Lawrence County, Indiana

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United States Indiana Lawrence County

	Indiana Online Records

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County Courthouse

Lawrence County Courthouse
Bedford, IN 47421
Phone: 812.275.7543 

County Clerk has marriage, probate, divorce and court records from 1818.
County Health Department has birth and death records.
County Recorder has land records from 1818 and military records.^[1]

History

The territory that eventually became Lawrence County, Indiana was once a part of Washington County and later of Orange County. Lawrence County was formed from Orange County on 1 Mar 1818 as the result of a legislative act of 7 Jan 1818.

The county was named after James Lawrence. He is best remembered as having been responsible for his words "Don't give up the ship" during the War of 1812.

The original county seat of Lawrence County was Palestine, located on the White River. Lawrence County's first circuit court was held 4 Jun 1818 in the home of James Gregory at Leatherwood, east of the present-day location of Bedford.

The first courthouse was built in the spring of 1818 at Palestine. A new courthouse was constructed in Palestine in 1822.

The county seat was moved and renamed Bedford as the result of an 1825 legislative act. A temporary log courthouse was erected in Bedford in early 1825. The first court term in Bedford opened 6 Feb 1826. A new courthouse was completed in May of 1834. An 1869 move for a new courthouse resulted in construction of a new building in 1872.

Parent County

1818--Lawrence County was organized 1 Mar 1818 as the result of a legislative act of 7 January 1818. The county was formed from Orange County.  County seat: Bedford ^[2]

Boundary Changes

Record Loss

Places/Localities

Townships

Lawrence County currently consists of nine townships:

• Bono
• Guthrie
• Indian Creek
• Marion 
• Marshall
• Perry
• Pleasant Run
• Shawswick
• Spice Valley

Another township, Flinn Township, has been incorporated into Guthrie, Pleasant Run, and Shawswick Townships.

Populated Places

The following incorporated towns are located in Lawrence County:

• Bedford (Shawswick Twp., county seat): Bedford Online | official site | WTIU page | Wikipedia
• Mitchell: official site | Wikipedia
• Oolitic (Indian Creek and Shawswick Twps.): Wikipedia

Neighboring Counties

• Greene (northwest)
• Jackson (east)
• Martin (west)
• Monroe (north)
• Orange (south)
• Washington (southeast)

Resources

Cemeteries

General

• Alphabetical List of Cemeteries (IN GenWeb)
• Lawrence County Cemetery Records (Interment.net)

Specific Cemeteries

• Guthrie Creek Cemetery: Jarvis, Carolyn, et al. Guthrie Creek Cemetery, Pleasant Run Township, Lawrence County, Indiana. Bedford, IN: Lawrence Historical & Genealogical Society, 2007. WorldCat
• Mitchell City Cemetery (Access Genealogy)
• Sheeks Cemetery, North of Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana (Access Genealogy)

Census

For tips on accessing Lawrence County, Indiana census records online, see: Indiana Census.

• Census Records, Lawrence County, Indiana (Genealogy Trails)
• Lawrence County Census (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Index to Defective, Dependent & Delinquent Census for Lawrence County, Indiana (1880) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Church

• Lawless, Elaine J. God's Peculiar People: Women's Voices & Folk Tradition in a Pentecostal Church. Lexington, KY: University of Kentucky Press, 1988, 2005. (Discusses "Oneness" Pentecostals of Lawrence and Monroe Cos., IN.) Google Books (limited preview)

Court

Directories

• Directory of Businesses in Lawrence County, Indiana (1868) (members only database, Indiana Genealogical Society)
• 1890 City Directory (for several Lawrence Co. towns) (Genealogy Trails)
• Lawrence County Directories (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Genealogies, Biographies, Letters, and Journals

• History of Lawrence County, Indiana Biographical Index (Lawrence County, Indiana History & Genealogy)
• Indiana Biographies - Lawrence County (may open popups)
• Lawrence County Biographies (IN GenWeb)
• Lawrence County Biographies (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Lawrence County Diaries, Letters, and Journals (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Lawrence County: The People (Genealogy Trails)

Land

• Lawrence County Deeds and Land Records (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Local Histories

• History of Lawrence and Monroe Counties, Indiana: Their People, Industries and Institutions. Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914. Google Books (complete digital copy) | Lawrence County History & Genealogy (partial transcription)
• History of Washington County Indiana: A Re-Production of the Original "History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties" 1884. Salem, IN: Washington County Historical Society, 1999. FHL 977.226 H2Lc  FHL Collection | WorldCat | Google Books (no preview) | Internet Archive (digital copy)
• Kruse, Maxine. Lawrence County Indiana (Images of America series). Chicago: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. Google Books (limited preview)
• History of Lawrence County, Indiana (Genealogy Trails)

Maps

• Lawrence County Maps (IN GenWeb)

