Wells County History and Information

Wells County Facts

Wells County was created on February 17, 1837, which became effective May 1 of that same year and was formed from Adams New Purchase. The Adams New Purchase: Begun in 1827, Adams was the new name for the Delaware New Purchase. The Adams Purchase existed until 1844, when it became the counties of Adams, Clinton, Grant, Huntington, Jay, and Wells, and portions of the counties of Boone, Carroll, Tipton, and Wabash. The County was named for Capt. William A. Wells, who was once a Native American scout for Gen. "Mad Anthony" Wayne, and who was killed at the Fort Dearborn Massacre in 1812.

The County Seat is Bluffton.  First settled in 1838, by 1849 it contained a good Courthouse, Jail and public offices with churches for the United Brethren, Presbyterians, Methodists and Christians with a population of 500. See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Wells County are Allen County (north), Adams County (east), Jay County (southeast), Blackford County (south), Grant County (west), Huntington County (northwest).

Wells County is divided into 9 Civil Townships as follows: Chester, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Lancaster, Liberty, Nottingham, Rock Creek and Union.

Cities, Towns and Communities include Bluffton, Craigville, Dillman, Domestic, Greenville, Greenwood, Jeff, Keystone, Kingsland, Liberty Center, McNatts, Mt. Zion, Nottingham, Ossian, Petroleum, Phenix, Poneto, Reiffsburg, Rockford, Tocsin, Travisville, Uniondale, Vera Cruz, Wellsburg, and Zanesville.

• The Wells County Official Government Website
• Wells County Township Map
• Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Wells 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
• Wells 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 Wells 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 Wells County Courthouse History

   Wells County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1837 , Probate Records from 1838 and Court Records from 1838 and is located at 102 W Market Street, Suite 201, Bluffton, IN 46714; TELEPHONE:(260) 824-6479, FAX:(260) 824-6559
   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.

   Wells County Recorder has Land Records from 1838 and is located at 102 W Market Street, Suite 203, Bluffton, IN 46714; TELEPHONE:(260) 824-6507, FAX:(260) 824-1238.
   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.

   Wells County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 223 West Washington Street, Bluffton, IN 46714; (260) 824-6489

Below is a list of online resources for Wells County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Wells 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.
• Wells 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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Wells 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 Wells County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Wells 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.
• Wells County, Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com

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Wells 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 Wells 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 Wells 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 Wells County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Wells 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.
• Wells County, Indiana Census Books at Amazon.com

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

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

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Wells 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 Wells County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Wells 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.
• Wells County, Indiana Military Books at Amazon.com

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

• Wells County, Indiana Tax Books at Amazon.com

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

• Wells County Historical Society, P.O. Box 143, Bluffton, IN 46714; (219) 824-9956
• 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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Wells 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 Wells County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Wells 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 Wells County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Wells 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
• Wells County, Indiana Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Wells 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 Wells County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Wells 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: [ Wells 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
• Wells 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
• Wells 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

Wells County was named in honor of Captain William H. Wells, of Fort Wayne, who was killed by the Indians on the 15th of August 1812, near Chicago, in an attempt to escort the garrison of Fort Dearborn to Fort Wayne. It was organized in 1837 and is bounded north by Allen, east by Adams, south by Jay and Blackford and west by Grant and Huntington. It contains 372 square miles. The civil townships are Jefferson, Lancaster, Harrison and Nottingham in the east, Chester in the south and Union, Rock Creek, Liberty and Jackson in the west. The population in 1840 was 1,822; it is at this time [1849] about 4,500.

The land is either nearly level or gently undulating, the soil uniformly good, the timber oak, walnut, ash, hickory, beech and sugar. With the exception of a few wet prairies and swamps that require to be drained, the whole county may be farmed to advantage in all the usual products of the climate. The settlements are mostly so recent that as yet no great amount of surplus is exported, but Fort Wayne is the principal market.

There are in the county three gristmills, five sawmills, one woolen factory, one printing office, six stores, four groceries, tow lawyers, six physicians, ten preachers of the Gospel, the usual proportion of mechanics and one church each for the Methodist, Presbyterians, United Brethren and Christians.

The taxable land amounts to 199,637 acres, and there are about 4,000 acres of Indian Reserves and Unites States land in the county.

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

Wells County is an agricultural county and its fertile soil is excellently adapted to the raising of a variety of crops. Ample drainage is provided by the two main waterways, the Wabash and Salamonie Rivers. The southern part of Wells County was located in the gas and oil fields, which formerly were quite important.

The county is located in the northeastern section of Indiana, covering an area of 365 square miles, and is divided into nine townships. The incorporated city is Bluffton, population 5,074; towns: Ossain, 788; Markle, 621; Poneto, 237; Uniondale, 226, and Vera Cruz, 94. Wells County population in 1890 was 21,514; 1900, 23,449; 1910, 22,418; 1920, 20,509; 1930, 18,411.

Bluffton is located on the Wabash River about twenty-five miles south of Fort Wayne and is served by two railroads. Its important industrial interests are foundries, stone quarrying, planing and tile mills, and factories for manufacture of pianos and hardwood flooring.

Bluffton is the home of Charles C. Deam, one of the nation's outstanding research foresters and botanists. In 1904, L. A. and C. B. Williamson planted the tree, which is known as the Deam Oak. The tree is located three miles northwest of the city.

Deam's untiring research resulted in the establishment of a state Forestry and Conservation Department. For years he was the State Forester and is one of the state's foremost authorities on matters of conservation. Deam was the author of the Tax Reduction Act, considered one of the best forestry laws ever written. At present he is writing "Flowers of Indiana," to follow his other three books dealing with trees, grass, and shrubs. All were published by the state. Deam is officially connected with the state as Research Forester.

Wells County had fourteen manufacturing establishments, according to the figures of the 1935 federal census. A total of 156 wage earners were employed on pay rolls totaling $138,315. The value of the products was $822,817.

The county had 2,487 farms averaging 91.1 acres each. Their value was $11,770,433. A total of 85,161 head of livestock was reported. The total county tax valuation for 1936 was $22,619,240.

Courthouse History

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• Map of Indiana Historical Markers

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