Hendricks County Business Directory 1865 Added

An index of Hendricks County businesses in 1865 has been added to the Directories section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site. This listing of businesses was extracted from the various town plats in Map of Hendricks County, Indiana (Philadelphia: Stone & Titus, 1865). It is not comprehensive - it only includes those in the towns of Amo, Belleville, Brownsburg, Clayton, Danville, New Elizabeth [later renamed to Lizton], New Winchester, North Salem, Pittsboro, Plainfield, Six Points, Stilesville and West Milton [later renamed to Coatesville].

Brownsburg law firm letterhead (1897)

The Indiana Genealogical Society has been working on preserving and digitizing the contents of Hendricks County probate packets as part of its Records Preservation Project. Among the items they've found: letterhead from 1897 (shown below) containing a receipt from the law firm of Johnson & Johnson (owned by J.H. Johnson and G.A. Johnson), which was located in Tolle's block in Brownsburg.

Hendricks County Business Directory 1885 Added

An index of Hendricks County businesses in 1885 has been added to the Directories section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site. This listing of businesses was extracted from History of Hendricks County, Indiana (Chicago: Inter-State Publishing, 1885). It is not comprehensive - it only includes those in the towns of Amo, Brownsburg, Cartersburg, Coatesville, Danville, Lizton, New Winchester, North Salem, Pittsboro, Plainfield, Reno and Stilesville.

Hendricks County Residents Receiving Military Pensions in 1840

One of the questions that was asked by enumerators of the 1840 federal census was if there was anyone in the household who was receiving a federal pension for military service. This military service could have included the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 or other military actions. The enumerators asked only for the pensioner's name and age, and made a notation of the head of household the pensioner was living in as of June 1, 1840 if they weren't the head of household.

This listing of military pensioners was published in book form as A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services (Washington: Blair and Rives, 1841). The Hendricks County portion lists 5 residents:

• Edward Flothers, age 90
• Daniel Higgins, age 90
• Thomas Hardin, age 81 [in the household of Noah Hardin]
• W. Sacree, age 73 [in the household of Abram Spicklemore]
• John Ward, age 90

FamilySearch Adds Hendricks County Marriage Index + Digital Images 1824-1952

FamilySearch has added an index and digital images of Hendricks County marriages from 1824 to 1952 to its database, Indiana Marriages, 1811-1959. NOTE: FamilySearch's database is in progress - not all of Indiana's 92 counties are included, and not all of the counties that are included are comprehensive for the 1811-1959 time period.

Hendricks County Marriage Applications Index 1905-1907 Added

An index to Hendricks County Marriage Applications Book 1 (which covers 1 May 1905 to 31 January 1907) has been added to the Hendricks County GenWeb site. Beginning in May 1905, Indiana law required the recording of marriage applications, which included biographical details about the bride and the groom, as well as their parents. In Hendricks County, the information from these applications was kept in a separate set of books from the marriage record until June 1950.

The Hendricks County Government's Archive has digital files of some of the marriage application books. The digitizing is in progress - so far the books that cover 1905 through 1923 are online.

Digital Files of Hendricks County Veterans Enrollment Lists 1886-1894 Put Online

The Hendricks County Government's Archive recently digitized ledger books containing enrollment lists of Hendricks County veterans. These enumerations were taken by the Hendricks County Assessor in 1886, 1890 and 1894 and if the veteran was deceased, it included information on their widow and orphans. Links to these digital files have been added to the Military Records section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site.

NOTE: These Hendricks County veterans enrollment lists have been indexed; there is a link to the searchable database.

Hendricks County Land Records: Congressional Townships Explained

If you've done land records research in Hendricks County deed books, you've probably run across a legal description of land like "the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 32, Township 15 North, Range 1 East." Most (but not all) of the land in Indiana is measured from a point in Orange County in southern Indiana. The Congressional township lines are measured going north from that point. So Hendricks County land is in Township 14 North, Township 15 North, Township 16 North and Township 17 North.

The 2nd Principal Meridian line runs north-south and Ranges are measured going east or west from that point in southern Indiana. So Hendricks County land is in Range 2 West, Range 1 West, Range 1 East and Range 2 East.

Each intersection of a township and range creates a grid that's called a Congressional township. A Congressional township is made up of 36 sections (each 1 mile square, amounting to 640 acres per section). The numbering of these sections starts with 1, in the northeast corner of the Congressional township, and then snakes back and forth until it ends with 36, in the southeast corner of the Congressional township.

NOTE: Congressional townships do NOT correspond exactly to civil townships. Civil townships are named by local government (e.g. Brown Township or Guilford Township). A civil township may contain portions of several Congressional townships.

The Congressional Township dividing lines in Hendricks County:

• County Road 0 (aka Hendricks County Road), which runs east-west and forms the southern boundary of Franklin Township and Liberty Township, is the dividing line between Township 13 North (in Morgan County) and Township 14 North.
• County Road 500 South (which runs east-west) is the dividing line between Township 14 North and Township 15 North.
• County Road 100 North (which runs east-west) is the dividing line between Township 15 North and Township 16 North.
• County Road 625 North (which runs east-west) is the dividing line between Township 16 North and Township 17 North.

The Range dividing lines in Hendricks County:

• County Road 300 West (which runs north-south) is the dividing line between Range 1 West and Range 2 West.
• County Road 300 East (which runs north-south) is the dividing line between Range 1 West and Range 1 East - it corresponds to the 2nd Principal Meridian.
• County Road 950 East (which runs north-south) is the dividing line between Range 1 East and Range 2 East.

