Rush County, Indiana Genealogy

United States

Indiana

Rush County

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

Rush County, Indiana
Map
Location of Indiana in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	December 31, 1821
County Seat	Rushville
Courthouse
Address	Rush County Courthouse PO Box 429 Rushville, IN 46173-0429 Phone: 765.932.2086 County Website
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Historical Facts

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1882	1822	1882	1822	1822	1822	1807
Statewide registration for births in 1907 and deaths in Oct 1899. General compliance by 1917.

• Parent Counties: Formed from the Delaware New Purchase December 31, 1821 
• County Seat: Rushville
  

Description

The county was named for Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence. The county seat is Rushville and the county was organized in 1822. The County is located in the East-Central part of the state.

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:

Cities
Rushville
Towns
Carthage	Glenwood
Unincorporated communities
Boyd Charlottesville Circleville Fairview Falmouth Farmers Farmington Gings	Gowdy Henderson Henry Homer Mauzy Mays Moscow New Salem	Occident Raleigh Richland Sexton Sulphur Spring Williamstown
Census-designated places
Arlington	Manilla	Milroy
Townships
Anderson Center Jackson Noble	Orange Posey Richland Ripley	Rushville Union Walker Washington

Neighboring Counties

Hancock  • Henry  • Fayette  • Franklin  • Decatur  • Shelby

Boundary Changes

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

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.

Historical Background

In 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. Statehood was granted in 1816. The Federal Census of 1820 found today's Rush County a part of the huge, unorganized, and sparsely populated area called Delaware County. Rush County, as it is known today, was organized 31 December 1821 from a portion of that unorganized territory. It was named for Dr. Benjamin Rush of Philadelphia.

Driven from their homes in the East, the Delaware Indian tribe resettled in western Pennsylvania, then in eastern and central Indiana. As a consequence of treaties, the final one written in 1819, their lands in Indiana were ceded to the federal government, and they moved beyond the Mississippi River.In October 1820 the newly surveyed land was offered to purchasers. In 1821 278 persons made land entries.

Within five years of the organization of the state of Indiana, many prosperous settlements had sprung up in what is now Rush County. With the organization of the county,it was divided into six townships: Union, Ripley, Noble, Washington, Richland, and Orange. Further division established Green, Rushville, Walker, Center, Jackson, Anderson, and Posey townships.

The first settlers were hunters and trappers, some of whom became permanent settlers. Timber was cleared and cabins built, usually about sixteen by twenty feet, constructed of logs with fireplaces and chimneys, furnished with rough, home-made furniture. Wild game was plentiful. Wool and flax were spun and textiles woven. Stumps were pulled and land was cleared and planted. Domestic animals foraged in the abundant wild foliage.Much feared were panthers and wolves, which threatened the livestock.Large families were typical. Hospitality was generous.

Early industries included grist mills, saw mills, and a distillery. Public schools were establishes in 1837. Early churches, in order of membership numbers, were: Church of Christ, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Presbyterian, Quaker, Catholic, Christian Union, Wesleyan, and Adventist.

Rushville, the county seat, was founded in 1823 and the first courthouse was contracted for that year. The growth of the community was steady. Railroads helped develop business, and trade flourished, especially in grain. The first Rush County newspaper, Dog Fennel Gazette, was published in 1823, followed by the Herald. The east Hill Cemetery was established. In 1857 the first bank opened. Mills and elevators followed, as well as carriage builders, machine works, a cigar factory, a furniture factory, a pump factory, and other enterprises. However, it has remained a small city in productive rural surroundings.

Rush County supported the election of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. As the South seceded, Indiana responded to the call for volunteers. Ultimately 2,483 men served with the Union forces in the Civil War, some of them reenlistment.

Resources

Cemeteries

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
Billion Graves
See Indiana Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

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

• Index to Mortality Schedule (1860) Indiana Genealogical Society)
  
• Index to Defective, Dependent Delinquent Census (1880) Indiana Genealogical Society)
• Pioneer Settlers of Rush County 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.

• INGenWeb, List of Rush County churches

For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.

Finding More Church Records

Additional church records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Rush 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

The county clerk has probate and court records from 1820 to the present.

