Benton County, Indiana Genealogy

Guide to Benton 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 18 February 1907from Jasper
 * County Seat:  Fowler

Description
The county was named in honor of Thomas H. Benton, a Missouri senator. It's county seat is Fowler and was founded February 18, 1840. It is located in the Northwest 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
Newton •  Jasper  •  White  •  Tippecanoe  •  Warren  •  Vermilion  •  Iroquois

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.

Biographies

 * Biographical History of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton... . 2 Vols. 1899. Chicago [Ill.] : The Lewis Publishing Company. Online at: Google Books - Vol. 1; Google Books - Vol. 2. (Vol. 1 includes complete index at front)

Census Records

 * Benton County, Indiana: Census Records and Indexes - Linkpendium
 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for Benton County, Indiana (1880) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Index to Mortality Schedule for Benton County (1860) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Directories

 * Members of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Oxford (1857-1900) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Local Histories
Online County Histories
 * History of Benton County - Linkpendium
 * History of Benton County, Indiana - INGenWeb


 * Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper, and Newton, Indiana. 1883. Chicago : F.A. Battey. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Hathitrust; Internet Archive; Ancestry ($). Index available online at: Every Name Index to Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton, Indiana. Compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor. 2008. EveryNameIndex.com

Maps

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


 * Map of Benton County Townships - INGenWeb

Civil War
Civil War service men from Benton County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment)that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Benton County.


 * 10th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company D
 * 15th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 40th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 99th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 128th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 150th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Comang G
 * 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G, H, and K
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books


 * "Military History of Benton County" in F.A. Battey & Co. Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co, 2008. Also digital images of original published: Mt. Vernon, IN : Windmill Publications, 1994. viii, 810 p. : ill., ports.; 28 cm. Originally published: Chicago : F.A. Battey, 1883. Pages 252-271. Online at: ; FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive

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

 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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

School Records

 * School Enumeration of Parish Grove Township (1853) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Directory of Teachers (1936) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Courthouse
Benton County Courthouse 706 E 5th Ste #12 Fowler, IN 47944-1556 Phone. 765.884.0320

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1841, divorce and court records from 1800s, probate records from 1852 and naturalization records. County Recorder has land and military records. County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882.

Societies

 * Benton County Indiana Historical Society, Inc. 404 E 6th Street PO Box 341 Fowler, IN 47944 Phone: 765-884-8839 Website
 * Heritage House 208 S. Justus Street Oxford, IN 47971 Phone: 765-385-5380 Facebook

Family History Centers

 * West Lafayette Indiana Family History Center

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

Marriage Records

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


 * 1780-1992


 * 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

Websites

 * Indiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * EveryNameIndex.com Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
 * IN/USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Benton County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Benton County, Indiana History, Records, Facts and Genealogy - familytree101
 * Benton County, Indiana History, Records, Facts and Genealogy - familytree101