Indiana Gazetteers

Gazetteers list geographical names, such as cities, towns, settlements, rivers, mountains, villages, and districts. They identify these locations and sometimes give historical and biographical information concerning early residents.

Publications
How did your ancestor find the correct destination out West? Quite possibly they had a copy of Brown's book:


 * Brown, Samuel R. The Western Gazetteer or Emigrant's Directory, Containing a Geographical Description of the Western States and Territories, viz. The States of Kentucky, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi: and the Territories of Illinois, Missouri, Alabama, Michigan, and North-Western. Auburn, N.Y.: H.C. Southwick, 1817. Digital versions at NIU Library Digitization Projects and World Vital Records ($).


 * Baker, Ronald L. Indiana Place Names. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1975. (Family History Library book .) This gives the names of counties, cities, towns and villages and a brief history of the name or place.
 * Chamberlain, E. The Indiana Gazetteer, or, Topographical Dictionary of the State of Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana: E. Chamberlain, 1849. (Family History Library book ; film ; fiche .) In addition to identifying the locations of towns, cities, counties, and rivers, this gives the population of the towns in 1849.
 * Scott, John. The Indiana Gazetteer or Topographical Dictionary. 1826. Reprint. Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana Historical Society, 1954. (Family History Library book .)
 * The National Gazetteer of the United States of America -- Indiana, 1988. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1988. (Family History Library book .) This contains an alphabetical listing of places or geographical features, such as towns, villages, lakes, churches, and schools, and gives the county, coordinates, and U.S. Geological Survey map name. Includes early maps.

For river landings, see:


 * Adams, Louis A. Adam's Directory of Points and Landings on Rivers and Bayous in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. (includes Tennessee) New Orleans : W.L. Murray, 1877. Digital version at Internet Archive.

See United States Gazetteers for additional sources.

Family History Library Collection
Indiana gazetteers are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

INDIANA- GAZETTEERS

INDIANA- NAMES, GEOGRAPHICAL

INDIANA- HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY

Websites
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=2904

http://research.yale.edu/peabody/COLLECTIONS/gnis/IN.html

http://www.livgenmi.com/1895/IN/