Gibson County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Gibson County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
County Information
Description
Gibson County was named for John Gibson. It is located in the southwestern area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse
Gibson County Courthouse
101 N Main Street
Princeton, IN 47670
Phone: 812-386-8401
County Website
Gibson County Health Department
203 South Prince Street, Ste A
Princeton, IN, 47670
Health Officer: Bruce Brink Jr, DO
Phone Number: 812-385-3831
Fax: 812-386-8027
Email: dhornby@gibsoncounty-in.gov
Health Department
County Health Department has birth and death records.
County Clerk has marriage records from 1813, divorce, probate and court records from 1820.[2]
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.
Gibson 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 | 1813 | 1880 | 1820 | 1836 | 1820 | 1807 |
Record Loss
|
1935 Gibson County courthouse was destroyed by fire, but no records were harmed. For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:
|
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:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
|
|
|
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- 1862 Bible Records, 1862(*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- Gibson and Posey Indiana Counties: Alcorn Family Bible at USGenWeb Archives
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
- Index of Shiloh Cemetery, Gibson County, Indiana at Indiana Genealogical Society
Census Records
For tips on accessing Gibson County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 6,192 | — |
| 1840 | 6,280 | 1.4% |
| 1850 | 6,403 | 2.0% |
| 1860 | 7,855 | 22.7% |
| 1870 | 7,939 | 1.1% |
| 1880 | 8,282 | 4.3% |
| 1890 | 11,156 | 34.7% |
| 1900 | 11,227 | 0.6% |
| 1910 | 13,661 | 21.7% |
| 1920 | 18,061 | 32.2% |
| 1930 | 19,666 | 8.9% |
| 1940 | 23,926 | 21.7% |
| 1950 | 27,777 | 16.1% |
| 1960 | 28,567 | 2.8% |
| 1970 | 28,799 | 0.8% |
| 1980 | 29,233 | 1.5% |
| 1990 | 30,159 | 3.2% |
| 2000 | 32,580 | 8.0% |
| 2010 | 33,503 | 2.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Gibson County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Census for Gibson County (1850-1940) at INGenWeb
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository.
For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Catholic
St. Bernard Catholic Parish
- 1877-1885 - St. Bernard Catholic Parish Baptism Index 1877-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch C537921 .[7]
- 1878-1895 - St. Bernard Catholic Parish Marriage Index 1878-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch M537921 .[7]
Court Records
- 1813-1839 Order Book and Complete Record of Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas, 1813-1839(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1813-1872 Civil Order Books and Complete Record Books, 1813-1872(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1813-1919 Civil Order Books and Complete Record Books, 1813-1919(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1813-1922 Probate, Civil and Criminal Court Records, ca. 1813-1922(*); Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Court Records, Gibson County, Indiana(*); Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Directories
- 1870 The Farmers' Record of Gibson, Vanderburgh, Posey, and Warrick Counties : Containing an Alphabetically Arranged List of the Land Owners, With a Description of Their Lands, and Number of Acres Owned by Each, With Other Valuable Statistics, 1870(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 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 American
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
- African American Veterans in Gibson County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- African Americans in Civilian Conservation Corps, Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana (1938) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Funeral Homes
- Colvin Funeral Home in Oakland City and Princeton.
- Lamb-Basham Memorial Chapel in Oakland City.
- Morris Family Services in Owensville.
- Stodghill Funeral Home in Fort Branch.
- Wade Funeral Home Inc. in Haubstadt.
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 Gibson County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Index to Documents Proving Land Titles for Gibson County - INGenWeb
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Gibson 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 Gibson County, Indiana. 1978. By James T. Tartt. Evansville, Ind. : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat). Digital reproduction of original, published 1884, Edwardsville, Ill. : Jas. T. Tartt & Co.
- History of Gibson County, Indiana. 1980. By Elia W. Peattie. Owensboro, Kentucky : Cook & McDowell Publications. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Gibson County, Indiana. 1914. By Gil R. Stormont. Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Gibson County Townships - INGenWeb
- 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
- African American Veterans in Gibson County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- African Americans in Civilian Conservation Corps, Princeton, Gibson County, Indiana (1938) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Civil War
Civil War service men from Gibson 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 Gibson County
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies A, and B
- 4th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company F
- 10th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies B, and F
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company K
- 17th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, and H
- 24th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 33rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 42nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, and F
- 58th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, C, and D
- 60th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
- 63rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and C
- 65th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, and G
- 75th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 80th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, E, and F
- 91st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A, D, E. and F
- 120th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, F, and G
- 136th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E
- 143rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, H, and I
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
- Wilder Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
Civil War Books:
- "The War For The Union" in "Patrictish" Chapter 11 of Jas. T. Tartt & Co. 1978. History of Gibson County, Indiana : with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers.Re-Printed. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic.) 977.235 H2ga. FS Library US/CAN Book FS Library Collection; Other Libraries
- "Civil War" in "Military History of Gibson County" Chapter 15 of Stormont, Gil R. 1914. History of Gibson County, Indiana, her people, industries and institutions : with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families. (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen.) Online at:FamilySearch Digital Book; FS Library US/CAN Film 934905 Item 1 FS Library Collection; Internet Archive
- Gibson County in the civil war; an address by Col. Gil. R. Stormont, at the dedication of the Gibson County soldiers monument at Princeton, Indiana, on Nov. 12, 1913 [i.e. 1912] History of other monuments in Gibson County. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Book; Internet Archive.
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
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 Gibson 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 ($)
- 1813-1834 Wills, 1813-1834(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1813-1922 Probate, Civil and Criminal Court Records, ca. 1813-1922(*); Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1813-1922 Probate Records, 1813-1922(*); Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1813-1926 Will Records, 1813-1926(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1830-1944 Probate Records, 1830-1919 ; with Indexes, 1868-1944, Court of Common Pleas and Circuit Court(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1918 Partition Record, 1853-1918(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Directory of Teachers for Gibson County (1936) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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 Gibson 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
- Evansville Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Vincennes Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Pike County Library - an affiliate library.
- Willard Indiana Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Gibson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Princeton Public Library
124 S Hart Street
Princeton, IN 47670
Phone: 812-385-4464
Email: genealogy@princetonpl.lib.in.us
Website
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Gibson County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Lyles Station Historic Preservation Corporation
953 N County Road, 500 W
PO Box 1193
Princeton, IN 47670
Phone: 812-385-2534
Email: chairman@lylesstation.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
- Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Free and Members-only. Select a county
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Gibson County, Indiana Genealogy & History (Genealogy Trails website)
- Gibson 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
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Gibson County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_County,_Indiana 3/28/2017.
- ↑ 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, "Gibson County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Gibson County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_County,_Indiana, accessed 09 December 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 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.