Benton County, Indiana Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named in honor of Thomas H. Benton, a Missouri senator. It is located in the Northwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Benton County Courthouse 706 E. 5th Ste 12 Fowler, Indiana 47944-1556 Phone: 765-884-0320 County Website

Benton County Health Department 706 East 5th Street, Suite 16 Fowler, IN, 47944 Health Officer: Joseph Moody, MD Phone Number: 765-884-1728 Fax: 765-884-2072 Health Department

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1841, divorce and court records from the 1800s, probate records from 1852 and naturalization records. County Recorder has land and military records. County Health Department has birth and death records from 1882. Health Department has birth records filed and death records filed. 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:

Biographies

 * Indiana Biography Index at Indiana State Library


 * Biographical History of Tippecanoe, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton... . 2 Vols. 1899. Chicago [Ill.] : The Lewis Publishing Company. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library-Vol.1; FamilySearch Digital Library - Vol 2.

Census Records

 * Index to Mortality Schedule for Benton County (1860) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Benton County, Indiana (1880) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Directories

 * Members of Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Oxford (1857-1900) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

Local Histories
Local Histories
 * History of Benton County - Linkpendium
 * History of Benton County, Indiana - INGenWeb

Online County Histories


 * Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper, and Newton, Indiana. 1883. Chicago : F.A. Battey. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Hathitrust; Internet Archive; Ancestry ($). Index for this book is available online at: Every Name Index to Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton, Indiana. Compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor. 2008. EveryNameIndex.com

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Historic Indiana Maps at IUPUI University Library


 * Old Antique Atlases &amp; Maps of Indiana
 * Maps and Gazetteers - Linkpendium
 * Map of Benton County Townships - INGenWeb

Military Records

 * Military Record Series Index at Indiana Digital Archives

Civil War Civil War service men from Benton County served in various regiments. Men often joined a regiment or a company (within a regiment)that originated in their county. Listed below are the military units that were formed in or had many men from Benton County.


 * 10th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company D
 * 15th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
 * 40th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E
 * 99th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
 * 128th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
 * 147th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
 * 150th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Comang G
 * 155th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G, H, and K
 * 28th US Colored Troops, Addition Recruits for Colored Troops

Civil War Books:
 * "Military History of Benton County" in F.A. Battey & Co. Counties of Warren, Benton, Jasper and Newton, Indiana: Historical and Biographical. Chicago: F.A. Battey & Co, 2008. Also digital images of original published: Mt. Vernon, IN : Windmill Publications, 1994. viii, 810 p. : ill., ports.; 28 cm. Originally published: Chicago : F.A. Battey, 1883. Pages 252-271. Online at: ; FamilySearch Digital Library; Internet Archive

World War I
 * 1919 at FamilySearch -How to Use this Collection

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * Naturalization Record Series (for this county) at Indiana Digital Archives. Search by names.

Newspapers

 * Hoosier State Chronicles

Probate Records

 * 1798-1999 Indiana Wills and Probate Records 1798-1999 at Ancestry $

School Records

 * School Enumeration of Parish Grove Township (1853) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)
 * Directory of Teachers (1936) at Indiana Genealogical Society ($)

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.

Marriage

 * 1780-1992  at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1800s-2007 Indiana, United States Marriages at FindMyPast $
 * 1802-1892 Indiana, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1892 at Ancestry $
 * 1811-2007 at FamilySearch -How to Use this Collection

Death

 * 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 $

Family History Centers
West Lafayette Indiana Family History Center 3224 Jasper St West Lafayette IN 47906 Phone: 765-463-5079 Email: [mailto:IN_Lafayette@familyhistorymail.org IN_Lafayette@familyhistorymail.org] Website

Societies
Benton County Indiana Historical Society, Inc. 404 E 6th Street PO Box 341 Fowler, IN 47944 Phone: 765-884-8839 Website Heritage House 208 S. Justus Street Oxford, IN 47971 Phone: 765-385-5380 Facebook

Websites

 * Indiana Digital Archives Search by name in all records or specific collections
 * Indiana Historical Society Digital Collections Search by county or keyword
 * Indiana Memory Click the map or select a statewide collection
 * List of indexes and databases at Indiana State Library
 * Indiana Genealogical Society Databases Free and Members-only. Select a county
 * EveryNameIndex.com for Indiana Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
 * IN/USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Benton 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.