Rush County, Indiana
History, Records, Facts and Genealogy

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

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history 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 Rush County Courthouse History

Rush County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1822 , Probate Records from 1822 and Court Records from 1822 and is located at PO BOX 429 (mailing address), 101 E. 2nd Street (street address), Rushville, IN 46173; Pho: (765) 932-2086, Fax: (765) 932-4165

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.

Rush County Recorder has Land Records from 1822 and is located at 101 East 2nd Street, Rushville, IN 46173; (765)932-2388.

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.

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.

Rush County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at Courthouse, Room 5, Rushville, IN 46173; (765) 932-3103

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

• Order County Court, Civil or Criminal Records Online
• 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.
• Rush 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.
• Search Land Patents at Gov-Records.com
• Search Property Records at Gov-Records.com

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:

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• 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

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

• Vital Records from Archives.com: Birth Records, Marriage Records, Divorce Records and Death Records
• 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 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.
• Rush 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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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 Rush County, Indiana are 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Rush 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 Rush County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Rush County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Census Records at Archives.com
• 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.
• Rush 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.

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

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

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 Rush County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Rush 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.
• Rush County, Indiana Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

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

• Search for Local Indiana Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Indiana Researcher!
• Rush County Historical Society, % James Scott, 614 North Jackson Street, Rushville, IN 46173
• 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

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

• Cemetery Records at Archives.com
• 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.
• Obituary Records at Archives.com
• America's Obituaries (1977 to current) at Genealogybank.com - Obituaries contain helpful information such as names, dates, places of birth, death, marriage and family information. Over 28 million obituaries make this the most complete collection from the 20th and 21st centuries - includes over 1,100 U.S. newspapers. New content added daily!
• Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project
• Rush County, Indiana Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Rush County, Indiana Church Books at Amazon.com

 

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 Rush County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Rush 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: [ Rush 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
• Rush 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.
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Rush County, Indiana Family Books at Amazon.com

 

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

Rush County, organized in 1822, was named in honor of Dr. Benjamin Rush, at the suggestion of Dr. Laughlin. It is bounded north by Hancock and Henry, east by Fayette and Franklin, south by Decatur, and west by Shelby and Hancock. It is 23 miles in length from north to south, and 18 in breadth, and contains 414 square miles. The civil townships are Ripley, Posey, Walker, Orange, Anderson, Rushville, Jackson, Center, Washington, Union, Noble and Richland. The population in 1830 was 9,918, in 1840, 16,456, and at this time it is about 21,000.

The surface of the country is either nearly level, or moderately rolling, though there are hills along the principal streams, which in general are neither high nor abrupt. There are no prairies or barrens, or in fact any poor land in the county; about one-twentieth is river and creek bottoms. The soil is principally loam bedded on clay, with a mixture of sand, and it produces abundantly all the kinds of grain, grass and vegetables common to the climate, and no part of the State, of equal extent, is superior in quality of soil, to the county of Rush. The land was originally heavily timbered with poplar, walnut, oak, ash, sugar, beech and hickory. The surplus products taken to market are 35,000 hogs, 6,000 cattle, 1,200 horses, 500 mules, 30,000 barrels of flour, 100,000 bushels of wheat, and oats, corn and various other articles, estimated to be of the annual value of $600,000. The canal in the valley of Whitewater, running eight miles east of the county, has done much to increase improvements, but there are now in progress two railroads, one from Shelbyville to Rushville, the other from Shelbyville to Knightstown, both which will be completed in a few months, and will add largely to the wealth and prosperity of this part of the State. There are in Rush County 15 gristmills, 20 sawmills, four groceries, three flourishing Academies, one the County Seminary at Rushville, one at Farmington, four miles east, and one at Richland, eight miles southeast, and schools are kept up in nearly every district from three to twelve months in the year. There are eight Presbyterian churches, eight Methodists Episcopal, five Baptist, 7 Reformers, one True Wesleyan, and one Radical Methodist church. There are also in the county 10 lawyers, 21 physicians, 20 preachers, 200 carpenters, 50 brick and stone masons, 20 plasters, 25 saddlers, 50 tailors, 20 painters, 100 blacksmiths, 50 cabinet makers, 40 wagon makers, 10 coach makers, 60 shoe and boot makers, 10 printers, three potters, 20 pump makers, five gunsmiths, four silversmiths, three tinners, 25 tanners, 15 hatters, 20 engineers, and 35 milliners and mantua makers, about 1,100 in all. Excellent county buildings to cost $12,000 are now in progress. The taxable land amounts to 251,645 acres.

