Whitley County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description
Whitley County was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812. The county is located in the northeastern part of the state.

County Courthouse
 Whitley County Courthouse 101 W Van Buren Street Columbia City, IN 46725 Phone: 219-248-3102 County Website

Whitley County Health Department 220 West Van Buren Street, Suite 111 Columbia City, IN 46725 Health Officer: Mark A. Burkett, DO Phone: 260-248-3121 Fax: 260-248-3129 Email: [mailto:lweigold@whitleygov.com lweigold@whitleygov.com] Health Department

County Clerk has marriage records from 1836 divorce and court records from 1853 and probate records. County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882. County Recorder has land records. 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:

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library

Cemeteries

 * On-line cemetery databases at The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library (Indiana)
 * Cemeteries List at Genealogical Society of Whitley County
 * Photos of Tombstones in Jefferies Cemetery, Smith Township at Indiana Genealogical Society

Census Records

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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1839-1919 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1839-1921 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1872 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1881 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1853-1892 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1885-1927 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Funeral Homes

 * DeMoney-Grimes Funeral Home in Columbia City.
 * Sheets and Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco.
 * Smith and Sons Funeral Homes in Columbia City and South Whitley.

Local Histories

 * Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana. 1882. Editors: Weston A. Goodspeed, Charles Blanchard. Chicago, Illinois : F.A. Battey. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust, Internet Archive;.
 * History of Whitley County, Indiana. 1907. By Richard H. Maring, Samuel P. Kaler. N.p: B. F. Bowen & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Hathitrust;.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * Simple Map of Townships of Whitley County at Genealogical Society of Whitley County
 * David Rumsey Map of Whitley County 1876 Shows Townships
 * 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 Whitley 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 Whitley County.


 * 4th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 12th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company A
 * 14th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 23rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company C
 * 74th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 88th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies E and K
 * 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 152th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C and I

Civil War Books:
 * Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, and Charles Blanchard. 1970. Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana: historical and biographical, illustrated. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic, inc.) Available online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; ("War History" Chapter, page 76-97).

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 ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1835-1931 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1839-1925 (*); Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1839-1928 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images

School Records

 * Students and Teachers of Columbia City High School (1929, 1945) 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; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1800-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($)
 * 1802-1892 Indiana, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1811-1959 Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959 at MyHeritage - index & images ($)
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

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

 * Decatur Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Fort Wayne Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Huntington Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Allen County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Huntington City - Township Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Noble County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Libraries
Peabody Public Library 1160 E SR 205 PO Box 406 Columbia City, IN 46725 Phone: 260-244-5541 Website

Societies
Genealogical Society of Whitley County PO Box 224 Columbia City, IN 46725-0224 Website Whitley County Historical Society 108 W Jefferson St Columbia City, IN 46725-1744 Phone: 260-244-6372 Email: [mailto:wcmuseum@whitleymuseum.com wcmuseum@whitleymuseum.com] Website

Websites

 * 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, Whitley County
 * USGenWeb, Whitley County
 * Whitley County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * – 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.