Shelby County was created on April 1, 1822 and was formed from Delaware New Purchase. The Delaware New Purchase: Set up in 1820, portions were set apart as the entire counties of Allen, Bartholomew, Hamilton, Henry, Johnson, Marion, Rush, and Shelby. Parts of the counties of Delaware, Hendricks, Madison, and Morgan also were located in the Delaware Purchase. In 1827, the name of the tract was changed to the Adams New Purchase. The County was named for Gen. Isaac Shelby, who defeated the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780, became Governor of Kentucky, and defeated the British at the decisive Battle of the Thames in 1813. Shelby County was formerly a part of Delaware County and was occupied by the Miami Indianas, though was vacated by them before the organization of the county.
The County Seat is Shelbyville. By 1849 it contained 182 dwelling houses (16 were brick, 46 were 2-story and 2 even had 3-stories), 11 stores and groceries, 22 mechanics shops, two churches and two mills and a population of about 900. See also County History for more historical details.
Shelby County is divided into 14 Civil Townships as follows: Addison, Brandywine, Hanover, Hendricks, Jackson, Liberty, Marion, Moral, Noble, Shelby, Sugar Creek, Union, Van Buren and Washington.
Cities, Towns and Communities include Bengal, Blue Ridge, Boggstown, Brookfield, Camp Flat Rock, Candleglo Village, Clover Village, Crestmoor, Fairland, Fenns, Flat Rock, Fountaintown, Freeport, Geneva, Gwynneville, Green Meadows, Hildebrand Village, Knighthood Village, Lewis Creek, London, Marietta, Marion, Meiks, Meltzer, Middletown, Morristown, Mt. Auburn, Norristown, Pleasant View, Pleasure Valley, Prescott, Rays Crossing, Riley Village, St. Paul, Shelbyville, Smithland, Southeast Manor, Sugar Creek, Waldron, Walkerville, Willow Park and Wilson.
Indiana Newspaper Holdings for Shelby 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 Shelby County Courthouse History
Shelby County Clerk has Marriage Records from 1822 , Probate Records from 1822 and Court Records from 1822 and is located at Room 200, 407 South Harrison Street or PO Box 198, Shelbyville, IN 46176-0198; (317) 392-6320 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.
Shelby County Recorder has Land Records from 1822 and is located at 407 South Harrison Street, Shelbyville, IN 46176. 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.
Shelby County Health Department has Birth / Death Records from 1882 and is located at 1600 East State Rd 44 #B, Shelbyville, IN 46176; (317) 392-6470
Below is a list of online resources for Shelby County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Maps. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Shelby County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Shelby County Genealogical Society,
P. O. Box 434, Shelbyville, IN 46176
Shelby County Historical Society,
52 W. Broadway St., P.O. Box 74, Shelbyville, IN 46176; Ph (317) 392-4634
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 Shelby County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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 Shelby County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Shelby 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
Shelby County, organized in 1822, was named in honor of Isaac Shelby, an officer of distinction in the Revolutionary War and in that of 1812, and also Governor of Kentucky, It is bounded north by Hancock, east by Rush and Decatur, south by Decatur and Bartholomew, and west by Johnson and Marion. It is 24 miles in length from north to south, and 17 wide, and contains 408 square miles. It is divided into the following townships, viz: Jackson, Washington, Noble, Liberty, Addison, Hendricks, Sugar Creek, Brandywine, Marion, Union, Hanover, Van Buren and Moral. The population in 1830 was 6,294, in 1840, 12,004, and at this time [1849] about 16,000. The county was originally level forestland, with bottoms along the streams from half a mile to two miles in width, where there is generally an elevation of from 20 to 40 feet. The soil in the bottoms is a rich, dark loam, with a mixture of sand. On the upland there is more clay, covered with a dark muck, and mostly requiring to be drained before it can be cultivated to advantage. The timber most common in the bottoms is walnut, ash, hackberry, etc.; on the uplands, beech, oak and hickory are predominant. Shelby is becoming a power, and the railroads now in progress through it must make it one of the best counties in the State. The Taxable land amounts to 254, 541 acres.
1938 Adams County Retrospect - Based on "Indiana Review," published by the State Legislature
Shelby County is essentially an agricultural county, with very little wasteland. Having fine drainage from the numerous streams, the soil is fertile, producing bountifully of all crops. Chief among its streams are Blue River and the picturesque Brandywine Creek. This county was occupied Miami Indians until shortly before the county's organization, when it was set of from Delaware County.