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

Rush County has a national reputation for its Jersey Cattle, having some of the finest herds in the United States. The County is also well known for fruit production. In addition, Rush county farmers are adding to their reputation as employers of the most advanced agricultural methods, and in raising all classes of livestock, Particularly hogs, of which the county is the greatest producer in the nation.

It covers an area of 409 square miles and is divided into twelve townships. The incorporated city is Rushville, 5,709; towns: Carthage, 931, and Glenwood, 374. Total county population 1890, 19,034; 1900, 20,148; 1910, 19,349; 1920, 19,241; 1930, 19,412.

Rushville is thirty-nine miles southeast of Indianapolis and is served by four railroads. Its industries include the manufacture of furniture, foundries, and other establishments. It is chiefly important as center for the fine livestock and agricultural district surrounding it.

On the lawn of the courthouse is a boulder with bronze tablet in memory of Dr. William B. McLaughlin who suggested the naming of the county and city. In the corridor of the building is a bronze tablet to the soldiers of the American Revolution. There are a number of other memorials in the city. In East Hill Cemetery is a soldiers' and sailors' monument dedicated to the men who fell in the Civil War. In the cemetery, too, is an interesting marker to a pioneer, a monument and marble portrait bust of the Reverend James Haven, a preacher licensed in 1811, who rode circuit from Noblesville to Cincinnati. Memorial Park contains an interesting memorial, the log cabin birthplace of General Pleasant A. Hackleman, the only general that was killed in the Civil War. This park was dedicated to the World War soldiers in 1924 and is known for its beautiful sunken gardens.

The residences lending distinction to Rushville are notable for their collections of antiques, rare books, and native craftwork. One of these, now the Chance Residence, was formerly Fairview Academy, which opened in 1849. This academy was the beginning of Butler University.

There were twenty-two manufacturing establishments in this county, according to figures of the 1935 federal census. A total of 482 wage earners were employed on payrolls of $347,062. The value of the manufactured products was $2,004,640.

The value of this county's farms was $18,911,293. In all, the county reported 2,139 farms, these averaging 116.9 acres each. There were 122,100 head of cattle in the county in 1935. The county's tax valuation as of 1936 was $30,754,985.

Courthouse History

When it came time to design a new Rush County Courthouse, the firm's name may have given A.W. Rush & Son of Grand Rapids, Michigan a bit of an edge against rival bidders. While the Rush firm also designed courthouses for Fulton and Pulaski counties, it seemed destiny that it be hired to create the Rush County Courthouse. Of the three A.W. Rush & Son-designed courthouses in Indiana, the one in Rush County is the most ornate.

The current courthouse was constructed between 1896-1898 and was the third government building to occupy the public square in Rushville. So proud was the community of its new building that schools and factories closed and marching bands played for the laying of the cornerstone. When the county commissioners accepted the new courthouse February 1, 1898, they opened the doors to find magnificent Italian mosaic tile, marble stair treads, two opulent stained glass windows containing images of Lady Justice and the state seal respectively, and oak woodwork, all of which remains today.1

All three of A.W. Rush & Son's Indiana courthouses are similar in design, utilizing the Romanesque Revival style. The rough-cut stone, square towers, and heavy round arches portray a fortress-like appearance appropriate for a governmental building. Slight variations in design define the Rush firm's courthouses, but the ornamental limestone carvings truly set them apart. In honor of Rush County's agricultural heritage, stone carvers created a cornerstone with a shock of wheat flanked by a stalk of corn.2 On the west façade, two carved faces perched above the door keep watch. Though their resemblances bear a remarkable similarity to county commissioners and two of the courthouse contractors, a specific identity has never been determined.3

Like most Indiana courthouses, the Rush County Courthouse is sited on a Shelbyville Square, with streets intersecting at each corner. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. As a birthday gift for the courthouse's 1996 centennial, county commissioners restored much of the building's original splendor by recreating historic light fixtures, restoring original paint colors and upgrading mechanical systems.

• Map of Indiana Historical Markers