Wayne County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description


Wayne County was named for Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne, an officer during the Revolutionary War. Wayne is mainly remembered for his service in the 1790s in the Northwest Indian War, which included many actions in Indiana and Ohio. The county is located in the east-central part of the state.

County Courthouse
 Wayne County Courthouse 301 E Main Richmond, IN 47374 Phone: 765-973-9220 County Website

Wayne County Health Department 100 S 5th Street Richmond, IN 47374 Health Officer: David Jetmore, MD Phone: 765-973-9245 Fax: 765-973-9361 Email: [mailto:cstinson@co.wayne.in.us cstinson@co.wayne.in.us] Health Department

County Clerk has marriage records from 1810, divorce and court records from 1873 and probate records from 1818. City-County Health Officer has birth, death and burial 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:

Bible Records

 * Cochrane Family Bible Record ay Indiana State Library Digital Collections
 * Hinkle Family Bible Records at Indiana State Library Digital Collections
 * Lincoln-Mason Family Bible Records at Indiana State Library Digital Collections
 * Wayne County Bibles at USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library

Book Abstracts and Indexes
 * Fox, Henry Clay. Memoirs of Wayne County and the City of Richmond, Indiana: From the Earliest Historical Times Down to the Present, Including a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families in Wayne County. (La Crosse WI: Brookhaven Press, 2004.). Available at: Vol 1 FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust; Vol 2 FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Biographical and Genealogical History of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin Counties, Indiana. (Indianapolis, Ind: Frederic Luther Co, 1980). Available at: Vol. 1 FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive

Census Records

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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Lutheran
 * Records of St. John Lutheran Church, Richmond, in Evangelical Lutheran Church in America database at Archives.com ($).

Court Records

 * 1814-1827 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images

Directories

 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Directory of Selected Residents of Wayne County (1876) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1883 Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1883 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1886 Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1886 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1888-1889 Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1888 - 1889 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1890-1891 Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1890 - 1891 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1903 Polk Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1903 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1907 Richmond, Indiana, And Wayne County, Indiana, City Directory, 1907, Part 2 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1910 Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1910 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
 * 1910 Polk Richmond, Indiana, City Directory, 1910, Part 2 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Funeral Homes

 * Community Family Funeral Home in Richmond.
 * Culberson Funeral Home in Hagerstown.
 * Doan-Mills Funeral Home in Centerville and Richmond.
 * Marshall and Erlewein Funeral Home and Crematory in Dublin.
 * Riggle-Waltermann Mortuary in Richmond.
 * Smith-McQuiston and Webster Funeral Home in Fountain City.
 * Stegall-Berheide-Orr Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Richmond.
 * Waskom Capitol Hill Chapel in Cambridge City.

Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * History of Wayne County, Indiana, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time. 1872. By Andrew W. Young. Cincinnati, Ohio : R. Clarke. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library,  Hathitrust, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($);.
 * History of Wayne County, Indiana. 1884. Chicago, Illinois : Inter-state Pub. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive; Vols. 1 & 2 - Ancestry ($);.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Old Antique Atlases & Maps of Indiana
 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library
 * 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County.


 * 2nd Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies C, and F
 * 3rd Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 5th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry (90th Regiment, Indiana Volunteers), Company B
 * 7th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Companies E, and H
 * 8th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, C, H, I, and Reorganized Companies C, and D
 * 9th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company C
 * 11th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company I
 * 13th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 13th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company K
 * 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 19th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 20th Battery, Indiana Light Artillery
 * 36th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies F, and I
 * 57th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C, D, and I
 * 69th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, and D
 * 78th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (60 days, 1862), Company F
 * 84th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, and I
 * 105th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
 * 106th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, D, F, G, and I
 * 108th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 124th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, H, and K
 * 133rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company A
 * 140th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company H
 * 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, and I
 * 152nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
 * 156th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Company E, and Addition Recruits for Colored Troops
 * African American Veterans in Wayne County, Indiana (1890) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Civil War Books:
 * History of Wayne County, Indiana, from Its First Settlement to the Present Time: with Numerous Biographical and Family Sketches. 2007, Young, Andrew W.; ("War History", page 126-137, no Regiment or Companies); Available at: FamilySearch Digital Library
 * Memoirs of Wayne County and the City of Richmond, Indiana: From the Earliest Historical Times Down to the Present, Including a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families in Wayne County. (La Crosse WI: Brookhaven Press, 2004.), Fox, Henry Clay. ("Military Matters," Vol 1, Chapter 14, page 215-230, no Regiment or Companies), Available at: FamilySearch Digital Library, HathiTrust
 * Directory and soldiers' register of Wayne County, Indiana. 1865. Power, J.C., Editor. Available at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive

Pension Records
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883, United States Pension bureau. Available at: Internet Archive

World War I
 * 1917-1918 World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection

World War II
 * Indiana World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps at Access Genealogy

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

Obituaries

 * Wayne County, Indiana Obituary Collection at GenealogyBuff

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry ($)
 * 1812-1813 Will of Jacob Little Senior : Wayne County, Territory of Indiana; The Little Bit : The Official Publication of the Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esqire, Inc. - V.4, No.1 (Spring 1981). By Little, Lawrence L. n.p. : Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esq., 1981. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1812-1920 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1816-1960 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1818-1873 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1818-1921 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1845-1848 Will of Peter Little, Wayne County Indiana; The Little Bit : The Official Publication of the Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esqire, Inc. - V.5, No.1 (Spring 1982). By Little, Lawrence L.. n.p. : Family of Captain Daniel Little, Esq., 1982. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * 1857-1904 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1857-1905 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1859-1874 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1872-1899 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1873-1916 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Early Wayne County, Indiana Probate and Will Index : Probate Prior to 1855, Wills Prior to 1860. By Dean, Arnold L. Richmond, Indiana : ALDean Enterprises, 1995. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * (*); Superior Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

School Records

 * Teachers of Wayne County, Indiana (1940) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Alumni of Hagerstown High School (1881-1932) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Students and Teachers of Hagerstown High School (1917, 1921-23, 1926, 1933, 1944-45, 1949) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Students and Teachers of Morton High School, Richmond (1928) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

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.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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

 * Muncie Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Richmond Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Franklin County Public Library - an affiliate library.
 * Preble County District Library - Ohio - an affiliate library.
 * Union County Public Library - an affiliate library.

Museums
Wayne County Historical Museum 1150 N A St Richmond, IN 47374 Phone: 765-962-5756 Email: [mailto:office@wchmuseum.org office@wchmuseum.org] Website

Societies
The Clay Township Historical and Preservation Society 19 Pearl St PO Box 5 Greens Fork, IN 47345 Phone: 765-886-5166 Email: [mailto:jaynebeers@yahoo.com jaynebeers@yahoo.com] Website Wayne County Genealogical Society PO Box 2599 Richmond, IN 47375-2599 Phone: 765-277-9606 Email: [mailto:wcgs2599@yahoo.com wcgs2599@yahoo.com] Research Only Email: [mailto:wcgsresearch@yahoo.com wcgsresearch@yahoo.com] Website Whitewater Valley Genealogical Association PO Box 941 Connersville, IN 47331 Email: [mailto:wvgenealogy@gmail.com wvgenealogy@gmail.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
 * Wayne County Resources on IndianasGore
 * USGenWeb, Wayne County
 * INGenWeb, Wayne County
 * Wayne 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.