If Decatur County is NOT your native territory, or if you are planning a
research trip to Greensburg and vicinity, it would be helpful for you to
consider the following resources where information about your ancestry MAY
be found.
The lovely Decatur County courthouse, in the center of town with a landmark
tree growing from its tower, contains the County Clerk's office which holds
marriage records, probate records, "complete record books," naturalization
records, records of civil suits, divorce records, license records, some
taxation and school records and more. Many, but not all, of these records
were filmed some years ago by the Indiana State Library and are available
on microfilm for inter-library loan from that facility in Indianapolis.
Some of these microfilmed records are among the holdings of the Family
History Library in Salt Lake City.
The courthouse also contains the County Accessor's office which maintains
the records of land sales, purchases and mortgages in a lengthy series of
deed books. Of particular value are the Grantor Indexes and the Grantee
Indexes, which contain alphabetical entries of the grantors (sellers) and
the grantees (purchasers) of Decatur County property. Among the deeds of
conveyences (actual land sales) may be found an occasional personal
property entry reflecting a mortgage contract between two parties.
Additionally, the Accessor's office holds original issues of assorted
Decatur County newspapers in bound volumes. Like the records of the
Clerk's office, the majority of the information from the Accessor's office
has been microfilmed by the Indiana State Library and can be accessed at or
obtained from the Indianapolis facility. Some microfilms of this material
are within the collection of the FHL as well.
An inexpensive, comprehensive map of Decatur County is available at the
courthouse. Since the office that keeps such maps may change from time to
time, it would be best to inquire at the time of a research visit about the
maps' availability and place for purchase.
Microfilmed copies of Decatur County newspapers are available in the Local
History Room of the public library in Greensburg. Two microfilm
reader/printers make copying obituaries and other information from the
newspapers possible. The facility also contains compilations of county
cemetery records, printed indexes to some county marriage and death
records, local genealogies and histories, regional maps and broader
spectrum genealogical aids. Library personnel will provide access to this
research facility.
South Park Cemetery, the largest burial ground in Decatur County, has an
office where a researcher can obtain assistance in finding ancestral burial
locations. Having searched probate records and obtained obituary
information, a researcher can simply provide the date of death and the name
of an ancestor to receive direction to the gravesite. Other county
cemeteries may or may not have an office, but all are accessible with the
aid of the aforementioned county map obtainable at the courthouse.
Church records are extant in Decatur County in varying degrees of ease of
accessibility. In Greensburg, the larger churches such as the United
Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist have excellent original records and
fine staff people who can direct a researcher to them. Smaller churches,
as well as those in the county, must be approached individually. In some
cases the records have not been used for many years, and will have been
relegated to an out-of-the-way location within the church OR may have been
moved to the home of one of the members. Church records are SO valuable
that it will be to a researcher's advantage to track them down.
County birth and death records may be obtained at the Decatur County
Health Department. These records are NOT available for perusing. A clerk
will get an individual record upon request and will, upon payment of the
required fee, prepare a certificate (or copy of the original if requested)
for the individual in question. Unfortunately, death registrations were
NOT required in the early history of the county, so availibility is limited
prior to 1900, at which time the state began recording deaths, and 1907,
when the state began recording births.
Last, but by no means least, is my suggestion to use the Decatur County
telephone directory. There is EVERY reason to contact people living in the
county who bear surnames of interest. It is more usual than not for
descendants of pioneer county ancestors to continue to reside in the
county. Decatur County citizens are friendly, helpful and wonderful. The
"cousins" whom a researcher will find in this special place will become
friends for life. Take it from one who knows!
Happy Researching!
Janet Ketchum Armbrust
Janet K. Armbrust
Mount Vernon, WA
janetka(a)fidalgo.net