St. Joseph County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to St. Joseph County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
St. Joseph County was named for the St. Joseph River which flows through it toward Lake Michigan. The county is located in the north-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
St. Joseph County Courthouse
101 S Main Street
South Bend, IN 46601
Phone: 219-235-9635
County Website
St. Joseph County Health Department
8th Floor, County-City Building, 227 West Jefferson Blvd.
South Bend, IN, 46601
Health Officer: Robert Einertz, MD
Phone Number: 574-235-9750
Fax: 574-235-9960
Health Department
County Health Department has birth, death and burial records.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records.
County Assessor has land 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.
St. Joseph 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 | 1830 | 1882 | 1841 | 1830 | 1830 | 1807 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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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]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
- 1892-1975 - Dentist License Records Index at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- 1892-1975 - Doctor and Midwife License Records Index at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- 1921-1963 - Studebaker Employee List at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- 1938 - Roster of Civilian Conservation Corps (1938) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- 1830-1938 Graves Registration Project at South Bend Area Genealogical Society. This lists all county veterans who died before 1938.
- 1910-1929 Burial Permits Index (1910-1929) at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- St Joseph County Cemeteries address at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- Cemetery Inscriptions Index along with books to purchase at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Census Records[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing St. Joseph County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 287 | — |
| 1840 | 6,425 | 2138.7% |
| 1850 | 10,954 | 70.5% |
| 1860 | 18,455 | 68.5% |
| 1870 | 25,322 | 37.2% |
| 1880 | 33,178 | 31.0% |
| 1890 | 42,457 | 28.0% |
| 1900 | 58,881 | 38.7% |
| 1910 | 84,312 | 43.2% |
| 1920 | 103,304 | 22.5% |
| 1930 | 160,033 | 54.9% |
| 1940 | 161,823 | 1.1% |
| 1950 | 205,058 | 26.7% |
| 1960 | 238,614 | 16.4% |
| 1970 | 245,045 | 2.7% |
| 1980 | 241,617 | −1.4% |
| 1990 | 247,052 | 2.2% |
| 2000 | 265,559 | 7.5% |
| 2010 | 266,931 | 0.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1880 - Joseph Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for St. Joseph County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- 1870, 1880, 1910 - Federal Census Records Combined Index (1870. 1880, 1910) at South Bend Area 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.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Catholic
- Roman Catholic Marriages Immigrant Marriage Database at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Christian Church
- 1873-1875 - Christian Church, Walkerton, Baptism Index 1873-1875 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C761951 .[8]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- South Bend
Episcopal
Holy Trinity Hungarian Church Records at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Presbyterian
- 1869-1889 - First Presbyterian Church, South Bend, Marriage Index 1869-1889 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch M004232 .
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Many indexes are available online at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Directory of Businesses in St. Joseph County, Indiana (1858) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Directory of Businesses in South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana (1902) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- Pre-1870 - Early Immigration Records Index at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- Early 1900 - Immigrants to the Midwest German, Pole, Hungarian, Belgian and Italian families traced as near to their European origins as possible, at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
- Michiana Genealogical Index at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- Immigrant Family Trees at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
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 St. Joseph County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for St. Joseph County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- A History of St. Joseph County, Indiana. 2 volumes. 1907. By Timothy E. Howard. Chicago, Illinois : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 & 2 - Hathitrust, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat). Index for both volumes found in front of volume 1.
- History of St. Joseph County, Indiana. 1976. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat). Reprint. Originally published: Chicago : C. C. Chapman, 1880. FamilySearch digital version includes Index to Chapman's history of St. Joseph County / by Martha Jane Fields (1971).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Maps at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
- 1860-1880's - Pension Applicants for Saint Joseph County (1860's-1880's) at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Civil War
Civil War service men from St, Joseph 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 St. Joseph County.
