Crawford County History and Information

Crawford County Facts

Crawford County was created on January 29, 1818 and was formed from Harrison, Orange and Perry Counties. The County was named foreither U.S. Treasury Secretary William H. Crawford or for Col. William Crawford, who fought in the French and Indian War and Revolutionary War, and who was burned and scalped by Indians in 1782 in what is now Wyandot County, Ohio..

The County Seat is English. English wasn't always the County Seat. According to the best available data, Mt. Sterling became the County Seat in 1818 and remained so at least until 1822. Though the records are not complete, best available information shows that the act of legislature in December 21, 1821, moved the County Seat from Mt. Sterling to Fredonia which is a town on the Ohio River. In 1843, the Legislature passed an act on January 4 providing for removal of the County Seat to Leavenworth. In 1894, the County Seat was removed to English after a most notable and picturesque struggle. The Courthouse at English was the only one in the state erected outside the limits of the County Seat town. English suffered six floods from 1959 to 1990. The town council decided that the only solution to the flooding problem was to move the town. 160 acres of high ground were purchased and the entire town was relocated. This was the second-largest relocation of an entire town in the U.S. history.

Leavenworth, named for the proprietors S. M and Z. Leavenworth, contained in 1849 twenty-five brick and and seventy-five frame welling houses and abut 600 inhabitants and was a favorable location for business, having a good landing for boats and commanding a trade of an extensive and productive territory in the interior. It was generally considered that a better ship yard could not be found in Indiana, however, due to continuous flooding of the Ohio River, was eventually moved "up the hill" and the original site is now refered to as Old Leavenworth. The town of English was named in honor of the Honorable William H. English, a Congressman who, in 1880, was the unanimous choice of his party for Vice-President of the United States. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Crawford County are Orange County (north), Washington County (northeast), Harrison County (east), Meade County, Kentucky (south), Perry County (southwest), Dubois County (west). Crawford County is divided into 9 Civil Townships as follows: Boone, Jennings, Johnson, Liberty, Ohio, Patoka, Sterling, Union and Whiskey Run. Cities, Towns and Communities include Alton, Artist Point, Beechwood, Brownstown, Cape Sandy, Carefree, Curby, Deuchers, Dry Run, Eckerty, English, Fredonia, Grantsburg, Hogtown, Jericho, Leavenworth, Magnolia, Marengo, Mifflin, Milltown, Pilot Knob, Riceville, Sulphur, Sulphur Springs, Taswell, Temple, Tower, W. Fork, Wickliffe and Wyandotte.

• The Crawford County Official Government Website
• Crawford County Township Map
• Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Crawford 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.
• Official County Historians
• Crawford County, Indiana History Books at Amazon.com
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

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Records at the Crawford County Courthouse

See Also Indiana Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

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 Crawford County Courthouse History

   Crawford County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1818 , Probate Records from 1818 and Court Records from 1818 and is located at Courthouse, PO Box 375, English, IN 47118, (812) 338-2565
   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.

   Crawford County Recorder has Land Records from 1818 and is located at Courthouse, PO Box 214, English IN 47118; (812) 338-2601.
   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.

Click Here to Search Indiana Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

   Crawford County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 306 Oak Hill Circle, P.O. Box 246, English, IN 47118; (812) 338-2302.

Below is a list of online resources for Crawford County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• 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.
• Crawford County, Indiana Court Books at Amazon.com
• 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.

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Crawford County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Indiana

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
  

  Birth Certificates

  Death Certificates

  Marriage Certificates

  Divorce Records

Below is a list of online resources for Crawford County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE 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.
• Indiana Marriages Database: Database for Indiana marriages through 1850
• Indiana Marriages Database: Database for Indiana marriages 1993 through 2002
• Indiana Births, 1880-1920: This database indexes births for thirty-one of the counties indexed by the WPA.
• Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920: This data set contains the WPA's indexes to the death records of most of the counties that they completed.
• Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941: This database is a collection of Indiana marriage indexes covering various years and counties.
• Indiana Marriages to 1850: This database of Indiana marriages to 1850 contains nearly 200,000 names.
• Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892: This database is an index to individuals who were married in Indiana between 1802 and 1892.
• Crawford County, Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com

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Crawford County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records

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.

  Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Crawford County, Indiana are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Crawford County, Indiana are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.

  See Also Statewide Records that exist for Indiana

Below is a list of online resources for Crawford County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Crawford 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.
• Crawford County, Indiana Census Books at Amazon.com

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Crawford County Maps & Atlases

   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 Crawford County Maps. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Maps by clicking the link below:

• The USGenWeb Archives Digital Map Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection: Indiana Maps
• Crawford County, Indiana Map Books at Amazon.com

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Crawford County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Indiana

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 Crawford County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Indiana Society of Daughters of the American Revolution
• National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution,
• Indiana Society of Sons of the American Revolution,
• National Society of Sons of the American Revolution, 1000 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40203; (502) 589-1776
• 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.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Indiana (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• 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.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• 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.
• Crawford County, Indiana Military Books at Amazon.com

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Crawford County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

   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 Crawford County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Crawford County, Indiana Tax Books at Amazon.com

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Crawford County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Indiana Genealogical Addresses

   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 Crawford County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Southern Indiana Genealogical Society, Rural Route 1, Leavenworth, IN 47137
• Local Indiana Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
• Indiana Libraries: Database to allow searching for Indiana's public libraries.
• National Archives - Great Lakes Region (Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001; E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.)
  General Information Leaflet
• Indiana State Archives, 6440 E. 30th St., Indianapolis, IN 46219; (317) 591-5222, [EMAIL]
• 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 Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 10507, Fort Wayne IN 46852
• Indiana Historical Society, 450 W. Ohio St, Indianapolis,IN 46202; 1-800-447-1830 or 317-232-1882
• 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.
• indiana Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

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Crawford County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Indiana

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.

   There are many churches and cemeteries in Crawford County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Crawford County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Baptist records are found at Franklin College (in Franklin); Methodist at DePauw University (in Greencastle); Mennonite at Goshen College (in Goshen); Presbyterian at Hanover College (in Hanover); Disciples of Christ at their historical society in Nashville, Tennessee; and French Catholic at Vincennes University in the Byron R. Lewis Collection. There are also Catholic church histories and records at the Catholic Archives, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana. Quaker records are at Earlham College (at Richmond).

   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 Crawford County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Crawford 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.
• Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project
• Crawford County, Indiana Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Crawford County, Indiana Church Books at Amazon.com

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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 Crawford County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Crawford County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Crawford County ] [ Indiana ] [ Main Page ]
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• The Indiana Family Group Sheet Project
• Crawford County INGenWeb Archives
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• 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.
• Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
• Crawford County, Indiana Family Books at Amazon.com

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County History

1849 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Gazetteer," published by E. Chamberlain

Crawford County, a southern county bordering on the Ohio River, lies between Harrison and Perry on the river, and Orange and Dubois in the interior, and contains about 320 square miles. It was organized in 1818, and was named after the unfortunate Colonel William Crawford, the land agent of General Washington in the west, who was taken prisoner by the Indians and burnt at Sandusky, in 1782. Crawford County is divided into eight townships, viz: Jennings, Ohio, Whiskey Run, Sterling, Patoka, Union, Liberty and Boone. The population in 1830 was 3,184, in 1840, 5,282, and at this time [1849], about 6,700. The face of the country is very uneven and broken. Near the river the soil is good; in the interior it is much poorer. The best of oak and poplar timber is found in great abundance. The principal agricultural products are wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, tobacco and grass; and the exports consist chiefly of lumber, pork, beef cattle, flour, etc., which are annually taken to a southern market, to the estimated value of $100,000.

Coal and iron ore abound in the west part of the county, and there is much valuable waterpower along Blue River, where there are now good mills. Near this stream, four miles from Leavenworth, is a large cave, which attracts the attention of many visitors, and several of them have, as they say, explored it more than two miles without reaching its termination. The bottom of this cave, as well as several others in the county, were covered with crystallized salts, several inches in thickness, when they were first visited.

The Methodists, United Brethren and Christians are the most numerous religious denominations, and there are usually about fifteen preachers in the county.

About one-third of the land still belongs to the United States, of which a considerable portion would make good farming land.

1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature

Crawford County is widely known as the location of Wyandotte and Marengo caves. The enormous underground halls of Wyandotte cave, second largest in the United States, its great domes, immense columns, and great piles of fallen rock are without equal in any other American Cavern. The highest underground mountain in the world, 135 feet, is one of the cave's outstanding beauties. Besides the caves, Crawford County offers another point of unusual interest, the Lily White sulfur well.

Crawford County, one of the southwestern counties, borders on the Ohio River. Being in the unglaciated area, its land is rough and hilly. An inexhaustible supply of stone is found here and the stone industry is an important part of the county's activity.

Crawford County embraces 303 square miles and has nine townships. The incorporated towns are Alton, 109; English, 704; Marengo, 806; Leavenworth, 418, and Milltown, 795. In 1890 the county had a population of 13,941; 1900, 13,476; 1910, 12,057. In 1930 the population was 10,160.

English has a few small manufacturing establishments, but is chiefly important as the center of a fruit growing, poultry raising, and dairying district.

The Courthouse is the only one in the state erected outside the limits of the County Seat town. A main point of interest in English is the William H. English Park, provided for in the will of Mr. English. In the park is a monument to its founder. Of cultural interest is the collection of art books in the Public Library. Many of the residences of the town have notable antiques such as glassware, china, and examples of pioneer needlework.

The town of Marengo is the site of the world famous cavern, Marengo Cave. According to 1935 figures the county had eight manufacturing establishments employing sixty-six wage earners, who earned $21,139. The value of the manufactured products was $112,359.

There were 1,770 farms with an average of 98 acres each. The total value of these farms was $2,499,903. The county had 19,813 head of livestock.

The county tax valuation, 1936, was $3,519,300.

Courthouse History

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• Map of Indiana Historical Markers

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