The County Seat is Scottsburg. Scottsburg wasn't always the County Seat. The County Seat of Scott was in Lexington from March, 1820 until May, 1874. The records from the old Courthouse in Lexington had to be moved at night and placed on the train at the Depot in Lexington and shipped south on the O&M Railroad to Jeffersonville and then north on the J.M.&I. Railroad to Scottsburg. This was done to prevent a riot from the local townspeople who were upset that the county seat had been removed to Scottsburg, in which caused local resentment in several decades that followed. Several appeals wee made to the Legislature to relocate the County Seat and this was not done until the building of a railroad through the county in 1871. A new town was laid out on the railroad March 27, 1871, named Scottsburg, in honor of Thomas Scott, President of the Jeffersonville, Madison & Indianapolis Railroad, to which the Seat of Justice was removed after completion of the new Courthouse. See also County History for more historical details.
Scott County is divided into 5 Civil Townships as follows: Finley, Jennings, Johnson, Lexington and Vienna. Cities, Towns and Communities include Albion, Austin, Blocher, Leota, Lexington, Nabb, New Frankfort, Scottsburg and Vienna.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Scott 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 Scott County Courthouse History
Scott County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1820 , Probate Records from 1820 and Court Records from 1820 and is located at One East McClain Avenue, Scottsburg, IN 47170; Pho: (812) 752-8420, Fax: (812) 752-5459 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.
Scott County Recorder has Land Records from 1819 and is located at Courthouse, Suite 100, 1 E McClain Ave., Scottsburg, IN 47170; Ph: (812)752-8442. 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.
Scott County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 1471 North Gardner Street, Scottsburg, IN 47170; Ph: (812) 752-8455
Below is a list of online resources for Scott County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Maps. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Scott County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Scott County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 23, Scottsburg, IN 47170-0023 The Scott County Genealogical Society, Inc. has Research Rooms at 1050 S. Main St. Scottsburg, IN. Hours: Monday - Friday and the first Saturday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
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 Scott County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Scott 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 Scott County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Scott 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
Scott County, organized in 1820, was named in honor of General Charles Scott, a distinguished officer in the Army of the Revolution, then in the Indian Wars, and afterwards Governor of Kentucky. It is bounded north by Jackson and Jennings, east by Jefferson, south by Clark, and west by Washington, and the contents are about 200 square miles.
The civil townships are Lexington, Vienna and Jennings. The population in 1830 was 3,097, in 1840, 4,242, and at this time [1849] about 5,500. The eastern part of the county has the best soil and is either undulating or rolling; farther west there are beech and oak flats, which are adapted only to grass; a small part of the west lies in the Knobs and is very hilly. The prevailing timber is beech, oak, hickory and gum. The surplus products are wheat, oats, corn, hay, beef, pork, and various kinds of marketing, which are sent either to the Ohio River or to Louisville, and the agricultural improvements are such as to be creditable to the citizens. There are in the county eight gristmills, ten sawmills, two carding machines, ten stores, three groceries, four lawyers, five physicians, and six preachers of the Gospel, and there is a sufficient number of mechanics for the ordinary wants of the people. Good building materials are abundant. In the vicinity of Lexington are numerous salt springs, which supply small quantities of very salty water. Atone of them a well was bored thirty years since to the depth of 700 feet, but a sufficient quantity of water could not be obtained to manufacture salt to advantage.
The taxable land amounts to 92,255 acres. There are about 30,000 acres of land in the county of very little value, which still belongs to the United States, though the Railroad will now create a demand for its timber.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Scott is the fourth smallest county is area, having but 190 square miles. Its surface is of three distinct types: bottom, table, and hill land. Effective drainage methods have resulted in converting the bottomlands to extremely fertile agricultural soil. Straightening, shortening, and cleaning the streams have relieved the lowlands of surplus rainfall, so that in proportion to its size Scott County has one of the largest sections of good bottomland in the state.
Scott County is located in the southwestern part of the state, and is made up of five townships. Scottsburg, 1,702, is the only incorporated town. Total county population in 1890 was 7,833; 1900, 8,307; 1910, 8,323; 1920, 7,424; 1930, 6,664.
Scottsburg is located thirty-one miles north of Louisville and is served by one railroad. Its chief importance is as center of grain, stock, poultry raising, dairying, and lumber section. The industries include staves, overalls, flour, and various canned goods. In the matter of canned goods, Scott County has recently become famous, and its canneries are among the few, which run the year around.
On the grounds of the Courthouse is a statue of William H. English, who was a native of the county. At the boundary between Scott and Clark Counties, on Road 31, is a monument on the site of Pigeon Roost Massacre of 1812. This is also the location of the Pigeon Roost Memorial.
The English family stands out notably in the county's history. Major Elisha G. English was the first sheriff, as well as being the first United States Marshal. His son, William H. English, who was elected four times to Congress, was the main force in 1880, he was the Democratic Nominee for Vice-President of United States. His son, W. E. English, also became a Congressman. Jesse D. and Michael G. Bright were naturalized in the court of Scott County. The former became United States Senator and was considered one of the nation's great men of his day. Two of his nephews became prominent: Hon. Bernard Korbly and Charles Korbly who became a Congressman. Among other personages of importance were Colonel Charles L. Jewett, twice Speaker of the House in the Indiana legislature, and Judge Joseph H. Shea, who was a judge on the Appellate Bench.
According to 1935 federal census figures, Scott County had seven manufacturing establishments employing 1,514 wage earners. The county had 1,088 farms averaging 93.5 acres each. The value of these farms was $2,308,554. A total of 13,597 head of livestock was reported. According to the 1936 appraisal, this county had a tax valuation of $5,288,855.
