Here is a guide to assist you in finding information about early records for Jennings County. Early records may
actually be located in another county due to treaty lines and the county organization process.
For information on researching in counties other than Jennings County please contact the county in question.
| FINDING EARLY RECORDS FOR CITIZENS ASSOCIATED WITH JENNINGS COUNTY | |
|---|---|
| These dates may not be exactly when the official legal records were recorded by the governments
of these counties. This information refers to those people who filed or registered legal documents only before Jennings officially became a county | |
| DATES | LOCATION OF RECORDS |
| 1790, June 20 or 30 to around Feb. 3, 1801 | Records may be found in Knox County. |
| 1801, Feb. 3 to around Nov. 23, 1810 | Records may be found in Clark County. |
| 1810, Nov. 23 to around 1818-1822 | Records should be found in Jefferson County. |
| 1818 to 1822 (actual date of Jennings Co. organization was Feb. 27, 1817, however records don't start until 1818 to 1822) | Records can be found in Jennings County |
The following is a list of Indiana Counties and when they were formed to be used as a guide to other places to look for information on persons. If the person you are reseaching was in a county before the date of the formation/organization you may have to look in Knox County. Also, the available records only apply to legal activities. There may be no records for people who were frontier squatters in a county, unless there are other records such as church records.
| ORGANIZATION DATES OF INDIANA COUNTIES BY DATE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Includes names of county seats and what or whom the counties were named after. Organization dates indicate when the county government was started but the differences in years may be due to actual formation dates and/or reorganization dates. Two sources were found with conflicting dates.. | ||||
| The Northwest Territory in 1787 included what is now Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and a small part of Canada and Minnesota | ||||
| THESE COUNTIES WERE ORGANIZED IN THE INDIANA TERRITORY (ESTABLISHED MAY 7, 1800) | ||||
| NAME OF COUNTY | ORGANIZED | COUNTY SEAT | COUNTY NAMED AFTER | |
| Knox | Either June 20 or 30, 1790 in the Northwest Territory | N.A. Comprised all of Indiana at that time | Gen. Henry Knox | |
| Clark | Feb.3, 1801 | Jeffersonville | Gen. George Rogers Clark | |
| Dearborn | March 7, 1803 | Lawrenceburg | Gen. Henry Dearborn | |
| Harrison | Dec. 1, 1808 | Corydon | Gen. William Henry Harrison | |
| Jefferson | Jan 1, 1811 | Madison | Pres. Thomas Jefferson | |
| Wayne | Either Nov. 27, 1810 or Jan. 1, 1811 | Richmond | Gen. Anthony Wayne | |
| Franklin | Either Jan. 1, 1811 or Feb. 1, 1811 | Brookville | Benjamin Franklin | |
| Washington | Either Dec. 21, 1813 or Jan. 17, 1814 | Salem | Pres. George Washington | |
| Warrick | Either Mar. 9, 1813 or Apr. 1, 1813 | Boonville | Capt. Jacob Warrick | |
| Grant | Apr. 1, 1813 | Princeton | Gen. John Gibson | |
| Switzerland | Oct. 1, 1814 | Vevay | Country of Switzerland | |
| Perry | Nov. 1, 1814 | Cannelton | Commodore Oliver H. Perry | |
| Posey | Nov. 1, 1814 | Mt. Vernon | Gov. Thomas Posey | |
| Jackson | Jan 1, 1816 | Brownstown | Gen. Andrew Jackson | |
| Orange | Feb 1, 1816 | Paoli | Organge Co., New York | |
| Daviess | Either Feb. 23, 1816 or Feb. 15, 1817 | Washington | Col. Joseph H. Daviess | |
| Daviess Co. may have been organized in the Indiana Territory or the State of Indiana. | ||||
 | ||||
| THESE COUNTIES WERE ORGANIZED IN THE STATE OF INDIANA (STATEHOOD DEC 11, 1816) | ||||
| Jennings | Formed Dec. 17, 1816, Organized Feb. 1, 1817 | Vernon | 1st Ind. State Gov. Jonathan Jennings | |
