Whitley County, Indiana Genealogy
Guide to Whitley 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
Whitley County was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812.[2] The county is located in the northeastern part of the state.[3]
County Courthouse
Whitley County Courthouse
101 W Van Buren Street
Columbia City, IN 46725
Phone: 219-248-3102
County Website
Whitley County Health Department
220 West Van Buren Street, Suite 111
Columbia City, IN 46725
Health Officer: Mark A. Burkett, DO
Phone: 260-248-3121
Fax: 260-248-3129
Email: lweigold@whitleygov.com
Health Department
County Clerk has marriage records from 1836 divorce and court records from 1853 and probate records.
County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882.
County Recorder has land records. [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.
Whitley 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 | 1836 | 1882 | 1853 | 1813 | 1853 | 1807 |
Record Loss
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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 | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
- On-line cemetery databases at The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
- Cemeteries List at Genealogical Society of Whitley County
- Photos of Tombstones in Jefferies Cemetery, Smith Township at Indiana Genealogical Society
Census Records
For tips on accessing Whitley County census records online, see: Indiana Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 1,237 | — |
| 1850 | 5,190 | 319.6% |
| 1860 | 10,730 | 106.7% |
| 1870 | 14,399 | 34.2% |
| 1880 | 16,941 | 17.7% |
| 1890 | 17,768 | 4.9% |
| 1900 | 17,328 | −2.5% |
| 1910 | 16,892 | −2.5% |
| 1920 | 15,660 | −7.3% |
| 1930 | 15,931 | 1.7% |
| 1940 | 17,001 | 6.7% |
| 1950 | 18,828 | 10.7% |
| 1960 | 20,954 | 11.3% |
| 1970 | 23,395 | 11.6% |
| 1980 | 26,215 | 12.1% |
| 1990 | 27,651 | 5.5% |
| 2000 | 30,707 | 11.1% |
| 2010 | 33,292 | 8.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Whitley County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
Church Records
Most church records are held by individual churches. For contact information, check a phone directory, such as SearchBug or Dex Knows. Some denominations are gathering their records into a central repository.
For more information about these major repositories, see Indiana Church Records.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
- 1818-1954 Indiana Court Cases at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1839-1919 Final Records, Circuit Court, Whitley County, Indiana, 1839-1919(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1839-1921 Civil Order Books, Circuit Court, Whitley County, Indiana, 1839-1921(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1872 Civil Order books, Court of Common Pleas, Whitley County, Indiana, 1853-1872(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1881 Final Records, Court of Common Pleas, Whitley County, Indiana, 1853-1881(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1853-1892 General Index, Whitley Common Pleas Court, 1853-1892(*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1885-1927 Recorder's Ditch Records, Final Ditch Records, and General Index, Whitley County, Indiana, 1906-1927, 1885-1909(*); 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
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Funeral Homes
- DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home in Columbia City.
- Sheets and Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco.
- Smith and Sons Funeral Homes in Columbia City and South Whitley.
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 Whitley 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 Whitley 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 Whitley and Noble, Indiana. 1882. Editors: Weston A. Goodspeed, Charles Blanchard. Chicago, Illinois : F.A. Battey. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; At various libraries (WorldCat).
- History of Whitley County, Indiana. 1907. By Richard H. Maring, Samuel P. Kaler. N.p: B. F. Bowen & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; At various libraries (WorldCat).
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
- Simple Map of Townships of Whitley County at Genealogical Society of Whitley County
- David Rumsey Map of Whitley County 1876 Shows Townships
- 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 Whitley 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 Whitley County.
- 4th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
- 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company A
- 14th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 23rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
- 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
- 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
- 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E and K
- 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
- 152th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C and I
Civil War Books:
- Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, and Charles Blanchard. 1970. Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana: historical and biographical, illustrated. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic, inc.) Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; ("War History" Chapter, page 76-97).
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 Whitley 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 ($)
- 1835-1931 Estates and Guardianship Records, Whitley County, Indiana, 1876-1931; Index, 1835- 1930(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1839-1925 Probate Records, 1839-1925(*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- 1839-1928 Will Record, 1839-1928(*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
- Students and Teachers of Columbia City High School (1929, 1945) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
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 Whitley 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
- Decatur Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Fort Wayne Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Huntington Indiana FamilySearch Center
- Allen County Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Huntington City - Township Public Library - an affiliate library.
- Noble County Public Library - an affiliate library.
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Whitley County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Archives and Libraries.
Peabody Public Library
1160 E SR 205
PO Box 406
Columbia City, IN 46725
Phone: 260-244-5541
Website
Museums
Societies
Listed below are societies in Whitley County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see Indiana Societies.
Genealogical Society of Whitley County
PO Box 224
Columbia City, IN 46725-0224
Website
Whitley County Historical Society
108 W Jefferson St
Columbia City, IN 46725-1744
Phone: 260-244-6372
Email: wcmuseum@whitleymuseum.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 Select a county
- Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
- INGenWeb, Whitley County
- USGenWeb, Whitley County
- Whitley County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- 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, “Whitley County, Indiana Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ind/whitley/ accessed 04/05/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Whitley County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitley_County,_Indiana accessed 04/05/2017.
- ↑ 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, "Whitley County, Indiana" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitley_County,_Indiana (accessed 10 May 2012).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Whitley County, Indiana," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitley_County,_Indiana, accessed 16 January 2020.