Clay County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Clay County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
Clay County was named in honor of Henry Clay, a famous antebellum American statesman.[1] The county is located in the west-central area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Clay County Courthouse
609 E Nation Avenue
Brazil, IN 47834-2797
Phone: 812-448-9024
County Website
Clay County Health Department
18 N. Walnut St.
Brazil, IN, 47834
Health Officer: Dr. C. Mark Mendoza
Phone Number: 812-448-9021
Fax: 812-448-9018
Email: conradl@claycountyin.gov
Health Department
The County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1851.
The County Recorder has land records from 1825, some naturalization 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.
Clay 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 |
| 1881 | 1851 | 1882 | 1851 | 1825 | 1851 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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November 1851 -- Courthouse was destroyed by fire and all records were lost except the Recorder's records. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
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Boundary Changes
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Populated Places
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- Seymour Family Bible Records at Indiana Memory; Also at: Indiana State Library Digital Collections
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Clay County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 1,616 | — |
| 1840 | 5,567 | 244.5% |
| 1850 | 7,944 | 42.7% |
| 1860 | 12,161 | 53.1% |
| 1870 | 19,084 | 56.9% |
| 1880 | 25,854 | 35.5% |
| 1890 | 30,536 | 18.1% |
| 1900 | 34,285 | 12.3% |
| 1910 | 32,535 | −5.1% |
| 1920 | 29,447 | −9.5% |
| 1930 | 26,479 | −10.1% |
| 1940 | 25,365 | −4.2% |
| 1950 | 23,918 | −5.7% |
| 1960 | 24,207 | 1.2% |
| 1970 | 23,933 | −1.1% |
| 1980 | 24,862 | 3.9% |
| 1990 | 24,705 | −0.6% |
| 2000 | 26,556 | 7.5% |
| 2010 | 26,890 | 1.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Clay County Census (1830-1900) at USGenWeb Archives Project
- [http://www.indgensoc.org/membersonly/county/index.php#clay Index to Mortality Schedule (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1851-1920 Civil Order Books, Circuit Court, Clay County, Indiana, 1851-1920(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1852-1894 Complete Civil Order Books, Circuit Court, Clay County, Indiana, 1852-1894(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1872 Civil Order Books and Complete Civil Order Books, Court of Common Pleas, Clay County, Indiana, 1853-1872(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Directory of Businesses (1858) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- The Encyclopedic Directory of Clay County, Indiana : Giving a List of the Householders of the County, Their Post-Office Address, Occupation, Location, School District, Section Number, Township, Politics, Religion, Assessed Value of Real Estate, Nationality, Where Born, When Born, When Came to Clay County, etc.(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- French Funeral Home in Brazil.
- Moore Funeral Home in Brazil.
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 Clay County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Clay County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- Counties of Clay and Owen, Indiana. 1884. Edited by Charles Blanchard. Chicago : F. A. Battey & Co. Publishers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- A History of Clay County, Indiana. 2 Vols. 1909. By William Travis. New York, New York : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vols. 1 & 2 - Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat). Index at: Internet Archive.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Maps and Gazetteers - Linkpendium
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
- List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883, Clay County, Indiana at Internet Archive
- Clay County Veterans at State Soldiers Home, Lafayette, Indiana (1906) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Clay County Casualties in WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam at HonorStates.org
Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
Civil War, 1861-1865
Civil War service men from Clay 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 Clay County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies A, I, and K
- 2nd Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
- 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies D, and F
- 10th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company H
- 17th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 20th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 43rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
- 48th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 78th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (60 days, 1862), Company G
- 85th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies I, and K
- 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 97th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and D
- 115th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company D
- 124th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 133rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies B, I, and K
- 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 149th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, F, and H
- 152nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- Clay County Civil War Soldiers (INGenWeb)
- Clay County Civil War Files (USGenWeb)
Civil War Books:
- "Military" Chapter 28 in Travis, William. A History of Clay County Indiana: Closing of the First Century's History of the County and Showing the Growth of Its People Institutions Industries and Wealth Vols 1 and 2. (New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1981.) page 350-380 Vol.1 (regiment, company, name, also "Burial Places Of Soldiers" page 376) 977.244 H2t FS Library US/CAN Book FS Library Collection, FamilySearch Digital Library- Vol. 1, FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol. 2; other library
World War I, 1914-1918
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Gold Star Honor Roll: A Record of Indiana Men and Women who Died in the Service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War at Genealogy Trails.com
- World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)
World War II, 1941-1945
Korean War, 1950-1923
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.
- 1800s-Current Indiana, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- The Brazil Daily Times has obituaries and other archives back to 2003.
- Hoosier State Chronicles
Obituaries
- 2002-2020 The Brazil Times 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 Clay County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1848-1936 Will Record, 1848-1936(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1852-1921 Probate Records, 1852-1921(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Selected Alumni of Brazil High School, Clay County, Indiana (1918) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Students of Brazil High School, Clay County, Indiana (1918) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Teachers of Brazil High School, Clay County, Indiana (1918) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
- Vital Records for Clay County, Indiana at Linkpendium.com
- Vital Records for Clay County, Indiana at INGenWeb.org
Birth
Marriage
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
- 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
- 1811-2007 Indiana Marriages, 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Death
- Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry - index, (Free collection)
- 1750-1993 Indiana Deaths and Burials, 1750-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1882-1920 Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry ($)
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Clay County. For state-wide archival repositories, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Linton Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Terre Haute Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Monroe County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Putnam County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Clay County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Clay County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Clay County Genealogical Society, Inc.
PO Box 56
309 W Main Street
Centerpoint, IN 47840-0056
Phone: 812-535-5005
Email: research@ccgsilib.org
Website
Clay County Historical Society
100 East National Ave
Brazil, IN 47834
Phone: 812-446-4036
Email: claycountyhistoricalsocietyin@gmail.com
Website
Wabash Valley Genealogy Society
PO Box 7012
Terre Haute, IN 47802-7012
Email: wvgs@inwvgs.org
Website
Websites
- Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
- Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Search by county or keyword
- Indiana Memory Click the map or select a statewide collection
- List of indexes and databases at Indiana State Library
- Wabash Valley Visions & Voices Digital Memory Project
- Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Free and Members-only. Select a county
- INGenWeb, Clay County
- USGenWeb, Clay County
- Clay County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (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
References
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Clay County, Ohio Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/clay/ accessed 3/02/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clay County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_County,_Indiana accessed 3/02/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Clay County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).