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Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy

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

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Vigo County, Indiana
Map
Map of the U.S. highlighting Indiana
Location of Indiana in the U.S.
Facts
Founded January 21, 1818
County Seat Terre haute
Courthouse
Address Vigo County Courthouse
333 Wabash Avenue
PO Box 8449
Terre Haute, IN 47808
Phone: 812.462.3214
County Website
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Historical Facts[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[1]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1812 1818 1882 1818 1816 1818 1807
Statewide registration for births in 1907 and deaths in Oct 1899. General compliance by 1917.
  • Parent Counties: Formed 21 January 1818 fromSullivan County.[2]
  • County Seat: Terre Haute [3]

Description[edit | edit source]

The 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 seat is Terre Haute and the county was organized on 1818. [4]The County is located in the West Central part of the state.[5]

Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

Sullivan  • Clay  • Parke  • Fountain  • Warren  • Edgar  • 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.

Vigo County, Indiana was organized on the basis of a 21 Jan 1818 legislative act. That act took effect on 1 Feb 1818. Vigo's boundaries were altered as a result of the formation of Putnam County in 1821.

Record Loss[edit | edit source]

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Resources[edit | edit source]

African-Americans[edit | edit source]

Bible 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
Indiana Interment
Billion Graves
See Indiana Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records[edit | edit source]

For tips on accessing Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy census records online, see: Indiana Census.

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.


Finding More Church Records[edit source]

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Church Records in online catalogs like:


Court Records[edit | edit source]

Directories[edit | edit source]

Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]

Ethnic and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

Genealogies and Biographies[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 Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:


Local Histories[edit | edit source]

  • Beckwith, Hiram Williams. History of Vigo and Parke Counties Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley. Chicago: H.H. Hill and N. Iddings, 1880. FHL, US/CAN Film 540238 (item 2) and 934921 (item 3), Other Libraries, FamilySearch Books Online (digital copy)
  • Bradsby, Henry C. History of Vigo County, Indiana, with Biographical Selections. Chicago: S.B. Nelson & Co., 1891. Reprint edition, Evansville, IN: Unigraphic, 1969. FHL, US/CAN Book 977.245 H2b, Other Libraries, Internet Archive (digital copy)
  • History (Linkpendium)
  • Jerse, Dorothy W., and John R. Becker III. Terre Haute & Vigo County in Vintage Postcards (Postcard History series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Google Books (limited preview)
  • McCormick, Mike. Terre Haute: Queen City of the Wabash. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005. Google Books (limited preview)
  • Oakey, C.C. Greater Terre Haute and Vigo County, Vol. 1 (History). Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908. Online at: Hathitrust; Internet Archive; Google Books
  • Roznowski, Tom. An American Hometown: Terre Haute, Indiana 1927. Bloomington, IN: Quarry Books, 2009. Google Books (limited preview)

Maps[edit | edit source]

Vermillion CountyParke CountyClay CountySullivan CountyEdgar CountyClark CountyIN VIGO.PNG
About this image
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Migration[edit | edit source]

Military Records[edit | edit source]

General[edit | edit source]

Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]

Mexican War[edit | edit source]

Civil War[edit | edit source]

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.

Civil War Resources:

Spanish-American War[edit | edit source]

World War I[edit | edit source]

World War II[edit | edit source]

Korean War[edit | edit source]

Vietnam War[edit | edit source]

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]

  • Index to Declarations of Intention. Terre Haute, IN: Wabash Valley Genealogical Society, [1980?]. WorldCat

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

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 county courthouse.


Online Records

Finding More Probate Records[edit source]

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Probate Records in online catalogs like:

Public Records[edit | edit source]

School Records[edit | edit source]

Voting Registration[edit | edit source]

Repositories[edit | edit source]

Archives[edit | edit source]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

Vigo County Courthouse
333 Wabash Avenue
PO Box 8449
Terre Haute, IN 47808
Phone: 812.462.3214
Facebook
Wikipedia

County Clerk has marriage, probate and court records from from 1818 and divorce records from 1825.[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 additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the family history center directory.

Libraries[edit | edit source]

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

Societies[edit | edit source]

Vigo County Historical Society Museum
1411 S. 6th St
Terre Haute,IN
Telephone Number: 812-235-9717
Website

Wabash Valley Genealogical Society
PO Box 9347
Terre Haute, IN 47808-9347
Telephone Number: 812-264-1510
E-mail:wvgs@inwvgs.org
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 Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:


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. 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 Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy County Clerk with divorce records located with the Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Clerk of Courts.

Births[edit | edit source]

  • [1882-1920] Works Progress Administration. Index to birth records, Vigo County, 1882-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983. FHL 1380337

Marriages[edit | edit source]

  • 1818-1850 Lansaw, Simona. Marriages, Vigo County, Indiana, 1818-1850. Utica, Kentucky: McDowell Publications, 198-? FHL 977.245 V22L | WorldCat
  • 1840-1920 Works Progress Administration.Index to marriage records, Vigo County, 1840-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983. FHL 1380338
  • 1880-1920 Works Progress Administration.Index to supplemental record, marriage transcript, Vigo County, 1880-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983. FHL 1380339

Deaths[edit | edit source]

Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Vital Records in online catalogs like:


Websites[edit | edit source]

Places[edit | edit source]

Townships[edit | edit source]

Vigo County's original townships were Honey Creek, Harrison, Independence, and Wabash. Current townships are as follows:

Incorporated[edit | edit source]

Unincorporated[edit | edit source]

  • Allendale
  • Burnett
  • Lewis
  • Libertyville
  • Pimento
  • Prairieton
  • St. Mary's
  • Sandford

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Vigo 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.
  2. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Vigo County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigo_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
  4. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/vigo/ accessed 04/04/2017.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Vigo County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigo_County,_Indiana accessed 04/04/2017.
  6. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Vigo County, Indiana 217 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
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