LaGrange County History and Information

Court Records | Vital Records | CENSUS Records | TAX Records | Military Records | Church & Cemetery |
Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites |

LaGrange County was created on April 1, 1832 and was formed from Unorganized Land. The County was named for Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de la Fayette's home outside of Paris, France.

The County Seat is LaGrange. The City of LaGrange wasn't always the County Seat. The first County Seat of LaGrange County was located at the site of the old Indian village of Mogoquinog, which afterward became Lima. LaGrange, platted June 18, 1836, began the process of becoming the County Seat by an act of the Legislature of February 12, 1840 in an effort to locate the County Seat near the center of the county population. First settled in 1842, the Courthouse was completed December 5, 1843 and one year later the transfer of the record occurred. By 1849 LaGrange had three stores, seventy-five dwelling houses and 200 inhabitants. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to La Grange County are St. Joseph County, Michigan (northwest), Branch County, Michigan (northeast), Steuben County (east), Noble County (south), Elkhart County (west).

LaGrange County is divided in to 11 Civil Townships as follows: Bloomfield, Clay, Clearspring, Eden, Greenfield, Johnson, Lima, Milford, Newbury, Springfield and Van Buren.

Cities, Towns and Communities include Eddy, Emma, Honeyville, Howe, Lagrange, Mongo, Ontario, Scott, Seyberts, Shipshewana, Stroh, South Milford, Stony Creek, Topeka, Twin Lakes, Valentine and Wolcottville.

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County Courthouse

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

Search Indiana Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! 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 LaGrange County Courthouse History

LaGrange County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1832 , Probate Records from 1832 and Court Records from 1832 and is located at 105 N Detroit St, LaGrange IN 46761; Phone: 260-499-6368, Fax: 260-463-2187

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.

LaGrange County Recorder has Land Records from 1832 and is located at 114 West Michigan Street, LaGrange, IN 46761; 260-499-6320.

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.

LaGrange County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 114 West Michigan Street , LaGrange, IN 46761; (260) 463-7832

Below is a list of online resources for LaGrange County Court Records. Email us with websites containing LaGrange 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.
  • LaGrange County, Indiana Court Books at Amazon.com
  • Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
  • Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.
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County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Indiana

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Indiana State Department of Health Vital Records office is located at 6 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204. The office is open for walk-in requests from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., E.S.T., Monday through Friday (excluding official State Holidays). They have the following records:

  • 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.
    • Processing Time: 5 weeks when ordered by MAIL. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE.
  • 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.
    • Processing Time: 5 weeks when ordered by MAIL. You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates much quicker by ordering HERE.
  • 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.
  • Ordering Vital Records Online- You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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

  • VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek's order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
  • Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREEicon - 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.
  • LaGrange County, Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
  • Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.
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County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Indiana

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 LaGrange County, Indiana are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in LaGrange 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.

Below is a list of online resources for LaGrange County Census Records. Email us with websites containing LaGrange 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.
  • LaGrange County, Indiana Census Books at Amazon.com
  • Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.
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County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

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

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County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Indiana

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

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

  • LaGrange County, Indiana Tax Books at Amazon.com
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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 LaGrange County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing LaGrange County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

  • LaGrange County Historical Society, Inc., Rural Route 1, LaGrange, IN 46761
  • 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
  • Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
  • Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
  • Indiana Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com
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County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Indiana

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 LaGrange County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the LaGrange 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 LaGrange County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing LaGrange County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

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Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

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

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Extended History

 

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

LaGrange County, named after the residence of General Lafayette in France, was organized in 1832. It is bounded north by the State of Michigan, east by Steuben, south by Noble, and west by Elkhart, being twenty-four miles from east to west and sixteen and a-half from north to south, and containing 396 square miles. It is divided into eleven townships, viz: named from the east north tier Greenfield, Lima, Van Buren; milled tier, Springfield, Bloomfield, Clay, Newbury; south tier, Milford, Johnson, Clear Spring, Eden. The population in 1840 was 3,664; at this time [1849] it is about 8,600. About two-thirds of the county is barrens, or oak openings, one-tenth is prairie, and the balance thick timber. The face of the country is mostly level, though in some places it is broken or gently undulating. The soil in the openings is a sandy loam; in the timber there is a large intermixture of clay. The former is well adapted to wheat, the latter to wheat, corn, grass and oats, and the prairies to wheat and corn. The surplus products consist of wheat, corn and oats; and hogs, cattle and horses are driven to Michigan or northern Ohio, for the eastern markets, the value of all which is estimated at about $200,000 annually. There are in the county six flouring mills, twenty sawmills, one woolen factory, four tanneries, three distilleries, one cupola and one blast furnace, two printing offices, each publishing weekly newspapers, fifteen stores, two groceries, five lawyers, ten physicians, seven preachers, twenty carpenters, five cabinet makers, four chair makers, fifteen blacksmiths, ten shoemakers, six wagon makers, twenty coopers and five harness makers.

