Randolph County, Indiana Genealogy

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

History of Randolph County, Indiana

 * Parent Counties: Formed 10 January 1818 from Wayne County.
 * County Seat:  Winchester

Description
The county was named for the North Carolina, home of many of the area’s Quaker settlers. The county seat is Winchester and the county was organized in 1819. The County is located in the East-Central part 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
Jay •  Delaware  •  Henry  •  Wayne  •  Darke

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.

Background
Randolph County was created on 10 January 1818 from a portion of Wayne County, Indiana. Frontier settlement had begun to reach the area by 1814. The county was named for old Randolph County, North Carolina, many settlers having moved westward from the Carolinas. Winchester was established as the county seat the same year the county was founded.

The first settlement was made in 1814 by a Quaker family, which was joined by five other families. By late 1816 the influx of new settlement and land entries grew rapidly. The years of most rapid growth were 1817-18 and 1836-37, much of the land purchased by speculators. The first school in Randolph County was built by Quakers in 1815. The first election was held in August 1818. The first road opened was the Quaker Trace in 1817, running from Richmond to Ft. Wayne. The first Court House was built in 1818. The first railroad through the county was the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine, completed in 1852-53.

Frame and brick structures, mills, orchards, factories, stores, hotels and banks followed.

Anti-slavery
Anti-slavery sentiments were common in Randolph County, as many early settlers had left the Carolinas to be free of the practice. Active supporters of the emancipation movement were found around 1816. The Underground Railroad functioned, and runaways were sheltered and assisted in their escape.

Census Records

 * Early Settlers of Randolph County ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Selected Residents of Randolph County, Indiana Territory (1808) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for Randolph County, Indiana (1880) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Directories

 * Directory of Selected Residents of Randolph County (1876) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Local Histories

 * Tucker, E. 1882. History of Randolph County, Indiana: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers: to which are appended maps of its several townships. (Chicago: A.L. Klingman.) 977.266 H2t FHL US/CAN Large Q Book,, Other Libraries, Internet Archive

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana

Military Records

 * African American Veterans in Randolph County, Indiana (1890) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Randolph 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 Randolph County.


 * 8th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C, and Reorganized Company G
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies H,and K
 * 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company A, and E
 * 57th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C,D, E, and F
 * 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, E, and H
 * 99th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 105th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 106th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and B
 * 109th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 124th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, and H
 * 134th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F
 * 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
 * 140th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies F, and K
 * 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 150th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and I
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books


 * "Military" Chapter 20 in Tucker, E. 1882. History of Randolph County, Indiana: with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers: to which are appended maps of its several townships. (Chicago: A.L. Klingman.), (page 238-296, Regiment, Company, some Names), 977.266 H2t FHL US/CAN Large Q Book,, Other Libraries, Internet Archive

World War I

 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Early newspapers were The Journal at Winchester, and The Times at Union City.Early banks were Citizens Bank and Commercial Bank of Union City, and Farmers and Merchants Bank and Randolph County Bank of Winchester.

Obituaries
Almost 7,000 obituaries from Randolph County and residents of Darke County, Ohio are included in the following newspapers and provided courtesy of Darke County Genealogical Researchers:


 * Union City Evening Times: Obituaries from June, 1934 to March, 1939
 * Union City Times-Gazette: Obituaries from May, 1939 to December, 1948

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

School Records

 * Directory of Teachers for Randolph County ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

County Courthouse
Randolph County Courthouse #307 Winchester, IN 47394 Phone: 765.584.7070 County Health Department has birth and death records. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records. County Recorder has land records from 1818 and newspapers from 1876.

Family History Centers

 * Muncie Indiana Family History Center

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

Societies
Randolph County Genealogical Society Route 3, Box 60 Winchester, IN 47394

Randolph County Historical Society RR #3, Box 61 Winchester, IN 47394

Randolph County Historical & Genealogical Society 416 S. Meridian St. Winchester, IN 47394-2028 Telephone Number: 765-584-1334 E-mail: [mailto:rchsin2@comcast.net rchsin2@comcast.net] Website

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

 * Randolph County, Indiana Genealogy, History and Facts
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb, Randolph County
 * INGenWeb, Randolph County
 * , Randolph County
 * Randolph County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

Places
Winchester was the first town established in Randolph County. Lots were laid out in 1818 and the sales began in February the following year. The area was heavily timbered with unbroken forest. Buildings of hewed logs predominated.The town grew slowly.

Townships

Townships of Randolph County were organized as follows: Greensfork, 1818;White River, 1818; Ward,1820; Sto West River, 1831;Jackson, 1833; Green, 1834; Nettle Creek, 1835; Wayne, 1838; Monroe, before 1851; Franklin, 1859;Union, 1838; Salamonie, 1834; Madison, 1835.