Indiana (territory) -- Washington (county)


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County Quick Reference

County Seat: Salem

County Name: Named for the George Washington, President of the United States.


 
Boundary Changes
(click on the name of a change to see more information)
 
Date
Area
Change
17 JAN 1814952Created from Clark and Harrison counties.
01 SEP 18141512Gained from Knox County.
01 JAN 1816991Lost to creation of Jackson County.
01 FEB 1816569Lost to creation of Orange County.
   

 

 

Authority
(click on a title below to view laws involved in the formation or governance of the area)
Background
(general information on the area to put it in the context of history)

Washington County was formed on 17 January 1814 by An Act for the formation of a new county out of the counties of Harrison and Clark [click here for more information]. The county's boundaries would change three times before statehood.

The following map shows the original size of the county at its founding (in red with yellow border) superimposed on a modern map

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Washington County in 1814

 

Bibliography
(click on the title of the following works to learn more about life in the area; for those items not available online, check with your local library for availability)


  • The Church of Christ at Fort Hill, Washington County, Indiana.
  • History of Lawrence, Orange, and Washington counties, Indiana : from the earliest time to the present : together with interesting biographical sketches, reminiscences, notes, etc. Chicago : Goodspeed Bros. & Co., 1884
  • Records of the Hardin Family, Providence Methodist Church, and Wilcoxin Cemeteries, [Washington County, Indiana].
  • History of Washington County Indiana. Paoli, Ind.: Stout's Print Shop, 1965.
  • History of Washington County, Indiana. (in History of Lawrence, Orange and Washington Counties Indiana). Paoli, Ind.: Stout's Print Shop, 1965.
  • Some Washington County, Indiana, Families. Family History of Several of the Students at the Eastern High School. Pekin, Ind.,, 1967.
  • Berkey, Lennie Rose Martin. Martinsburg as I Knew It : Written from Time to Time, 1920-1930, Salem, Washington County, Indiana. Revised [ed.] ed. Salem, Ind.: L.R.M. Berkey, 1975.
  • Brown, Ray D. Genealogy and History of Joshua Hannah Kidder Brown of Brown Township, Washington County, Indiana. 1 vols.
  • Cook, Claude E. and Loyce Coolidge. Little Otter to Lost River a History of the Chastain Family of Washington County, Indiana. 2d ed. Indianapolis: Cook Sapulpa OK : May be ordered from Pierre Chastain Family Assoc. Mrs. Joe A. Buland, 1979.
  • Crismon, Leo T. The History of New Liberty Baptist Church, Brownstown Association, Washington County, Indiana. Louisville,, 1947.
  • Daughters of the American Revolution. Christopher Harrison Chapter (Salem Ind.). Our Pioneer Ancestors, 1730-1913, Washington County, Indiana. Salem, Ind., 1953.
  • Davis, Lulie, Washington County Historical Society (Washington County Ind.) and Daughters of the American Revolution. Christopher Harrison Chapter (Salem Ind.). Revolutionary Soldiers of Washington County, Indiana : Data from Various Sources. Salem, Ind.: s.n., 1953.
  • Elim Baptist Church, Washington County Indiana. Minutes of Elim (New Providence) Baptist Church, 1816-1856, Polk Township, Washington County, Indiana. Salem, Ind.: Washington County Historical Society, 1959.
  • Faris, David. The Faris family of Washington County, Indiana : a genealogy of the descendants of William Farrie born in County Antrim, Ireland, about the year 1745, settled on Rocky Creek, Chester County, South Carolina in 1772, died as William Faries on Turkey Creek, York County, South Carolina in 1805. Baltimore, Md. : Gateway Press ; 1984.
  • Franklin Township Blue River Baptist, Church. Record of Blue River Baptist Church, Franklin Township, Washington County, Indiana, 1847-1870. Salem, Ind.,, 1966.
  • John M. Gresham Company. 1889 Biographical and Historical Souvenir, for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington Indiana. Chicago: Chicago Printing Company, 1889.
  • Griffing, B. N. and Washington County Historical Society (Washington County Ind.). Map of Washington County, Indiana : Showing the Townships, Sections, Divisions & Farm Lands with the Owners Names and Number of Acres, Together with Roads, Rivers, Creeks, Railroads, &C. Salem, Ind.: Washington County Historical Society, 1992.
  • Heiss, Willard C. Washington County, Indiana Historical Reminiscencs and Other Items : From the Salem Democrat, February 23, 1876. Washington County, Ind.?: W. Heiss, 1974.
  • Holmes, Maurice, Ruth Dorrel and County History Indexing Project (Ind.). Washington County, Indiana Index of Names of Persons and of Firms. Indianapolis: County History Indexing Project Family History Section Indiana Historical Society, 1981.
  • Hull, Thomas F. The Direct Line Ancestral History of Sarah Ann Chaney [of Washington County, Indiana].
  • Long, Everett H. "Politics and Plots in Washington County, Indiana, 1860-1865." M.a., University of Louisville, 1966.
  • Morris, Mrs Harvey and Mrs Elizabeth Cauble. Service Records of Washington County, Indiana, in the World War: Ind. hist. com.
  • Mount Eden Christian Church. Records of Mt. Eden Christian Church, Gibson Township, Washington County, Indiana, 1873.
  • Researchers (Firm). Biographical Sketches from Washington County, Indiana, 1884 History. S.l.: Researchers.
  • Smith, Cecil J. and Print Shed (Firm). Washington County, Indiana News Beat : Highlights of a Journalist's 50-Year Career with Pen and Camera. Salem, IN: Print Shed, 2009.
  • Stephenson, Gertrude Y. Heroes among Us : Washington County, Indiana. S.l.: G.Y. Stephenson, 2005.
  • Stevens, Warder W. Centennial History of Washington County, Indiana : Its People, Industies and Institutions : With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families. Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen, 1916.
  • Tippin, Ernest Elwood. A Brief History of George Manton Tippin, Sr., of Ireland, York County, South Carolina, and Washington County, Indiana, and His Descendants. Wichita, Kan.,: Printed by Preston Print. Co., 1952.
  • Unity Baptist Church (Hardinsburg Ind.) and Clara Marie Shanks Burns. Washington County, Indiana, Records of the Unity Baptist Church near Hardinsburg : 1818-1858. S.l.: C.M. Burns, 1963.
  • Washington County Historical Society (Salem Ind.). History of Washington County, Indiana, 1916-1976. Utica, KY: McDowell Publications, 1988.
  • Washington County Historical Society. "Map of Washington County, Indiana : Showing the Townships, Sections, Divisions & Farm Lands with the Owners Names and Number of Acres, Together with Roads, Rivers, Creeks, Railroads, &C." S.l.: Whipporwill Publications, 1985.
  • Zink, Anita. Early Schools in Washington County, Indiana : Covering All Thirteen Townships. S.l.: s.n., 2005.
 
