Perry County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Perry County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
County Information
Description
Perry County was named in honor of Commodore Oliver H. Perry.[2] It is located in the south-central area of the state.[3]
County Courthouse
Perry County Courthouse
2219 Payne Street
Tell City, IN 47586
Phone: 812-547-3741
County Website
Perry County Health Department
3214 Tell Street # 1
Tell City, IN, 47586
Health Officer: William Marcrum, MD
Phone Number: 812-547-2746
Fax: 812-547-0415
Health Department
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1813.
County Recorder has land records from 1813.
County Health Department has birth and death records from 1890. [4]
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.
Perry 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 |
| 1890 | 1813 | 1890 | 1813 | 1813 | 1813 | 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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
- History of Warrick, Spencer and Perry Counties, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present : together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. Chicago, Goodspeed Bros Publishers, 1885. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;My Genealogy Hound
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Occupations
- Roster of Civilian Conservation Corps, Tell City (1938) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Perry County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 2,330 | — |
| 1830 | 3,369 | 44.6% |
| 1840 | 4,655 | 38.2% |
| 1850 | 7,268 | 56.1% |
| 1860 | 11,847 | 63.0% |
| 1870 | 14,801 | 24.9% |
| 1880 | 16,997 | 14.8% |
| 1890 | 18,240 | 7.3% |
| 1900 | 18,778 | 2.9% |
| 1910 | 18,078 | −3.7% |
| 1920 | 16,692 | −7.7% |
| 1930 | 16,625 | −0.4% |
| 1940 | 17,770 | 6.9% |
| 1950 | 17,367 | −2.3% |
| 1960 | 17,232 | −0.8% |
| 1970 | 19,075 | 10.7% |
| 1980 | 19,346 | 1.4% |
| 1990 | 19,107 | −1.2% |
| 2000 | 18,899 | −1.1% |
| 2010 | 19,338 | 2.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1880 Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Perry County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- 1931 1931 Perry County Enumerations at FamilySearch Explore Images
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
- 1815-1831 Court Records, 1815-1831(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1815-1915 Civil Order and Complete Record Books, 1815-1915(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1817-1834 Civil and State Criminal Records, 1817-1834(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1853-1873 Civil Order Books, 1853-1873(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Directory of Businesses in Perry County, Indiana (1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- Morris Family Services in Cannelton and Tell City.
- Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home in Tell City.
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 Perry 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 Perry 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 Warrick, Spencer and Perry Counties, Indiana. 1885. Chicago, Illinois : Goodspeed. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Perry County : a History. 1916. By Thomas James De la Hunt. W.K. Stuart Publishing 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
- African American Veterans in Perry County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Civil War
Civil War service men from Perry County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Perry County.
- 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company A
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company B
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company L
- 26th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 35th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
- 38th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 49th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
- 81st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, and K
- 93rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
- 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Books
- Military History Chapter 7 in History of Warrick, Spencer and Perry Counties, Indiana, from the earliest time to the present : together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. Chicago, Goodspeed Bros Publishers, 1885. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive
World War I
- 1919 Indiana, World War I, Enrollment Cards, 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Naturalization and Citizenship
- Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.
Newspapers
Indiana newspapers may contain genealogical value including obituaries, births, marriages, deaths, anniversaries, family gatherings, family travel, achievements, business notices, engagement information, and probate court proceedings.
For more Indiana newspaper information see the wiki page Indiana Newspapers.
- 1800s-Current Indiana, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Obituaries
Tell City, Perry County Public Library Newspaper Obituaries - online searchable form
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
In most counties in Indiana, probate records have been kept by the county clerk of the circuit court. They include wills, fee books, claim registers, legacy records, inheritance records, probate ticklers, and dockets. The records are available at the Perry County courthouse. For more information, see Indiana Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1813-1843 Will Records, 1813-1843(*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1816-1897 Will Records, 1816-1897(*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1816-1932 Probate Records, 1816-1932(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1870 Partition Records, 1853-1870(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
- 1921-1930 Record of Bonds and Letters of Administration, 1921-1930(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — 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 Perry 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 ($)
- 180s-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 Perry 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
- Brandenburg Kentucky FamilySearch Center
- Evansville Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Owensboro Kentucky FamilySearch Center
- Crawford County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Daviess County Public Library - Kentucky - an affiliate library.
- Tell City-Perry County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Perry County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Cannelton Public Library
210 S 8th St
Cannelton, IN 47520
Phone: 812-547-6028
Email: swalker@tcpclibrary.org
Website
- It has some items related to Cannelton, including High School yearbooks.
Tell City-Perry County Public Library
2328 Tell St
Tell City, IN
Phone: 812-547-2661
Email: library@tcpclibrary.org
Facebook
Website
- It has a large collection, including online obituaries from December 1999.
Museums
Perry County Museum
125 S 7th St
PO Box 36
Cannelton, IN 47520
Phone: 812-548-6781
Email: perrycountymuseum@gmail.com
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Perry County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Southern Indiana Genealogical Society
180 W Spring St
PO Box 665
New Albany, IN 47150
Email: sigsvolunteer@gmail.com
Website
- The Society's genealogical collections are housed in the Indiana History Room of the New Albany-Floyd County Public Library.
Tell City Historical Society
548 9th St
Tell City, IN 47586
Phone: 812-772-2020
Email: tchsociety@psci.net
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 Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- Perry County INGenWeb
- USGenWeb Archives, Perry 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.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Perry County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/perry/ 3/30/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Perry County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_County,_Indiana 3/30/2017.
- ↑ 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, "Perry County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Perry County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_County%2C_Indiana, accessed 30 December 2019.