Elkhart County, Indiana Genealogy

United States

Indiana

Elkhart County

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

Indiana Online Genealogy Records

County Facts County seat: Goshen Organized: January 29, 1830 Parent County(s): Unorganized territory Neighboring Counties St. Joseph • Marshall • Kosciusko • Noble • La Grange • Cass (MI) • St. Joseph (MI) See County Maps Courthouse Location Map

County Information

Description

The origin of the name "Elkhart" came from an island at the confluence of the rivers that was known by the Potawatomi word for “elk’s heart,” which the county was said to resemble in shape. It is located along the north-central border of the state.

County Courthouse

Elkhart County Courthouse
Courthouse Square
Goshen, IN 46526-3297
Phone: 219-535-6430
County Website

Elkhart County Health Department
608 Oakland Avenue
Elkhart, IN, 46514
Health Officer: Lydia Mertz, MD
Phone Number: 877-523-2283
Fax: 574-295-6186
Email: cmast@elkhartcounty.com
Health Department

County Health Department has birth and death records.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and county court records from 1830.
County Recorder has land records.
Health Department has birth records and death records.

Elkhart 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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records
Birth*	Marriage	Death*	Court	Land	Probate	Census
1882	1830	1882	1830	1831	1830	1807
*Statewide registration for births in 1907 and deaths in Oct 1899. General compliance by 1917.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Parent County: Formed in 29 January 1830 from Unorganized territory. County Seat: Goshen Indiana Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county Indiana Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Indiana county boundary changes

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
Elkhart	Goshen	Nappanee
Towns
Bristol Middlebury	Millersburg New Paris	Wakarusa
Unincorporated communities
Benton Bonneyville Mills Foraker Jamestown	Locke Midway New Paris	Southwest Vistula Waterford Mills
Census-designated places
Dunlap	Simonton Lake

Resources

Bible Records

• Bible Records Surnames at Elkhart County Genealogical Society
• Brown Family Bible Records at RootsWeb

Biographies

• Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
• Pictorial and Biographical Memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana. 1893. Chicago, Goodspeed Brothers. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Elkhart County, Indiana online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	BillionGraves Find a Grave Interment.net RecordAGrave Index USGW Tombstone Transcription Project
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)	FamilySearch Catalog WorldCat.org
List of Cemeteries in the County	BillionGraves FamilySearch Places Find a Grave
See Indiana Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

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

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	935	—
1840	6,660	612.3%
1850	12,690	90.5%
1860	20,986	65.4%
1870	26,026	24.0%
1880	33,454	28.5%
1890	39,201	17.2%
1900	45,052	14.9%
1910	49,008	8.8%
1920	56,384	15.1%
1930	68,875	22.2%
1940	72,634	5.5%
1950	84,512	16.4%
1960	106,790	26.4%
1970	126,529	18.5%
1980	137,330	8.5%
1990	156,198	13.7%
2000	182,791	17.0%
2010	197,559	8.1%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

• 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

• FamilySearch Places
  

Court Records

• 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
• 1830-1926 Court Order Books, 1830-1922; General Indexes, 1833-1926(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1853-1890 Miscellaneous Court Records, 1853-1890(*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

• 1858, 1868 Directory of Businesses (1858, 1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
• 1885 Elkhart and Goshen, Indiana, City Directory, 1885 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
• 1890 Elkhart, Indiana, City Directory (1890) at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
• 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary

Funeral Homes

• Billings Personalized Funeral Home and Altera Cremation Services in Elkhart.
• Elkhart Cremation Services in Elkhart.
• Hartzler-Gutermuth-Inman Funeral Home in Elkhart.
• Miller-Stewart Funeral Home in Middlebury.
• Rieth-Rohrer-Ehret Funeral Homes in Goshen and Wakarusa.
• Stemm-Lawson-Peterson Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Elkhart.
• Thompson-Lengacher and Yoder Funeral Homes in Nappanee and Wakarusa.
• Walley-Mills-Zimmerman Funeral Home and Crematory in Elkhart.
• Waterman-Westbrook and Clouse Funeral Home in Elkhart.
• Yoder-Culp Funeral Home in Goshen.

