LaGrange County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to LaGrange County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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Contents
- 1 County Information
- 2 Resources
- 2.1 Bible Records
- 2.2 Biographies
- 2.3 Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 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, Political, and Religious Groups
- 2.11 Funeral Homes
- 2.12 Genealogies
- 2.13 Guardianship
- 2.14 Land and Property Records
- 2.15 Local Histories
- 2.16 Maps and Gazetteers
- 2.17 Migration
- 2.18 Military Records
- 2.19 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 2.20 Newspapers
- 2.21 Obituaries
- 2.22 Other Records
- 2.23 Periodicals
- 2.24 Probate Records
- 2.25 School Records
- 2.26 Social Security Records
- 2.27 Tax Records
- 2.28 Vital Records
- 3 Research Facilities
- 4 Societies
- 5 Websites
- 6 Research Guides
- 7 References
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
LaGrange County was named in respect to the residence of General LaFayette, in France.[2] It is located in the northeastern area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
LaGrange County Courthouse
105 N Detroit Street
LaGrange, IN 46761-1853
Phone: 219-463-6371
County Website
LaGrange County Health Department
304 North Townline Road, Ste#1
LaGrange, IN, 46761
Health Officer: Thomas Anthony Pechin, MD
Phone Number: 260-499-4182
Fax: 260-499-4189
Email: agarcia@lagrangecounty.org
Health Department
County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1832.
County Recorder has land records from 1832. [4]
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.
LaGrange County, Indiana Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1882 | 1832 | 1882 | 1832 | 1832 | 1832 | 1807 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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:[8]
Towns | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
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Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing LaGrange County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
Historical populations | ||
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Census | Pop. | %± |
1840 | 3,664 | — |
1850 | 8,387 | 128.9% |
1860 | 11,366 | 35.5% |
1870 | 14,148 | 24.5% |
1880 | 15,630 | 10.5% |
1890 | 15,615 | −0.1% |
1900 | 15,284 | −2.1% |
1910 | 15,148 | −0.9% |
1920 | 14,009 | −7.5% |
1930 | 13,780 | −1.6% |
1940 | 14,352 | 4.2% |
1950 | 15,347 | 6.9% |
1960 | 17,380 | 13.2% |
1970 | 20,890 | 20.2% |
1980 | 25,550 | 22.3% |
1990 | 29,477 | 15.4% |
2000 | 34,909 | 18.4% |
2010 | 37,128 | 6.4% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
- Index to Mortality Schedule for LaGrange County, Indiana (1860, 1870) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for LaGrange County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- Directory of Businesses in LaGrange County, Indiana (1868) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See Indiana Land and Property for additional information about early Indiana land grants and patents.
After land was transferred from the government to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded at the LaGrange County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
- Newbury Township land patent map
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for LaGrange County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
Local Histories
- 1882 History of LaGrange County, Indiana: from the original History of LaGrange and Noble county. 1979. Knightstown, IN: The Bookmark. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
- Counties of LaGrange and Noble, Indiana : Historical and Biographical. 1882. Chicago, Illinois : F.A. Battery Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Northeast Indiana, Lagrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties. 2 volumes. 1920. By Ira Ford. Chicago, Illinois : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Vol. 1 - Google Books, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
Civil War service men from LaGrange 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 La Grange County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company A
- 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company H
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies B, C, I, and M
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
- 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company G
- 44th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 152nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
Civil War Books:
- The Call to Arms; Chapter 4 in 1882 History of LaGrange County, Indiana: from the original History of LaGrange and Noble county. 1979. Knightstown, IN: The Bookmark. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
Civil War Databases
- Residents of LaGrange County Who Died in the Civil War - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
World War I
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Indiana newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Other Records[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 LaGrange County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry $
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index 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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Birth[edit | edit source]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
- 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry $
- 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1750-1993 - Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry $
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in LaGrange County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Barb Mulholland, County Genealogist
5250 E. 580 S
Wolcottville, IN 46795
Phone (260) 854-4311
Email: bmulholland@embarqmail.com
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Sturgis Michigan Family History Center
1111 North Galyn St
Sturgis MI 49091
Phone: 269-651-4467
Email: MI_Sturgis@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in LaGrange County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
LaGrange County Public Library
203 West Spring Street
Lagrange, IN 46761
Phone: 260-463-2841
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in LaGrange County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
LaGrange County Historical Society
P.O. Box 134
LaGrange, IN 46761
Facebook Website
Topeka Area Historical Society
123 Indiana St
P.O. Box 33
Topeka, IN 46571
Website
Shipshewana Area Historical Society
315 Morton Street / P.O. Box 929
Shipshewana, IN 46565
Phone: 260-768-3030
Email: sahs@ligtel.com
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- 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 Free and Members-only. Scroll the list.
- INGenWeb May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Lagrange County, Indiana: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More at Linkpendium
- EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for county histories. Select a county.
- FamilySearch Catalog – 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.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “LaGrange County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/lagrange/ 3/29/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "LaGrange County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaGrange_County,_Indiana 3/29/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "LaGrange County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaGrange_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "LaGrange County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaGrange_County%2C_Indiana, accessed 18 Decembere 2019.