Blackford County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description
Blackford County was named in honor of Judge Blackford, one of the pioneer judges of Indiana. It is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Blackford County Indiana 110 W Washington Street Hartford City, IN 47348 Phone: 765-348-1620 County Website

Blackford County Health Department 506 East VanCleve Street Hartford City, IN, 47348 Health Officer: Lori Skidmore, MD Phone Number: 765-348-4317 Fax: 765-348-3041 Health Department

County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1839. City and County Health Officers have birth and death records. County Recorder has land records. County Coroner has burial 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

 * Reasoner Family Bible Records at Indiana State Library Digital Collections

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library
 * Blackford and Grant Counties, Indiana : a Chronicle ... with Family Lineage and Personal Memoirs. 2 Vols. Benjamin G. Shinn, Editor. 1914. Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library - Vol. 1, Internet Archive - Vol. 1; FamilySearch Digital Library - Vol. 2; Internet Archive - Vol. 2;.

Census Records

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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Presbyterian Church
 * 1844-1873 - Hartford Presbyterian Church Baptism Index 1844-1873 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch. Batch

Court Records

 * 1829-1922 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1839-1846 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1839-1862 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1839-1911 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

 * 1911 Directory of Hartford City, Indiana, 1911 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Funeral Homes

 * 1907-1952 Bumgardner Funeral Home Records, Blackford County, Wells County and Vermillion County, Indiana. By Bumgardner Funeral Home. Blackford County, Wells County and Vermillion County, Indiana : Bumgardner Funeral Home, 1907-1952. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Dunkirk Memorial Chapel in Dunkirk.
 * Glancy Funeral Homes in Montpelier.
 * Keplinger Funeral Home in Hartford City.
 * MJS Mortuaries in Dunkirk.
 * Records of Baumgardner Funeral Home, Montpelier (1907-1916) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Waters Funeral Home in Hartford City.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Biographical and Historical Record of Jay and Blackford Counties, Indiana. 1887. Chicago, Illinois : Lewis Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library (Blackford County section only), Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library


 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Indiana
 * Google Custom Map
 * 1876 Map (David Rumsey Map Collection)
 * 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 Blackford 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 Blackford County.


 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company K
 * 34th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 130th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 138th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
 * 139th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I
 * 153rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, and H

Civil War Books:
 * "The Civil War" Part 3, Chapter 7 in Biographical and historical record of Jay and Blackford counties, Indiana : a condensed history of the state of Indiana, portraits and biographies of some of the prominent men of the state, with personal histories of many of the leading families. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1978. (Pages 738-743, some Regiments and Companies). Online at: FamilySearch Digital; ; Internet Archive;.
 * Cecil E. Beeson. Records of Indiana Rangers in the Civil War, Montpelier, Indiana men. Fort Wayne, IN 1975. Online at: FamilySearch Digital; GenealogyCenter.


 * Blackford Military Record and Histories (Linkpendium)

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 ($)
 * News-Times
 * Hoosier State Chronicles

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1839-1862 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1839-1895 Blackford County, Indiana, Probate, 1839-1849, Wills, 1842-1895. By Beeson, Cecil Everett. Kokomo: Indiana : Shelby Publishing and Printing. 1982. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1839-1911 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1839-1921 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1851-1925 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1855-1918 (*); Probate Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * Licensed Teachers of Blackford County, Indiana (1888-1889) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Students and Teachers of Hartford City High School (1930) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Marriage

 * 1780-1992  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at Findmypast $
 * 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index and images ($)
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch -How to Use this Collection
 * 1839-1857 Index to Marriages for Blackford County (1839-1857) at Indiana Genealogical Society

Death

 * Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry - 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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Huntington Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Marion Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Muncie Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Allen County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Anderson Indiana Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Kokomo-Howard County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Marion Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Hartford City Public Library 314 N High St Hartford City, IN 47348 Phone: 765-358-1720 Email: [mailto:info@hartfordcity.lib.in.us info@hartfordcity.lib.in.us] Website

Societies
Blackford County Historical Society 321 North High Street PO Box 264 Hartford City, IN 47348 Phone: 765-499-2659 Email: [mailto:sinuardcastelo3@gmail.com sinuardcastelo3@gmail.com] Website Montpelier Historical Society 319 S Main St PO Box 204 Montpelier, IN 47359 Facebook

Websites

 * Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
 * Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Search by county or keyword
 * 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. Select a county
 * ebsites area: Please replace the “Every Name Index” link to:
 * EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for county histories. Select a county.
 * Blackford County IN Gen Web
 * Blackford County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Blackford County Records at Indiana State Library
 * GenealogyTrails
 * – 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.