Daviess County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Daviess 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
Daviess County was named for Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daviess, U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.[1] The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Daviess County Courthouse
200 E. Walnut Street
Washington, IN 47501
Phone: 812-254-8664
County Website
Daviess County Health Department
303 East Hefron Street
Washington, IN, 47501
Health Officer: Merle Holsopple, MD
Phone Number: 812-254-8666
Fax: 812-254-8643
Email: info@daviesshealth.com
Health Department
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1817. [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.
Daviess 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 | 1817 | 1882 | 1817 | 1817 | 1817 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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1879-- The courthouse was destroyed by fire and many records were lost. Marriage records and the index to probate and deed records were not destroyed. 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
Resources
Bible Records
- Family Bibles/ Stories, Phebe Baker Patterson Bible Records at Genealogy Trails
- Indiana Memory, Johnson Family Bible Records at Indiana State Library
- Moses and Susannah Bennington Bible Records at INGenWeb
Biographies
- Living Leaders, an Encyclopedia of Biography: Special Edition for Daviess and Martin Counties, Indiana. 1897. [n.p.] : American Pub. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Occupations
- Roster of Civilian Conservation Corps, Washington, Daviess County, Indiana (1938) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Daviess County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 3,432 | — |
| 1830 | 4,543 | 32.4% |
| 1840 | 6,720 | 47.9% |
| 1850 | 10,352 | 54.0% |
| 1860 | 13,323 | 28.7% |
| 1870 | 16,747 | 25.7% |
| 1880 | 21,552 | 28.7% |
| 1890 | 26,227 | 21.7% |
| 1900 | 29,914 | 14.1% |
| 1910 | 27,747 | −7.2% |
| 1920 | 26,856 | −3.2% |
| 1930 | 25,832 | −3.8% |
| 1940 | 26,163 | 1.3% |
| 1950 | 26,762 | 2.3% |
| 1960 | 26,636 | −0.5% |
| 1970 | 26,602 | −0.1% |
| 1980 | 27,836 | 4.6% |
| 1990 | 27,533 | −1.1% |
| 2000 | 29,820 | 8.3% |
| 2010 | 31,648 | 6.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Daviess County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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
Catholic
- 1839-1885 St. Peter's Catholic Parish, Montgomery, Baptism Index 1839-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C538231 . [8]
- 1847-1877 St. Peter's Catholic Parish, Montgomery, Marriage Index 1847-1877 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch M538231 . [8]
Court Records
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1832-1841 Complete Record Books, 1832-1841 and Civil Order Books, 1821-1828, Circuit Court, Daviess County, Indiana(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1859 Civil Order Books and Complete Order Books, Court of Common Pleas, Daviess County, Indiana, 1853-1859(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
- African-American Veterans in Daviess County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Funeral Homes
- Blake Funeral Homes Inc. in Montgomery.
- Ed Lee Mortuary in Washington.
- Fredrick and Son McClure Utt - Funeral Homes and Crematory in Washington.
- Goodwin-Sievers Funeral Home in Washington.
- Meng Family Funeral Home in Odon.
Genealogies
- Early Settlers of Daviess County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents. See Indiana Land and Property for additional information about early Indiana land grants and patents.
After land was transferred from the government to private ownership, subsequent transactions were recorded at the Daviess County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Daviess County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- History of Daviess County, Indiana : Its People, Industries and Institutions. 1915. By Alva Otis Fulkerson. 1915. Indianapolis, Ind. : B. F. Bowen. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Knox and Daviess Counties, Indiana. 1886. Chicago, Illinois : Goodspeed Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Maps and Gazetteers - Linkpendium
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
Civil War
- Civil War Veterans of Daviess County - INGen Web
- Daviess County, Indiana Military - Genealogy Trails History Group
- List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 Daviess County, Indiana - Internet Archive
- African-American Veterans in Daviess County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Civil War service men from Daviess 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 Daviess County.
- 6th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, and Reorganized Company E
- 10th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company F
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company K
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized F
- 24th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and K
- 27th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and E
- 42nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and E
- 58th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 65th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 70th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 91st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 117th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company K
- 143rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
- Daviess County, Indiana: Regiments in the Civil War - INGenWeb
Civil War Book:
- "Military History" Chapter 6 in History of Knox and Davis Counties, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present with biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc., together with an extended history of the colonial days of Vincennes, and its progress down to the formation of the state government (Chicago, Goodspeed Pub. Co) Page 644-674. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Book; 977.23 H2g FS Library Collection; Internet Archive; other libraries
World War I
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1918World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Daviess County at Ancestry ($)
World War II, 1941-1945
- Daviess County, Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps AccessGenealogy
Naturalization and Citizenship
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers
Indiana newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
- 1800s-Current Indiana, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Hoosier State Chronicles
Obituaries
- Southern IN & IL Obituary Database from Browning Genealogy. Obituaries compiled by Browning Family Foundation at Evansville, Vanderburgh, Indiana which includes Daviess County.
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Daviess County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1817-1850 Abstract of Probate Records, 1817-1850(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1817-1850 Abstract of Probate Records, 1817-1850, Clerk's Office, Daviess County, Indiana(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1821-1918 Probate Order Books, and Complete Probate Order Books, Circuit Court, Daviess County, Indiana, 1821-1918(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1923 Will Records, 1853-1923(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1854-1872 Partition Records, Jan. 1854-Oct. 1871, Sept. 1860-Aug. 1872(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Abstract of Probate Records : Clerk's Office, Daviess County, Indiana; Pt. 2 By Bogner, Stella M. Indiana : White River Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. 1978. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Directory of Teachers (1936) 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.
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 $
- 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry ($)
- 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
- 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 Daviess 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
- Vincennes Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Knox County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Pike County Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Daviess County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Daviess County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Daviess County Historical Society and Museum
212 East Main St
PO Box 2341
Washington, IN 47501
Phone: 812-257-0301
Email: dchistory@sbcglobal.net
Website
Website
Facebook
Daviess Genealogical Society
703 Front Street
Washington, IN 47501
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
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Daviess 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, “Daviess County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/daviess/ accessed 3/02/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "DaviessCounty," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daviess_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, "Daviess County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daviess_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, " Daviess County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daviess_County,_Indiana, accessed 04 December 2019.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/9/91/Igiindiana.pdf.