The County Seat is Evansville. Evansville enjoys the unique distinction of being the only town in Indiana that has been the County Seat for two counties. Evansville was the County Seat of Warrick County up to September 1, 1814. See also County History for more historical details.
Vanderburgh County is divided into 8 Civil Townships as follows: Armstrong, Center, German, Knight, Perry, Pigeon, Scott and Union. Cities, Towns and Communities include Armstrong, Belknap, Cypress, Darmstadt, Daylight, Earle, Evansville, Harwood, Highland, Hillsdale, Inglefield, Kasson, Knob Hill, Lakewood Hills, Kratzville, Martin, McCutchanville, Melody Hill, Mud Center, Nisbet, Rahm, Red Bank, St. Joseph, St. Wendel, Smythe, Stacer, Stringtown, Vaughan and Wesselman Woods.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Courthouse History
Vanderburgh County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1818 , Probate Records from 1821 and Court Records from 1825 and is located at Civic Center Courts Building, Room 216, Post Office Box 3356, Evansville, IN 47732-3356; 812-435-5160 (Office Phone), 812-435-5849 (Fax) 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.
Vanderburgh County Recorder has Land Records from 1818 and is located at P.O. Box 1037, Evansville, IN 47706-1037; 812-435-5215. 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.
Vanderburgh County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at Room 127, Administration Building, Civic Center Complex, One N.W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Evansville, IN 47708-1888; (812) 435-5681
Below is a list of online resources for Vanderburgh County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Maps. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Tri-State Genealogical Society, % Willard Library, 21 First Avenue, Evansville, IN 47710;
(812) 425-4309
Vanderburgh County Historical Society,
P.O. Box 2626,
Evansville 47728-0626
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 Vanderburgh County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Vanderburgh 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
Vanderburgh County, organized in 1818, was named in honor of Henry Vanderburgh, who had been a captain in the Revolution, a member of the Legislative Council of the North West Territory, and a judge of the first court ever formed in the Indiana Territory. It is bounded north by Gibson, east by Warrick, south by the Ohio River, and west by Posey, and it contains 240 square miles. The civil townships are Pigeon, Knight, Scott, Armstrong, Perry, Union, Center, and German. The population in 1830 was 2,610, in 1840 6,250, and at this time [1849] it is near 12,000.
About one-fifth part of the county is river bottoms, which have a very rich soil. A small portion of the residue is hilly, but it has mostly an undulating or rolling surface, and the soil is not of a rich quality. The bottoms supply immense quantities of corn for exportation, estimated at 600,000 bushels annually, from Evansville alone; and wheat, oats, hay, various kinds of marketing, and hogs, cattle and horses are exported from the county to the value of $750,000 annually, though other interior counties contribute largely to this amount. The trade of Evansville is very large, and will be immensely increased by the completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal, which will take place in about two years, and will then afford an interior navigation of 459 miles, there are in Vanderburgh County 10 grist and sawmills, of which four only are propelled by water, about 100 stores, groceries and warehouses, three printing offices, at each of which are issued daily papers, 15 lawyers, 16 physicians, 13 preachers of the Gospel, and a great variety of mechanical and manufacturing laborers, encouraged by the abundance of coal in the vicinity, and the demand of a large region of productive country which comes here for its supply. In attempting to bore for salt water near Evansville a valuable medicinal spring has been discovered, which is now much visited by valetudinarians. Vanderburgh County has 31 district and six private schools, at which 2,767 students attend. The taxable land amounts to 137,019 acres.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
One of the most outstanding counties in the state, Vanderburgh takes its name in honor of Henry Vanderburgh, who had been a captain in the Revolutionary War and a member of the Legislative Council of the Northwest Territory as well as Judge of the firs court formed in the Indiana Territory.
This county enjoys distinction of being the only county in the state from which Kentucky can be reached without crossing the Ohio River; this is at Green River Island, a few minutes' walk from the city of Evansville. Although it is north of the river and generally supposed to be part of Indiana, it is part of the state of Kentucky. The matter has been a subject of dispute between the two states. The interesting history was caused by a peculiar change in the course of the Ohio River.
Vanderburgh is one of the southernmost counties, with a total area of 283 square miles divided into eight townships. The only incorporated municipality is the city of Evansville. The total county population was 58,809 in 1890; 1900, 71,769; 1910, 77,438; 1920, 92,293; 1930, 113,320.
Evansville, with a population of 102,249 is located on the Ohio River 195 miles west and south of Louisville, Kentucky. River facilities and the several main railroads make this an important point of transportation.
The most notable of its manufactures is furniture. Some of the other products are auto bodies, auto trucks, agricultural implements, bakery products, bottle caps and sealing devices, breakfast foods, brick and tile, brooms, building material, tractors, castings, cigars, clothing, refrigerators, flour, gas engines, bottles, infant food, pottery, steam shovels, stoves, gas ranges, and tools.
The federal census of 1935 listed 172 manufacturing establishments, employing 12,792 wage earners. These earned $11,194,389. The value of the products was $80,607,030.
Evansville has been favored by nature as to location and resources. This fact has been instrumental in drawing more and more of the larger financial interests. The Ohio River offers great assets for water supply and low transportation costs. There are 150 coalmines within a radius of fifty miles.
The city is one of the recognized are centers in the state. Unusual is the Temple of Fine Arts. At its entrance is the Rotary Civic Award, a bronze tablet carrying the names of citizens who have given conspicuous service to the city. Within the temple is a museum and art gallery housing the John Foster collection of Mexican Arts and a statue of St. George presented by Lorado Taft. The outstanding cultural organization, The Society of Fine Arts and History, was organized in 1926.
