Benton County was created on February 18, 1840 and was formed fromJasper County. The County was named forThomas H. Benton, U.S. Senator from Missouri. The County Seat is Fowler .
Fowler has not always been the County Seat. May of 1843 that a County Seat was selected and called Milroy in honor of one of the first commissioners, but Indiana already had a town of that name, so the County Seat was renamed Oxford which was first settled in 1847 by H. T. Howard. In 1871, the town of Fowler was laid out and on March 20, 1873, the Courthouse at Oxford was condemned, precipitating a battle between the two towns. On July 10, 1874, the County Seat was moved to Fowler, which has held the distinction ever since. See also County History for more historical details.
Benton County is divided into 11 Civil Townships as follows: Bolivar, Center, Gilboa, Grant, Hickory Grove, Oak Grove, Parish Grove, Pine, Richland, Union and York.
Cities, Towns and Communities include Ambia, Atkinson, Barce, Boswell, Chase, Dunn, Dunnington, Earl Park, Fargo, Foresman, Fowler, Free, Freeland Park, Gravel Hill, Handy, Lochiel, Otterbein, Oxford, Raub, Sheff, Swanington, Talbot, Templeton and Wadena.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Benton 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.
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 Benton County Courthouse History
Benton County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1840 , Probate Records from 1840 and Court Records from 1840 and is located at Courthouse, Rm 23, 706 E 5th St, Fowler, IN 47944; (317) 884-0930 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.
Benton County Recorder has Land Records from 1840 and is located at Courthouse, 706 E. 5th St., Fowler, IN 47944. 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.
Benton County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 700 East Fifth Street, Suite 15, Fowler, IN 47944-1556; (765) 884-1728
Below is a list of online resources for Benton County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Benton County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
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
Below is a list of online resources for Benton County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Benton County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Benton County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Benton 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.
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 Benton County Maps. Email us with websites containing Benton County Maps by clicking the link below:
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 Benton County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Benton County Military Records by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
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.
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 Benton County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Benton County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Benton County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Benton County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Benton County Historical Society, 602 E. 7th St., Fowler, IN 47944
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 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.
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.
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 Benton County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Benton 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.
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 Benton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Benton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
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.
1849 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Gazetteer," published by E. Chamberlain
Benton County, named after the celebrated T. H. Benton, was organized in 1840; it lies on the Illinois State line, and is twenty miles from east to west, and eighteen from north to south. It contains 360 square miles, and is bounded north by Jasper County, east by White and Tippecanoe, south by Warren, and west by the State of Illinois. The population in 1840 was 150, in 1844, 300, and at this time [1849], 800. The county, for civil purposes, is divided into three townships, Pine, Oak Grove, and Parish Grove. One-fifth of the county only is estimated to be timber, one-fifth barrens, and three-fifths prairie. The prairies are mostly dry, gently undulating, and very rich. The timber is mostly oak, walnut, ash, sugar tree, hackberry, pawpaw, etc. Big Pine, a good mill stream, rises in the east part of the county, Little Pine and Sugar Creek in the west. The two former unite and empty into the Wabash near Williamsport; the latter runs west into Illinois. Benton County offers great advantages to the farmer, by its facilities for raising stock, and also for wheat, corn, oats, etc., to which it is well adapted. There are four schools, one store, one Universalist and two Methodist Churches, two Physicians, three Preachers, and no Lawyer in the county. It is estimated that 4,000 head of cattle, 200 horses, 2,000 hogs, 50,000 bushels of corn, 10,000 bushels of oats, and 10,000 bushels of wheat are annually exported, of the value of $50,000. There is a noted mound in the north part of the county, usually called Mount Nebo. 30,500 acres of land are taxable, and about 100,000 acres still belong to the United States.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Benton County is one of Indiana's foremost agricultural counties, some of its land being among the most productive in the state. It excels also in the production of livestock, notably Hereford cattle, and is the home of the Hickory Grove Herd, substantial basis of the Hereford cattle industry in America. The county is also noted for having produced two outstanding race horses -- the undefeated Dan Patch and Honest George.
Benton County is one of the northwestern group, its western boundary being the Illinois-Indiana state line. There are eleven townships covering an area of 408 square miles.
One of the last counties organized, it originally was formed in February of 1840, and named in honor of Thomas H. Benton. However, no commissioners had been named, and it was not until May of 1843 that a County Seat was selected.
The county has no cities. The incorporated towns are: Fowler, 1,564 population; Oxford, 853; Boswell, 817; Otterbein, 616; Earl Park, 501; and Ambia, 443. Benton County's population in 1890 was 11,903; 1900, 13,123; 1910, 12,688; 1920, 12,206; 1930, 11,886.
Fowler is located twenty-eight miles northwest of LaFayette and is served by one railroad. It chiefly is important as a center for the rich farming district. The town is greatly indebted for its existence to Moses Fowler, who donated most of the necessary funds to the courthouse. A white marble bust sculpted by Anton Volpe honors his memory.
There were 1,175 farms in Benton County averaging 213.8 acres each and valued at $21,411,294, according to 1935 federal census figures. Reports covering livestock listed 51,861 head. The county had seven manufacturing establishments employing 106 wage earners on pay rolls of $79,151. The products were valued at $421,529.
Benton County's tax valuation for 1936 was $28,095,915.
