Lawrence County was created on March 1, 1818 and was formed from ? . The County was named for Capt. James Lawrence, who uttered the famous words "Don't give up the ship" after being mortally wounded during the War of 1812.
The County Seat is Bedford. Often called the limestone capital of the world, Bedford wasn't always the County Seat. The first County Seat was named Palestine and chosen may 21, 1818, on land donated by Benjamin and Ezekiel Blackwell and Henry H. Massie. Commissioners named in the legislative act of February 9, 1825 moved the County Seat to Bedford. See also County History for more historical details.
Lawrence County is divided into 9 Civil Townships as follows: Bono, Guthrie, Indian Creek, Marion, Marshall, Perry, Pleasant Run, Shawswick and Spice Valley. The township once known as Flinn in now included in portions of Shawswick, Pleasant Run and Guthrie Townships.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Courthouse History
Lawrence County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1818 , Probate Records from 1819 and Court Records from 1819 and is located at 916 15th Street, # 31, Bedford, IN 47421; Pho: (812) 275-7543, Fax: (812) 277-2024 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.
Lawrence County Recorder has Land Records from 1819 and is located at 916 15th Street, Bedford, IN 47421; (812)275-3245. 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.
Lawrence County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at Dunn Plaza, 2419 Mitchell Rd,
Bedford, IN 47421;
(812) 275-3234
Below is a list of online resources for Lawrence County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Maps. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lawrence County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Lawrence County Historical & Genealogical Society, 929 15th St., Bedford, IN 47421;
Ph. (812) 278-8575
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 Lawrence County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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 Lawrence County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Lawrence 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
Lawrence County, named in honor of Captain James Lawrence, of the Frigate "Chesapeake," who was killed in the battle with the Frigate "Shannon," was organized in 1818. It is bounded on the north by Monroe, east by Jackson and Washington, south by Orange, and west by Martin and Greene, and it contains 438 square miles. The civil townships are Shawswick, Pleasant Run, Perry, Indian Creek, Spice Valley, Marion, Bono and Flinn. The population in 1830 was 9,237, in 1840, 11,782, and at this time [1849] about 13,000.
There is very little level land, except the bottoms on the river and creeks, which comprise about one-tenth part of the whole county. The rest of the country is either rolling, hilly, or very much broken; but the soil is mostly of a very good quality, the timber probably not surpassed in any part of the State. Limestone and excellent springs of water are found in abundance. The surplus products are corn, wheat, oats, and about 15,000 hogs, 1,000 fat cattle, and 500 horses and mules are exported annually, the value of which is estimated at $175,000.
There are in the county twenty-one gristmills, eighteen sawmills, one woolen factory, six carding machines, forty stores and groceries, one printing office, six lawyers, twenty-two physicians, twenty-four preachers, and about 400 mechanics of the trades most in demand. The extension of the railroad from New Albany through this county will do much to develop its resources. The taxable land amounts to 222,606 acres, and about 25,000 acres have been purchased, but not yet taxable.
Bedford, the Seat of Justice of Lawrence County, is beautifully situated on the high ground between the East Fork of White River and Salt Creek three miles from the former and two miles from the latter; seventy-five miles southwest of Indianapolis, twenty-four south from Bloomington, sixty-six northwest from Louisville, and forty-eight north from Leavenworth. It was laid out in 1826 by John Lowry, S. F. Irwin, Jos. Glover and John Owen. Bedford contains thirty brick and 114 frame houses, and a population of 700. It has an excellent Courthouse, surpassed by very few in the State; Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist Churches, a good building for a County Seminary, and it has ten stores and two groceries. At Bedford is located one of the branches of the State Bank. The country around is fertile and healthy, and a very prudent and industrious population have secured to this town and its vicinity an almost uninterrupted course of prosperity. There has, however, been less attention paid to education here than in many other towns inferior in size and wealth. A newspaper, the "Bedford Herald," is published here, and exertions are now making to continue the railroad from New Albany to Salem, to this place.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Lawrence County is famous for its great limestone industry. The Oolitic Limestone found in this region is excellent for building purposes and it has been used in construction of many of the greatest public buildings in Canada as well as the United States. The stone products from Lawrence County are shipped to every state in the Union. Some twenty concerns are engaged in milling and quarrying the stone. The county is, in addition, the home of a large cement industry.
Lawrence County is situated near the center of southern Indiana's hill country, an area untouched by the glacier. Its rolling surface covers 456 square miles, divided into nine townships. The incorporated cities are Bedford, 13,208, and Mitchell, 3,226. Oolitic, 1,210, is the only incorporated town. In 1890 the population was 19,792; 1900, 25,792; 1910, 30,625; 1920, 28,228; 1930, 35,583.
Bedford is one of southern Indiana's important cities. It lies about fifty-six miles northeast of Vincennes, and is served by three railroads. In addition to its national prominence as the center of the nation's building stone industry, it is the center of a rich agricultural district. Part of the city's industrial activity is centered in the railroad shops of one of the lines located there. According to federal census figures of 1935, the city had seventeen manufacturing establishments employing 887 wage earners on pay rolls of $853,028, producing to the extent of $2,637,822.
Bedford is one of the art centers of the state. Among the points of interest is the monument to all soldiers and pioneers. The monument is located on the grounds of the County Courthouse. The city's Pose Office is constructed of the native limestone and is noted for its carved doorway. The Carnegie Public Library is another example of the regions stone.
One of the churches of the city, the Roman Catholic Church, has an unusually beautiful art interior. Among the several outstanding Bedford Residences are the Mrs. Katherine Voris Residence, the Philip Furst Residence with its fine sunken gardens, and the Mrs. Will Walls Residence, also notable for its gardens. Many of the city's homes contain interesting collections of antiques, pioneer needlework, and crafts. One of the better art associations of the state is located in Bedford, the Ladies of the Round Table, organized in 1895. Another point of note is the community-owned hotel of the city.
Some of the other towns have unusual cultural and historic features. In Heltonville there are a number of fine residences, which contain collections of antiques. The town of Williams has some old estates built as early as 1849 and a dam across White River by the Southern Indiana Power Company for the purpose of producing inexpensive electricity. In recent years, the county has become famous as a fruit region and the dairy business has grown rapidly.. Leesville is the site of the Granny White Log House, originally built in 1824.
In the southern part of the county is Mitchell, home of one of the nation's important lime and cement companies. A body works is the other important industry. Mitchell is served by two railroads. The city is well equipped as to educational facilities, having one large high school, two grade schools, and a well-stocked library.
Near Mitchell is one of the Indiana's outstanding spots of natural beauty, Spring Mill State Park, on a tract of 1,100 acres. Within the grounds is a reconstruction of the original village, which was settled by the Bulletts, relatives of George Washington, in 1816. Included among the buildings are two colonial residences and gardens, Post Office, apothecary shop, cobbler's shop, distillery, taverns, hat factory, schoolhouse, and nursery. The pioneer handiwork turned out in the shops provides income enough to support the village. Other features of the park are Donaldson's Woods and Cave and Hamer's Hollow.
Lawrence County is the home of the Ninth District Representative, Congressman Eugene B. Crowe, whose residence is in Bedford.
Federal census figures for 1935 listed 2,337 farms in the county averaging 101.4 acres each, their total value being $6,507,583. A total of 37,719 head of livestock was reported.
There were twenty-eight manufacturing establishments employing 1,394, who earned $1,232,457. The value of the manufactured products was $4,091,059. The tax valuation of Lawrence County, according to 1936 figures, was $24,533,555.