| Jennings Co. was created mostly out of what was Jefferson Co. A section of the county was taken from Jackson Co. to the west on Feb. 1, 1817. The final survey and and organization was completed on July 23, 1819. It is the only Jennings County in the United States.. The formation date comes from The JENNINGS COUNTY HISTORY BOOK at the Jennings County Public Library | ||||
| Pike | Either Dec. 21, 1816 or Feb. 1, 1817 | Petersburg | Gen. Zebulon Pike | |
| Ripley | Either Dec. 27, 1816 or Apr. 10, 1817 | Versailles | Gen. E. W. Ripley | |
| Sullivan | Either Dec. 30, 1816 or Jan. 15, 1817 | Sullivan | Daniel Sullivan | |
| Dubois | Either Dec. 20, 1817 or Feb. 1, 1818 | Jasper | Tousaint DuBois | |
| Lawrence | Either Jan. 7, 1818 or Mar. 16, 1818 | Bedford | Capt. James Lawrence | |
| Vanderburgh | Either Jan. 7, 1818 or Feb. 1, 1818 | Evansville | Henry Vanderburgh | |
| Randolph | Either Jan. 10, 1818 or Apr. 10, 1818 | Winchester | Thomas Randolph | |
| Spencer | Either Jan, 10, 1818 or Feb. 1, 1818 | Rockport | Capt. Spier Spencer | |
| Monroe | Either Jan 14, 1818 or Apr. 10, 1818 | Bloomington | Pres. James Monroe | |
| Vigo | Either Jan. 21, 1818 or Feb. 15, 1818 | Terre Haute | Col. Francis Vigo. | |
| Crawford | Either Jan 29, 1818 or Mar. 1, 1818 | English | Col. William Crawford | |
| Owen | Either Feb. 21, 1818 or Jan. 1, 1819 | Spencer | Col. Abraham Owen | |
| Fayette | Either Dec. 23, 1818 or Jan. 1, 1819 | Connersveille | Gen. Lafayette, Marquis de Lafayette | |
| Floyd | Either Jan. 2, 1819 or Feb. 1, 1819 | Albany | Col. John Floyd | |
| Martin | Either Jan. 7, 1820 or Feb. 1, 1820 | Shoals | Maj. John T. Martin | |
| Scott | Either Jan. 12, 1820 or Feb. 1, 1820 | Scottsburg | Gen. Charles Scott | |
| Wabash | Jan. 20, 1820, Reorganized either Jan.30, 1833 or Mar. 1, 1835 | Wabash | Wabash River | |
| Greene | Either Jan. 5, 1821 or Feb. 5, 1821 | Bloomfield | Gen. Nathaniel Greene | |
| Union | Either Jan. 1, 1821 or Jan. 5, 1821 | Liberty | For the Union of the States | |
| Bartholomew | Either Jan. 8, 1821 or Jan. 12, 1821 | Columbus | Gen. Joseph Bartholomew | |
| Parke | Either Jan. 9, 1821 or Apr. 2, 1821 | Rockville | Benjamin Parke | |
| Decatur | Either Mar. 4, 1821 or Dec. 31, 1821 | Greensburg | Commodore Stephen Decatur | |
| Henry | Either Dec. 31, 1821 or June 1, 1822 | New Castle | Patrick Henry | |
| Marion | Either Dec. 31, 1821 or Apr. 1, 1822 | Indianapolis | Gen. Francis Marion | |
| Putnam | Either Dec. 31, 1821 Apr. 1, 1822 | Greencastle | Gen. Israel Putnam | |
| Rush | Either Dec. 31, 1822 or Apr. 1, 1822 | Rushville | Dr. Benjamin Rush | |
| Shelby | Either Dec. 31, 1821 Apr. 1, 1822 | Shelbyville | Isaac Shelby | |
| Montgomery | Either Dec. 21, 1822 or Mar. 1, 1823 | Crawfordsville | Gen. Richard Montgomer | |
| Johnson | Either Dec. 31, 1822 or May 5, 1823 | Franklin | Judge John Johnson | |
| Madison | Either Jan. 4, 1823 or July 1, 1823 | Anderson | Pres. James Madison | |
| Hamilton | Either Jan. 8, 1823 or Apr. 7, 1823 | Noblesville | Alexander Hamilton | |
| Allen | Either Dec. 17, 1823 or Apr. 1, 1824 | Fort Wayne | Col. John Allen | |
| Henricks | Either Dec. 20, 1823 or Apr. 1, 1824 | Danville | Gov. William Hendricks | |
| Vermillion | Either Jan. 2, 1824 or Feb. 1, 1824 | Newport | Vermillion River | |
| Clay | Either Feb. 12, 1825 Apr. 1, 1825 | Brazil | Sen. Henry Clay | |
| Fountain | Either Dec. 30, 1825 or Apr. 1, 1826 | Covington | Maj. Fountain | |
| Carroll | Either Jan. 1, 1826 May 1, 1828 | Delphi | Charles Carroll | |
| Tippecanoe | Either Jan. 20, 1826 Mar. 1, 1826 | Lafayette | Tippecanoe River and Battleground | |
| Warren | Either Jan. 17, 1827 or Mar. 1, 1827 | Williamsport | Gen. Joseph Warren | |
