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.

Description
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.

County Courthouse
 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. 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

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

 * 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

 * 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

 * 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
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.

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.

Court Records

 * Many indexes are available online at South Bend Area Genealogical Society

Directories

 * 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

 *  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

 * Polish Immigrants to the Midwest at South Bend Area Genealogical Society

Genealogies

 * Michiana Genealogical Index at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
 * Immigrant Family Trees at South Bend Area Genealogical Society

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; . 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 ($); . 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

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Indiana
 * Maps at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library

Military Records

 * 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 &amp; Two, by Timothy Edward Howard, 1907. (Edwardsburg, Mich: Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007), at EveryNameIndex

World War I
 * 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 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
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

 * 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

Probate Records

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

School Records

 * 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

 * 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

 * 1900 - 1999 - Time and Place of Birth Records Index, Saint Joseph County, Indiana at South Bend Area Genealogical Society

Marriage

 * 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 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

 * Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry.com - index, (Free collection)
 * 1750-1993 - at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1879-1960 Coroner's Index 1879-1960 at South Bend Area Genealogical Society
 * 1882-1920 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry $; images

Family History Centers

 * 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
St. Joseph County Public Library Keller Park Branch 737 Beale St. South Bend, IN 46616 Email: [mailto:local.history@sjcpl.org local.history@sjcpl.org] Website  Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library 209 Lincolnway East Mishawaka, IN 46544 Phone:  574-259-5277, ext. 1300 Email: [mailto:mishinfo@mphpl.org mishinfo@mphpl.org] Website

Museums
The History Museum 808 W. Washington St. South Bend, IN 46601-1439 Phone: 574-235-9664 Email: [mailto:info@historymuseumsb.org info@historymuseumsb.org] Website

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: [mailto:historicnc@townofnewcarlisle.com historicnc@townofnewcarlisle.com] Website
 * Michiana Jewish Historical Society 3202 Shalom Way South Bend, IN 46615-2955 Phone: 574-245-5850 Email: [mailto:history@michianajewish.org history@michianajewish.org] Facebook Website
 * Walkerton Area Historical Society 413 Michigan St. Walkerton, IN 46574-1115 Phone: 574-586-3868 Email: [mailto:janrhodes@embarqmail.com janrhodes@embarqmail.com] Facebook
 * St. John Historical Society P.O. Box 134 10955 W 93rd Avenue St. John, IN 46373 Email: [mailto:sjhistorical@att.net sjhistorical@att.net] Facebook

Websites

 * 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
 * – 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.