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 Elkhart 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 Elkhart 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 Elkhart County, Indiana. 1881. Chicago, Illinois : Chas. C. Chapman. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• A Standard History of Elkhart County, Indiana. 2 volumes. 1916. Edited by Abraham E. Weaver. Chicago, Illinois : American Historical Society. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vols. 1 & 2 - Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
• A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of Elkhart County, Indiana. 1905. By Anthony Deahl. Chicago : Lewis Publ. Co. Online at: Hathitrust, Internet Archive.

Maps and Gazetteers

Click a neighboring county
for more resources

• Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
• Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
• FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

• Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives

Civil War
Civil War service men from Elkhart 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 Elkhart County

• 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company A
• 2nd Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company M
• 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, and Reorganized Companies C, and F
• 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies D, and I
• 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized D, and E
• 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
• 21st Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
• 23rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
• 29th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
• 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K, and Reorganized C
• 44th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
• 48th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, G, H, and I
• 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, G, and I
• 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
• 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
• 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
• 136th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
• 142nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
• 152nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and E
• 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F

Civil War Books:

• "Military History", Chapter 10, in Dean K. Garber, Ivan Nunemaker, History of Elkhart 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. Chicago : C. C. Chapman, 1881. Pages 537-575 Online at: FamilySearch Digital Book; Internet Archive
• "Military History" Chapter 11 in O'Connor, Cathy L. Every Name Index to History of Elkhart 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. By Chas. C. Chapman & Co., 1881. Edwardsburg, Mich: Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007. Pages 535-574, Regiment, Companies. FamilySearch Digital Library; WorldCat

World War I

• 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

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

• 1837-2024 Web: Elkhart County, Indiana, U.S., Obituary Index, 1837-2024 at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1858-Onward Indiana, Elkhart County Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)

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 Elkhart 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 ($)
• 1830-1920 Probate Files, ca. 1830-1920 : Estates, Guardianships, Divorces, Miscellaneous(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1830-1930 Probate Records, 1830-1921; Indexes, 1833-1930(*); Probate Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1833-1925 Will Records, 1833-1925(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
• 1845-1881 Elkhart Co., Indiana, Will Records, 1845-1881, Book 1-2(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1853-1869 Land Partition Record, 1853-1869(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1853-1890 Miscellaneous Court Records, 1853-1890(*); Recorder at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
• 1907-1991 Probate Order Books, 1907-1921; Index to Estates, 1907-1991(*); Superior 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

• Alumni of Middlebury High School (1886-1916) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
• Students of Elkart High School (1923, 1937 and 1945) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

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.

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

• Index to Divorce Cases Filed in Elkhart County, Indiana (1846-1905) at Indiana Genealogical Society

Adoption

• Adoption Index, Elkhart County, Indiana, 1873-1914 at Indiana Genealogical Society

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Elkhart 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

• South Bend Indiana FamilySearch Center
• Sturgis Michigan FamilySearch Center
• Elkhart Public Library - an affiliate library.
• Noble County Public Library - an affiliate library.
• St Joseph County Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Elkhart County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.

Museums

Elkhart County Historical Museum
211 W Lincoln Ave
Goshen, IN 46526-3280
Phone: 574-535-6458
Email: museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org
Website

Goshen Historical Museum
124 S Main St
Goshen, IN 46526
Phone: 574-975-0033
Email: museum@goshenhistorical.org
Website

Middlebury Community Historical Museum
301 W Bristol Ave
PO Box 270
Middlebury, IN 46540-0270
Phone: 574-825-0978
Email: info@mchm.org
Facebook
Website

Societies

Listed below are societies in Elkhart County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.

Elkhart County Genealogical Society
PO Box 623
Elkhart, IN 46515
Phone: 574-848-1623
Email: Info@elkhartcogensoc.org
Facebook
Website

Elkhart County Historical Society
304 W Vistula St
PO Box 434
Bristol, IN 46507
Phone: 574-848-4322
Email: research@elkhartcountyhistory.org

Goshen Historical Society
124 S Main St
Goshen, IN 46526
Phone: 574-975-0033
Facebook
Website

New Paris Historical Society
PO Box 101
New Paris, IN 46553-0101
Phone: 814-470-1718
Email: contact@newparishistory.org
Facebook

Wakarusa Historical Society and Museum
403 Wabash Avenue
Wakarusa, IN 46573
Phone: 574-862-4344
Email: www.wakarusahistoricalsociety.com
Facebook
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
• Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Free and Members-only. Select a county
• Elkhart County INGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Elkhart 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.