Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy

Guide to Vigo County, Indiana ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. Indiana Online Genealogy Records

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: Formed 21 January 1818 fromSullivan County.
 * County Seat:  Terre Haute

Description
The county was named for Francis Vigo, an Italian tradesman who was instrumental in the capture of Fort Vincennes by George Rogers Clark, and assistance both in financing Clark's expedition and American Revolutionary War efforts, and in service as an agent obtaining military information for Clark against British campaigns on the then frontier. Francis Vigo was of Italian heritage but a citizen of Spain due to residence in St. Louis. The county seat is Terre Haute and the county was organized on 1818. The County is located in the West 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
Sullivan •  Clay  •  Parke  •  Fountain  •  Warren  •  Edgar  •  Clark

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.

Vigo County, Indiana was organized on the basis of a 21 Jan 1818 legislative act. That act took effect on 1 Feb 1818. Vigo's boundaries were altered as a result of the formation of Putnam County in 1821.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

African-Americans

 * Inventories to Collections: African-American (Vigo County Public Library)

Cemeteries

 * Vigo County Cemeteries (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Bethesda Cemetery, West Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana
 * Roberts Cemetery: Robbins, Coy D. Roberts Cemetery Burials: Lost Creek Settlement, Vigo County, Indiana, 1866-1911. Bloomington, IN: Self-published, 1996. WorldCat

Census Records

 * Vigo County Census (INGenWeb)
 * Index to Defective, Dependent &amp; Delinquent Census for Vigo County, Indiana (1880) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Church Records

 * Inventories to Collections: Churches (Vigo County Public Library)

Genealogies and Biographies

 * Brown, Mrs. Herbert E. Vigo County, Indiana Family Records. [n.p.], 1966. WorldCat
 * Curtis Gilbert Biography (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Dorrel, Ruth. Vigo County, Indiana Index of Names of Persons and of Firms. Indianapolis: County History Indexing Project, Indiana Historical Society, 1982. WorldCat
 * Farwell, Bonnie. Genealogical and Historical Sketches of Vigo County, Indiana. Terre Haute, IN: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1929. WorldCat
 * Inventories to Collections: Manuscript Collections (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Noah S. Grindle Diary, 1875 (Wabash Valley Genealogy Society)
 * Oakey, C.C. Greater Terre Haute and Vigo County, Vol. 2 (Biographies). Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908. Online at: Internet Archive; Google Books
 * Vigo County, Indiana Biographies Project
 * Vigo County, Indiana Family Records. Terre Haute, IN: Ft. Harrison Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, 1945. WorldCat
 * Wright, John D. The Terror of Terre Haute: Bud Taylor and the 1920s. Indianapolis: Dog Ear Publishing, 2008. Google Books (limited preview)

Local Histories

 * Beckwith, Hiram Williams. History of Vigo and Parke Counties Together with Historic Notes on the Wabash Valley. Chicago: H.H. Hill and N. Iddings, 1880. FHL, US/CAN Film 540238 (item 2) and 934921 (item 3), Other Libraries, FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Bradsby, Henry C. History of Vigo County, Indiana, with Biographical Selections. Chicago: S.B. Nelson & Co., 1891. Reprint edition, Evansville, IN: Unigraphic, 1969. Online at: FHL, US/CAN Book 977.245 H2b, Other Libraries, Internet Archive (digital copy)
 * History (Linkpendium)
 * Jerse, Dorothy W., and John R. Becker III. Terre Haute &amp; Vigo County in Vintage Postcards (Postcard History series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Google Books (limited preview)
 * McCormick, Mike. Terre Haute: Queen City of the Wabash. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2005. Google Books (limited preview)
 * Oakey, C.C. Greater Terre Haute and Vigo County, Vol. 1 (History). Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1908. Online at: Hathitrust; Internet Archive; Google Books
 * Roznowski, Tom. An American Hometown: Terre Haute, Indiana 1927. Bloomington, IN: Quarry Books, 2009. Google Books (limited preview)

Maps

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * 1914 Vigo County Map (GenWeb)
 * Andreas, A.T. Atlas Map of Vigo County, Indiana. Chicago: A.T. Andreas, 1874. WorldCat
 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family Maps of Vigo County, Indiana. Norman, OK: Arphax Publishing Co., 2006. WorldCat. Available online at HistoryGeo.com ($). Free surname search.
 * Libre Map Project (detailed topographical maps)
 * Maps and Gazetteers, (Linkpendium)
 * Standard Atlas of Vigo County, Indiana. Terre Haute, IN: Vigo Atlas Map Co., 1907. WorldCat
 * Historical Maps of Indiana, Vigo County (Historic Mapworks)
 * Vigo County Township Maps, (INGenWeb)
 * Vigo County, Indiana 1895 (USGenNet)

General

 * Fort Harrison Centennial Association. Fort Harrison on the Banks of the Wabash 1812-1912. Terre Haute, IN: Moore-Langen Printing Co. for John Morton Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, 1912. WorldCat | Google Books (digital copy) | Internet Archive (digital copy)
 * Inventories to Collections: Wars &amp; Military Records (Vigo County Public Library)
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 Vigo County, Indiana (Internet Archive)
 * Indiana Military (INGenWeb)
 * Indiana Military (USGenWeb)
 * African American Veterans in Vigo County, Indiana (1890) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Revolutionary War

 * Revolutionary War Soldiers of Vigo County (Wabash Valley Visions &amp; Voices)

Mexican War

 * Inventories to Collections: Mexican War (Vigo County Public Library)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Vigo 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 Vigo County.


