Owen County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Owen 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
Owen County was named after Abraham Owen, a colonel who died at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.[3] It is located in the southwestern area of the state.[4]
County Courthouse
Owen County Courthouse
Main Street PO Box 146
Spencer, IN 47460
Phone: 812-829-5015
County Website
Owen County Health Department
86 E. Market St.
Spencer, IN 47460
Health Officer: Diane Wells, MD
Phone Number: 812-829-5017
Fax: 812-829-5044
Email: sheila.reeves@owencounty.in.go
Health Department
County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882.
County Clerk has marriage and court records from 1819, divorce records from 1832 and probate records from 1833.
County Recorder has land records from 1819.[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.
Owen 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 | 1819 | 1882 | 1819 | 1819 | 1833 | 1807 |
Record Loss
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this 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:[9]
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- Indiana DAR GRC Report; Owen Co., Indiana - Bible Records at DAR Library Catalog
Biographies
- Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
- Biographies at Owen County INGenWeb Project
- Owen County Biographies at USGenWeb Archives
- Owen County, Indiana Biographies at Genealogy Trails
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Owen County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 838 | — |
| 1830 | 4,017 | 379.4% |
| 1840 | 8,359 | 108.1% |
| 1850 | 12,106 | 44.8% |
| 1860 | 14,376 | 18.8% |
| 1870 | 16,137 | 12.2% |
| 1880 | 15,901 | −1.5% |
| 1890 | 15,040 | −5.4% |
| 1900 | 15,149 | 0.7% |
| 1910 | 14,053 | −7.2% |
| 1920 | 12,760 | −9.2% |
| 1930 | 11,351 | −11.0% |
| 1940 | 12,090 | 6.5% |
| 1950 | 11,763 | −2.7% |
| 1960 | 11,400 | −3.1% |
| 1970 | 12,163 | 6.7% |
| 1980 | 15,841 | 30.2% |
| 1990 | 17,281 | 9.1% |
| 2000 | 21,786 | 26.1% |
| 2010 | 21,575 | −1.0% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
1820
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 ($)
- 1819-1868 Owen County, Indiana Circuit Court Complete Order Books, 1819-1868(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1843-1921 Owen County, Indiana Circuit Court Civil Order Books, 1843-1921(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1873 Owen County, Indiana Court of Common Pleas Civil Order Books, 1853-1873(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1862-1910 Index to Files, Civil Suits (Owen County, Indiana), 1862-1910?(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Directory of Businesses in Owen County, Indiana in 1858 at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Owen County Directories at USGenWeb Archives
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Funeral Homes
- Chandler Funeral Homes in Gosport.
- Owen County Funeral Parlors at USGenWeb Archives
- Walton Family Funeral Service, Inc. in Spencer.
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 Owen County courthouse, where records are currently housed.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Land Grant Applications at Owen County INGenWeb
- Owen County Deeds at USGenWeb Archives
- Plat Books of Indiana Counties, Vol. 4 at IUPUI University Library, pages 160 thru 173
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Local histories are available for Owen 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 Clay and Owen, Indiana : Historical and Biographical. 1884. Edited by Charles Blanchard. Chicago : F.A. Battey & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat). Index: Index of personal names, History of Owen County, Indiana, 1884. By Roger A. Peterson. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Owen County History at GenealogyTrails
- Owen County Town and Township Histories at Owen County Historical and Genealogical Society (OCHGS)
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Maps of Owen County at Indiana State Library. 1911 and 1936? can be viewed online.
