Randolph County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Randolph 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
Randolph County was named for the North Carolina county home of many of the area’s immigrating Quaker settlers.[2] The county is located in the east-central part of the state.[3]
County Courthouse
Randolph County Courthouse
100 South Main Street #307
Winchester, IN 47394
Phone: 765-584-7070
County Courthouse
Randolph County Health Department
325 South Oak Street, Suite 202
Winchester, IN, 47394
Health Officer: Kenneth Sowinski, MD
Phone Number: 765-584-1155
Fax: 765-584-3226
Email: rchdinvr@
Health Department
County Health Department has birth and death records.
County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records.
County Recorder has land records from 1818 and newspapers from 1876. [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.
Randolph 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 | 1909 | 1818 | 1819 | 1807 |
Record Loss
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Randolph County was created on 10 January 1818 from a portion of Wayne County, Indiana. Frontier settlement had begun to reach the area by 1814. The county was named for old Randolph County, North Carolina, many settlers having moved westward from the Carolinas. Winchester was established as the county seat the same year the county was founded.
The first settlement was made in 1814 by a Quaker family, which was joined by five other families. By late 1816 the influx of new settlement and land entries grew rapidly. The years of most rapid growth were 1817-18 and 1836-37, much of the land purchased by speculators. The first school in Randolph County was built by Quakers in 1815. The first election was held in August 1818. The first road opened was the Quaker Trace in 1817, running from Richmond to Ft. Wayne. The first Court House was built in 1818. The first railroad through the county was the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine, completed in 1852-53.
Frame and brick structures, mills, orchards, factories, stores, hotels and banks followed.
Resources
Bible Records
- Randolph County, Indiana Family Files Index at INGenWeb
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing Randolph County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 1,808 | — |
| 1830 | 3,912 | 116.4% |
| 1840 | 10,684 | 173.1% |
| 1850 | 14,725 | 37.8% |
| 1860 | 18,997 | 29.0% |
| 1870 | 22,862 | 20.3% |
| 1880 | 26,435 | 15.6% |
| 1890 | 28,085 | 6.2% |
| 1900 | 28,653 | 2.0% |
| 1910 | 29,013 | 1.3% |
| 1920 | 26,484 | −8.7% |
| 1930 | 24,859 | −6.1% |
| 1940 | 26,766 | 7.7% |
| 1950 | 27,141 | 1.4% |
| 1960 | 28,434 | 4.8% |
| 1970 | 28,915 | 1.7% |
| 1980 | 29,997 | 3.7% |
| 1990 | 27,148 | −9.5% |
| 2000 | 27,401 | 0.9% |
| 2010 | 26,171 | −4.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Early Settlers of Randolph County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Selected Residents of Randolph County, Indiana Territory (1808) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Randolph County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository.
For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Randolph County Asylum Records, 1909-1918. By Randolph County, Indiana. Randolph County, Indiana : Randolph County, Indiana. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Randolph County Court Records, 1909-1918. By Randolph County, Indiana. Randolph County, Indiana : Randolph County, Indiana. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
- Directory of Selected Residents of Randolph County (1876) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Anti-slavery sentiments were common in Randolph County, as many early settlers had left the Carolinas to be free of the practice. Active supporters of the emancipation movement were found around 1816. The Underground Railroad functioned, and runaways were sheltered and assisted in their escape.
Funeral Homes
- Culberson Funeral Home in Modoc.
- MJS Mortuaries in Farmland and Ridgeville.
- Reichard Funeral Home Inc. in Union City.
- Walker Funeral Home in Winchester.
- Wilson-Shook Funeral Homes and Cremation Center in Lynn, Parker City and Union 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 Randolph 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 Randolph 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 Randolph County, Indiana. 1882. By E. Tucker. Chicago, Illinois : A.L. Klingman. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Past and Present of Randolph County Indiana. 1914. By John L. Smith, Lee Driver. A.W. Bowen and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- Randolph County, Indiana, 1818-1990. c1991. Compiled by the Randolph County Historical Society. 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
- African American Veterans in Randolph County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Civil War
Civil War service men from Randolph 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 Randolph County.
- 8th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, and Reorganized Company G
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
- 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies H,and K
- 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
- 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company A, and E
- 57th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C,D, E, and F
- 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, E, and H
- 99th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
- 105th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
- 106th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and B
- 109th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 124th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, and H
- 134th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F
- 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
- 140th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies F, and K
- 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
- 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
- 150th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and I
- 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
Civil War Books:
- "Military" Chapter 20 in Tucker, E. 1882. History of Randolph County, Indiana: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers: to which are appended maps of its several townships. (Chicago: A.L. Klingman.), (page 238-296, Regiment, Company, some Names), 977.266 H2t FS Library US/CAN Large Q Book, FS Library Collection; 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 ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1804-2010 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011
Early newspapers were The Journal at Winchester, and The Times at Union City.Early banks were Citizens Bank and Commercial Bank of Union City, and Farmers and Merchants Bank and Randolph County Bank of Winchester.
Obituaries
Almost 7,000 obituaries from Randolph County and residents of Darke County, Ohio are included in the following newspapers and provided courtesy of Darke County Genealogical Researchers:
- 1934-1939 Union City Evening Times Obituaries from June, 1934 to March, 1939, at Darke County Genealogical Researchers
- 1939-1948 Union City Times-Gazette Obituaries from May, 1939 to December, 1948 at Darke County Genealogical Researchers
Other Records
Anti-slavery
Anti-slavery sentiments were common in Randolph County, as many early settlers had left the Carolinas to be free of the practice. Active supporters of the emancipation movement were found around 1816. The Underground Railroad functioned, and runaways were sheltered and assisted in their escape.
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 Randolph 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 ($)
- 1819-1921 Probate Records, 1819-1921(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1847-1920 Will Records, 1847-1920(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1865-1918 Account Current Record, 1865-1918(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1909-1915 Randolph County Land Transfer Records, 1909-1915. By Randolph County Auditor, Surveyer and Treasurer. Winchester, Indiana : Randolph County, 1909-1915. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Directory of Teachers for Randolph County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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
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 Randolph 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
- Muncie Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Richmond Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Anderson Indiana Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Hancock County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Randolph County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Winchester Community Library
125 N East Street
Winchester, IN 47394
Phone: 765-584-4824
Website
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Randolph County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Randolph County Indiana Historical and Genealogical Society
416 S Meridian St
Winchester, IN 47394
Phone: 765-584-1334
Email: rchsmuseum@gmail.com
Facebook
Website
Websites
- Randolph County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (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 Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- Randolph County Resources on IndianasGore
- USGenWeb Archives, Randolph County
- INGenWeb, Randolph 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.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Randolph County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/randolph/ accessed 04/03/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Randolph County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_County,_Indiana accessed 04/03/2017.
- ↑ 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. FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Randolph County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Randolph County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randolph_County%2C_Indiana, accessed 02 January 2020.