- 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company D
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I, and Reorganized Company I
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies A, and H
- 15th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
- 21st Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 29th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies F, H, and K
- 48th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, E, and F
- 73rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 87th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 128th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 138th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H
- 151st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies H, and I
Civil War Books:
- "Military History" Chapter 14, in Howard, Timothy Edward, A History of St. Joseph County, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Pub. Co., 1907. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1; FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2; Internet Archive Both Vols.
- O'Connor, Cathy L., and Timothy Edward Howard. Every Name Index to A History of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volumes One & Two, by Timothy Edward Howard, 1907. (Edwardsburg, Mich: Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007), at EveryNameIndex
World War I
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
- 1856-1954 - South Bend Area Genealogical Society: St. Joseph County Indiana Naturalizations
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.
Many St. Joseph County newspapers, including the South Bend Tribune, South Bend News Times, St. Joe Valley Register, Mishawaka Enterprise, and others from 1830 to the present are available on microfilm at the St. Joseph County Public Library
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1804-2010 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011
- 1881-1913 South Bend Times Name Index (1881-1913) at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- 1886-1929 Walkerton News (1886-1929) at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1800's to Present - Obituaries from the Wakarusa Tribune, Courtesy of Wakarusa Public Library
- 1884-2010 - Obituaries from The Bremen Enquirer, Courtesy of Bremen Public Library
- 1913 to Present - Obituaries from the South Bend Tribune, Courtesy of St. Joseph County Public Library
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 St. Joseph 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]
- 1912-1914 - Students of South Bend High School at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- 1870-1911 - Teachers of South Bend High School at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- 1936 - Students of Mishawaka High School at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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]
- 1900 - 1999 - Time and Place of Birth Records Index, Saint Joseph County, Indiana at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 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, Compiled 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
- 1830-2013 - Marriage Records Index at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- 1866-1967 - Immigrant Marriage Database (Roman Catholic) at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
Death[edit | edit source]
- 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
- 1879-1960 Coroner's Index 1879-1960 at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry $; images
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in St. Joseph County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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
- South Bend Indiana Family History Center
- Valparaiso Indiana Family History Center
- Elkhart Public Library - an affiliate library.
- St Joseph County Library - an affiliate library.
- Valparaiso Public Library/Porter County Public Library System - an affiliate library.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in St. Joseph County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
St. Joseph County Public Library
Keller Park Branch
737 Beale St.
South Bend, IN 46616
Email: local.history@sjcpl.org
Website
Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library
209 Lincolnway East
Mishawaka, IN 46544
Phone: 574-259-5277, ext. 1300
Email: mishinfo@mphpl.org
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
The History Museum
808 W. Washington St.
South Bend, IN 46601-1439
Phone: 574-235-9664
Email: info@historymuseumsb.org
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in St. Joseph County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
South Bend Area Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 11
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Email: Contact form
Facebook
Website
Historic New Carlisle, Inc.
P.O. Box 107
304 East Michigan Street
New Carlisle, IN 46552-0107
Phone: 574-654-3897
Email: historicnc@townofnewcarlisle.com
Website
Michiana Jewish Historical Society
3202 Shalom Way
South Bend, IN 46615-2955
Phone: 574-245-5850
Email: history@michianajewish.org
Facebook
Website
Walkerton Area Historical Society
413 Michigan St.
Walkerton, IN 46574-1115
Phone: 574-586-3868
Email: janrhodes@embarqmail.com
Facebook
St. John Historical Society
P.O. Box 134
10955 W 93rd Avenue
St. John, IN 46373
Email: sjhistorical@att.net
Facebook
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
- Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Extensive - keyword searches suggested
- Indiana Memory Click the map or select a statewide collection
- List of indexes and databases at Indiana State Library
- Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- South Bend Area Genealogical Society
- INGenWeb, St. Joseph County
- USGenWeb, St. Joseph County
- Michiana Memory at St. Joseph County Public Library
- 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]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana. FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "St. Joseph County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph_County,_Indiana accessed 04/03/2017.
- ↑ 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. FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "St. Joseph County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph _County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "St. Joseph County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph_County%2C_Indiana, accessed 07 January 2020.
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/8/8d/Igiindianah.pdf.
