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WELCOME TO CLARK COUNTY INDIANA
History and Genealogy

My name is Erica Beatty and I am the host for this county. If you would like to contribute anything to this site please feel free to email me.

We regret that we are unable to perform personal research for folks.
All data we come across will be added to this site.
We thank you for visiting and hope you'll come back again to view the updates we make to this site.

Clark County is located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
The county seat is Jeffersonville. Clarksville is also a major city in the county.

Finding Information In Clark County Indiana

Jeffersonville Township Public Library 211 East Court Avenue Jeffersonville, Indiana 47131-1548	(For Birth and Death Records from 1882) Clark County Health Department 1320 Duncan Avenue Jeffersonville, IN 47130
Indiana State Library. 140 North Senate Avenue Indianapolis, Indiana 46204-2296	(For Marriage and Divorce Records) Clark County Circuit Court - City, County Building 501 East Court Avenue,Jeffersonville, IN 47130

Townships Bethlehem -- Carr -- Charlestown -- Jeffersonville -- Monroe -- Oregon -- Owen Silver Creek -- Union -- Utica -- Washington -- Wood

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A Bit About Clark County

Clark County Indiana History

    Clark County lies on the North bank of the Ohio River. A significant gateway to the state of Indiana, Clark County's settlement began in 1783. The state of Virginia rewarded General George Rogers Clark and his regiment for their victorious capture of Forts Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes from the British by granting them 150,000 acres of land. A small portion of this land, 1000 acres, became known as Clarksville. Clarksville, the first authorized American settlement in Northwest Territory, was founded the following year in 1784.
    Organized in 1801, Clark County originally included all or part of Floyd, Clark, Harrison, Washington, Scott, Jennings, Jackson, Ripley, Decatur, Bartholemew, Franklin, Shelby, Rush, Fayette, Union, Randolph, Henry, Wayne, Jay, and Switzerland Counties. The platting of Jeffersonville occurred a year later.
    From its beginning Clark County s history, culture and growth has been linked to the development of the river. The use of the steamboat in the early 1800 s to transport goods and services provided Clark County opportunities for commercial and industrial growth. In 1832, James Howard founded the Howard shipyards making Clark County a leader in ship building and bringing with it economic growth.
The railroad brought further economic growth. Two railroad lines, the Monon, which spanned from New Albany to Chicago and the Jeffersonville, Madison, and Indianapolis railroad, provided Clark County and southern Indiana with access to the northern trading centers of Indianapolis and Chicago.
    Industries locating to Clark County during the 1800 s included the Louisville Cement Company in Speed, Indiana and the Ford Plate Glass Company established in Jeffersonville in 1876.
On September 23, 1878 the county seat returned to Jeffersonville from Charlestown, after an absence of 66 years.

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Adjacent counties
Scott County
Jefferson County
Floyd County
Washington County
Oldham County,KY
Jefferson County,KY
Trimble County,KY

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