Rush County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Rush 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
Description
Rush County was named for Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence. The county is located in the east-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Rush County Courthouse
PO Box 429
Rushville, IN 46173-0429
Phone: 765-932-2086
County Website
Rush County Health Department
101 East Second Street, Room 105
Rushville, IN, 46173
Health Officer: Russell Daugherty, MD
Phone Number: 765-932-3103
Fax: 765-938-2604
Email: rcdh@rushcounty.in.gov
Health Department
County Health Department has birth, death, and burial from 1882. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1822. County Recorder has land records. [3]
Records from 1789-1837 are published and indexed. Early records, prior to 1807, were handled in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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.
Rush County, Indiana Record Dates
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 | 1822 | 1882 | 1822 | 1822 | 1822 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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Before the city hall was built in 1881, records were not carefully protected. At one point they were kept in the office of the Justice of the Peace. Persons desiring to destroy criminal records broke in and stole the town records by mistake, and burned them. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
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
- 1800 - the Indiana Territory was organized. At that time, today's Rush County, Indiana, was part of the Indian Lands that made up most of the current state of Indiana.
- 1816 - Statehood was granted.
- 1820 - The Federal Census of 1820 found today's Rush County a part of the huge, unorganized, and sparsely populated area called Delaware County.
- 1821 - Rush County, as it is known today, was organized April 1, 1822 from a portion of that unorganized territory.
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Rush County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 9,707 | — |
| 1840 | 16,456 | 69.5% |
| 1850 | 16,445 | −0.1% |
| 1860 | 16,193 | −1.5% |
| 1870 | 17,626 | 8.8% |
| 1880 | 19,238 | 9.1% |
| 1890 | 19,034 | −1.1% |
| 1900 | 20,148 | 5.9% |
| 1910 | 19,349 | −4.0% |
| 1920 | 19,241 | −0.6% |
| 1930 | 19,412 | 0.9% |
| 1940 | 18,927 | −2.5% |
| 1950 | 19,799 | 4.6% |
| 1960 | 20,393 | 3.0% |
| 1970 | 20,352 | −0.2% |
| 1980 | 19,604 | −3.7% |
| 1990 | 18,129 | −7.5% |
| 2000 | 18,261 | 0.7% |
| 2010 | 17,392 | −4.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Mortality Schedule (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent Delinquent Census (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Pioneer Settlers of Rush County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository. For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
Court Records
Directories
- Directory of Businesses (1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- List of Residents for Rush County, Indiana. Philadelphia: Wilmer Atkinson Co., 1921. (digitized book) at Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
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 Rush County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Rush County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- Centennial History of Rush County, Indiana. 2 volumes. 1921. Edited by A.L. Gary and E.B. Thomas. ndianapolis : Historical Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). Index: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- History of Rush County, Indiana. 1966. Knightstown, Indiana : Eastern Indiana Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat). Reprint. Originally published: Chicago Brant & Fuller, 1888.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
Migration
Military Records
Civil War
Civil War service men from Rush 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 Rush County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company M
- 2nd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies E, F, and M
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
- 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F, and Reorganized Companies C, G, and H
- 37th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K and Reorganized Company A
- 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, and H
- 54th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 68th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and I
- 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 111th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 123rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 124th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 134th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
- 146th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 148th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A, and B
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Books:
- "Military History" Chapter 6 in History of Rush County, Indiana: from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the northwest, the Indiana territory, and the state of Indiana. (2003. Kokomo, IN: Selby Pub.), (page 447-477, Regiment, Companies; Roll of Honor, 470-477). Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
World War I
Naturalization and Citizenship
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers
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.
- 1804-2010 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011
- Selected Extracts from Newspapers in Rush County, Indiana (1864-1895) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
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 Rush County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry
School Records
Social Security Records
- 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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
Tax Records
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Birth
Marriage
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1800-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
- 1802-1892 Indiana, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry
- 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Death
- 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
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Rush County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Family History Centers
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
Batesville Indiana Family History Center
Township Line Rd
Batesville IN 47006
812-934-3443
E-mail:IN_Batesville@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Rush County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Rushville Public Library
130 W. 3rd Street
Rushville, IN
765-932-3496
Website
Henry Henley Public Library
102 N. Main Street
Carthage, IN
765-565-8022
E-mail:hhlibrary@outlook.com
Website
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Rush County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Rush County Genealogical Society
PO Box 54
Rushville, Indiana 46173
E-mail:rcgsociety@gmail.com
Facebook
Website
Rush County Historical Society and Museum
619 N. Perkins St.
PO Box 302
Rushville, IN 46173
765-932-2492
E-mail: rchs1@frontier.com
Website
Whitewater Valley Genealogical Association
PO Box 941
Connersville, IN 47331
Website
Websites
- Rush County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- 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 Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- INGenWeb, Rush County
- USGenWeb, Rush 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
References
- ↑ Wikipedia Wikipedia
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Rush County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_County,_Indiana accessed 04/03/2017.
- ↑ 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, "Rush County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Rush County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_County%2C_Indiana, accessed 05 January 2020.
