LaPorte County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to LaPorte 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]
The county was named LaPorte, which means "the door" or "the port" in French. It is located in the north-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
LaPorte County Courthouse
813 Lincoln Way
LaPorte, IN 46350
Phone: 219-326-6808
County Website
LaPorte County Health Department
809 State Street, Suite 401A
La Porte, IN, 46350
Health Officer: Sandra Deausy, MD
Phone Number: 219-326-6808
Fax: 219-325-8628
Email: tmancuso@laportecounty.org
Health Department
County Clerk has marriage records from 1832, divorce, probate and court records from 1834.
County Recorder has land records.
County Health Department has birth, death and burial records. [3]
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.
LaPorte 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 | 1834 | 1831 | 1834 | 1807 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
|
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| 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]
The following may hold valuable information:
- Cemetery records of LaPorte County, Indiana - FamilySearch Digital Library
- Cemetery inscriptions, LaPorte and Porter Counties, Indiana; v. 02 - FamilySearch Digital Library
Census Records[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing LaPorte County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 8,184 | — |
| 1850 | 12,145 | 48.4% |
| 1860 | 22,919 | 88.7% |
| 1870 | 27,062 | 18.1% |
| 1880 | 30,985 | 14.5% |
| 1890 | 34,445 | 11.2% |
| 1900 | 38,386 | 11.4% |
| 1910 | 45,797 | 19.3% |
| 1920 | 50,443 | 10.1% |
| 1930 | 60,490 | 19.9% |
| 1940 | 63,660 | 5.2% |
| 1950 | 76,808 | 20.7% |
| 1960 | 95,111 | 23.8% |
| 1970 | 105,342 | 10.8% |
| 1980 | 108,632 | 3.1% |
| 1990 | 107,066 | −1.4% |
| 2000 | 110,106 | 2.8% |
| 2010 | 111,467 | 1.2% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Mortality Schedule for LaPorte County (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for LaPorte County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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]
LaPorte County is the only county in Indiana that has 2 courthouses. One is located in Michigan City and the other is in the county seat of the City of La Porte.
Directories[edit | edit source]
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
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 LaPorte County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for LaPorte County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- History of La Porte County, Indiana. 1974. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books. Digital images. Reprint of the 1880 ed. published by C. Chapman, Chicago. Index - Every Name Index.com. Compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007.
- History of LaPorte County, Indiana and its Townships, Towns and Cities. 1976. By Jasper Packard. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat). Reprint of original published: LaPort [Ind.] : E. Taylor, 1876. Includes index, compiled by Gertrude Davison Flotow.
- A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of La Porte County, Indiana. 1904. By E.D. Daniels. Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Library of Congress Map Collection
- David Rumsey Map Collection
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War
Civil War service men from LaPorte 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 LaPorte County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company B
- 4th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company E
- 4th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 5th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery (Simonson's)
- 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company K
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, F, and Reorganized Company B, F, G, and H
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies A, F, G, and M
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
- 15th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 21st Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 29th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, G, H, and I
- 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
- 35th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 73rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and K
- 87th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, H, and I
- 109th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and H
- 128th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, E, H, and I
- 138th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies B, and D
- 151st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, E, and K
- 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and G
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Books:
- Military Record Chapter 25 in Packard, Jasper. 1976. History of LaPorte County, Indiana, and its townships, towns and cities. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic.) 977.291 H2p FHL US/CAN Book FHL Collection Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
- The War For The Union in History of LaPorte County, Indiana: together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens. History of Indiana embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, aborigines, French, English and American conquests, and a general review of its civil, political and military history. (2004. La Crosse, WI: Brookhaven Press.) 977.291 H2h FHL US/CAN Book FHL Collection; Google Books.
Civil War Databases
- Residents of LaPorte County Who Served in the 9th Indiana Infantry (1861-1865) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
World War I
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Indiana newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
- The La Porte County Herald Argus, City of La Porte and surrounding area
- The Michigan City News-Dispatch, Michigan City and surrounding area
- Hoosier State Chronicles
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1887-2011 Web: Michigan City, Indiana, U.S., Obituary Index, 1887-2011 at Ancestry ($), index
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 LaPorte 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 LaPorte County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Harold Henderson, CG (SM), County Genealogist
1355 W. Springville Rd
La Porte, IN 46350-8344
Phone: 219-324-2620
Email: librarytraveler@gmail.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
Valparaiso Indiana Family History Center
503 Burlington Beach Rd
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Center Phone: 219-476-7641; Appointments: Joyce Kelley 219-263-3236 or Jim Davis 219-313-0405
Email: IN_Valparaiso@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in LaPorte County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
LaPorte County Public Library
904 Indiana Ave
La Porte, IN 46350
Phone: 219-362-6156
Email: help@laportelibrary.org
Website
Michigan City Public Library
100 E. 4th Street
Michigan City, IN 46360
Phone: 219-873-3044
Email: refdesk@mclib.org
Website
Museums[edit | edit source]
La Porte County Historical Society Museum
2405 Indiana Ave, Suite 1
La Porte, IN 46350
Phone: 219-324-6767
Email: info@laportecountyhistory.org
Website
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in LaPorte County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
LaPorte County Indiana Genealogical Society
904 Indiana Ave
La Porte, IN 46350
P.O. Box 365
La Porte, IN 46352
Blog; Facebook; 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.
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- Cemetery and Research Association Of LaPorte County, Indiana
- EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for county histories. Select a county.
- LaPorte Linkpendium LaPorte County, Indiana: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More at Linkpendium
- 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]
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "LaPorte County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaPorte_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, "LaPorte County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaPorte_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "LaPorte County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaPorte_County,_Indiana, accessed 18 December 2019.