| Delaware | Either Jan. 26, 1827 Apr. 1, 1827 | Muncie | Delaware Native American Tribe | |
| Hancock | Either Jan. 26, 1827 or Mar. 1, 1828 | Greenfield | John Hancock | |
| Cass | Either Dec. 28, 1828 or Apr. 14, 1829 | Logansport | Gen. Lewis Cass | |
| Elkhart | Either Jan. 19, 1830 or Apr. 1, 1830 | Goshen | Elkhart River named after Native American Chief Elkhart |
|
| Starke | Either Jan. 27, 1830 or Jan. 15, 1830 | Knox | Gen. John Starke | |
| Boone | Either Jan. 29, 1830 or Apr. 1, 1830 | Lebanon | Daniel Boon[e] | |
| Clinton | Either Jan. 29, 1830 or Mar. 1, 1830 | Frankfort | Gov. DeWitt Clinton | |
| Grant | Either Feb. 10, 1831 or Apr. 1, 1831 | Marion | Samuel and Morris Grant | |
| Morgan | Either Feb. 15, 1822 or Dec. 31, 1831 | Martinsville | Gen. Daniel Morgan | |
| Laporte | Either Jan.9, 1832 or Apr. 1, 1832 | LaPorte | A French term meaning "the door" | |
| Huntington | Either Feb. 1, 1832 or Feb. 2, 1832 | Huntington | Samuel Huntington | |
| LaGrange | Either Feb. 2, 1832 or Apr. 1, 1832 | LaGrange | Gen. Lafayette's home at Paris | |
| Miami | Either Jan. 30, 1833 Mar. 1, 1834 | Peru | Miami Native American tribe | |
| White | Either Feb. 1, 1834 or Apr. 1834 | Monticello | Col. Isaac White | |
| Adams | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Mar. 1, 1836 | Decatur | Pres. John Quincy Adams | |
| Dekalb | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or May 1, 1837 | Auburn | Baron Dekalb | |
| Fulton | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Apr. 1, 1836 | Rochester | Robert Fulton | |
| Jasper | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Mar. 15, 1838 | Rensselaer | Sgt. Jasper | |
| Jay | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Mar. 1, 1836 | Portmand | Gov. John Jay | |
| Kosciusko | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or June 1, 1836 | Warsaw | Gen. Kosciusko | |
| Marshall | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Apr. 1, 1836 | Plymouth | Chief Justice John Marshall | |
| Newton | Feb. 7, 1835; Reorganized either Dec. 8 or 9, 1850 | Kentland | Sg. John Newton | |
| Noble | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Mar. 1, 1836 | Albion | Gov. Noah Noble | |
| Porter | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Feb. 1, 1836 | Valparaiso | Commodore David Porter | |
| Pulaski | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or May 6, 1836 | Winamac | Count Casmir Pulaski, Polish Rev. War hero | |
| St. Joseph | Either Apr. 1, 1830 or Feb. 7, 1835 | South Bend | St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary | |
| Steuben | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or May 1, 1837 | Angola | Baron Friedrich Von Steuben, Rev. war hero | |
| Whitley | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or Apr. 1, 1838 | Columbia City | Col. William Whitley | |
| Wells | Either Feb. 7, 1835 or May 1, 1837 | Bluffton | Capt. Wm. Wells | |
| Lake | Either Jan. 28, 1836 or Feb. 15, 1837 | Crown Point | Lake Michigan | |
| Brown | Either Feb. 4, 1836 or Apr. 1, 1836 | Nashville | Gen. Jacob Brown | |
| Blackford | Either Feb. 15, 1838 or Jan 29, 1830 | Hartford City | Judge Isaac Blackford | |
| Benton | Either Jan. 18, 1840 or Feb. 18, 1830 | Fowler | Sen. Thomas H. Benton | |
| Ohio | Either Jan. 4, 1844 or May 1, 1844 | Rising Sun | Ohio River | |
| Howard | Jan 15, 1844 | Kokomo | Statesman Tilghman A. Howard | |
| Howard county was first called Richardville Co.after Miami Chief Richardville | ||||
| Tipton | Either Jan. 15, 1844 or May 1, 1844 | Tipton | Gen. John Tipton | |
This information was found in the Sesquicentennial Scrapbookand the DNR's publication Historic Indiana at the Jennings County Public Library.
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