Grant County, Indiana Genealogy

United States

Indiana

Grant County

Guide to Grant County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Indiana Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Marion Organized: February 10, 1831 Parent County(s): Unorganized Territory Neighboring Counties Miami  • Wabash  • Huntington  • Wells  • Blackford  • Delaware  • Madison  • Tipton  • Howard See County Maps Courthouse Location Map Adoption Adopt-a-wiki page This page adopted by: Indiana Genealogical Society who welcome you to contribute. Adopt a page today

County Information

Description

Grant County was named for Samuel and Moses Grant. It is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse

Grant County Courthouse
Marion, IN 46953
Phone: 765-668-8121
County Website

Grant County Health Department
401 South Adams Street
Marion, IN, 46953
Health Officer: Wm. David Moore, MD
Phone Number: 765-651-2401
Fax: 765-651-2419
Email: tstreet@grantcounty.net
Health Department

County Health Department has birth and death records.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1831.
County Auditor has land records.
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.

Grant County, Indiana Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1882	1831	1882	1831	1831	1831	1807
*Statewide registration for births in 1907 and deaths in Oct 1899. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent Counties: Formed February 10, 1831 from Adams New Purchase (Madison/Delaware/Randolph) and unorganized territory County Seat: Marion Interactive Map of Indiana County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Indiana county boundary changes Indiana Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places

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:

Cities
Gas City	Jonesboro	Marion
Towns
Fairmount Fowlerton Matthews	Swayzee Sweetser	Upland Van_Buren
Unincorporated communities
Hackleman
Census-designated places
Herbst Jalapa	Landess Mier	Point Isabel Sims
Townships
Center Fairmount Franklin Green Jefferson	Liberty Mill Monroe Pleasant	Richland Sims Van Buren Washington

Resources

Biographies

• Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Grant County, Indiana online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Find A Grave INGenWeb INGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Indiana Interment Billion Graves
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com FamilySearch Places
See Indiana Cemeteries for more information.

 

• Weaver Cemetery photos (Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center)
• Marion Public Library. Database search form.
• Photos of Tombstones in Weaver Cemetery, Liberty Township, Grant County, Indiana at Indiana Genealogical Society

Census Records

For tips on accessing Grant County census records online, see: Indiana Census.

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1840	4,875	—
1850	11,092	127.5%
1860	15,797	42.4%
1870	18,487	17.0%
1880	23,618	27.8%
1890	31,493	33.3%
1900	54,693	73.7%
1910	51,426	−6.0%
1920	51,353	−0.1%
1930	51,066	−0.6%
1940	55,813	9.3%
1950	62,156	11.4%
1960	75,741	21.9%
1970	83,955	10.8%
1980	80,934	−3.6%
1990	74,169	−8.4%
2000	73,403	−1.0%
2010	70,061	−4.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Grant County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Church Records

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.
List of Churches and Church Parishes

• FamilySearch Places
  

• 1843-1881 First Presbyterian Church, Marion, Baptism Index 1843-1881 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C535041 .

Land and Property Records

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 Grant County courthouse, where records are currently housed.

• Miami Indians Who Received Land on Miami Reservation, Grant and Wabash Counties, Indiana (1873) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Grant County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.

• Blackford and Grant Counties, Indiana. 2 volumes. 1914. Comp. & Ed. by Benjamin G. Shinn. Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• Centennial History of Grant County, Indiana, 1812 to 1912. 2 volumes. 1914. By Roland Lewis Whitson. Chicago, Ill. ; New York : Lewis Publishing Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• History of Grant County, Indiana: From the Earliest Time to the Present. 2 volumes. 1886. Chicago: Brant & Fuller. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat). Index: Every Name Index, compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
• Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
• Grant County Communities, Land Record, & Maps - INGenWeb
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
• Military Information - InGenWeb
• African American Veterans in Grant County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

War of 1812
Holliday, Murray, The Battle of the Mississinewa, 1812 (Grant County Historical Society)FHL 977.269 H2h

Civil War
Civil War service men from Grant 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 Grant County

• 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Companies A, and M
• 8th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company H
• 12th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies H, I, and Reorganized C
• 12th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
• 34th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, F, K, and I
• 54th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
• 89th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
• 101st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, F, H, and I
• 130th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
• 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies A, and D
• 153rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, D, H, I, and K
• 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books:

• "Regiment" in Brant & Fuller. 2008. History of Grant County, Indiana: from the earliest time to the present. (Chicago: Brant & Fuller.). Pages 483-496. Regiment, Companies, Names. 977.269 H2 v. 1 FHL US/CAN, 977.269 H2 v. 2 FNL Collection; Other Libraries
  
• Williamson, Jennifer, and Donna Craig. 2001. 1862 Grant County, Indiana, indexed Civil War draft enrollment lists. (Valparaiso, IN (P.O. Box 248, Valparaiso 46384): Footprints Pub. Co.). 977.269 H2w FHL US/CAN Book FHL Collection; Other Libraries
  

World War I

• 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

• Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.

Newspapers

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.

• 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
• Grant County Newspapers - GenWeb
• Hoosier State Chronicles

Probate Records

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 Grant County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.

• 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry $

School Records

• Graduates and Teachers of Marion High School (1928) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
• Alumni of Swayzee High School (1901-1902) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
• Students of Swayzee High School (1911, 1913) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
• Teachers of Swayzee High School (1913) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Social Security Records

• 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

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

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.

• Grant County Health Department (Births prior to October 1907. After that, they are available through Indiana State Department of Health Vital Records)
  

Marriage

• 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
• 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
• 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry ($)
• 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index and images, ($)
• 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Death

• Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry.com - index, (Free collection)
• 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 ($)
• The Allen County Public Library has An Index to the Marriage and Death Notices in the Marion Chronicle, 1867-1882
• Grant County, Indiana Vital Records, Obituaries, and Cemetery Lists at Indiana Genealogical Society

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Grant County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.

Family History Centers

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• 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 Affiliate Libraries

• Kokomo Indiana Family History Center
• Marion Indiana Family History Center
• Muncie Indiana Family History Center
• Kokomo-Howard County Public Library - an affiliate library.
• Marion Public Library / Indiana History and Genealogy Service - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Grant County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.

Marion Public Library
600 S. Washington Street
Marion, IN 46953-1992
Phone: 765-668-2900
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Grant County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.

Gas City Historical Society
P.O. Box 192
Gas City Museum
210 W North A Street
Gas City, IN 46933
Phone: 765-674-1892
Website

Grant County Historical Society
P.O. Box 1951
Marion Public Library
600 S. Washington St.
Marion, IN 46952
Phone: 765-668-2900, ext. 132
Email: gc.hs@hotmail.com
Facebook
Website

Jonesboro Historical Society
P.O. Box 195
414 S. Main Street
Jonesboro, IN 46938-0195
Phone: 765-674-1836
Facebook

Websites

• 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
• LinkpendiumCemeteries for Grant County, Land and Property Records, Maps, Military Records and History, Vital Records.
• EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for county histories. Select a county.
• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• 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.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

Family History Library

The collection is free on this subscription website.

FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a family history center.