Whitley County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Historical Facts

 * Parent Counties: 7 February 1835 from Elkhart and Allen Counties.
 * County Seat: Columbia City

Description
The county was named for Col. William Whitley, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812. The county seat is Columbia City and the county was organized on 1838. The County is located in the Northwest 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
Kosciusko •  Noble  •  Allen  •  Huntington  •  Wabash

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
The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library (Indiana) has a number of on-line cemetery databases for Whitley County.

Other Cemetery Listings


 * Genealogical Society of Whitley County Cemeteries List
 * Find A Grave Whitley County Cemetery Map
 * Photos of Tombstones in Jefferies Cemetery, Smith Township (free, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Census Records

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

Local Histories

 * Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, and Charles Blanchard. 1970.Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana: historical and biographical, illustrated. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic, inc.) 977.27 H2g FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries, Internet Archive,


 * Gradeless, Donald E. 1979. Index, History of Whitley County Indiana, Weston A. Goodspeed Charles Blanchard.([s.l.]: Gradeless.) 977.275 H22i FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries


 * Kaler, S. P., and R. H. Maring. History of Whitley County, Indiana. (B. F. Bowen and Company, 1907).  Internet Archive, Google Books

Maps

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

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


 * "War History" Chapter 4 in Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, and Charles Blanchard. 1970.Counties of Whitley and Noble, Indiana: historical and biographical, illustrated. (Evansville, Ind: Unigraphic, inc.) (page 76-97, Regiment ),977.27 H2g FHL US/CAN Book,, Other Libraries, Internet Archive,

World War I

 * 1919 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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

School Records

 * Students and Teachers of Columbia City High School (1929) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

County Courthouse
Whitley County Courthouse 101 W Van Buren Street Columbia City, IN 46725 Phone: 219.248.3102 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.

Family History Centers

 * Huntington Indiana Family History Center

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

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 Telephone Number: 260-244-6372 Website

Vital Records

 * Indiana State Digital Archives

Marriage Records

 * 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

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

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