Another historical marker is the tablet on Main Street on the site of the first log cabin in Evansville, which was built by Hugh McGary in 1812. In his cabin were held the first court and first religious services. A memorial coliseum of Gothic beauty features the bronze groups, known as "Spirit of 1861" and "Spirit of 1916." In the coliseum also there is a tablet to James Bethal Gresham, the first American soldier killed in France during the World War, and the men of Vanderburgh County who lost their lives in that war. Among the other memorials is the Vanderburgh County World War Memorial Stone on Court Street; Rathbone Memorial Home with a tablet to the memory of Douglas Boviele, the gold star hero of the World War; a tablet in the yard of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church to Judson McGrew.
Evansville has a number of distinguished residences. One is the home of Conrad Baker, former Governor of Indiana. The city has twenty-five grade and four high schools. The county library here contains 184,724 volumes. Included in the recreational system are fourteen parks covering an area of 652 acres. The main ones are Willard and Sunset Park located along the riverfront.
This, the fourth largest city in the state, has bank resources of about $60,000,000. It has a municipally owned water works. Some of the city's buildings are outstanding, including the Courthouse; Masonic Temple; Post Office, of Gothic style, built in 1872; a home of the Royal Order of Moose, of Greek classic style, an old landmark, built in 1839.
The city has nearly one hundred churches, some of them of distinctive beauty. Among these are the Trinity Methodist Episcopal, St. Paul's Episcopal, and St. Boniface Roman Catholic.
The Southern Hospital for the Insane, "Woodmere," was the only one of the three "additional hospitals" whose location was fixed by the Legislature. The law approved March 7, 1883, stated that one of these should be located at or near Evansville. The site purchased on January 3, 1884, is four miles east of the city. The original building is an arrangement of wings radiating from the central block. Additional wings have been added from time to time. The first patients were admitted October 30, 1890. The hospital receives patients from what is known as the southern district for the insane, composed of the sixteen counties that form the southwestern part of the state.
It is not generally known that Kentucky can be reached from Indiana without some means of crossing the Ohio River. To do so, however, requires but a few minutes walk form Evansville.
Green River Island, a part of the State of Kentucky, is taxed by Henderson County. It adjoins Vanderburgh County and by reason of its being north of the Ohio River is generally credited with being Indiana territory. The island contains approximately 2,800 acres of bottomland and is about seven miles long and a mile wide at the widest point.
It has an interesting history, in that it was created by a peculiar change in the course of the Ohio River and has been the subject of dispute between the States of Indiana and Kentucky.
Many years ago the Ohio, which, in the region of the mouth of Green River, has always had a tendency to cut into the Kentucky shore during flood times, gradually wore a new channel for a distance of six or seven miles through eh northern part of Henderson County, Kentucky, deserting the original bed along a par of the southern border of Vanderburgh County. The new channel cut into the State of Kentucky at a point about a mile below the mouth of Green River and emerged again into the original bed about a mile above the Port of Evansville. The old bed became a slough and filled with water only at flood times.
After this change in the river channel a question arose as to whether Indiana or Kentucky should rule the island formed by the old and new beds. The contention grew, Indiana claiming, since the river was the dividing line between the two states that she had gained so much territory by the change in the river's course, while the Blue Grass State was reluctant to give up the land, and insisted that it was hers originally, and should remain so. The question dragged on for several years until the two states finally agreed that the original riverbed was properly the dividing line and, in legal parlance, an "agreed" suit was filed in the federal courts to legally establish the boundary that had been in question.
The question dragged along for several years until a suit was commenced in the Supreme Court of the United States (Indiana vs. Kentucky, 136 U.S. 479) to establish the boundary. At that time a commissioner came from Washington to Evansville to take testimony which in printed form is now part of the records in the case now on file in Washington, D.C., i.e., Report of W. A. Ketcham, Attorney General, Indiana, 1897-98, page 23.
An old river pilot, who had steamboated on this part of the Ohio for years, was produced and testified that he had piloted boats on the river when it flowed in its old bed on the north side of the island. His testimony satisfied the engineer that the slough was the original riverbed and as such should remain the boundary between the two states.
This hearing was held about thirty years ago, in the office of United State Commissioner Wartmann, the present commissioner, who was then young in his career as Clerk of the United States District Court at Evansville.
After the decision of the federal agent a new survey was run on the north side of the old bed and the line between the only part of the two states that join, is now fixed by small stone markers, on one side of which is chiseled the word Indiana and on the opposite side Kentucky.
Most of the island is owned by Henderson, Kentucky, people. Despite the officially established boundaries, complications not infrequently arise. Recently what proved to be an accidental shooting occurred on the island. The police of this city were notified and. For purposes of investigation, took the man who did the shooting into custody. Not until after he had been held an hour or more did it develop that the shooting had taken place in Kentucky. The man arrested was about to be turned over to Henderson authorities when it was satisfactorily proved the shooting was accidental.
Henderson County seldom needs to give attention to the island and it has gradually taken on an atmosphere of being a little province of its own.
Among personages of historical significance to the county have been Robert Evans, for whom the city was named, and the Walker family. One of the latter of this clan became mayor of Evansville. One of the county's more recent favorite, though adopted, sons was John W. Spencer, who had a noted legal career and became a judge of the Supreme Court of Indiana. Posey T. Klime, at present a judge for the state Appellate Court, is from Evansville.
Vanderburgh is one of the state's largest manufacturing counties. It had a total of 181 manufacturing establishments, according to 1935 federal census figures. A total of 13,221 wage earners were employed on payrolls totaling $11,757,970. The total value of the manufactured products was $82,104,354.
The county 1,733 farms averaging 70.4 acres each. Their value was $9,190,828. A total of 25,781 head of livestock was reported. The total county tax valuation as of 1936 was $138,817,050.
