Lake County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed from Porter and Elkhart counties in 1836 (1837).
 * County Seat:  Crown Point

Description
The county was named for its location on Lake Michigan. The County Seat is Crown Point and was founded February 15, 1837. It is located in the Northeast 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
Porter •  Jasper  •  Newton  •  Kankakee  •  Will  •  Cook

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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Cemeteries

 * Cemeteries for Lake County Likpendium

Census Records

 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for Lake County, Indiana (1880) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Register of Farms in Lake County, Indiana (1914-1966) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Residents of Gary, Lake County, Indiana (1909) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Church Records
Ward and Branch Records of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


 * Gary
 * South Shore

Emigration and Immigration
Online Records
 * 1945 - 1956 at FamilySearch — index

Local Histories

 * Every Name Index to Encyclopedia of Genealogy and Biography of Lake County, Indiana Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007; original text by Rev. T. H. Ball, editor-in-chief, 1904; reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1974.  EveryNameIndex.com


 * Transcribed Lake County History Books


 * History of Lake County Linkpendium


 * Howat, William Frederick, and A. G. Lundquist. A Standard History of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet Region. Agawan, (MA: Bridgeport National Bindery, 2008.) Vol. 1 FHL US/CAN Film 982474 Item 2  Vol. 2 FHL US/CAN Film 1597811 Item 7    other libraries  INTERNET ARCHIVE


 * Ball, T. H. (Timothy Horton), 1826-1913. Lake County, Indiana, from 1834 to 1872. 2007. FHL US/CAN Film 934910 Item 3  Other Libraries  INTERNET ARCHIVE


 * Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, and Charles Blanchard. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. (Chicago: F.A. Battey, 1882.) FHL US/CAN Film 934917 Item 1       other libraries     INTERNET ARCHIVE

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * Maps and Gazetteers - Linkpendium

Military

 * Military Records and Histories Linkpendium
 * Our Civil War Dead - INGenWeb, under Military
 * INDIANA CIVIL WAR MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS - INGenWeb, under Military

Civil War
Civil War service men from Lake 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 Lake County.


 * 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company I
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorgainized Company E, and H
 * 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry Company K
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B, and Reorganized Company K
 * 24th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 73rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 99th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
 * 151st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G

Civil War Books 


 * "Our War Record and Progress 1860-1869" Chapter 6 in Ball, T. H. (Timothy Horton), 1826-1913. Lake County, Indiana, from 1834 to 1872. 2007., (page 110-136; Regiment, Companies; Roll of Honor, page 123 - 125) FHL US/CAN Film 934910 Item 3   Other Libraries  INTERNET ARCHIVE

World War I

 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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

School Records

 * Graduates of Hammond High School (1926) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Students and Teachers of Washington High School, East Chicago ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Voter Registration

 * Qualified Electors in Lake County, Indiana (1890-1892) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Courthouse
Lake County Courthouse 2293 N Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 Phone: 219-755-3000

County Health Department has birth and death records. Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1837. County Recorder has land Records.

Family History Centers

 * Griffith Indiana Family History Center

For additional nearby Family History Centers, search online in the family history center directory.

Vital Records

 * Indiana State Digital Archives

Marriage Records

 * 1800s-2007 - Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * 1780-1992 - FamilySearch


 * 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 - Ancestry.com $


 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images

Death Records

 * 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

 * Lake County, IN History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * INGenWeb, Lake County. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county.
 * , Lake County.
 * Lake County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * EveryNameIndex.com  Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.

Places
Hammond, Whiting, East Chicago, Munster, Indiana Harbor, Griffith, Highland, Gary, Crown Point, Lake Station, Dyer, Cedar Lake, Lowell, Merrillville, Schererville, New Chicago, Schneider, St. John, Winfield