Rush County was created on April 1, 1822 and was formed from Delaware New Purchase. The County was named for Dr. Benjamin Rush, who signed the Declaration of Independence.
The County Seat is Rushville. The Delaware New Purchase: Set up in 1820, portions were set apart as the entire counties of Allen, Bartholomew, Hamilton, Henry, Johnson, Marion, Rush, and Shelby. Parts of the counties of Delaware, Hendricks, Madison, and Morgan also were located in the Delaware Purchase. In 1827, the name of the tract was changed to the Adams New Purchase. See also County History for more historical details.
Rush County is divided into 12 Civil Townships as follows: Anderson, Center, Jackson, Noble, Orange, Posey, Richland, Ripley, Rushville, Union, Walker and Washington.
Cities, Towns and Communities include Arlington, Boyd, Carthage, Circleville, Farmers, Farmington, Gings, Glenwood, Gowdy, Henderson, Homer, Manilla, Mauzy, Mays, Milroy, Moscow, New Salem, Occident, Raleigh, Richland, Rushville, Sexton and Williamstown.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Rush County: The county newspaper holdings are under regular revision, as new microfilm holdings are added. These files are not up to date; there are continuous updates and corrections.
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
NOTE: The date listed for each category of record is the earliest record known to exist in that county. It does not indicate that there are numerous records for that year and certainly does not indicate that all such events that year were actually registered.See also the Rush County Courthouse History
Rush County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1822 , Probate Records from 1822 and Court Records from 1822 and is located at PO BOX 429 (mailing address), 101 E. 2nd Street (street address), Rushville, IN 46173; Pho: (765) 932-2086, Fax: (765) 932-4165 The Clerk of the Circuit Court is a ministerial officer who is the custodian of the Clerk's record and seal, issues process, accepts filings of commencement of actions in litigation, enters judgments and orders of the court, receives money in his official capacity, makes certified copies of record, issues many miscellaneous licenses, and keeps a record of all wills and matters of trust in probate proceedings.
Rush County Recorder has Land Records from 1822 and is located at 101 East 2nd Street, Rushville, IN 46173; (765)932-2388. The county recorder's function is to maintain permanent public records involving a wide variety of instruments. These documents detail transactions involving real estate, mining, personal property, mortgages, liens, leases, subdivision plats, military discharges, personal bonds, etc. Generally, all of these instruments are recorded either for giving legal public notice of their existence or for safekeeping and future reference. The recorder maintains and preserves all legal documents affecting title to real property.
Rush County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at Courthouse, Room 5, Rushville, IN 46173; (765) 932-3103
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Indianapolis Newspaper Index, 1848-1991: Select articles from 1848-1888 Indianapolis daily newspapers; heavily focused on deaths and marriages. Select articles from 1898-1991 about people, places, events, and topics in Indianapolis and the state of Indiana. Extremely limited for deaths; no coverage of marriages. Card file also available in the Microforms Area, second floor.
Reference & Government Services CD Collection: Database to allow searching of the hundreds of CDs from the federal government and other sources, part of the collections of the Reference & Government Services Division.
Indiana Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Birth Certificates:
The Division of Vital Records and Statistics maintains birth records that occur in Indiana since Oct 1907 to the present.
Prior to October 1907, records of birth are filed only with the local health department in the county where the birth actually occurred.
Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $10.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy.
Make your check or money order payable to "Indiana State Department of Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
In Person:
The ISDH Vital Records office is located at 6 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The office is open for walk-in requests from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., E.S.T., Monday through Friday (excluding official State Holidays). The cost for the first certificate is $10.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy. Average wait time is less than an hour.
Processing Time: 5 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Death Certificates: The Division of Vital Records and Statistics maintains death records that occur in Indiana since 1900 to the present. Prior to 1900, records of death are filed only with the local health department in the county where the death actually occurred.
For deaths occurring from 1900 to 1917, the city and/or county of death is required in order to locate the record.
Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $8.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy.
Make your check or money order payable to "Indiana State Department of Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
In Person:
The ISDH Vital Records office is located at 6 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The office is open for walk-in requests from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., E.S.T., Monday through Friday (excluding official State Holidays). The cost for the first certificate is $8.00 and $4.00 for each additional copy. Average wait Time is less than an hour.
