Parke County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Parke 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
Parke County was named in honor of Benjamin Parke, who was a member of the First Territorial Legislature, and who was also the first Representative in Congress of this territory. It is located in the west-central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse
Parke County Courthouse
116 W High Street #204
Rockville, IN 47872
Phone: 765-569-5132
County Website
Parke County Health Department
116 West High Street, Room 12
Rockville, IN, 47872
Health Officer: Franklin Swaim, MD
Phone Number: 765-569-6665
Fax: 765-569-4061
Email: parkehealth@parkecounty-in.gov
Health Department
County Health Department has birth records from 1902 and death records from 1882;
County Auditor has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1833;
County Recorder has land records from 1833
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.
Parke 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 |
| 1902 | 1829 | 1882 | 1833 | 1833 | 1833 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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October 1833 -- 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]
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
- Bible Records of Parke County, Indiana at INGenWeb
- Titus Family Bible Records at Indiana State Library Digital Collections
Biographies
- Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
- Portrait and biographical record of Montgomery, Parke and Fountain Counties, Indiana containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States. (1893. Chicago: Chapman Bros.) Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Parke County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 7,535 | — |
| 1840 | 13,499 | 79.2% |
| 1850 | 14,968 | 10.9% |
| 1860 | 15,538 | 3.8% |
| 1870 | 18,166 | 16.9% |
| 1880 | 19,460 | 7.1% |
| 1890 | 20,296 | 4.3% |
| 1900 | 23,000 | 13.3% |
| 1910 | 22,214 | −3.4% |
| 1920 | 18,875 | −15.0% |
| 1930 | 16,561 | −12.3% |
| 1940 | 17,358 | 4.8% |
| 1950 | 15,674 | −9.7% |
| 1960 | 14,804 | −5.6% |
| 1970 | 14,600 | −1.4% |
| 1980 | 16,372 | 12.1% |
| 1990 | 15,410 | −5.9% |
| 2000 | 17,241 | 11.9% |
| 2010 | 17,339 | 0.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Parke County (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Pioneer Settlers of Parke County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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 ($)
- 1833-1923 Parke County Circuit Court Civil Order Books, 1833-1923(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Directory of Businesses in Parke County (1858, 1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Funeral Homes
- Barnes and Rice Funeral Home in Rockville.
- Brown-Mack Funeral Home in Montezuma.
- Gooch Funeral Homes and Crematory in Rockville and Rosedale.
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 Parke 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 Parke 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 Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana. 1913. Indianapolis, Indiana : B.F. Bowen & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Vigo and Parke Counties Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley. 1880. By Hiram Williams Beckwith. Chicago: H.H. Hill and N. Iddings. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Ancestry ($); At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Parke County, Indiana, History and Families, 1821-1989. c1989. Paducah, Kentucky : Turner Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
- 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 Pike 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 Pike County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies E, H, and K
- 4th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company K
- 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies G, and I
- 11th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company F
- 14th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
- 31st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
- 43rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 58th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 78th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (60 days, 1862), Companies C, and D
- 80th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 85th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and B
- 115th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company B
- 123rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 137th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
- 149th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, and I
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
World War I
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- Parke County in the World War : a list of its soldiers, sailors, and marines, compiled from official records and from as complete research as possible (1920)
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 ($)
- 1804-2011 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011
Obituaries
- 1853-2006 Parke County Obituaries at Genealogy Trails.
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Parke County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana, Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1833-1921 Probate Records, 1833-1921, Parke County, Indiana(*); Probate and Circuit Court, and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1833-1923 Parke County Circuit Court Civil Order Books, 1833-1923(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1833-1924 Will Records, 1833-1924, Parke County, Indiana(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1834-1906 Parke County, Indiana Will Record, 1834-1906. By Slevin, Ruth M. n.p. : n.p., n.d. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- 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 Parke 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 ($)
- 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
- 1833-1844 Parke County Marriage Index 1833-1844 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch M723511 .[8]
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 Parke 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
- Crawfordsville Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Terre Haute Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Marshall Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Putnam County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Parke County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Parke County Public Library
106 N Market St
Rockville, IN 47872
Phone: 765-596-5544
Email: parkecountypl@gmail.com
Website
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Parke County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Parke County Historical Society and Museum
PO Box 332
Rockville, IN 47872-0332
Phone: 765-569-2223
Email: info@parkecountyhs.org
Website
Wabash Valley Genealogy Society
PO Box 7012
Terre Haute, IN 47802-7012
Email: wvgs@inwvgs.org
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 Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- Genealogy Trails, Parke County
- INGenWeb, Parke County
- USGenWeb Archives, Parke 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
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Parke County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parke_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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Parke County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parke_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.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Parke County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parke_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Parke County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parke_County%2C_Indiana (Accessed 29 Dec 2019).
- ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/8/8d/Igiindianah.pdf.