Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description
Vigo County was named for Francis Vigo, an Italian tradesman who was instrumental in the capture of Fort Vincennes by George Rogers Clark, and assistance both in financing Clark's expedition and American Revolutionary War efforts, and in service as an agent obtaining military information for Clark against British campaigns on the then frontier. Francis Vigo was of Italian heritage but a citizen of Spain due to residence in St. Louis. The county is located in the west-central part of the state.

County Courthouse
 Vigo County Courthouse 333 Wabash Avenue PO Box 8449 Terre Haute, IN 47808 Phone: 812-462-3214 County Website

Vigo County Health Department 147 Oak Street Terre Haute, IN 47807 Health Officer: Darren Brucken, MD Phone: 812-462-3428 Fax: 812-231-6242 Email: [mailto:joni.wise@vigocounty.in.gov joni.wise@vigocounty.in.gov] Health Department

County Clerk has marriage, probate and court records from from 1818 and divorce records from 1825. 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.

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:

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
 * Curtis Gilbert Biography (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Noah S. Grindle Diary, 1875 (Wabash Valley Genealogy Society)
 * Oakey, C.C. Greater Terre Haute and Vigo County, Vol. 2 (Biographies). Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
 * Vigo County, Indiana Biographies Project
 * Wright, John D. The Terror of Terre Haute: Bud Taylor and the 1920s. Indianapolis: Dog Ear Publishing, 2008. Google Books

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * Inventories to Collections: Businesses (Vigo County Public Library)

Cemeteries

 * Vigo County Cemeteries (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Bethesda Cemetery, West Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
 * Roberts Cemetery: Robbins, Coy D. Roberts Cemetery Burials: Lost Creek Settlement, Vigo County, Indiana, 1866-1911. Bloomington, IN: Self-published, 1996. WorldCat

Census Records

 * Vigo County Census (INGenWeb)
 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for Vigo County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Church Records

 * Inventories to Collections: Churches (Vigo County Public Library)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African-Americans
 * Inventories to Collections: African-American (Vigo County Public Library)

Genealogies

 * Brown, Mrs. Herbert E. Vigo County, Indiana Family Records. [n.p.], 1966. WorldCat
 * Dorrel, Ruth. Vigo County, Indiana Index of Names of Persons and of Firms. Indianapolis: County History Indexing Project, Indiana Historical Society, 1982. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Farwell, Bonnie. Genealogical and Historical Sketches of Vigo County, Indiana. Terre Haute, IN: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1929. WorldCat
 * Inventories to Collections: Manuscript Collections (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Vigo County, Indiana Family Records. Terre Haute, IN: Ft. Harrison Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1945. WorldCat

Local Histories

 * Greater Terre Haute and Vigo County. 2 volumes. 1908. By C.C. Oakey. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1&2 - Hathitrust, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive; . Vol. 1 contains Vigo County history.
 * History of Indiana from its Exploration to 1922 : also An Account of Vigo County from its Organization. 3 volumes. 1922. By Logan Esarey ; edited by William F. Cronin. Dayton, Ohio : Dayton Historical Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 3 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Vol. 3 - Google Books; . Vol. 3 contains Vigo County history.
 * History of Vigo and Parke Counties Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley. 1880. By Hiram Williams Beckwith. Chicago: H.H. Hill and N. Iddings. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($);.
 * History of Vigo County, Indiana, with Biographical Selections. 1891. By Henry C. Bradsby. Chicago: S.B. Nelson & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * 1914 Vigo County Map (GenWeb)
 * Andreas, A.T. Atlas Map of Vigo County, Indiana. Chicago: A.T. Andreas, 1874. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Standard Atlas of Vigo County, Indiana. Terre Haute, IN: Vigo Atlas Map Co., 1907. WorldCat
 * Historical Maps of Indiana, Vigo County (Historic Mapworks)
 * Vigo County Township Maps GoogleDocs
 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library

Military Records
General
 * Fort Harrison Centennial Association. Fort Harrison on the Banks of the Wabash 1812-1912. Terre Haute, IN: Moore-Langen Printing Co. for John Morton Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, 1912. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
 * Inventories to Collections: Wars &amp; Military Records (Vigo County Public Library)
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 Vigo County, Indiana (Internet Archive)
 * Indiana Military (INGenWeb)
 * Indiana Military (USGenWeb)
 * African American Veterans in Vigo County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives

Revolutionary War
 * Revolutionary War Soldiers of Vigo County (Wabash Valley Visions &amp; Voices)

Mexican War
 * Inventories to Collections: Mexican War (Vigo County Public Library)

Civil War Civil War service men from Vigo 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 Vigo County.