Processing Time: 5 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Marriage Certificates: Certified copies of marriage certificates are not available from the State Health Department. They are available from the Clerks of the Circuit Court in the county where the marriage was granted. Fees vary.
Divorce Certificates: Certified copies of divorce certificates are not available from the State Health Department. They are available from the County Clerk in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Indiana newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Indiana Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Indiana Census, 1790-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 (Northwest Territory) Federal Census Index; 1807 State Census Index; 1810 Wayne County Census Index; 1812 Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1870 Federal Census Index; 1890 Veterans Schedule.
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Indiana showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Indiana showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at County Maps
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Maps. Email us with websites containing Rush County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Indiana Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Indiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Indiana World War II Servicemen: Database to locate information about Indiana men and women who served in World War II who were mentioned in one of the Indianapolis daily newspapers during the war.
Records of county taxes were kept as early at 1842, although most were discarded. Remaining ones would be at the county courthouse. National Archives-Great Lakes Region has records of the Internal Revenue Service for Indiana for 1867 to 1873. These are tax assessment records, arranged by district and then chronologically.
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Rush County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Rush County Historical Society, % James Scott, 614 North Jackson Street, Rushville, IN 46173
Indiana State Library,
Attn: (Division or Staff Name),
140 North Senate Avenue,
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2296
Loan Desk and General Inquiries: 317-232-3675,
ind@statelib.lib.in.us
Genealogy Division: 317-232-3689,
genealogy@statelib.lib.in.us
Indiana Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Indiana Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
The commissioner's office of each Indiana county may have burial records for soldiers, sailors, and marines. If available, the records should include name, age, date of enlistment, discharge date, and death date. Records begin about 1862.
The Indiana State Library holds records of inscriptions from some Indiana cemeteries. The "Indiana Cemetery Locator File," compiled by the Genealogy Division, is an alphabetical listing of cemeteries, indicating the location in the state and the designation in the Genealogy Division of the Indiana State Library where inscriptions may be found.
Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Indiana obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Indiana newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Indiana.
Click Here to Search Indiana Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Rush County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Rush County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Indiana Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
1849 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Gazetteer," published by E. Chamberlain
Rush County, organized in 1822, was named in honor of Dr. Benjamin Rush, at the suggestion of Dr. Laughlin. It is bounded north by Hancock and Henry, east by Fayette and Franklin, south by Decatur, and west by Shelby and Hancock. It is 23 miles in length from north to south, and 18 in breadth, and contains 414 square miles. The civil townships are Ripley, Posey, Walker, Orange, Anderson, Rushville, Jackson, Center, Washington, Union, Noble and Richland. The population in 1830 was 9,918, in 1840, 16,456, and at this time it is about 21,000.
The surface of the country is either nearly level, or moderately rolling, though there are hills along the principal streams, which in general are neither high nor abrupt. There are no prairies or barrens, or in fact any poor land in the county; about one-twentieth is river and creek bottoms. The soil is principally loam bedded on clay, with a mixture of sand, and it produces abundantly all the kinds of grain, grass and vegetables common to the climate, and no part of the State, of equal extent, is superior in quality of soil, to the county of Rush. The land was originally heavily timbered with poplar, walnut, oak, ash, sugar, beech and hickory. The surplus products taken to market are 35,000 hogs, 6,000 cattle, 1,200 horses, 500 mules, 30,000 barrels of flour, 100,000 bushels of wheat, and oats, corn and various other articles, estimated to be of the annual value of $600,000. The canal in the valley of Whitewater, running eight miles east of the county, has done much to increase improvements, but there are now in progress two railroads, one from Shelbyville to Rushville, the other from Shelbyville to Knightstown, both which will be completed in a few months, and will add largely to the wealth and prosperity of this part of the State. There are in Rush County 15 gristmills, 20 sawmills, four groceries, three flourishing Academies, one the County Seminary at Rushville, one at Farmington, four miles east, and one at Richland, eight miles southeast, and schools are kept up in nearly every district from three to twelve months in the year. There are eight Presbyterian churches, eight Methodists Episcopal, five Baptist, 7 Reformers, one True Wesleyan, and one Radical Methodist church. There are also in the county 10 lawyers, 21 physicians, 20 preachers, 200 carpenters, 50 brick and stone masons, 20 plasters, 25 saddlers, 50 tailors, 20 painters, 100 blacksmiths, 50 cabinet makers, 40 wagon makers, 10 coach makers, 60 shoe and boot makers, 10 printers, three potters, 20 pump makers, five gunsmiths, four silversmiths, three tinners, 25 tanners, 15 hatters, 20 engineers, and 35 milliners and mantua makers, about 1,100 in all. Excellent county buildings to cost $12,000 are now in progress. The taxable land amounts to 251,645 acres.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Rush County has a national reputation for its Jersey Cattle, having some of the finest herds in the United States. The County is also well known for fruit production. In addition, Rush county farmers are adding to their reputation as employers of the most advanced agricultural methods, and in raising all classes of livestock, Particularly hogs, of which the county is the greatest producer in the nation.