Here's a guide to the civil townships represented by a particular Congressional township and range number:

• Township 14 North, Range 1 East - portions of Guilford Township and Liberty Township.
• Township 14 North, Range 2 East - a portion of Guilford Township.
• Township 14 North, Range 1 West - portions of Clay Township, Franklin Township and Liberty Township.
• Township 14 North, Range 2 West - portions of Clay Township and Franklin Township.
• Township 15 North, Range 1 East - portions of Center Township, Guilford Township and Liberty Township.
• Township 15 North, Range 2 East - a portion of Guilford Township.
• Township 15 North, Range 1 West - portions of Center Township, Clay Township and Liberty Township.
• Township 15 North, Range 2 West - portions of Clay Township and Marion Township.
• Township 16 North, Range 1 East - portions of Brown Township, Center Township, Lincoln Township, Middle Township and Washington Township.
• Township 16 North, Range 2 East - portions of Brown Township, Lincoln Township and Washington Township.
• Township 16 North, Range 1 West - portions of Center Township, Middle Township and Union Township.
• Township 16 North, Range 2 West - portions of Eel River Township and Marion Township.
• Township 17 North, Range 1 East - portions of Brown Township and Middle Township.
• Township 17 North, Range 2 East - a portion of Brown Township.
• Township 17 North, Range 1 West - portions of Middle Township and Union Township.
• Township 17 North, Range 2 West - a porition of Eel River Township.

Conversely, if you know the civil township and are interested in what Congressional townships and ranges correspond to that area:

• Brown Township - Township 16 North, Range 1 East; Township 16 North, Range 2 East; Township 17 North, Range 1 East; Township 17 North, Range 2 East.
• Center Township - Township 15 North, Range 1 East; Township 15 North; Range 1 West; Township 16 North, Range 1 East; Township 16 North, Range 1 West.
• Clay Township - Township 14 North, Range 1 West; Township 14 North, Range 2 West; Township 15 North, Range 1 West; Township 15 North, Range 2 West.
• Eel River Township - Township 16 North, Range 2 West; Township 17 North, Range 2 West.
• Franklin Township - Township 14 North, Range 1 West; Township 14 North, Range 2 West.
• Guilford Township - Township 14 North, Range 1 East; Township 14 North, Range 2 East; Township 15 North, Range 1 East; Township 15 North, Range 2 East
• Liberty Township - Township 14 North, Range 1 East; Township 14 North, Range 1 West; Township 15 North, Range 1 East; Township 15 North, Range 1 West.
• Lincoln Township - Township 16 North, Range 1 East; Township 16 North, Range 2 East.
• Marion Township - Township 15 North, Range 2 West; Township 16 North, Range 2 West.
• Middle Township - Township 16 North, Range 1 East; Township 16 North, Range 1 West; Township 17 North, Range 1 East; Township 17 North, Range 1 West.
• Union Township - Township 16 North, Range 1 West; Township 17 North, Range 1 West.
• Washington Township - Township 16 North, Range 1 East; Township 16 North, Range 2 East.

North Salem High School 1949 & 1950 yearbooks digitized

Mocavo, a genealogy search engine, has digitized the North Salem High School 1949 yearbook and North Salem High School 1950 yearbook, both called "Echoes." Their digital images can be browsed; if you wish to use their search feature, you must register for a free account.

Danville High School 1976 yearbook digitized

Mocavo, a genealogy search engine, has digitized the Danville High School 1976 yearbook, called "Tom Tom." Their digital images can be browsed; if you wish to use their search feature, you must register for a free account.

Brownsburg High School 1956 yearbook digitized

Mocavo, a genealogy search engine, has digitized the Brownsburg High School 1956 yearbook, called "Memories." Their digital images can be browsed; if you wish to use their search feature, you must register for a free account.

Stilesville High School 1964 yearbook digitized

Mocavo, a genealogy search engine, has digitized the Stilesville High School 1964 yearbook, called "Echo." Their digital images can be browsed; if you wish to use their search feature, you must register for a free account.

Lizton and Washington Township School Records Added

Lists of the graduates of Lizton High School in 1920 and common school graduates of Washington Township in 1914 have been added to the School Records section of the Hendricks County GenWeb site. These lists were extracted from commencement programs that are in the collection of the Plainfield Public Library.

COPELAND/CORBIN marriage license warning (1940)

A note found in Hendricks County Marriage Application Book 21 (1939-1941) warns the Hendricks County Clerk not to issue a marriage license to William Roy Copeland and Catherine Corbin of Indianapolis, as he is underage. The note, written by William's mother, reads:

November 5, 1940
Dear Sir,

Please do not issue William Roy Copeland RR 10 Box 295 Indianapolis and Catherine ? Corbin 412 Spring St. Indianapolis a marriage license because the boy is only seventeen but could easily pass for twenty-two. Was born in Indianapolis but claims he was born either in Cincinnati or Canada.

If you are doubtful please contact Miss Fay Terrell of the Juvenile Court at Indianapolis.

Thanking you for your cooperation.

Gratefully yours,
Mrs. Ruth Copeland
RR 10 Box 295
Indianapolis, Ind.

Couldn't you refuse without letting the boy know I wrote.

[NOTE: A search of a marriage index for Marion County found that William Copeland and Katherine Corbin were married there on April 22, 1941]