Adams County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Adams County, Indiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Adams County, Indiana | |||||||
Map | |||||||
![]() Location of Indiana in the U.S. | |||||||
Facts | |||||||
Founded | February 7, 1835 | ||||||
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County Seat | Decatur | ||||||
Courthouse | |||||||
Address | Adams County Courthouse 112 S 2nd Street Decatur, IN 46733 Phone: 219.724.2600 Adams County Website | ||||||
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Contents
- 1 Historical Facts
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business Records
- 2.4 Cemeteries
- 2.5 Census Records
- 2.6 Church Records
- 2.7 Court Records
- 2.8 Directories
- 2.9 Emigration and Immigration
- 2.10 Ethnic and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Gazetteers
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Histories
- 2.14 Land and Property
- 2.15 Maps
- 2.16 Military Records
- 2.17 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.18 Newspapers
- 2.19 Obituaries
- 2.20 Probate Records
- 2.21 Public Records
- 2.22 Repositories
- 2.23 Taxation
- 2.24 Vital Records
- 2.25 Websites
- 3 Places
- 4 References
Historical Facts
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Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1882 | 1836 | 1882 | 1844 | 1837 | 1838 | 1807 |
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- Parent Counties: Formed from Adams New Purchase (Allen/Delaware/Randolph) in 1835[2]
- County Seat: Decatur [3]
Description
The county was named in honor of President John Quincy Adams. It's county seat is Decatur and was founded 1 March 1836. It is located in the Northeast area of the state.[4]
Neighboring Counties
Allen • Wells • Jay • Van Wert • Mercer
- Neighboring Counties: Adams County, Indiana Genealogy residents may also have records in [5]
Allen (north) · Jay (south) · Van Wert (northeast) · Mercer (southeast) · Wells (west)
Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Indiana County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Indiana County Boundary Maps" (1790-1873) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business Records
Cemeteries
Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
INGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
INGenWeb Archives | ||
Tombstone Project | ||
Indiana Interment | ||
Billion Graves | ||
See Indiana Cemeteries for more information. |
- The Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center has numerous transcriptions of Adams County cemeteries on its website.
- The Indiana Genealogical Society has many transcriptions of Adams County cemeteries available for free on its website.
- Adams County, Indiana: Cemeteries - Linkpendium
Census Records
- Index of 1840 Census for Adams County, Indiana (Free, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- Index of 1850 Census for Adams County, Indiana (Free, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- Index to Mortality Schedule for Adams County, Indiana (1860) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Adams County, Indiana (1880) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
For tips on accessing Adams County, Indiana Genealogy census records online, see: Indiana Census.
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.
Finding More Church Records
Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Adams County, Indiana Genealogy Church Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Court Records
- Old Courthouse Records - INGenWeb
Directories
- Early Settlers of Adams County ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic and Religious Groups
Gazetteers
Genealogies
Histories
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Adams County, Indiana Genealogy. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information.
- History for Adams County Linkpendium
Online County Histories
- Biographical and Historical Record of Adams and Wells Counties, Indiana. 1887. Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Online at: Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Reminiscences of Adams, Jay and Randolph Counties, Indiana. By Martha C. M. Lynch. [1896?] Fort Wayne, Indiana : Lipes, Nelson & Singmaster. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online; Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- A Short, Short Story of Adams County, Indiana. By French Quinn. 19--?. Berne, Indiana : Economy Printing Concern. Online at: Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Snow's History of Adams County Indiana. By J. F. Snow. 1907. Indianapolis, Ind. : B.F. Bowen. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online; Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Standard History of Adams and Wells Counties Indiana. 2 Vols. By John W. Tyndall & Orlo E. Lesh. 1918. Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Books Online; Internet Archive - Vol. 1; Google Books - Vol. 2; At various libraries (WorldCat).
For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Indiana Local Histories.
Land and Property
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.
After land was transferred from the government to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded at the courthouse, where records are currently housed.
See Indiana Land and Property for additional information about early Indiana land grants and patents.
Finding More Land Records
Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Adams County, Indiana Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Maps
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Family Maps of Adams County, Indiana Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
- Maps and Gazetteers Linkpendium
Military Records
Civil War
- Adams County, Indiana List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 at Internet Archive
Civil War service men from Adams County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Adams County.
- 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company B
- 8th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company C
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company C
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
- 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company D
- 47th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 57th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 89th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies H, I, and K
- 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
- 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 153rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
World War I (The Great War), 1914-1918
- World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Adams County - Ancestry.com ($) INGenWeb
- Adams County WWI Ancestral Heroes
- 1919 - Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch — index
World War II, 1941-1945
- Adams County, Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps - AccessGenealogy
Naturalization and Citizenship
Newspapers
Adams County, Indiana Genealogy newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings. The Indiana Division of the Indiana State Library has the state’s largest newspaper collection. Their newspaper microfilms are available through inter-library loan. For a county-by-county inventory of their 16,500 reels of Indiana newspaper microfilms, see their Indiana Collection.
Other places to access newspapers are Newspaper Archive ($)(may be free at your local library), public libraries, college or university libraries, the Library of Congress, or Google News.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
Obituaries
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 county courthouse.
Online Probate Records
- 1798 – 1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Finding More Probate Records
Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Adams County, Indiana Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- South Bend Area Genealogical Society: Wills Index 1830-1971 for St. Joseph County
Public Records
School Records
- Graduates of Common Schools in Adams County, Indiana (1912) (Free, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- School Enumeration of Union Township, Adams County, Indiana (1853) (Members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- Eighth Grade Commencement, 1938
- School Records and Histories Linkpendium
Voter Registration
Repositories
Courthouse
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records. [6]
Archives
Libraries
Museums
Societies
Adams County Historical Society
PO Box 262
Decatur 46733
E-mail:achs262@hotmail.com
Adams County Indiana Genealogical Society
PO Box 33
Geneva, IN 46740-0033
Swiss Heritage Society
PO Box 88
Berne, IN 46711-0088
Telephone Number: 260-589-8007
Email:anitamiller@swissheritage.org
Website
Family History Centers
Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.
For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the family history center directory.
Taxation
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.
Finding More Tax Records
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Adams County, Indiana Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
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. See also How to order Indiana Vital Records or order electronically online.
Marriage licenses were required by counties beginning in 1800. Original marriage records are held at the office of the Adams County, Indiana Genealogy County Clerk with divorce records located with the Adams County, Indiana Genealogy Clerk of Courts.
Birth Records
- 1882-1920 Index to Birth Records Adams County usgenweb
Marriage Records
- 1800s-2007 - Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch
- 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry.com $
- 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images
Death Records
- 1870-2000 Index to Death Record Adams County INGenWeb
- 1882-1920 Indiana Death Index Transcription of WPA Death Index, 1882-1920
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch Historical Records - Index only
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry - ($), index and images
- Indiana State Digital Archives
Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Adams County, Indiana Genealogy Vital Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Websites
- Adams County, IN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Indiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Adams County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
Places
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Adams County, Indiana. Page 211-218 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 208-211.
- ↑ Ancestry.com wiki contributors, "Adams County, Ohio" in Ancestry.com: Wiki at http://www.ancestry.com/wiki/index.php?title=Monroe _County,_Ohio (accessed 4 August 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Indiana accessed 2/27/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Adams County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adams_County,_Indiana (accessed 2 August 2013).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Adams, Indiana 211 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.