It covers an area of 409 square miles and is divided into twelve townships. The incorporated city is Rushville, 5,709; towns: Carthage, 931, and Glenwood, 374. Total county population 1890, 19,034; 1900, 20,148; 1910, 19,349; 1920, 19,241; 1930, 19,412.
Rushville is thirty-nine miles southeast of Indianapolis and is served by four railroads. Its industries include the manufacture of furniture, foundries, and other establishments. It is chiefly important as center for the fine livestock and agricultural district surrounding it.
On the lawn of the courthouse is a boulder with bronze tablet in memory of Dr. William B. McLaughlin who suggested the naming of the county and city. In the corridor of the building is a bronze tablet to the soldiers of the American Revolution. There are a number of other memorials in the city. In East Hill Cemetery is a soldiers' and sailors' monument dedicated to the men who fell in the Civil War. In the cemetery, too, is an interesting marker to a pioneer, a monument and marble portrait bust of the Reverend James Haven, a preacher licensed in 1811, who rode circuit from Noblesville to Cincinnati. Memorial Park contains an interesting memorial, the log cabin birthplace of General Pleasant A. Hackleman, the only general that was killed in the Civil War. This park was dedicated to the World War soldiers in 1924 and is known for its beautiful sunken gardens.
The residences lending distinction to Rushville are notable for their collections of antiques, rare books, and native craftwork. One of these, now the Chance Residence, was formerly Fairview Academy, which opened in 1849. This academy was the beginning of Butler University.
There were twenty-two manufacturing establishments in this county, according to figures of the 1935 federal census. A total of 482 wage earners were employed on payrolls of $347,062. The value of the manufactured products was $2,004,640.
The value of this county's farms was $18,911,293. In all, the county reported 2,139 farms, these averaging 116.9 acres each. There were 122,100 head of cattle in the county in 1935. The county's tax valuation as of 1936 was $30,754,985.
Courthouse History
When it came time to design a new Rush County Courthouse, the firm's name may have given A.W. Rush & Son of Grand Rapids, Michigan a bit of an edge against rival bidders. While the Rush firm also designed courthouses for Fulton and Pulaski counties, it seemed destiny that it be hired to create the Rush County Courthouse. Of the three A.W. Rush & Son-designed courthouses in Indiana, the one in Rush County is the most ornate.
The current courthouse was constructed between 1896-1898 and was the third government building to occupy the public square in Rushville. So proud was the community of its new building that schools and factories closed and marching bands played for the laying of the cornerstone. When the county commissioners accepted the new courthouse February 1, 1898, they opened the doors to find magnificent Italian mosaic tile, marble stair treads, two opulent stained glass windows containing images of Lady Justice and the state seal respectively, and oak woodwork, all of which remains today.1
All three of A.W. Rush & Son's Indiana courthouses are similar in design, utilizing the Romanesque Revival style. The rough-cut stone, square towers, and heavy round arches portray a fortress-like appearance appropriate for a governmental building. Slight variations in design define the Rush firm's courthouses, but the ornamental limestone carvings truly set them apart. In honor of Rush County's agricultural heritage, stone carvers created a cornerstone with a shock of wheat flanked by a stalk of corn.2 On the west façade, two carved faces perched above the door keep watch. Though their resemblances bear a remarkable similarity to county commissioners and two of the courthouse contractors, a specific identity has never been determined.3
Like most Indiana courthouses, the Rush County Courthouse is sited on a Shelbyville Square, with streets intersecting at each corner. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. As a birthday gift for the courthouse's 1996 centennial, county commissioners restored much of the building's original splendor by recreating historic light fixtures, restoring original paint colors and upgrading mechanical systems.
