Sullivan County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Sullivan County, Indiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Sullivan County, Indiana | |||||||
| Map | |||||||
 Location of Indiana in the U.S. | |||||||
| Facts | |||||||
| Founded | December 30, 1816 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Seat | Sullivan | ||||||
| Courthouse | |||||||
| Address | Sullivan County Courthouse 100 Courthouse Square #304 Sullivan, IN 47882 Phone: 812.268.4657 County Website | ||||||
| |||||||
Contents
- 1 Historical Facts
- 2 Sullivan County, Indiana 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 Land and Property
- 2.14 Local Histories
- 2.15 Maps
- 2.16 Migration
- 2.17 Military Records
- 2.18 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.19 Newspapers
- 2.20 Obituaries
- 2.21 Occupations
- 2.22 Periodicals
- 2.23 Probate Records
- 2.24 Public Records
- 2.25 Repositories
- 2.26 Taxation
- 2.27 Vital Records
- 2.28 Websites
- 3 References
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1882 | 1850 | 1880 | 1850 | 1850 | 1850 | 1807 |
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Baron Steuben, a Prussian officer of distinction, who joined the American army during the revolutionary war, and rendered the cause of independence valuable aid. The county seat is Sullivan and the county was organized on January 15, 1817. The County is located in the West Central part of the state.[4]
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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Knox • Greene • Clay • Vigo • Crawford • Clark
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
February 1850 -- Courthouse burned and all records except wills from 1841 were destroyed.
For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
- Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill. Online at: Family History Circle.
- When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle. Online at: Tennessee Genealogy Blog.
- Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Sullivan County, Indiana Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business Records[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| 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 | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Indiana Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 3,498 | — |
| 1830 | 4,630 | 32.4% |
| 1840 | 8,315 | 79.6% |
| 1850 | 10,141 | 22.0% |
| 1860 | 15,064 | 48.5% |
| 1870 | 18,453 | 22.5% |
| 1880 | 20,336 | 10.2% |
| 1890 | 21,877 | 7.6% |
| 1900 | 26,005 | 18.9% |
| 1910 | 32,439 | 24.7% |
| 1920 | 31,630 | −2.5% |
| 1930 | 28,133 | −11.1% |
| 1940 | 27,014 | −4.0% |
| 1950 | 23,667 | −12.4% |
| 1960 | 21,721 | −8.2% |
| 1970 | 19,889 | −8.4% |
| 1980 | 21,107 | 6.1% |
| 1990 | 18,993 | −10.0% |
| 2000 | 21,751 | 14.5% |
| 2010 | 21,475 | −1.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Sullivan County, Indiana Genealogy census records online, see: Indiana Census.
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Sullivan County, Indiana (1880) (members only database, Indiana 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.
For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
Finding More Church Records[edit source]
Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Sullivan 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[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Directory of Businesses in Sullivan County, Indiana (1868) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- Farmers of Sullivan County, Indiana (1896) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Land and Property[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.
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[edit source]
Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Sullivan 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).
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- Caperton, Neda.Index of Names in the Sullivan County Section of History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, Indiana, 1884.( [Indianapolis]: Indiana Historical Society Library, 1972.) Other Libraries
- History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana; reprint, Newell, Iowa : Bireline, 1983. 977.242 H2hi FHL US/CAN FHL Collection
- Sullivan County, Indiana, Index of Names, compiled by Judy Pirtle, Sullivan County Historical Society, 1981. Indexes names of persons and firms from a number of books (see page 2). Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
Mexican War[edit | edit source]
- 2nd Regiment, Company H
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Sullivan 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 Sullivan County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies D, K, and L
- 2nd Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
- 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company F
- 13th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company F
- 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company K
- 17th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 31st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 43rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 51st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 80th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 85th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 97th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, E, and I
- 115th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company F
- 120th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 137th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G
- 142nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 149th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E, G, and K
- 156th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
Civil War Books
- Booth, Louise. Waiting for the Moment. (Villa Park, Calif: D.R. Booth Associates, 1983.) 977.241 H2b copy 2 FHL US/CAN Book FHL Collection, Other Libraries
- "County Military History" Chapter 8 (Part III) in History of Greene and Sullivan Counties, State of Indiana; reprint, Newell, Iowa : Bireline, 1983. 977.242 H2hi FHL US/CAN. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library. 977.242 H2hi FHL US/CAN, FHL Collection
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1919 - Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch — index and images
World War II[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- Index to Obituaries for Sullivan County (1870-1905) (free, Indiana Genealogical Society)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Occupations[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 Sullivan County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records. Online Records
- 1798 – 1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- Index to Will Books for Sullivan County (1850-1940) ($), Indiana Genealogical Society
Finding More Probate Records[edit source]
Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Sullivan County, Indiana Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
- South Bend Area Genealogical Society: Wills Index 1830-1971 for St. Joseph County
Public Records[edit | edit source]
School Records[edit | edit source]
- Alumni of New Lebanon High School (1911-1924) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
- Students of New Lebanon High School (1925) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
Voting Registration[edit | edit source]
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Sullivan County Courthouse
100 Courthouse Square #304
Sullivan, IN 47882
Phone: 812.268.4657
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1850. [6]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
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.
- For current information about a center near you, go to the Family History Center Map
For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the family history center directory.
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Sullivan County Public Library
Genealogy/Local History Dept.
100 S. Crowder St.
Sullivan, IN 47882
Website
Donna K. Adams - Genealogist
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Sullivan County Genealogical Society
PO Box 3266
Sullivan, IN 47882
Sullivan County Historical Society
10 S. Court St.
Sullivan, IN 47882-1510
Telephone Number: 812-268-6253
Wabash Valley Genealogy Society
PO Box 9347
Terre Haute, IN 47808-9347
Website
Taxation[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.
Finding More Tax Records[edit source]
Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Sullivan County, Indiana Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
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.
- Deaths in Sullivan City Coal Mine Disaster (1925) (free, Indiana Genealogical Society)
Birth Records[edit | edit source]
Marriage Records[edit | edit source]
- 1780-1992 - Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch — index only, How to Use this Collection
- 1800s-2007 - Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — ($), index only
- 1802-1892 - Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry.com — ($), index only
- 1811-2007 - Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images, Use this Collection
Death Records[edit | edit source]
- 1750-1993 Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch Historical Records - Index only
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry - ($), index and images
- Indiana State Digital Archives
- Index to Coroner's Inquest Records (1916-1917) (free, Indiana Genealogical Society)
Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories
Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Sullivan 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[edit | edit source]
- Sullivan County, Indiana Genealogy, History and Facts
- Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- FamilySearch Catalog, Sullivan County
- USGenWeb, Sullivan County
- INGenWeb, Sullivan County
- Sullivan County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Sullivan 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.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sullivan County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sullivan County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_County,_Indiana accessed 04/03/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Sullivan County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sullivan_County,_Indiana, accessed 09 January 2020.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Sullivan County, Indiana 216 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
