Morgan County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Morgan 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
Morgan County was named for Revolutionary War General Daniel Morgan, who defeated the British at the Battle of Cowpens.[3] It is located in the central area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Morgan County Courthouse
10 E. Washington St
PO Box 1556
Martinsville, IN 46151
Phone: 765-342-1025
County Website
Morgan County Health Department
180 S. Main Street, Suite 252
Martinsville, IN, 46151
Health Officer: Paul Broderick, DO
Phone: 765-342-6621
Fax: 765-342-1062
Email: morgancohd@morgancountyhealth.com
Health Department
County Clerk has marriage, probate and court records.
County Recorder has land records.
Board of Health has birth and death records. [5]
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.
Morgan 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 | 1822 | 1899 | 1822 | 1822 | 1822 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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March 1876 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. 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:[9]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- Dakin-Sheets Family Bible Records at Indiana State Library Digital Collections
- Morgan County, Indiana, Bible Records at GeoCities
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Morgan County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 5,593 | — |
| 1840 | 10,741 | 92.0% |
| 1850 | 14,576 | 35.7% |
| 1860 | 16,110 | 10.5% |
| 1870 | 17,528 | 8.8% |
| 1880 | 18,900 | 7.8% |
| 1890 | 18,643 | −1.4% |
| 1900 | 20,457 | 9.7% |
| 1910 | 21,182 | 3.5% |
| 1920 | 20,010 | −5.5% |
| 1930 | 19,424 | −2.9% |
| 1940 | 19,801 | 1.9% |
| 1950 | 23,726 | 19.8% |
| 1960 | 33,875 | 42.8% |
| 1970 | 44,176 | 30.4% |
| 1980 | 51,999 | 17.7% |
| 1990 | 55,920 | 7.5% |
| 2000 | 66,689 | 19.3% |
| 2010 | 68,894 | 3.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Mortality Schedule for Morgan County (1860, 1870, 1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Morgan County (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Residents of Morgan County, Indiana (1874) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository.
For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1822-1921 Civil Order Books, Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1822-1921(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1837-1846 Probate Complete Record, Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1837-1846(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1847-1931 Complete Civil Order Books, Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1847-1931(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1852-1855 Probate Complete Record, Court of Common Pleas, Morgan County, Indiana, 1852-1855(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1873 Civil Order Books, Court of Common Pleas, Morgan County, Indiana, 1853-1873(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1861-1865 Probate Order Books, Court of Common Pleas, Morgan County, Indiana, 1861-1865(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1874-1921 Justice of the Peace Docket, 1874-1921, Morgan County, Indiana(*); Justice of the Peace at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1876-1913 General Index to Files, Morgan Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1876-1913(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1897-1901 Record of Coroner's Inquests, Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1897-1901(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- General Index to Circuit Court Order Books, Morgan Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1907-1908 Martinsville, Indiana City Directory, 1907 - 1908 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Early Settlers and County Officials of Morgan County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- The People's Guide : a Business, Political and Religious Directory of Morgan Co., Ind. : Together with a Collection of Very Important Documents and Statistics Connected with our Moral, Political and Scientific History ; Also a Historical Sketch of Morgan County, and a Brief History of Each Township(*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Funeral Homes
- Carlisle-Branson Funeral Service and Crematory in Mooresville.
- Costin Funeral Chapel in Martinsville.
- Jones Family Mortuary in Mooresville.
- Light Memorial and Funeral Chapel in Monrovia.
- Meredith-Clark Funeral Home in Morgantown.
- Neal and Summers Funeral and Cremation Center in Martinsville.
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 Morgan 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 Morgan 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 Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana : Historical and Biographical. 1884. Edited by Charles Blanchard. Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
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
Migration
Military Records
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
Civil War
Civil War service men from Morgan 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 Morgan County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies B, and L
- 4th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
- 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company F
- 7th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company H
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company E
- 17th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 27th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 33rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and C
- 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 70th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, H, and I
- 117th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company C
- 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
- 148th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, H, and K
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Books:
- "Military History" in Blanchard, Charles. Counties of Morgan, Monroe, and Brown, Indiana. Historical and Biographical. (Chicago: F.A. Battey Co, 1884.) Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
World War I
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1917-1918 Honor roll of the Great War from Morgan County. Martinsville, Indiana : Democrat Print., between 1918 and 1928
World War II
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 ($)
- Hoosier State Chronicles
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Morgan County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana, Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1822-1919 Probate Order Books, 1822-1919(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1837-1846 Probate Complete Record, Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1837-1846(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1845-1852 Probate Estates Record, 1845-1852(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1848-1852 Complete Records, Probate Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1848-1852(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1852-1855 Probate Complete Record, Court of Common Pleas, Morgan County, Indiana, 1852-1855(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1861-1865 Probate Order Books, Court of Common Pleas, Morgan County, Indiana, 1861-1865(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1884-1915 Partition Records, 1884-1915(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1890-1928 Will Records, Circuit Court, Morgan County, Indiana, 1890-1928(*); 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
- Students, Teachers, and Graduates of Morgan County Schools (1897, 1900-1914, 1916-7, 1930, 1934, 1936, 1940, 1947, 1953-6, 1958-61) 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, Compiled 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 Morgan 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
- Bloomington Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Brownsburg Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Indianapolis Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Martinsville Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Wallace Avenue Indiana FamilySearch Center
- White River Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Monroe County Public Library - Elletsville Branch - an affiliate library.
- Plainfield-Guilford Township Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Morgan County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Morgan County Public Library
110 S Jefferson St
Martinsville, IN 46151
Phone: 765-342-3451
Email: kristaq@mail.morg.lib.in.us
Facebook
Website
Museums
Morgan County History Center and Museum
127 S Main St
Martinsville, IN
Phone: 765-315-6982
Email: morgancountyhistorymuseum@gmail.com
Facebook
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Morgan County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Morgan County History and Genealogy Association
PO Box 1012
Martinsville, IN 46151-0012
Phone: 765-342-3451
Email: jkistler@morgancountylibrary.info
Facebook
Website
Morgan County History Partnership
PO Box 694
Mooresville, IN 46158
Email: morgancountyhistorypartnership@gmail.com
Facebook
Website
Websites
- Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
- Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Extensive - keyword searches suggested
- 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. Scroll the list.
- USGenWebArchives, Morgan County
- INGenWeb, Morgan County
- Morgan County, Indiana: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More at 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, "Morgan County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana. FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Morgan County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/morgan/ (accessed 30 Mar 2017).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Indiana (accessed 30 Mar 2017).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana. FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana. FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana. FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Morgan County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_County,_Indiana (accessed 27 Dec 2019).