Fulton County was created on February 4, 1836 becoming effective April 1, 1836. and was formed from Unorganized Land. The County was named for ? .
The County Seat is Rochester. Rochester was selected as the County Seat the second Monday of June 1836. Laid out in 1835 by A. Chamberlin and L. N. Bozarth, by 1849 it contained three stores, two taverns, two neat churches, an Odd Fellows Hall, excellent county buildings, 60 dwelling houses and 300 inhabitants. See also County History for more historical details.
Fulton County is divided into 8 Civil Townships as follows: Aubbeenaubbee, Henry, Liberty, Newcastle, Richland, Rochester, Union and Wayne. Cities, Towns and Communities include Akron, Athens, Bruce Lake, Delong, Fletcher, Fulton, Grasscreek, Green Oak, Kewanna, Lake Bruce, Leiters Ford, Pershing, Rochester, Tiosa, and Wagoner.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Fulton 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 Fulton County Courthouse History
Fulton County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1836 , Probate Records from 1828 and Court Records from 1826 and is located at 815 Main Street,
Rochester, IN 46975;
(574) 223-2911; (574) 223-2211 Fax 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.
Fulton County Recorder has Land Records from 1826 and is located at 125 East 9th Street,
Rochester, IN 46975;
(574) 223-6956; (574) 223-4734 Fax. 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.
Fulton County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 125 East Ninth St,
Rochester, IN 46975-1546;
(574) 223-2881
Below is a list of online resources for Fulton County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Maps. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Fulton County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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.
There are many churches and cemeteries in Fulton County.
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 Fulton County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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 Fulton County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Fulton 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
Fulton County, named in honor of Robert Fulton, the inventor of the Steamboat, was organized in 1836. It lies both sides of the Michigan Road, south of Marshall, west of Kosciusko and Miami, north of Cass and east of Pulaski counties, and contains 357 square miles. It is divided into eight townships, viz: Tippecanoe, Union, Wayne, Richland, Rochester, Liberty, Newcastle and Henry. The population in 1840 was 1,993; at this time [1849] it amounts to about 5,200.
A ridge of small rugged hills, from one to two miles in width, extends along the north bank of the Tippecanoe River through the county. With this exception, the face of the country is level or gently undulating. The northeast corner and the east side of the county are covered with a heavy forest of excellent timber; the balance is barrens and prairie, alternately wet and dry, with occasional groves of timber. The soil is black and rich in the timberlands; in the barrens it is sandy, but well adapted to the growth of wheat and corn.
There is an abundance of water power in the county on the Tippecanoe River, and on Mill, Mud, Owl and Chipwannuc creeks, but only a small part of it is used at this time. There are two merchant mills, a sawmill and a carding machine on Mill Creek, and a forge has been erected on the Tippecanoe River, at the crossing of the Michigan Road, where large quantities of excellent iron ore are found. The quality of the iron ore is very superior; it is delivered at the works at very low rates, and the manufacture of this article is already becoming important to the county.
There are in the county two lawyers, seven physicians and two preachers of the Gospel, and the usual proportion of merchants and mechanics. The improvement of Fulton County has at no time been rapid, but its advantages are such that it will steadily continue until it becomes one of the leading counties in the State.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Generally speaking, the county's terrain is level or slightly undulating, but there is a ridge of small, rugged hills extended through the county along the north bank of the Tippecanoe River, one of the county's points of scenic beauty. Fulton County has a federal fish hatchery and is dotted with numerous lakes such as Bruce, Rock, Mud and Fletcher, but the most famous is Manitou, which lies one mile southeast of Rochester
According to a late survey by H. B. Holman, the area of the Lake Manitou is 886.75 acres, making it the eighth in size of Indiana lakes. When and how the lake was given its name is a matter of conjecture, for the Indians called it "Manitou" before the white settlers came. Jacob P. Dunn, in his book, entitled "True Indian Stories," says: "Manitou Lake in Fulton county. This is the otawatomi mah-nee-to -- the Miami form being mah-nat-o-wah -- and refers to a supernatural monster said to inhabit and lake. Mahneeto signifies merely a spirit, and good or bad qualities are indicated by adjectives." Some writers state that probably the lake received its name through the fact that unusually large spoonbill catfish were in early days caught in the lake and that these were the monsters thought by the Indians to be the spirits. Today the Fairview Hotel is located on Manitou Lake.
It is a northern county, with an area of 367 square miles, divided into eight townships. Its population in 1890 was 16,746; 1900, 17,453; 1910, 16,879; 1920, 16,478; 1930, 15,038. The incorporated city is Rochester, 3,518; towns: Fulton, 397; Akron, 932; and Kewanna, 682.
Rochester was selected as the County Seat after the consideration of several other sites. The city is situated twenty-four miles northeast of Logansport and is served by two railroads. In addition to being the shipping point for a great volume of grain and livestock, Rochester is the center of the summer resort district and is the winter quarters for two larger circuses. The city's major industries include the manufacture of lumber, iron, steel, gloves, and canned goods.
The United States Government built the first dam, at the outlet into the Tippecanoe River in 1830. Between 1836 and 1840, the indians were removed from this vicinity to a placed reserved for them west of the Mississippi River and the dam was discontinued. A little later, however, another dam was built farther down the stream at the town site of Rochester, then just laid out and plotted. Later, about 1850, the dam was rebuilt at the lake and the water rose as a reservoir, the water being taken from the lake by an artificial race to the mill at Rochester. No use is made at the present time (1915) of the water power at the lake, but through the old mill race or canal, leading to Rochester, is drawn the supply for the city water works.
Among the points of interest in the county is a tablet at Tippecanoe River Bridge marking the site of an Indian village and the place where the treaty was signed that transferred the Indians from this territory and gave the land to the white men. There is a bronze tablet at the entrance of the Courthouse in memory of the men of the county who served in the World War.
The Public Library in the town of Akron contains numerous art treasures, antiques, and Civil War relics. Also in the town is a bronze tablet, at the site of the crossing of trails of the Pottawatomi, Black Hawk, and Miami Indians from White Pigeon, Michigan, to the reservation near Peru. The Manitou chapter of the D. A. R placed this marker.
Among the historically prominent was the Honorable George W. Holman of Rochester, National Bank Examiner for Indiana and subsequently United States Commissioner.
Federal census figures of 1935 listed sixteen manufacturing establishments in this county. A total of $163,070 was paid to the 199 wage earners. The value of the manufactured products was $1,701,626.
The 2,009 farms of the county, valued at $10,527,578, averaged 107.6 acres each. There were 65,429 head of livestock reported.
Fulton County's tax valuation for 1936 was $19,984,090.
