beginnings of jennings county

KNOX COUNTY CARVED OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY WAS THE FIRST INDIANA COUNTY
The Northwest Territory was formed in 1787 and comprised an area north of the Ohio River west to the Mississippi River northward to Canada (the present states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and an eastern portion of Minnesota). It also included a small portion of Canada. On June 30, 1790 at Vincennes (the same city as in present Indiana) Knox County was created and included most of Indiana as we know it today. The Indiana Territory was created on May 7, 1800. The first county to be carved out of Knox County in the Indiana Territory was Clark County (named after George Rogers Clark). Subsequently, other counties were carved from Knox County or from other counties that had been previously carved out of Knox County. A map in the Census of Indiana Territory of 1807 indicates that what is now most of Jennings County was in 1807 part of Clark County with the northwest portion of present-day Jennings County still in Indian Territory.

JENNINGS COUNTY FORMED OUT OF KNOX COUNTY, THEN CLARK COUNTY, AND THEN JEFFERSON COUNTY
Consider a location in in present day Vernon Township that dates back to the 1790’s. Individuals residing there up to June 30, 1790 were living in the Northwest Territory. and after this date they were now in Knox County in the Northwest Territory. By Feb 3, 1801, Clark County was carved out of Knox County and the residents of present day Jennings County (except for the northwest corner) were now in Clark County. By Nov. 23, 1810 Jefferson County was carved out of Clark County and the citizens were now in a part of Jefferson County. On Dec. 17, 1816, Jennings County was officially formed (but parts of some sections in western Jennings County were part of Jackson County after Jan. 1, 1816 and transferred to Jennings County on Feb 1, 1817). To do genealogical research for Jennings County the time period determines where one might find records.

	GROUSELAND TREATY LINE AFFECTS GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH IN JENNINGS COUNTY The Grouseland Treaty, which was signed in 1805 with the Native Americans. Clark County (including the portion that became present day Jennings) was in the treaty area. The treaty line ran diagonally across present-day Jennings County through these townships: Spencer, Geneva, and Sand Creek.
Larger map

In Spencer Township it ran through portions of sections of 29, 30, and 31. In Geneva Township it ran through portions of sections 5, 6, 12, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 32. In Sand Creek Township the line boarded section 18 to the north and ran through sections 24, 26, 27, 33, and 34. Any land north of the treaty line was Indian territory (possibly Knox County) until July 23, 1819.
Larger map of Jennings County with Grouseland Treaty Line showing townships.

A genealogical research problem occurs with the period from Nov. 23, 1810-July 23, 1819. Anyone living south of the treaty line after Nov. 23, 1810 now was residing in the newly-formed Jefferson County (carved out of Clark County). North of the treaty line was still Indian Territory. Some sections in the western part of present-day Jennings county were considered part of Jackson County. In 1811, the Native Americans sold the land north of the Grouseland Treaty Line to the United States government. The State of Indiana came into being on Dec. 17, 1816, but that western portion of our present-day county that was part of Jackson was not transferred to Jennings until Feb. 1, 1817. This transferred area included parts of present-day Geneva, Spencer and Marion Townships. The surveying and organizing of Jennings County was completed on July 23, 1819. At this time the most northwest sections of the county were truly established. Finally, the border between Jennings and Jefferson Counties was changed around 1826. The little hamlet of Paris was transferred to Jennings County.

Because of all the changes in the formation of Indiana, one might have to search for information for persons residing in southeastern Indiana in places other than Jennings County.

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