The County Seat is Paoli. First settled in 1816, by 1849 it contained excellent county buildings, a County Seminary, a Methodist and a Presbyterian Chruch, 150 houses, of which five only were brick, and 400 inhabitants. See also County History for more historical details.
Orange County is divided into 10 Civil Townships as follows: French Lick, Greenfield, Jackson, Northeast, Northwest, Orangeville, Orleans, Paoli, Southeast and Stampers Creek.
Cities, Towns and Communities include Abbey Dell, Bacon, Bonds, Braxtons, Chambersburg, Ethel, Fargo, French Lick, Glass Rock, Greenbrier, Leipsic, Lost River, Millersburg, Newton Stewart, Orleans, Paoli, Rego, Stampers Creek, Valeene, West Baden Springs and Youngs Creek.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Orange 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 Orange County Courthouse History
Orange County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1816 , Probate Records from 1816 and Court Records from 1816 and is located at 1 Court Street, Paoli, IN 47454; Pho: (812) 723-2649, Fax: (812) 723-0239 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.
Orange County Recorder has Land Records from 1816 and is located at 205 East Main Street, #8,
Paoli, IN 47454;
(812)723-3600 . 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.
Orange County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 205 E. Main Street,
Paoli, Indiana 47454;
(812) 723-7112
Below is a list of online resources for Orange County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Maps. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Orange 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.
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 Orange County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Orange 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 Orange County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Orange 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
Orange County, organized in 1816, was named from the county of North Carolina in which many of the principal citizens had previously resided. It is bounded north by Lawrence, east by Washington and Crawford, south by Crawford, and west by Dubois and Martin, and being twenty miles square, contains 400 square miles. It is divided into nine townships, viz: North East, Stamper's Creek, South East, Orleans, Greenfield, Paoli, French Lick, Jackson and North West. The population in 1830 was 7,909, in 1840, 9,602, and at this time [1849] about 12,000. The south part of the county is hilly, and abounds with fine springs of water, the north undulating. About one-fifth of the county is bottomland with a rich soil, and an equal amount is barrens. The balance is uplands, and was originally well timbered with oak, hickory, poplar, ash, walnut, cherry, sugar and beech, and the soil well adapted to corn, wheat, rye, oats, etc.
The surplus articles annually exported are corn 30,000 bushels, 20,000 do. Of wheat, 20,000 do. Of oats, 6,000 hogs, 1,000 cattle, 1,200 horses, and 300 mules, estimated to be worth $150,000.
There are in the county thirteen grist and sawmills propelled by water, three do. Propelled by steam, three carding machines, eight tanneries, eighteen stores, five groceries, one printing office, two lawyers, thirteen physicians, twenty-five preachers, 126 mechanics, of trades most needed, one County Seminary and seventy district schools, in which 4,200 children are instructed about three months in the year.
There are many sinks or caverns in the county, which has limestone mostly for its base, where many of the springs and streams fall into the earth and there find subterraneous passages, until they unite with larger streams or reappear with larger and stronger currents, such as Lost River and Half Moon Springs.
The taxable land in the county amounts to 200,000 acres and about 50,000 have been selected for the Canal Grant.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Orange County is one of the counties that gives to Indiana an international reputation. It is the home of the famous French Lick Springs to which thousands from all over the world come annually. This spa, together with others less notable, gives the county an outstanding charm. The region, so rich in mineral waters, is the site of the amazing Lost River, which disappears into the ground, reappearing several miles away. Also adding to the mystic beauty of Orange County are the underground caverns and channels, about which so many legends have been woven.
It is situated in the central southern part of the state, about twenty miles north of the Ohio River. Of extremely rugged surface and broken with hills, it is not well suited to farming. However, fruit growing, dairying, and stock raising are engaged in extensively. The county includes 407 square miles, divided into ten townships.
Orange County's early settlers were from a county of the same name in North Carolina, and they gave the county its name. The incorporated towns are Paoli, 2,016; French Lick, 2,462; West Baden, 1,174, and Orleans, 1,422. Total county population 1890, 14,678; 1900, 16,854; 1910, 17,192; 1920, 16,974; 1930, 17,459.
Paoli is located forty-four miles northwest of Louisville, Kentucky, and is served by one railroad. Its industrial activities include tomato canning, and the manufacture of furniture, boxes, handles, baskets, feed, and flour. The Courthouse of this County Seat town is distinguished for its Greek architectural style.
French Lick is located sixty-five miles northeast of Evansville and is served by two railroads. Here is the world-renowned health resort. The most important industrial activity is the bottling of the widely distributed mineral waters. The hotel here is one of the most beautiful to be found anywhere. It was founded by the late Thomas Taggart, former U. S. Senator, and is now operated by his son. Taggart Tourist Park is one of the other feature points.
West Baden, which adjoins French Lick, is also famous for its mineral springs. The West Baden Hotel is one of the most elaborate hotels anywhere, particularly distinguished for its great dome, the largest in the world. The establishment abandoned commercial enterprise, however, and the property is now in possession of the Jesuit Order of Priests.
The figures of the 1935 federal census listed fourteen manufacturing establishments employing 338 wage earners on payrolls of $206,488. The value of the products was $1,379,755.
The county had 2,105 farms averaging 104.5 acres each. Their value was $4,715,096. A total of 36,125 head of livestock was reported. The total county tax valuation as of 1936 was $8,798,020.
