Shelby County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed 31 December 1821 from unorganized territory.
 * County Seat:  Shelbyville

Description
The county was named for Gen. Isaac Shelby, who defeated the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain in the Revolutionary War. Shelby then became the first Governor of Kentucky. During the War of 1812, he led the army of Kentucky into Canada, and defeated the British at the decisive Battle of the Thames in 1813. The county seat is Shelbyville and the county was organized in 1821. The County is located in the 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


Marion •  Hancock  •  Rush  •  Decatur  •  Bartholomew  •  Johnson The county is named after Kentucky's First Governor Isaac Shelby (1750-1826).

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.

Cemeteries
Cemeteries of Shelby County, Indiana

Census Records

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

Court Records

 * Shelby County, Indiana, Courthouse

Directories

 * Early Settlers of Shelby County ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Directory of Businesses in Shelby County, Indiana (1868) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Local Histories

 * Shelby County, Indiana Historical Articles


 * History of Shelby County - Linkpendium


 * History of Shelby 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. (1974. Tucson, Arizona: Americana Unlimited.) 977.259 H2h copy 2 FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries, Internet Archive


 * Chadwick, Edward H. Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana. 1908. (Indiana. Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic, 1977), 977.259 H2c FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * Family Maps of (land patent maps) at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Maps and Gazetteers -Linkpendium
 * Maps of Townships and Neighboring Counties

Military Records

 * List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 Shelby County, Indiana (Source: Internet Archive)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Shelby 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 Shelby County.


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Companies L, and M
 * 2nd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 8th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies L, and M
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company D
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company H
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company I
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company I
 * 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and H
 * 18th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 20th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 30th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company E
 * 33rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 51st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F, and I
 * 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 70th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, and F
 * 76th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (30 days, 1862), Company F
 * 79th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 100th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 132nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864) Company E
 * 146th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and F
 * 148th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, D, and G
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books


 * "Military History" Chapter 5 in History of Shelby 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. (1974. Tucson, Arizona: Americana Unlimited.)(page 320-357 Company, Regiment, Name's),977.259 H2h copy 2 FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries, Internet Archive


 * "Military History" Chapter 10 in Chadwick, Edward H. Chadwick's History of Shelby County, Indiana. 1908. (Indiana. Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic, 1977), (page 98-122, Company, Regiment; Civil War Roll of Honor, page 112-118), 977.259 H2c FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries

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

 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Men and Women who Died in the Service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War 1914-1918 Genealogy Trails History Group
 * World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Shelby County Ancestry. com ($)

World War II, 1941-1945

 * Shelby County, Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps AccessGenealogy

Newspapers

 * Newspaper Articles about Shelby County, Indiana, Residents
 * Selected Extracts from Newspapers in Shelby County, Indiana (1866-1886) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

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

School Records

 * Directory of Teachers of Shelby County (1936) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

County Courthouse
Shelby County Courthouse 407 S Harrison Street PO Box 198 Shelbyville, IN 46176-2161 Phone: 317.392.6320 County Health Department had birth, death and burial records. County Clerk has marriage, divorce, probate and court record. County Auditor has land records.

Family History Centers

 * Columbus Indiana Family History Center

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

Societies
Shelby County Historical Society 52 West Broadway Shelbyville,IN 46176 Telephone Number: 317-392-4634 E-mail: [mailto:director@grovermuseum.org director@grovermuseum.org]

Shelby County Indiana Genealogical Society 54 West Broadway Suite 10 PO Box 434 Shelbyville, IN 46176 E-mail: [mailto:sarmstrongjjj@yahoo.com sarmstrongjjj@yahoo.com] Website

Vital Records

 * Indiana State Digital Archives

Marriage Records

 * 1800s-2007 - Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $


 * 1780-1992 at FamilySearch


 * 1802-1892 Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry.com $


 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch

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

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