Johnson County, Indiana Genealogy

Guide to Johnson County, Indiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. Indiana Online Genealogy Records

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Delaware New Purchase in 1823
 * County Seat: Franklin

Description
The county was named for John Johnson, a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court. The County Seat is Franklin and was founded 1823. It is located in the Central area of the state.

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:

Neighboring Counties
Marion •  Shelby  •  Bartholomew  •  Brown  •  Morgan

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Indiana County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Indiana County Boundary Maps" (1790-1873) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
May 1849 and December 1874 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. Records that survived include marriages from 1830, “complete” court records from 1823, recorder’s entry book from 1822, and deeds and deed indexes from 1824.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research in FamilySearch Wiki
 * Michael John Neill, Burned Counties in Family History Circle

Census Records

 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for Johnson County, Indiana (1890) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Residents of Johnson County, Indiana (1874) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Directories

 * Directory of Businesses in Johnson County, Indiana (1868) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Local Histories

 * A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana. 1881. By David Demaree Banta. Chicago, Illinois : J.H. Beers & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books;.
 * History of Johnson County, Indiana. 1888. By David Demaree Banta. Chicago, Illinois : Brant & Fuller. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust - (note: mislabeled as Johnston County), Internet Archive;.
 * History of Johnson County, Indiana. 1913. By Elba L. Branigin. Indianapolis, Indiana : B.F. Bowen. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books; . Index: Every Name Index to History of Johnson County, Indiana. Compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007.
 * The People's Guide. 1874. By Cline & McHaffie. Indianapolis, Indiana : Indianapolis Printing and Publishing House. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Maps and Gazetteers - Linkpendium

Military Records

 * Johnson Co IN Ancestral Heroes (Military War Heroes) (AncestralHeroes.com)
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 Johnson County, Indiana

Civil War
Civil War service men from Johnson 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 Johnson County.


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies L, and M
 * 3rd Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
 * 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company F
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies F, and H
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies F, and H
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies H, and I
 * 12th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 13th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 17th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and F
 * 18th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Companies G, and I
 * 26th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 27th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 70th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies I, and K
 * 114th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, all of Companies A-D
 * 132nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G
 * 148th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, D, E, H, and K
 * 154th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books


 * "Johnson County And Civil War" Chapter 14 in Branigin, Elba L. 1913. History of Johnson County, (Indiana. Indianapolis, In: B.F. Bowen &amp; Co.), ( page 420-485; diaries and letter written from the front) other libraries INTERNET ARCHIVE


 * "Military History" Chapter 9 in Banta, D. D. 1970. History of Johnson County Indiana: from the earliest time to the present with biographical sketches, notes, etc. together with a short history of the Northwest, the Indiana territory and the state of Indiana. (Evansville, In: Unigraphic.), (page 726-837; Regiment, Companies; "Roll Of Honor," page 739-743), 977.2 H2hj FHL US/CAN Book   other libraries   INTERNET ARCHIVE  Google books

World War I (The Great War), 1914-1918

 * Gold Star Honor Roll (Source: Genealogy Trails History Group)
 * World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Johnson County (Source: Explore Ancestry.com) ($)
 * 1919  at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II, 1941-1945

 * Johnson County, Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps NARA

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry.com ($) — index and images

School Records

 * Alumni of Franklin High School (1874-1900) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Graduates of Greenwood High School (1877-1930) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Students and Teachers of Alva Neal High School (1929) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Students and Teachers of Franklin High School (1901, 1926) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Directory of Teachers for Morgan County (1936) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Courthouse
Johnson County Courthouse 1st Floor Franklin, IN 46131 Phone: 317-736-3708 County Health Department has birth, death and burial records 1882. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1830. County Recorder has land records.

Libraries

 * Johnson County Museum of History - Genealogy Library 135 N. Main Street Franklin, IN 46131 Phone: 317-346-4500 Website

Museums

 * Johnson County Museum of History 135 N. Main Street Franklin, IN 46131 Phone: 317-346-4500 Website

Family History Centers

 * North Vernon Indiana Family History Center

Taxation
Tax Books and/or Delinquent List 1843 through 1889 are housed at the Johnson County Museum of History in their Genealogy Library.

Vital Records

 * Indiana State Digital Archives

Marriage Records

 * 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($) — index
 * 1780-1992 at FamilySearch
 * 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 - Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death Records

 * 1750-1993 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1882-1920 at FamilySearch Historical Records - Index only
 * 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry ($) - index and images
 * Indiana State Digital Archives

Websites

 * USGenWeb
 * INGenWeb
 * Johnson County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook