St. Joseph County Public Library 304 S. Main Street South Bend, IN 46601 574.282.4600 Finding St. Joseph County, Indiana Genealogical Records St. Joseph County land records Federal land records For the initial purchase of St. Joseph County land from the federal government by an individual, see the Bureau of Land Management, General Land Office records. County deed records For subsequent land transfers of St. Joseph County land: * 1830- present: The St. Joseph County Recorder's Office has the original copies of all county land records. * 1830-1900: St. Joseph County Public Library (SJCPL) has microfilmed copies of the deed records and deed indexes from 1830 to 1900. Online maps * 1866 map: The Library of Congress has digitized an 1866 map of South Bend on * 1874 map: The Library of Congress has digitized an 1874 map of South Bend on * 1875 atlas: SJCPL has the 1875 St. Joseph County Atlas available on our website. * 1890 map: The Library of Congress has digitized an 1890 map of South Bend on * 1936 platbook: SJCPL has the 1936 St. Joseph County Platbook available on our website. * Maps of St. Joseph County towns 1867-1970: If you have a valid SJCPL library card, you may view the Sanborn Maps 1867-1970 - Digital database from home, by entering your name and library card number at the prompt. Anyone may use the Sanborn Maps 1867-1970 - Digital database in person at any SJCPL location.
St. Joseph County probate records Will records * 1830-1989: The St. Joseph County Archives has the original copies of all county probate records. Consult with them also about where to find will records dated after 1989. * 1830-1922: SJCPL has copies of the will records from 1830 to 1922 on microfilm. Will indexes * 1830-1849: SJCPL and Mishawaka- Penn- Harris Public Library (MPHPL) have an every- name print index to all individuals named in probate cases, including wills. Find a library near you that has this index. * 1830-1971: SJCPL and MPHPL have a print index to persons whose wills were probated. Search an online version of the index at the South Bend Area Genealogical Society's webpage. Estate records * 1830-1989: The St. Joseph County Archives has the original copies of probate records for individuals who died without a will (intestate) and for guardianships, both for minor children and those incapable of caring for themselves. Consult with them also about where to find probate records dating after 1989. St. Joseph County court records The St. Joseph County Archives has the original copies of county court records. St. Joseph County military records Federal military records For information about federal military records and how to access them, see the National Archives website. Revolutionary War * Pension and bounty land warrent applications (selected): If you have a valid SJCPL library card, you may view selected pages of Revolutionary War pension and bounty land warrants in the HeritageQuest Online database from home, by entering your name and library card number at the prompt. Anyone may use HeritageQuest Online in person at any SJCPL location or at many other public libraries nationwide. For complete pension and bounty land warrant files, you must order the records from the National Archives or visit a library that has those records on microfilm or in an online database, such as the Allen County Public Library (ACPL)'s Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne.
Other wars Access many different federal military indexes and some digitized records in the Ancestry Library Edition database which is available free at all SJCPL locations or at many other public libraries nationwide. Local military records * Graves Registration Project 1830s- 1938: The South Bend Genealogical Society has an online index to this project. SJCPL has a print copy of this index. This resource contains burial information for deceased adult males (with service information for veterans) who died before 1939 and are buried in St. Joseph County. SJCPL has copies of the actual records referred to in the index. Civil War * Pensioner's Index, 1860s- 1880s: The South Bend Genealogical Society has an online index to St. Joseph County Civil War pensioners. Contact the St. Joseph County Archives for copies of these records. * 1883 Veteran's Census: The St. Joseph County Archives has the original records. This census also includes pensioners from the War of 1812. * 1894 Veteran's Census: The Northern Indiana Center for History has the original records. SJCPL has copies of these records on microfilm. * Grand Army of the Republic: SJCPL has the Memorial Record Book of the Auten Post no. 8 (South Bend) on microfilm. * Regimental records: Northern Indiana Center for History has records from several Civil War regiments; most notably the 73rd Indiana Infantry. They have some records of the 48th Indiana and the 84th Company as well. Newspaper column * 1941-1979: Search the online Service Notes Index to a column in the South Bend Tribune about servicemen and servicewomen from St. Joseph County. For copies of the newspaper column entries, contact SJCPL. St. Joseph County naturalization records * Pre- 1871: The South Bend Genealogical Society has an online index of pre- 1871 naturalizations. For copies of early naturalizations found in county court records, contact the St. Joseph County Archives. * 1856-1955: The Indiana State Archives has all other county naturalization records. SJCPL has a print index, and the South Bend Genealogical Society has an online index, to the naturalization records held at the State Archives.
St. Joseph County census substitutes * 1890: * City of South Bend: SJCPL has a print index to a city census taken for portions of the city of South Bend. * Townships: SJCPL has county census records for 1890 for most townships on microfilm. * City directories: SJCPL has city directories covering South Bend and Mishawaka for 1890. St. Joseph County photographs * Northern Indiana Center for History has over 14,000 photos including portraits of county officials, photos of businessmen, downtown South Bend buildings and streets and much more. * Hannah Lindahl Children's Museum - Archives has online photographs of St. Joseph County, many from Mishawaka. * Walkerton Area Historical Society has photographs of towns and residents of southern St. Joseph County. Some photos are online, contact the society to view the remaining photographs. * Historic New Carlisle has a photograph collection of towns and residents of western St. Joseph County and eastern LaPorte County. Helpful links from this article: http://www.doi.gov/index.cfm http://www.stjosephcountyindiana.com/departments/sjcrecorder/default.htm http://memory.loc.gov/cgi- bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field%28number+@band%28g4094s+pm002020%29%29 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html http://memory.loc.gov/cgi- bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field%28number+@band%28g4094s+pm002030%29%29 http://www2.sjcpl.org/1875atlas/index.php http://memory.loc.gov/cgi- bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@field%28number+@band%28g4094s+pm002040%29%29 http://www2.sjcpl.org/1936atlas/index.php http://sanborn.umi.com/ http://www.stjosephcountyindiana.com/departments/archives/index.htm http://mphpl.org/newsite/adultservices/adult_geneaology.html http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~insbags/wills.htm http://www.archives.gov/research/military/index.html http://www.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/index http://www.genealogycenter.org/home.aspx
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~insbags/grave.htm http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~insbags/pension.htm http://centerforhistory.org/ http://www.sjcpl.org/servicenotes/index.php http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~insbags/earlyimmig.htm