St Joseph County, Indiana Genealogy
St Joseph County, Indiana family history and genealogy research page. Locate links to record collections, history, and genealogy sources to aid you track your own St Joseph Co., ancestors. Start now by building a Free Family Tree.
St Joseph County Quick Facts
- Government Website: www.stjosephcountyindiana.com/
- Created Date / Origin: January 29, 1830 from Unorganized Land (becoming effective April 1, 1830)
- County Seat: South Bend
- Named After: St. Joseph River, which flows through it toward Lake Michigan
- Bordering Counties: Berrien County, MI (north), Cass County, MI (northeast), Elkhart County (east), Marshall County (south), Starke County (southwest), LaPorte County (west)
- Cities, Towns & Communities: Indian Village, Lakeville, Mishawaka, New Carlisle, North Liberty, Osceola, Roseland, South Bend, Walkerton, Granger
- Townships: Centre, Clay, German, Greene, Harris, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, Olive, Penn, Portage, Union, Warren
St Joseph County Genealogical & Historical Societies and Family History Resources
A list of St Joseph County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Forums, Message Boards, Libraries, Archives. See Also Indiana Archives, Genealogical and Historical Societies for statewide Addresses and links.
- Indiana State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- St. Joseph County Historian, John Kovach, 7982 Potato Hole Court, New Carlisle, IN 46552-9062, Home Phone: (574) 654-7983
- St. Joseph Public Library's Genealogy Department, Local & Family History Services, 304 S. Main St. in South Bend, IN 46601; PH# 574-282-4621
- Northern Indiana Historical Society, 808 W. Washington, South Bend, IN 46601; Phone: 574-235-9664
- Center for History (South Bend), 808 W. Washington St., South Bend, IN 46601-1439; Phone: (574) 235-9664
- Hannah Lindahl Children's Museum, 1402 S. Main St., Mishawaka, IN 46544-5241; Phone: (574) 254-4540
- Historic New Carlisle, P.O. Box 107, New Carlisle, IN 46552-0107; Phone: (574) 654-3897
- Michiana Jewish Historical Society, 3202 Shalom Way, South Bend, IN 46615-2955; Phone: (574) 233-1164
- Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library, 209 Lincolnway E., Mishawaka, IN 46544-2084; Phone: (574) 259-5277
- Osceola Historical Society, P.O. Box 14, Osceola, IN 46561-0014
- South Bend Area Genealogical Society, 209 Lincolnway E., Mishawaka, IN 46544-2014
- Walkerton Area Historical Society, 413 Michigan St., Walkerton, IN 46(574) 1115; Phone: (574) 586-2852
- St Joseph County, Indiana Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in St Joseph County
- St Joseph County, Indiana Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com) read and post messages with other genealogy researchers for St Joseph County
- USGenWeb Archives for St Joseph County
St Joseph County Courthouse and Government Records
Genealogist typically overlook the importance of St Joseph County court, probate, and land records data as a resource of genealogical information and facts. Buried away in Indiana courthouses and archives just about everywhere tend to be the desires and frustrations of many Indiana inhabitants.
The odds are great that your chosen ancestors have left a comprehensive record of at least quite a few facets of their lives in the St Joseph County court records. Even if your forefathers is not brought up in a Court case, consider all of the other methods which may have lead to him or her appearing in court records.
You need to speak to the clerk's department to determine hours, mailing address, fees and other facts in advance of visiting or asking for information because of in some cases changing contact info. The Department Offices DO NOT DO RESEARCH. The records and documents are accessible to interested parties, barring private issues. The majority of staff will assist people in obtaining the materials, but it is up to the person to do the research.
The below details shows what birth, death, marriage, land, wills, and legal records are typically in St Joseph County. The dates indicated listed below are the first widely known records for this particular county.
- St Joseph County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 101 South Main Street, South Bend, IN 46601
- St Joseph County Clerk responsiblities include administering Court Records of all Court Cases, prepares the Court's permanent historical record, performs marriage ceremonies, process marriage applications and issue marriage licenses,
processes and distributes documents for court cases, and keeps a record of all wills and matters of trust in probate proceedings. The County Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. The documents are available to interested parties, barring confidential issues. The staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.
- Phone: (574) 235-9635
- Marriage Records: 1830
- Probate Records: 1830
- Court Records: 1830
- St Joseph County Recorder maintains, preserves and Records Deeds, Mortgages, Assignments, Releases, Powers of Attorney, Real Estate Contracts, Annexations, Trustee Elections, Affidavits, Final Decrees, Surveys, Federal Tax Liens, Mechanics Liens, Military Discharges, Articles of Incorporation, Cemetery Deeds, Bonds, Plats, Condominiums, Firms Doing Business Under Assumed Names, Delinquent Sewer Liens, and Miscellaneous Instruments.
- Address: 227 W. Jefferson Blvd. Room 321, South Bend, IN 46601
- Phone: (574) 235-9525
- Land Records: 1830
- St Joseph County Treasurer's Office is responsible for collecting taxes. The treasurer also receives distributions of local income and other taxes that are collected by the state such as real estate tax, personal property tax, mobile home tax, state assessed tax, and the following miscellaneous taxes: auto excise tax, inheritance tax, and innkeeper's tax.
- St Joseph County Department of Health maintains and provides Certified Birth and Death Records
Indiana Historical Records - Databases include Indiana Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Indiana Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Indiana Voter Lists & Census Records; Indiana Immigration & Emigration Records; Indiana Obituary Records; Indiana Military Records; Indiana Family Tree Records; Indiana Pictures; Indiana Stories, Memories & Histories; Indiana Directories & Member Lists and much more....
St Joseph County Genealogy Links
The following are links to Genealogy and family history, Records and Resources relevant to St Joseph County. A lot of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business oriented Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a cost. This is simply a directory which has been collected or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site over another. Feel free to provide your own most liked St Joseph County genealogy or family history related sites.
St Joseph Co. IN Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
St Joseph Co. IN Books, Newspapers & Publications
St Joseph Co. IN Birth, Marriage & Death Records
St Joseph Co. IN Court, Probate Land and Tax Records
St Joseph Co. IN Census Records
St Joseph Co. IN Cemeteries & Graveyards
St Joseph Co. IN Church & Bible Records
St Joseph Co. IN Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
St Joseph Co. IN General and History Websites
- St Joseph County, Indiana Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- History of St. Joseph County, Indiana : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, c (search.ancestry.com)
- Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Elkhart and St. Joseph Counties, Indiana : together with biographies of many prominent me (search.ancestry.com)
- South Bend and the men who have made it : historical, descriptive, biographical (search.ancestry.com)
- Historic background of South Bend and St. Joseph County in northern Indiana (search.ancestry.com)
- A brief record of four pioneer families of St. Joseph County, Indiana (search.ancestry.com)
- Early Indiana History for St Joseph County (countyhistory.com)
- Map of St Joseph Co. Historical Markers (in.gov)
- St Joseph County, Indiana Wiki (familysearch.org)
- St Joseph Co. IN Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- St Joseph County, Indiana (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi's List - United States - Indiana - Counties - St Joseph (cyndislist.com)
- St Joseph County Indiana (genealogytrails.com)
- St Joseph Co. INGenweb (ingenweb.org)
- St Joseph County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- St Joseph Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
St Joseph Co. IN Military Records
St Joseph Co. IN Schools & Directories