LaPorte County, Indiana Genealogy

Guide to LaPorte County, Indiana ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The county was named LaPorte, which means "the door" or "the port" in French. It is located in the north-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
LaPorte County Courthouse 813 Lincoln Way LaPorte, IN 46350 Phone: 219-326-6808 County Website

LaPorte County Health Department 809 State Street, Suite 401A La Porte, IN, 46350 Health Officer: Sandra Deausy, MD Phone Number: 219-326-6808 Fax: 219-325-8628 Email: tmancuso@laportecounty.org Health Department

County Clerk has marriage records from 1832, divorce, probate and court records from 1834. County Recorder has land records. County Health Department has birth, death and burial records. 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.

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:

Bible Records

 * La Porte County Family Records at The USGenWeb Project

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library

Cemeteries
The following may hold valuable information:
 * Cemetery records of LaPorte County, Indiana - FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Cemetery inscriptions, LaPorte and Porter Counties, Indiana; v. 02 - FamilySearch Digital Library

Census Records

 * Index to Mortality Schedule for LaPorte County (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for LaPorte County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records
LaPorte County is the only county in Indiana that has 2 courthouses. One is located in Michigan City and the other is in the county seat of the City of La Porte.
 * 1832-1922 (*); Circuit and Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1834-1979 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1876 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

 * Directory of Businesses in LaPorte County, Indiana (1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African American
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Funeral Homes

 * Coleman & Hicks Funeral Home and Crematory in Michigan City.
 * Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center in La Porte.
 * Emmanuel Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Westville.
 * Frank L. Keszei Funeral Home, Inc in La Porte.
 * Geisen Funeral Homes in Michigan City.
 * Haverstock Funeral Home in La Porte.
 * Lakeview Funeral Home & Crematory in La Porte.
 * Midwest Cremation Center in La Porte.
 * Newhard Funeral Home in Westville.
 * Root Funeral Home in Michigan City.
 * Wanatah Funeral Chapel in Wanatah.

Local Histories

 * History of La Porte County, Indiana. 1974. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Google Books. Digital images. Reprint of the 1880 ed. published by C. Chapman, Chicago. Index - Every Name Index.com. Compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007.
 * History of LaPorte County, Indiana and its Townships, Towns and Cities. 1976. By Jasper Packard. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust; . Reprint of original published: LaPort [Ind.] : E. Taylor, 1876. Includes index, compiled by Gertrude Davison Flotow.
 * A Twentieth Century History and Biographical Record of La Porte County, Indiana. 1904. By E.D. Daniels. Chicago : Lewis Publishing Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Google Books;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * Library of Congress Map Collection
 * 1866 Map of LaPorte County (Plat Map)
 * 1869 Bird's Eye View of Michigan City
 * David Rumsey Map Collection
 * 1874 Atlas of LaPorte County (59 images/maps)
 * 1876 City Maps of La Porte and Michigan City
 * 1876 Map of LaPorte County
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives

Civil War Civil War service men from LaPorte 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 LaPorte County.


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company B
 * 4th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company E
 * 4th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 5th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery (Simonson's)
 * 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company K
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, F, and Reorganized Company B, F, G, and H
 * 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies A, F, G, and M
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
 * 15th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 21st Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 29th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, G, H, and I
 * 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
 * 35th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 73rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and K
 * 87th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, H, and I
 * 109th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and H
 * 128th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, E, H, and I
 * 138th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies B, and D
 * 151st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, E, and K
 * 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and G
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books:


 * Military Record Chapter 25 in Packard, Jasper. 1976. History of LaPorte County, Indiana, and its townships, towns and cities. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic.) 977.291 H2p FHL US/CAN Book Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * The War For The Union in History of LaPorte County, Indiana: together with sketches of its cities, villages, and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens. History of Indiana embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, aborigines, French, English and American conquests, and a general review of its civil, political and military history. (2004. La Crosse, WI: Brookhaven Press.) 977.291 H2h FHL US/CAN Book ; Google Books.

Civil War Databases 


 * Residents of LaPorte County Who Served in the 9th Indiana Infantry (1861-1865) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

World War I
 * 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

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * The La Porte County Herald Argus, City of La Porte and surrounding area
 * The Michigan City News-Dispatch, Michigan City and surrounding area
 * Hoosier State Chronicles

Obituaries

 * 1887-2011 Web: Michigan City, Indiana, U.S., Obituary Index, 1887-2011 at Ancestry ($), index

Probate Records

 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry $

School Records

 * Students and Teachers of LaPorte High School (1939, 1943) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 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.

Marriage

 * 1780-1992  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry $
 * 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index and images, ($)
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Death

 * Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry.com - index, (Free collection)
 * 1750-1993 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1882-1920 at FamilySearch  - How to Use this Collection
 * 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry $

Archives
Harold Henderson, CG (SM), County Genealogist 1355 W. Springville Rd La Porte, IN 46350-8344 Phone: 219-324-2620 Email: [mailto:librarytraveler@gmail.com librarytraveler@gmail.com]

Family History Centers

 * Griffith Indiana Family History Center
 * Valparaiso Indiana Family History Center
 * Michigan City Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Valparaiso Public Library/Porter County Public Library System - an affiliate library.

Libraries
LaPorte County Public Library 904 Indiana Ave La Porte, IN 46350 Phone: 219-362-6156 Email: [mailto:help@laportelibrary.org help@laportelibrary.org] Website Michigan City Public Library 100 E. 4th Street Michigan City, IN 46360 Phone: 219-873-3044 Email: [mailto:refdesk@mclib.org refdesk@mclib.org] Website

Museums
LaPorte County Historical Society Museum 2405 Indiana Ave, Suite 1 La Porte, IN 46350 Phone: 219-324-6767 Email: [mailto:info@laportecountyhistory.org info@laportecountyhistory.org] Facebook Website

Societies
LaPorte County Indiana Genealogical Society P.O. Box 365 904 Indiana Ave La Porte, IN 46352 Facebook Website Wanatah Historical Society P.O. Box 156 West Cross Street Wanatah, IN 46390-0156 Phone: 219-733-2822, 219-733-2865 or 219-733-2927 Email: [mailto:whistsoc@frontier.com whistsoc@frontier.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 Free and Members-only. Scroll the list.
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * Cemetery and Research Association Of LaPorte County, Indiana
 * EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for county histories. Select a county.
 * LaPorte Linkpendium LaPorte County, Indiana: Family History & Genealogy, Census, Birth, Marriage, Death Vital Records & More at [HTTP://www.linkpendium.com Linkpendium]
 * – 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.