Rush County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description
Rush County was named for Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence. The county is located in the east-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Rush County Courthouse P.O. Box 429 Rushville, IN 46173-0429 Phone: 765-932-2086 County Website

Rush County Health Department 101 East Second Street, Room 105 Rushville, IN, 46173 Health Officer: Russell Daugherty, MD Phone: 765-932-3103 Fax: 765-938-2604 Email: [mailto:rcdh@rushcounty.in.gov rcdh@rushcounty.in.gov] Health Department

County Health Department has birth, death, and burial from 1882. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court records from 1822. County Recorder has land records. Records from 1789-1837 are published and indexed. Early records, prior to 1807, were handled in Cincinnati, Ohio. Health Department has birth records and death records. Copies may be obtained from the county health department or the Indiana State Division of Vital 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:

History Timeline

 * 1800 - the Indiana Territory was organized. At that time, today's Rush County, Indiana, was part of the Indian Lands that made up most of the current state of Indiana.
 * 1816 - Statehood was granted.
 * 1820 - The Federal Census of 1820 found today's Rush County a part of the huge, unorganized, and sparsely populated area called Delaware County.
 * 1821 - Rush County, as it is known today, was organized April 1, 1822 from a portion of that unorganized territory.

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library

Census Records

 * Index to Mortality Schedule (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Index to Defective, Dependent Delinquent Census (1880)  at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Pioneer Settlers of Rush County at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Church Records

 * Rush County Churches at INGenWeb

Directories

 * Directory of Businesses (1868) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * List of Residents for Rush County, Indiana. Philadelphia: Wilmer Atkinson Co., 1921. (digitized book) at Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

Local Histories

 * Centennial History of Rush County, Indiana. 2 volumes. 1921. Edited by A.L. Gary and E.B. Thomas. ndianapolis : Historical Pub. Co. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Vol. 1 - Internet Archive, Vol. 2 - Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). Index: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * History of Rush County, Indiana. 1966. Knightstown, Indiana : Eastern Indiana Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive; . Reprint. Originally published: Chicago Brant & Fuller, 1888.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Indiana


 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library

Military Records

 * Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives

Civil War Civil War service men from Rush 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 Rush County.


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company M
 * 2nd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies E, F, and M
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
 * 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F, and Reorganized Companies C, G, and H
 * 37th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K and Reorganized Company A
 * 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies G, and H
 * 54th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 68th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and I
 * 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 111th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 123rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 124th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 134th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K
 * 146th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 148th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A, and B
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books:
 * "Military History" Chapter 6 in History of Rush County, Indiana: from the earliest time to the present, with biographical sketches, notes, etc., together with a short history of the northwest, the Indiana territory, and the state of Indiana. (2003. Kokomo, IN: Selby Pub.), (page 447-477, Regiment, Companies; Roll of Honor, 470-477). Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive

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 ($)
 * 1804-2010 Hoosier State Chronicles 1804-2011
 * Selected Extracts from Newspapers in Rush County, Indiana (1864-1895) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Probate Records

 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry

School Records

 * Directory of Teachers for Rush County (1936) 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.

Marriage

 * 1780-1992  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1800-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast ($)
 * 1802-1892 Indiana, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

Death

 * Pre-1882 WEB: Indiana, Deaths, Pre-1882 at Ancestry.com - 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

Family History Centers

 * Batesville Indiana Family History Center
 * Richmond Indiana Family History Center
 * Franklin County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Greensburg-Decatur County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Shelby County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Union County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries

 * Rushville Public Library Indiana Room 130 W. 3rd Street Rushville, IN Phone: 765-932-3496 Email: [mailto:info@rushvillelibrary.com info@rushvillelibrary.com] Website
 * Henry Henley Public Library P.O. Box 35 102 N. Main Street Carthage, IN 46115 Phone: 765-565-8022 Email: [mailto:hhlibrary@outlook.com hhlibrary@outlook.com] Website

Societies

 *  Rush County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 54 Rushville, IN 46173 Email: [mailto:rcgsociety@gmail.com rcgsociety@gmail.com] Facebook Website
 * Rush County Historical Society and Museum P.O. Box 302 619 North Perkins St. Rushville, IN 46173 Phone: 765-932-2492 Email: [mailto:rchs1@frontier.com rchs1@frontier.com] Facebook Website
 * Whitewater Valley Genealogical Association P.O. Box 941 Connersville, IN 47331 Email: [mailto:wvgenealogy@gmail.com wvgenealogy@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Rush County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
 * Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Extensive - keyword searches suggested
 * Indiana Memory Click the map or select a statewide collection
 * List of indexes and databases at Indiana State Library
 * Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Select a county
 * Every Name Index.com Online indexes for county histories. Select a county
 * INGenWeb, Rush County
 * USGenWeb, Rush County
 * – 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.