Military

General

• Lawrence County Military (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Civil War

Civil War service men from Lawrence County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Lawrence County:

• 4th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company G
• 10th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company L
• 13th Regiment, Indiana Cavalry, Company H
• 16th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Reorganized Company D
• 17th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company K
• 18th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company B
• 24th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
• 27th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company D
• 43rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
• 49th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
• 50th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies D, G, and I
• 52nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company E, and Reorganized Company B
• 67th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies A, and H
• 82nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company C
• 93rd Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company F
• 97th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company G
• 112th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, D, F, and G
• 117th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (6 months, 1863-4), Company D
• 120th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies H, I, and K
• 136th Regiment, Indiana Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H
• 140th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Company A
• 144th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies C, and H
• 145th Regiment, Indiana Infantry, Companies B, C, and G

Resources:

• Col. Doil R. Bowden (Find A Grave)
• "Military History," Chapter 7 in History of Washington County Indiana: A Re-Production of the Original "History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties," 1884, reprint edition, Salem, IN: Washington County Historical Society, 1999, pp. 175-200. FHL 977.226 H2Lc  FHL Collection | WorldCat | Internet Archive (digital text)
• Sowder Civil War Records for Lawrence County, Indiana

Miscellaneous

• Lawrence County, Indiana Miscellaneous Information (Genealogy Trails)

Newspapers

• Lawrence County, Indiana News (newspaper extracts) (Genealogy Trails)
• Lawrence County, Indiana Obits (Genealogy Trails)
• Lawrence County Newspapers (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Lawrence County Obituaries (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Lawrence County Obituary Database Surname Index (IN GenWeb)
• Mitchell Tribune (current newspaper, Mitchell)
• Lebanon Reporter newspaper index, 1985-2005 (Thorntown Public Library)
• Monroe County Public Library Obituary Index Search (includes many Lawrence County obituaries)
• Times-Mail (current newspaper, Bedford)

Occupations

• Roster of Civilian Conservation Corps, Mitchell, Lawrence County, Indiana (1938) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Photos

• Lawrence County Photographs (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

Probate

• Lawrence County Wills (U.S. GenWeb Archives)

School Records

• Seniors of Bedford High School (1933) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
• Teachers of Bedford High School (1933) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)
• Directory of Teachers for Lawrence County (1936) ($, Indiana Genealogical Society)

Taxation

• Lee, Barbara. 1907 Lawrence County, Indiana Poll Tax Rolls. Bedford, IN: Lawrence County Historical & Genealogical Society, (2007?). WorldCat
• A list of Lawrence County Poll Tax Payers for 1822 is available on the internet at this link.

Vital Records

Births

• Lawrence County Births (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
  

• Lawrence County, Indiana Birth Records of University Graduates (Genealogy Trails)

• Indiana State Digital Achives for Death, E-Publication, Instiution, Military, Misc Historical, Naturalization Records can be searched by person name (accessed 26 May 2011)
  

• Indiana Marriages, 1802-1892 - Ancestry.con $
  

• Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992  - FamilySearch
  

• Indiana Marriage, 1811-1959  - FamilySearch
  

• Indiana, Death Index, 1882-1920 - FamilySearch

Marriages

• Lawrence County Marriages (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Marriages of Lawrence County, Indiana (Genealogy Trails)

Deaths

• Day & Carter Mortuary Online Obituaries
• Deaths, Lawrence County, Indiana (Genealogy Trails)

Societies and Libraries 

• Bedford Indiana Family History Center
• Bedford Public Library, 1323 K St., Bedford, IN 47421
• Daniel Guthrie Chapter, Indiana Sons of the American Revolution
• Jim Guthrie Chapter, Lawrence County Historical Society, 1617 M St., Befford, IN 47421
• Lawrence County Museum of History & Edward L. Hutton Research Library, 929 15th St., Befford, IN 47421
• Mitchell Community Public LIbrary, 804 Main St., Mitchell, IN 47446

Family History Centers

• Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Web Sites

• Family History Library Catalog
• Jackson/Lawrence County, Indiana Genealogy (blog)
• Lawrence County (Indiana State Library, Genealogy Division)
• Lawrence County (U.S. GenWeb Archives)
• Lawrence County, IN (RootsWeb)
• Lawrence County, Indiana (Genealogy Trails)
• Lawrence County, Indiana (IN GenWeb)
• Lawrence County, Indiana (Wikipedia)
• Lawrence County, Indiana Genealogy (Facebook)
• Lawrence County, Indiana Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Lawrence County, Indiana Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
• Lawrence County, Indiana History & Genealogy (Indiana Genealogy Express)
• Lawrence County, Indiana History and Pioneer Genealogy (Indiana County History Preservation Society)
• Lawrence County, Indiana History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (n2genealogy)

References

1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Lawrence County, Indiana 214 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
2. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).