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
- Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives
Military Records
War of 1812
- Owen County Military at USGenWeb Archives
- Veterans in Owen County, Indiana (1913) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Military Service of Residents of Owen County (1775-1848) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Civil War
Civil War servicemen from Owen 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 Owen County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company B
- 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company C
- 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company F
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company H
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company H
- 14th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 18th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 31st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
- 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company E
- 57th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies f, and B
- 82nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 85th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 97th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies F, and H
- 130th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 137th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
- 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 149th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and D
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Books:
- Company B, Twenty-First Indiana First Heavy Artillery at USGenWeb Archives
- Vincent Anderson War Diary at USGenWeb Archives
- Zollinger, Vivian, ed., "'I Take My Pen in Hand:' Civil War Letters from Owen County Indiana, Soldiers" Indiana Magazine of History, Vol. 93, No. 2 (June 1997, pp. 111-196 (various Owen County soldiers, Owen County 135h, 14th, 19th, 21st, 59th, 97th, 149th Indiana Volunteer Infantries, 1861-1865). Article
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 ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- Owen County Newspapers at Indiana State Library
- Newspaper abstracts at INGenWeb Project
- Newspaper extracts at USGenWeb Archives
- Spencer Evening World (current newspaper)
Obituaries
Other Records
- Surnames at INGenWeb Project; alphabetical abstracts of various life events per surnames listed
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 Owen 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 ($)
- 1833-1920 Probate Records and Will Books, Owen County, Indiana, 1833-1920(*); Circuit and Probate Court, and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Abstracts of Owen County Indiana wills before 1900. By Zollinger, Vivian. Gosport, Indiana : V. Zollinger, 1994. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Index to Abstracts of Owen County Wills before 1900 at INGenWeb Project
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Students, Teachers, and Graduates of various Owen County, Indiana Schools (1921, 1929-30, 1934-70) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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 ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Indiana tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page Indiana Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Indiana law in 1882 required registration of births and deaths in counties. The Indiana Department of Health has birth records filed after October 1907 and death records filed after January 1900 for deaths. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital Records.
Birth
- 1880-1882 Owen County, Indiana Births 1880-1882 at Genealogy Trails
Marriage
Blanchard's 1884 county history mentions that the first wedding in the county was a double wedding that predates the recording of marriages in the county record books. This was the marriage of two daughters of Philip Hart to James Bigger and Thomas Allen. The date of this marriage is unknown. The first recorded marriage is dated 4 Oct 1819.
- 1780-1992 Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
- 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
- Before 1850 Owen County, Indiana Marriages Before 1850, Surnames A-J at OCHGS
- Before 1850 Owen County, Indiana Marriages Before 1850, Surnames J-Z at OCHGS
- Owen County Marriages at INGenWeb Project
- Owen County Marriages at USGenWeb Archives
Book Abstracts and Indexes
- 1819-1849 Owen County, Indiana Marriage Record 1819-1849. Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
- 1819-1844 - Franklin, Charles M. Owen County, Indiana Marriages, 1819-1844. Indianapolis: Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe, 1979. Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
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 Owen 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
- Linton Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Martinsville Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Monroe County Public Library - Elletsville Branch - an affiliate library.
- Monroe County Public Library - Main - an affiliate library.
- Putnam County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Vigo County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Owen County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Owen County Library
10 S Montgomery
Spencer, IN 47460
Phone: 812-829-3392
Email: genealogy@owenlib.org
Website
Museums
Ten O'clock Line Treaty Museum at Gosport
19 N Fourth St
PO Box 50
Gosport, IN 474333
Phone: 812-879-4050
Email: gosportmuseumdirector@gmail.com
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Owen County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Owen County Historical and Genealogical Society
PO Box 569
Spencer, IN 47460
Phone: 812-829-4466
Website
Website
Websites
- Owen County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History at Linkpendium
- 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.
- Owen County at Indiana State Library Selected printed resources
- Owen County at USGenWeb Archives
- Owen County InGenWeb Project at InGenWeb Project
- Owen County, Indiana at Genealogy Trails
- Owen County, Indiana at RootsWeb
- Owen County, Indiana at Wikipedia
- 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, "Owen County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_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, “Owen County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/owen/ (accessed 30 Mar 2017).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Owen County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_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, "Owen County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Owen County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_County,_Indiana (accessed 28 December 2019.)