Related Content
(the links below contain information related to this area)

An Act extending the bounds of the county of Washington, 1814

§ 1. BE it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That all that tract of country, contained in the boundary following, be attached to and constitute part of, the said county of Washington, to wit : begining at Freeman's corner on the meridian line, thence north to the present Indian boundary line, thence with said Indian boundary to the line established by the treaty of Grousland, thence with said line to the place of beginning, and the same so attached shall be deemed and taken as a part of the said county, in the same manner, and under the same regulations as are prescribed for the said county of Washington.

An Act for the formation of a new County out of the Counties of Washington, Gibson and Knox, 1815

BE it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of February next, all that part of the counties of Washington, Gibson and Knox, which is included within the following boundaries, shall form and constitute a new county, which shall be known and designated, by the name and style of the County of Orange; that is to say. Beginning on the Indian boundary line, where the range line dividing ranges two and three west of the second principal meridian intersects said boundary line; thence south with said range line until it intersects the line dividing the counties of Perry and Gibson; thence east with said line until it intersects the western boundary line of Harrison county; thence north with said line to the south-west corner of Washington county, and north-west comer of Harrison county; thence east with the line dividing Harrison and Washington counties, until it intersects the line dividing sections sixteen and seventeen in range two east, town one south ; thence north with said line dividing sections sixteen and seventeen to the Indian boundary line ; thence westwardly with the said Indian boundary line to the place of beginning.

An Act for the formation of a new County out of the counties of Washington and Jefferson, 1815

SEC. I. BE it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of January next, all that part of the counties of Washington and Jefferson, which is included in the following bounds, shall form and constitute a new county, that is to say. Beginning at a point on the east fork of White River where the line dividing sections four and five, in range two east, town three north crosses the same; thence due north to the Indian boundary line; thence with said boundary line eastward to the point where said line intersects the northern boundary line of the Grouseland purchase ; thence with the last mentioned line eastwardly to the point where the line dividing ranges seven and eight east, crosses the same; thence with the last mentioned line south, to the point where the line dividing townships three and four north, crosses the same; thence with the last mentioned line west, to the east fork of Muscacketuck river; thence down the said river, with the meanders thereof, to the junction of Drift fork of White river; thence down the same with the meanders to the place of beginning.

An Act for the formation of a new county out of the counties of Harrison and Clark, 1814

BE it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives of the Indiana Territory, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of February, one thousand eight hundred and eleven, all that part of Dearborn and Clark counties which is included in the following boundaries, shall form and constitute two new counties, that is to say — "Beginning at the corner of townships number 7 and 8, on the line of the state of Ohio, thence north, until the same arrives at fort Recovery, thence, from fort Recovery southwardly, with the line of the western boundary of the purchase made at fort Wayne, in the year one thousand eight hundred and nine, until the same intersects the line of the northern boundary of the purchase made at Grouseland, thence northwardly, with the line of the last mentioned purchase until the same arrives at a point from which a due east and west line will strike the corner of town seven and eight on the aforesaid state of Ohio line"

 

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