 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Heavy Artillery, Company C
 * 1st Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies I, and M
 * 3rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 6th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies B, and M
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies G, K, and I
 * 8th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company D
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, D, and Reorganized Companies C, D, and K
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company K
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Companies E, F, G, I, and K:
 * 14th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company I
 * 18th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 20th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company B
 * 22nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 31st Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, E, and K
 * 32nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 35th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 40th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 43rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company I
 * 59th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
 * 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 85th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, E, F, and G
 * 115th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company K
 * Enlisted Men, Company K, 115th Regiment (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
 * 123rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 129th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 133rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies C, D, E, H, and I
 * 149th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, B, C, F, H, and K
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Companies D, G, and Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Resources:


 * Bradsby, Henry C., History of Vigo County, Indiana with Biographical Selections, Chapter 30: "War." Chicago: S.B. Nelson &amp; Co., 1891. Reprint edition, Evansville, IN: Unigraphic, 1969,pp. 547-560. FHL US/CAN Book 977.245 H2 | Internet Archive (digital copy)
 * Inventories to Collections: Civil War (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Vigo County, Indiana Civil War Sesquicentennial Project (Wabash Valley Visions &amp; Voices)

Spanish-American War

 * Inventories to Collections: Spanish-American War (Vigo County Public Library)

World War I

 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Inventory to Collections: World War I (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Vigo County, Indiana: A Record of Men and Women Who Died in the Service of the United States and the Allied Nations in the World War, 1914-1918 (Genealogy Trails)

World War II

 * Inventory to Collections: World War II (Vigo County Public Library)

Korean War

 * Inventories to Collections: Korean War (Vigo County Public Library)

Vietnam War

 * Inventories to Collections: Vietnam War (Vigo County Public Library)

Miscellaneous

 * Inventories to Collections: Associations, Clubs &amp; Organizations (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Inventories to Collections: Businesses (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Rose Orphans' Home 1884-1949 (members only, Indiana Genealogical Society $)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Index to Declarations of Intention. Terre Haute, IN: Wabash Valley Genealogical Society, [1980?]. WorldCat

Obituaries

 * Vigo County Obituaries (INGenWeb)
 * Vigo County Obituaries (USGenWeb)
 * Wabash Valley Obituary Index (Vigo County Public Library)

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1798 – 1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Vigo County Wills (INGenWeb)

School Records

 * Students of Garfield High School, Terre Haute (1936-1939) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
 * Teachers of Garfield High School, Terre Haute (1936) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)


 * Inventories to Collections: Colleges and Universities (Vigo County Public Library)
 * Inventories to Collections: Schools (Vigo County Public Library)

County Courthouse
Vigo County Courthouse 333 Wabash Avenue PO Box 8449 Terre Haute, IN 47808 Phone: 812.462.3214 Facebook Wikipedia

County Clerk has marriage, probate and court records from from 1818 and divorce records from 1825.

Family History Centers

 * Terre Haute Indiana Family History Center

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

Libraries
Vigo County Public Library One Library Square Terre Haute, IN 47807 Phone: 812-232-1113 Website

Societies
Vigo County Historical Society Museum 1411 S. 6th St Terre Haute,IN Telephone Number: 812-235-9717 Website

Wabash Valley Genealogical Society PO Box 9347 Terre Haute, IN 47808-9347 Telephone Number: 812-264-1510 E-mail:[mailto:wvgs@inwvgs.org wvgs@inwvgs.org] Website

Vital Records

 * Vital Records (Linkpendium)

Births

 * [1882-1920] Works Progress Administration. Index to birth records, Vigo County, 1882-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.

Marriages

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


 * 1780-1992 - FamilySearch


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


 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1818-1951 Vigo County Marriage Index: 1818-1951 (images included for many years) (Vigo County Library)


 * 1818-1850 Lansaw, Simona. Marriages, Vigo County, Indiana, 1818-1850. Utica, Kentucky: McDowell Publications, 198-? | WorldCat


 * 1840-1920 Works Progress Administration.Index to marriage records, Vigo County, 1840-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.


 * 1880-1920 Works Progress Administration.Index to supplemental record, marriage transcript, Vigo County, 1880-1920. Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.

Deaths

 * 1750-1993 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1882-1920 Works Progress Administration. Index to death records, Vigo County, 1882-1920.Indianapolis: Indiana State Library, 1983.  
 * 1882-1920 at FamilySearch Historical Records - Index only
 * 1899-2011 Indiana, Death Certificates, 1899-2011 at Ancestry - ($), index and images
 * 1900-present Wabash Valley Obituary Index. Obituaries published in Terre Haute newspapers. Online courtesy of the Vigo County Library.
 * Indiana State Digital Archives
 * see also Newspapers &gt; Obituaries

Websites

 * Indiana Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * , Vigo County
 * Vigo County (USGenWeb Archives)
 * Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Vigo County, Indiana Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
 * Vigo County, Indiana GenWeb (INGenWeb)
 * Wabash Valley Visions &amp; Voices: A Digital Memory Project