Shelby County has an area of 407 square miles and is located southeast of Indianapolis, bordering a corner of Marion, and composed of fourteen townships. The incorporated city is Shelbyville, 10,618; town: Morristown, 608. Total county population 1890, 22,454; 1900, 26,491; 1910, 26,802; 1920, 25,982; 1930, 26,552.
Shelbyville is located thirty miles southeast of Indianapolis and is served by two railroads. It is a manufacturing center, with industries including furniture, fireless cookers, gloves, overalls, cigars, and bags. According to the figures of the 1935 federal census, there were twenty-four manufacturing establishments, employing 829 wage earners, on payrolls of $598,461. Value of the products was $2,814,789.
Among the points of interest the Carnegie Library is notable. In its lobby is a bronze tablet listing the names of the soldiers from the county who fought in the Revolutionary War. Another memorial is the Paul Cross Memorial Gymnasium, in honor of Paul Cross, a high school student, first in the county killed in the World War. Two schools are named for famous men: the Thomas A. Hendricks Grade School; Hendricks was a resident of the county for thirty-eight years, from the time he was three; and the Charles Major Memorial School. Mr. Major lived in the county from the age of fourteen until his death. He was one of the authors who have made Indiana an outstanding literary state. On the grounds of the school is a statue, "Bears of Blue River," in memory of his book by that name. In the corridor of the school is a bronze tablet, with a portrait bas-relief of Major.
Other schools of Shelbyville are noted for their objects of art. Junior High School has a collection of pictures and sculpture and in the assembly hall a bust of James Whitcomb Riley. Senior High School is distinguished for its prints, pictures, and crafts. There are two World War memorials in the Laura Morrison City Park; one a monument, the other a group of trees marked with bronze plates.
The Shelby County Historical Society has placed two notable markers. One is in Patterson Cemetery, eight miles southwest of the County Seat, a boulder with a bronze tablet at the grave of James Van Benthusen, who was a member of the Constitutional Convention. Five miles northeast of Shelbyville in the town of Morrison is a marker at the site of the first settlement in the county. On State Road 29, one mile east of the County Seat, is a marker at the place where one of the first railroads west of the Alleghenies was begun.
Shelby County had thirty-eight manufacturing establishments, according to the figures of the 1935 census. A total of 1,572 wage earners on payrolls of $1,093,260 was employed. The value of the products was $5,913,464.
The county had 2,483 farms averaging 99.7 acres each. The value of these was $15,971,276. A total of 80,236 head of livestock was reported. Shelby County's tax valuation for the year 1936 was $35,561,365.
Courthouse History
Town planners envisioned a grand courthouse square when they laid out Shelbyville in 1823, and by 1830 the square had a brick courthouse. But yesterday’s courthouse square is today’s public square; the courthouse is now located several blocks to the south. The public square is occupied by a fountain, sculpture and parking for surrounding businesses.
In 1849 Edward Toner and Jeremiah Bennett donated a lot, bounded by Harrison, Polk, Taylor and Jefferson Streets, to the county. Having outgrown the 1830 courthouse, county leaders decided to construct a new building on the donated lot. In 1852 they hired Indianapolis architect Edwin May to design a two-story brick and stone courthouse.
Architect D.A. Bohlen remodeled the courthouse in 1878, but by 1935 county commissioners declared it inadequate. In 1935 the commissioners once again hired D.A. Bohlen & Son to design a new building. They demolished the earlier courthouse in 1936 and constructed the current building on the same lot. Benefiting from New Deal legislation, Shelby County utilized a combination of county money and Public Works Administration funds.
The current Shelby County Courthouse is constructed of limestone in the Art Deco style. As is characteristic of Art Deco, the exterior of the courthouse is interrupted by a series of piers that emphasize the vertical. Simple limestone carvings in a geometric pattern decorate the entablature. A mural, originally located on the ceiling of the pre-1936 courthouse courtroom, now hangs above the judge’s bench in the Shelby Circuit Courtroom. The mural depicts the Biblical story of Solomon, who as judge, ordered that a child, claimed by two women, be split in half. The real mother was identified when she gave up her right to the child in order to spare his life. The mural shows the real mother receiving the child.