There are 207,757 acres of taxable land in the county, and about 15,000 acres still belong to the United States.

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

LaGrange County is level country, dotted with small lakes. The famous "Hawpatch" and "English Prairie" sections of the state are located here. In parts, large deposits of marl have been found. The soil is well adapted to agriculture, and through the drainage of the marshes and lowlands, thousands of the most fertile acres have been reclaimed. A number of streams traverse LaGrange County, the chief one being Pigeon River.

Located at Stroh, in Milford Township, is one of the largest cement plants (1915) in the United States, which draws its raw material from the almost inexhaustible bed of marl near the plant.

Numerous lakes dot the surface of LaGrange County, twenty-one of which were listed in the report of the Commissioner of Fisheries and Game for the fiscal year of 1914, which cover an area from Cass Lake, with twenty-eight acres, to Oliver Lake, which is the largest, with an area of 548 acres.

In the southeastern part of the county are found remains of the ancient Mound Builders' civilization. The Indians occupying the territory at the time of the first white settlement were of the Pottawatomie Tribe.

The county is one of the northeastern group, bordering on the state of Michigan. It has an area of 367 square miles, divided into eleven townships. The incorporated towns are LaGrange, 1,640; Wolcottville, 646; Topeka, 489, and Shipshewana, 262. County population: 1890, 15,615; 1900, 15,284; 1910, 15,148; 1920, 14,009; 1930, 13,780.

LaGrange is located forty-six miles northwest of Fort Wayne and is served by one railroad. Among the town's features is the well-equipped Athletic Park, which has a system of supervised play. The town is the site of an American Legion Home.

Among LaGrange's points of artistic note are the collection of pictures and sculpture in the public schools. In 1928, the LaFayette chapter of the D. A. R. placed a bronze tablet at the southeastern corner of the courthouse in memory of the soldiers of the Revolutionary War. Another memorial is in the form of native trees at the entrance of Greenwood Cemetery in honor of the Gold Star soldiers.

Howe School (for boys), in Howe, Indiana, was established in memory of John Badlam Howe, who died January 22, 1883. He provided in his will for the establishment of a training school for candidates for holy orders and made other bequests for church purposes, which suggested to the minds of Bishop Knickerbacker and Mrs. Howe the idea of establishing the school in Lima, Indiana. Mr. Howe bequeathed to the bishop of Indiana $10,000, the interest of which was to be used for the education of young men for the ministry of the church. He also left his residence to the diocese for such use as the diocese directed. After some legal complication had been adjusted through the LaGrange Circuit Court, Bishop Knickerbacker decided in cooperation with Mrs. Howe and Mr. James Howe to concentrate these bequests in the establishment of the Howe Grammar School The late Mrs. Frances M. Howe, widow of John B. Howe, gave her former residence, with four acres of land, and Bishop Knickerbacker purchased with his own private means a mansion and six acres of land opposite. The late James B. Howe, brother of Mr. Howe, and the people of Lima made some subscriptions for the purpose of opening the school, which was opened in September 1884, with two pupils. Since then, the school has received many generous bequests. In the summer of 1895, the management of the school was entirely changed under the direction of the present bishop of the diocese. The Right Reverend John Hazen White, D.D., shortly after his consecration, asked the present rector, the Reverend John H. McKenzie, who was maintaining a private school at Lake Maxinkuckee, to consider a plan to unite the two schools. This culminated in uniting them under the name of Howe School. The school is one of the best equipped in the state and is making steady and substantial progress, preserving the ideals of its benefactors and founders. Outstanding among the features of its quaintly picturesque campus is the St. James Chapel, an exact replica of the Chapel at Eaton, England.

According to federal census figures of 1935, LaGrange County had five industries employing 95 wage earners.

The county had 1,934 farms averaging 116.6 acres each. The value of these was $11,420,789. A total of 71,766 head of livestock was reported.

Tax valuation for the county as of 1936 was $20,121,925. The county had 1,934 farms averaging 116.6 acres each. The value of these was $11,420,789. A total of 71,766 head of livestock was reported. Tax valuation for the county as of 1936 was $20,121,925.

Courthouse History

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