Noble County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Noble 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
Noble County was named for Governor Noah Noble. It is located in the northeastern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Noble County Courthouse
101 North Orange Street
Albion, IN 46701-1097
Phone: 219-636-2736
Noble County Website
Noble County Health Department
2090 North State Road 9, Suite C
Albion, IN, 46701
Health Officer: Terry Gaff, MD
Phone: 260-636-2191
Fax: 260-636-2192
Email: lgray@nobleco.us
Health Department
County Health Department has birth and death records.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1859.
County Auditor has land records.
City Clerk has 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.
Noble 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 | 1859 | 1882 | 1859 | 1834 | 1859 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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1843 and 1859 -- 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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
- Augusta Cemetery at Allen County Public Library
- Gragg Cemetery at Allen County Public Library
- Lower/Lauer Cemetery at Allen County Public Library
- Port Mitchell Cemetery at Allen County Public Library
- Sanford Cemetery at Allen County Public Library
- Wolf Lake Cemetery at Allen County Public Library
- The IN Geneaology Society has many free indexes to Noble County cemeteries.
- The Index of Noble County Indiana, Burial of Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, Under an Act Approved, Marcy 6, 1889. PDF by IN Geneaology Society
Census Records
For tips on accessing Noble County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 2,702 | — |
| 1850 | 7,946 | 194.1% |
| 1860 | 14,915 | 87.7% |
| 1870 | 20,389 | 36.7% |
| 1880 | 22,956 | 12.6% |
| 1890 | 23,359 | 1.8% |
| 1900 | 23,533 | 0.7% |
| 1910 | 24,009 | 2.0% |
| 1920 | 22,470 | −6.4% |
| 1930 | 22,404 | −0.3% |
| 1940 | 22,776 | 1.7% |
| 1950 | 25,075 | 10.1% |
| 1960 | 28,162 | 12.3% |
| 1970 | 31,382 | 11.4% |
| 1980 | 35,443 | 12.9% |
| 1990 | 37,877 | 6.9% |
| 2000 | 46,275 | 22.2% |
| 2010 | 47,536 | 2.7% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Morality Schedule for Noble County, Indiana (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Noble County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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
Court Records
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1862-1921 Civil Court Order Books, 1862-1921(*); Clerk of the Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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 American
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Funeral Homes
- Harper Funeral Homes in Albion and Avilla.
- Hite Funeral Home in Kendallville.
- Legacy Cremation and Remembrance Center in Ligonier.
- Yeager Funeral Home in Ligonier.
- Young Family Funeral Homes in Kendallville and Wolcottville.
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 Noble 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 Noble County. County histories may include biographies; church, school and government histories; and military information. For more information about local histories, see Indiana Local Histories.
- Alvord's History of Noble County, Indiana. 1902. By Samuel E. Alvord. Logansport, Indiana: B. F. Bowen, Publisher. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- Counties of La Grange and Noble, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. 1882. Chicago, Illinois : F.A. Battery Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library (scroll to page 435 for Noble County history), Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Northeast Indiana, Lagrange, Steuben, Noble, and DeKalb Counties. 2 volumes. 1920. By Ira Ford. Chicago, Illinois : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Vol. 2 - 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 Noble 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 Noble County.
- 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies B, C, D, I, and M
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies B, and I
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized B, and C
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized C, and F
- 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
- 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, F, and Reorganized Companies D, and E
- 44th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and D
- 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C, D, and I
- 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D
- 142nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, G, and D
- 152nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C, F, and E
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Book:
- The First Call for Troops in Counties of La Grange and Noble, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. (Salem, Mass: Higginson Book Co, 1993.) 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
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 ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Noble County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana, Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1854-1921 Probate Records, 1854-1921(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1859-1894 Noble Co., Indiana, Will Abstracts, 1859-1894. By Slevin, Ruth M. n.p. : R.M. Slevin, n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- 1859-1926 Probate Records, 1859-1926(*); Court of Common Pleas 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
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Birth
Marriage
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 1800-2007 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 Noble 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
- Fort Wayne Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Huntington Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Sturgis Michigan FamilySearch Center
- Allen County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Noble County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Noble County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Noble County Public Library Albion
813 E Main St
Albion, IN 46701
Phone: 260-636-7197
Email: info@myncpl.us
Website
Noble County Public Library Avilla
104 Ley St
Avilla, IN 46710
Phone: 260-897-3900
Email: info@myncpl.us
Website
Noble County Public Library Cromwell
120 Jefferson Street
Cromwell, IN 46732
Phone: 260-856-2119
Email: info@myncpl.us
Website
Museums
Kendallville Historical Society
Mid-America Windmill Museum
732 Allen Chapel Rd
PO Box 5048
Kendallville, IN 46755-5048
Phone: 260-347-2334
Email: volunteer@midamericawindmillmuseum.org
Facebook
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Noble County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Ligonier Historical Society And Museum
503 S Main Street
Ligonier, IN 46767-1815
Phone: 260-894-4511
Facebook
Noble County Genealogical Society
109 N York St
PO Box 162
Albion, IN 46701-0162
Phone: 260-636-7197
Website
Noble County Historical Society
215 W Main St
PO Box 152
Albion, IN 46701
Phone: 260-636-3929
Email: noblecountyhistory@gmail.com
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.
- INGenWeb, Noble County. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
- USGenWeb, Noble County.
- 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
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Indiana. FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Noble County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_County,_Indiana (accessed 30 March 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, "Noble County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Noble County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_County,_Indiana (accessed 28 December 2019).