Indiana

The first law regulating marriages in. Indiana occurred in 1788, but marriage licenses became mandatory in 1800. The statues of the Northwest Territory required:

1. the banns be read fifteen days before the marriage
2. the male be seventeen years of age
3. the female be fourteen years of age

Marriage licenses and certificates have been issued by and kept at the county clerk’s office, generally beginning with the formation of each respective county to the present.

Marriage applications, beginning 1906 (with additional family information) and marriage transcripts (1882) may have both been used in various counties. Prior to 1940 it was necessary for a couple to obtain a license from the county in which the female resided.  If an Indiana ancestor’s marriage record cannot be located in that state, check the Cincinnati marriage records; this area was a “Gretna Green” (no-questions-asked marriage locale) for Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana.

Birth and death records were recorded by the county health office beginning in 1882, where they remained before mandatory recording with the state board of health began in October 1907 for births and in January 1900 for deaths. There are no indexes  to the state death certificates from 1900 to 1918. Some cities have earlier birth registrations:

• Ft. Wayne (1870)
• Indianapolis (1872)
• Kokomo (1875)
• Logansport (1874).

For pre-1882 you can view the books Pre-1882 Indiana Births from Secondary Sources, volumes 1 and 2 at FamilyHistory.org under their “books” tab. (included in the links below). Note: you must have an account with FamilySearch.org, but it is free.

Interesting Facts:

• Between 1915 and 1940, an estimated 175,000 couples were married in Crown Point, Indiana. The Lake County Courthouse–open 24/7–was a well-known “marriage mill” in the area, drawing couples from Chicago and beyond, where they could get a quick hassle-free marriage. Rudolph Valentino was among those married at the courthouse.
• The city of Gary, Indiana, sprung up in 1909 around the newly-opened U.S. Steel mill. Chosen for its proximity to Great Lakes and railroad shipping routes, the mill drew more than 16,000 inhabitants and attracted other industries to the area. The city is named after Elbert H. Gary, the then-chairman of U.S. Steel.
• Only one Civil War battle was fought in Indiana at Corydon. In the brief battle, Confederate troops overcame the Harrison County Home Guard and plundered the shops and local businesses before moving on.