WELCOME TO CLARK COUNTY INDIANA
History and Genealogy




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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, IN 47131-1548  
Phone: (812) 282-7765
(For Birth and Death Records from 1882) 
Clark County Health Department  
1320 Duncan Avenue
Jeffersonville, IN 47130 Phone: (812) 284-6609.
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
Phone: (812) 285-6244, 
Marriage Records: (812) 280-5637 
   

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



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
Oldam County,KY
Jefferson County,KY
Trimble County,KY




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