Elkhart County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description
Its county seat is Goshen and was founded April 1, 1830. It is located in the North 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
St. Joseph •  Marshall  •  Kosciusko  •  Noble  •  La Grange  •  Cass  •  St. Joseph

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.

Census Records

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

Directories

 * Directory of Businesses (1858, 1868) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Local Histories

 * History of Elkhart County, Indiana. 1881. Chicago : C. C. Chapman. Online at: 977.281 H2b ; Internet Archive.
 * Every Name Index to History of Elkhart County, Indiana. By Cathy L. O'Connor. 2007. Edwardsburg, Mich: Cathy L. O'Connor. Index for text published by C. C. Chapman. Online at: ; EveryNameIndex.com; Other Libraries

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Indiana
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Elkhart 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 Elkhart County


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company A
 * 2nd Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company M
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, and Reorganized Companies C, and F
 * 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies D, and I
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized D, and E
 * 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
 * 21st Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 23rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 29th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K, and Reorganized C
 * 44th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 48th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, G, H, and I
 * 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E, G, and I
 * 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 136th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
 * 142nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 152nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and E
 * 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F

Civil War Book


 * "Military History", Chapter 10, in Dean K. Garber, Ivan Nunemaker, History of Elkhart County. Chicago : C. C. Chapman, 1881. Pages 537-575, 977.281 H2b ; Internet Archive
 * "Military History" Chapter 11 in O'Connor, Cathy L. Every Name Index to History of Elkhart 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. By Chas. C. Chapman & Co., 1881. Edwardsburg, Mich: Cathy L. O'Connor, 2007. Pages 535-574, Regiment, Companies. 977.281 H2h FHL US/CAN Book ; FamilySearch Digital Library; Other Libraries

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

 * 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

 * Alumni of Middlebury High School (1886-1916) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Students of Elkart High School (1937) - Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Courthouse
Elkhart County Courthouse Courthouse Square Goshen, IN 46526-3297 Phone: 219.535.6430

County Health Department has birth and death records. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and county court records from 1830. County Recorder has land records.

Museums

 * Elkhart County Historical Museum 304 W Vistula St Bristol, IN 46507 Phone: 574-848-4322 Email: [mailto:museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org] Website Our genealogical library is in the Corson Reading Room. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm.
 * Middlebury Community Historical Museum PO Box 270 Middlebury, IN 46540-0270 Phone: 574-825-0978 Email: [mailto:info@mchm.org info@mchm.org] Website
 * Goshen Historical Museum 124 S. Main St. Goshen, IN 46526-3702 Phone: 574-975-0033 Email: [mailto:museum@goshenhistorical.org museum@goshenhistorical.org]

Societies

 * Elkhart County Historical Museum 304 W Vistula St Bristol, IN 46507 Phone: 574-848-4322 Email: [mailto:museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org museum@elkhartcountyhistory.org] Website Our genealogical library is in the Corson Reading Room. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm.
 * Elkhart County Genealogical Society PO Box 1031 Elkhart, IN 46515-1031 Email: [mailto:info@elkhartcogensoc.org info@elkhartcogensoc.org] Website
 * Elkhart County Historical Society c/o Winifred Cosbey Library State Road 120 PO Box 434 Bristol, IN 46507 Phone: 574-848-4322
 * New Paris Historical Society PO Box 101 New Paris, IN 46553-0101
 * Wakarusa Historical Society and Museum 403 Wabash Avenue Wakarusa, IN 46573

Family History Centers

 * South Bend Indiana Family History Center

Marriage Records

 * 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast - index $
 * 1780-1992 - FamilySearch
 * 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry ($)
 * 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

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