Directories

• Directory of Businesses (1868) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
• List of Residents for Rush County, Indiana. Philadelphia: Wilmer Atkinson Co., 1921. (digitized book)

Histories

Local Histories

• 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.), FHL US/CAN Film 934918 Item 2, FHL Collection, Other Libraries, Internet Archive

• Gary, Abraham Lincoln, and Ernest B. Thomas. Centennial History of Rush County, Indiana. (Indianapolis: Historical Pub. Co, 1921.) FHL US/CAN Film 934918 Items 3-4, FHL Collection, Other Libraries, Internet Archive
  

• History of Rush County Linkpendium

Land and Property

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.

Land records are held by the county recorder. Records from 1789-1837 are published and indexed. Early records, prior to 1807, were handled in Cincinnati, Ohio.

See Indiana Land and Property for additional information about early Indiana land grants and patents.

Finding More Land Records

Additional land records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Rush 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).

Maps

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
• Family Maps of Rush County, Indiana Genealogy (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
• Maps and Gazetteers Linkpendium

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), FHL US/CAN Film 934918 Item 2, FHL Collection, Other Libraries, Internet Archive

World War I

• 1919 - Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

• Selected Extracts from Newspapers in Rush County, Indiana (1864-1895) Indiana Genealogical Society)

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 county courthouse.

Online Records

• 1798 – 1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Found in the office of the county clerk beginning in 1822.

Finding More Probate Records

Additional probate records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Rush 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

School Records

• Directory of Teachers for Rush County (1936) Indiana Genealogical Society)

Repositories

County Courthouse

Rush County Courthouse
PO Box 429
Rushville, IN 46173-0429
Phone: 765.932.2086

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.

Family History Centers

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

• Batesville Indiana Family History Center

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the family history center directory.

Libraries

Rushville Public Library
130 W. 3rd Street
Rushville, IN
Website

Henry Henley Public Library
102 N. Main Street
Carthage, IN

Societies

Rush County Genealogical Society
PO Box 293
Milroy, IN 46156
Facebook

Rush County Historical Society and Museum
619 N. Perkins St.
PO Box 302
Rushville, IN 46173
Telephone Number: 765-932-2492
E-mail: rchs1@frontier.com
Website

Whitewater Valley Genealogical Association
PO Box 941
Connersville, IN 47331

Taxation

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

Additional tax records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Rush County, Indiana Genealogy Tax Records in online catalogs like:

• WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).

Vital Records

• Indiana State Digital Archives

Birth Records

Birth records prior to 1907 are in the County Health Department. After that date they are found at the State Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Indianapolis.Indiana death records from 1920 are found In the State Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, and prior to that date in the County Health Department.

Marriage Records

The County Clerk's office has marriage records

• 1800s-2007 - Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $

• 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 - FamilySearch
  

• 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 - Ancestry.com $
  

• 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death Records

• 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
  

Finding Vital Records at Other Repositories

Additional vital records can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Rush 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

• Rush County, Indiana Genealogy, History and Facts
• Indiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• INGenWeb, Rush County
• USGenWeb, Rush County
• FamilySearch Catalog, Rush County
• Rush County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

Places

• Rushville, the county seat, was founded in 1823. It was incorporated in 1845. The town was laid out in 1822, with a central square and 151 lots.The first house in Rushville was erected in December 1820. The first railroad came to Rushville in 1850.
• Carthage is located on the bank of Big Blue River, in Ripley Township. It was laid out in 1834. Quakers were instrumental in its establishment.
• Milroy was founded in Anderson Township, in a particularly fertile farming district.Lots were first offered for sale in 1830.
• Manilla, was out in 1836 in Walker Township. The town was originally named Wilmington.
• Arlington, formerly Burlington, was laid out in 1832.
• New Salem was platted by its first inhabitants in 1831.
• Glenwood, laid out in 1882, was first named Vienna, and then briefly called Steels.
• Falmouth was business location of considerable trade before it was platted in 1832.The original town, laid out about 1824, was mostly in Fayette County.
• Raleigh, located in the center of Washington Township, was called Newburn originally. The name was changed when it was platted in 1847. The post office, however, was called McCan's.
• Other small villages: Hamilton Station, Mays, Moscow, Gings, Homer, Richland.
• Abandoned: Williamsport, Marcellus, Mt. Etna, Carmel, Ashland, Savannah, Earl City, Smith.

Family History Library