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company C
 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies I, and M
 * 3rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies B, and M
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies G, K, and I
 * 8th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company D
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, D, and Reorganized Companies C, D, and K
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company K
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Companies E, F, G, I, and K:
 * 14th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company I
 * 18th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company B
 * 22nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 31st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, E, and K
 * 32nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 35th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 40th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 43rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
 * 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 85th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, E, F, and G
 * 115th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company K
 * Enlisted Men, Company K, 115th Regiment (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * 123rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 133rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies C, D, E, H, and I
 * 149th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, C, F, H, and K
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Companies D, G, and Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books:
 * Chapter 30: War. Bradsby, Henry C. History of Vigo County, Indiana, with Biographical Selections. Chicago: S.B. Nelson & Co., 1891. Reprint edition, Evansville, IN: Unigraphic, 1969. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
 * Inventories to Collections: Civil War (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Vigo County, Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project (Wabash Valley Visions &amp; Voices)

Spanish-American War
 * Inventories to Collections: Spanish-American War (Vigo County Public Library)

World War I
 * 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * Inventory to Collections: World War I (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Vigo County, Indiana: A Record of Men and Women Who Died in the Service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War, 1914-1918 (Genealogy Trails)

World War II
 * Inventory to Collections: World War II (Vigo County Public Library)

Korean War
 * Inventories to Collections: Korean War (Vigo County Public Library)

Vietnam War
 * Inventories to Collections: Vietnam War (Vigo County Public Library)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Index to Declarations of Intention. Terre Haute, IN: Wabash Valley Genealogical Society, [1980?]. WorldCat
 * Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * 1804-2010 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011

Obituaries

 * Vigo County Obituaries (INGenWeb)
 * Vigo County Obituaries (USGenWeb)
 * Wabash Valley Obituary Index (Vigo County Public Library)

Other Records

 * Jerse, Dorothy W., and John R. Becker III. Terre Haute &amp; Vigo County in Vintage Postcards (Postcard History series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Google Books

Probate Records

 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry $
 * Vigo County Wills (INGenWeb)

School Records

 * Students of Garfield High School, Terre Haute (1936-1939) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Teachers of Garfield High School, Terre Haute (1936) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Inventories to Collections: Colleges and Universities (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Inventories to Collections: Schools (Vigo County Public Library)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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.

Birth

 * 1882-1920 - Index to birth records, Vigo County, 1882-1920. Works Progress Administration. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.

Marriage

 * 1780-1992  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1800-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1802-1892 Indiana, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index and images, ($)
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1818-1850 Lansaw, Simona. Marriages, Vigo County, Indiana, 1818-1850. Utica, Kentucky: McDowell Publications
 * 1818-1951 - Vigo County Marriage Index: 1818-1951 (Vigo County Library)
 * 1840-1920 Works Progress Administration.Index to marriage records, Vigo County, 1840-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.
 * 1880-1920 Works Progress Administration.Index to supplemental record, marriage transcript, Vigo County, 1880-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.

Death

 * Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry.com - index, (Free collection)
 * 1750-1993 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1882-1920 Works Progress Administration. Index to death records, Vigo County, 1882-1920.Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.  
 * 1882-1920 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry $; images

Family History Centers

 * Crawfordsville Indiana Family History Center
 * Linton Indiana Family History Center
 * Martinsville Indiana Family History Center
 * Terre Haute Indiana Family History Center
 * Marshall Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Putnam County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Vigo County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Vigo County Public Library One Library Square Terre Haute, IN 47807 Phone: 812-232-1113 Website

Museums
Vigo County Historical Society Museum 929 Wabash Avenue Terre Haute, IN Phone: 812-235-9717 Website

Societies

 * Vigo County Historical Society and Museum 929 Wabash Avenue Terre Haute, IN 47807 Phone: 812-235-9717 Facebook Website
 * Wabash Valley Genealogy Society P.O. Box 7012 Terre Haute, IN 47802-7012 Email: [mailto:wvgs@inwvgs.org wvgs@inwvgs.org] Website

Websites

 * Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * 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
 * Vigo County (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Vigo County, Indiana GenWeb (INGenWeb)
 * Wabash Valley Visions &amp; Voices: A Digital Memory Project
 * – 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.