran
     Methodist
     Presbyterian
     Roman Catholic
     Society Of Friends (quakers)
Court Records
Directories
Divorce Records
Emigration And Immigration
     Major Ports Of Entry
     Publications Listing Immigrants
Gazetteers
Genealogy
     Nationwide Indexes
     Statewide Collections And Publications
     Example Of A Regional Collection
History
     County History Indexes By The Work Projects Administration
     Additional Sources For Historical Information
Land And Property
     Pre-statehood Land Records
     Land Records After Statehood (1816)
     Subsequent Land Transfers In County Records
Maps
     Boundary Changes
     Statewide Atlases
     City Ward Maps
Military Records
     Revolutionary War (1775–1783)
     War Of 1812 (1812–1815)
     Black Hawk War (1832)
     Mexican War (1846–1848)
     Civil War (1861–1865)
     Indiana Militia Records (1872–1896)
     Spanish-american War (1898)
     World War I (1917–1918)
     World War II (1941–1945) And Korean Conflict (1950–1953)
     Vietnam War (1961 To 1973)
Minorities
     People Of African Descent
     Other Minorities
Native Races
     American Indian Sources
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Orphans And Orphanages
Periodicals
Probate Records
     Statewide Indexes
     Probate Record Inventories
     Availability Of Probate Records
Public Records
Schools
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
     City And County Records Of Births And Deaths
     State Records Of Births And Deaths
     Marriages
     Marriage Index On Internet
     Marriage Indexes On Compact Disc
     Marriage Index On Floppy Disk
     Coroner’s Records
     Divorces
     Vital Records In The Family History Library Catalog
     Guide To Vital Records
Voting Registers
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

GENEALOGYLook this term up in the glossary.


Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and indexes of genealogical value. You may wish to write to these organizations for help and suggestions in your search.


Nationwide Indexes

You will find information on the following important nationwide genealogical indexes in the United States Research Outline, in the sections indicated.

  • Ancestral FileLook this term up in the glossary. – “Genealogy” section. Also available on the FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service at www.familysearch.org.

  • FamilyFinder IndexLook this term up in the glossary. – “Census” section. Also available on the Internet at www.familytreemaker.com. FamilyFinder is a trademark of Brøderbund Software, Inc.

  • Family History Library Catalog, Surname sectionLook this term up in the glossary. – “Introduction” and “Genealogy” sections. Also available on the FamilySearch™ Internet Genealogy Service at www.familysearch.org.

  • Genealogical Index of the Newberry Library – “Genealogy” section.

  • Index to American Genealogies – “Genealogy” section.

  • Index to National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections (NUCMC) – “Genealogy” section. This is available on the Internet at www.lib.umb.edu/archivesUSA.html.

These indexes are available at the Family History Library and many libraries with family history collections:


Statewide Collections and Publications

Indiana Genealogical Society Ancestor File. 2 vols. Fort Wayne, Ind.: Indiana Genealogical Society, 1994, 1997. (FHL book 977.2 D22m; computer number 785391.) This publication lists the names of ancestors of members of the Indiana Genealogical Society, including the dates and places of their birth, marriage, and death and the addresses of over 100 members.

Daughters of the American Revolution (Indiana). Genealogical Collection. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1970. (On 33 FHL films, beginning with 849931; computer number 60340.) This collection consists of transcripts of Bible records, cemetery records, church records, marriages, deaths, genealogies, obituaries, and wills. The volumes are generally arranged by county, and many have individual indexes. A surname index to these microfilms is found in:

Kirkham, E. Kay. An Index to Some of the Bibles and Family Records of the United States. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1984. (FHL book 973 D22kk vol.2; fiche 6089184; computer number 298346.) Section two lists the surname and the corresponding microfilm numbers for the Bible records from Indiana and neighboring states.

Dorrel, Ruth. Pioneer Ancestors of Members of the Society of Indiana Pioneers. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society, 1983. (FHL book 977.2 D2do; computer number 229962.) This book lists information about more than 7,500 Indiana pioneers from the applications of society members. (See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for the address of this society.) For a small fee, the society will supply photocopies of the applications you request. The application papers may contain minimal or extensive family information, including birth dates and places, the county and date of settlement in Indiana, and a state and county of previous residence.

Indiana Source Book: Genealogical Material From the Hoosier Genealogist, cited in the “For Further Reading” section near the end of this outline, includes over 175,000 indexed names.

Indiana State Library. Indiana Family Exchange File. This is not available at the Family History Library. This file provides a means for bringing together persons who are researching Indiana families. Only Indiana families are listed. The information is placed on a 3" X 5" file card that lists the family name, Indiana location, approximate dates, submitter’s name, address, telephone number, and date of submission.. The Indiana State Library’s address is listed in the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline.

Miller, Barbara E. Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana Surname Volumes I–III, 1976–1986. Fort Wayne, Ind.: Allen County Genealogical Society, 1983–1993. (FHL book 977.274 D22m; computer number 515960.) These contain information taken from pedigree charts and submitted to the Allen County Genealogical Society by its members. It includes an index of about 1,500 ancestors and the names and addresses of over 500 submitters.

Northern Indiana Historical Society (South Bend, Indiana). Family File. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990. (FHL films 1672976–78 and 1671780–81; computer number 378410.) This contains an alphabetical listing of family histories for hundreds of families, primarily of northern Indiana.

Once a Hoosier. Fort Wayne, Ind.: Indiana Genealogical Society, 1996. This is not available at the Family History Library. This has information about Indiana families who moved to other states. It includes information on birth, marriage, death, spouse, and children. It also gives the name and address of the submitter. This book can be ordered from the society, whose address is given under the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline.

WPA Card File. The Work Projects Administration prepared an extensive card file of over 150,000 index cards for many state-level land, court, and military records in the pre-1850 record series at the Archives Division, Commission on Public Records. This is only available to researchers at the Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis, Indiana. About 95 percent of the sources indexed cannot be identified easily.

The genealogical column Hoosier Ancestors, later named Indiana Ancestors, was written by Pearl Brenton and later by Betty McCay Roth. It was published in the Indianapolis Sunday Star newspaper from 1963 to 1977. The queries, responses, and every-name indexes for some years are on microfilm.

Brenton, Pearl. Hoosier Ancestors, 1963–1973. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987. (FHL films 1502589 item10; 1502590; computer number 548411.) FHL film 1502590 (last item) has every-name indexes for the 1963 to 1973 columns.

Roth, Betty McCay. Hoosier Ancestors, 1973–1977. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1987. (FHL film 1502591 items1–3; computer number 548417.) The column was published from 1973 to 1977. An index for the 1973 to 30 June 1974 queries is at the end of item one on the film. There is no index after 1974.


Example of a Regional Collection

Family Group Sheets, 1979–1981. 4 vols. New Albany, Ind.: Southern Indiana Genealogical Society, 1982. (FHL book 977.2 D2f; computer number 428535.) These volumes contain over 800 family group forms submitted from 1979 to 1981 with birth, marriage, and death dates, and places for the father and mother (often with names of the father’s and mother’s parents and children). Sources are given, and each volume is indexed.

For listings of other genealogy sources, see the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

INDIANA- GENEALOGYINDIANA, [COUNTY]- GENEALOGYINDIANA, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- GENEALOGY

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