Where to find Information in Hendricks County Indiana

    Hendricks County was officially formed by an act of the Indiana legislature in April, 1824. It was formed from the area of Putnam County and some unorganized territory, and named Hendricks in honor of Indiana's governor, William Hendricks. Guilford Township was one of the first places to be settled. Hendricks County also acquired some land from Morgan County in 1868. Hendricks County has the following townships in 1850 Belville, Brown Brownsburg, Center, Clay, Danville, Eel River, Franklin, Guilford, Liberty, Marion, Middle, Plainfield, and  Washington  in 1870 the townships were  Brown, Center, Clay, Danville, Eel River, Franklin, Guilford,  House of Refuge, Liberty, Lincoln, Marion, Middle, Plainfield, Stilesville, Union, and Washington . By 1900 the townships were Brown, Franklin, Marion, Center, Guilford, Middle, Clay, Liberty, Union, Eel River, Lincoln and Washington
    Hendricks county is located near the centre of the State of Indiana. It contains about one hundred and thirty five thousand acres of land. The county was organized in 1824, and was named in honor of Governor William Hendricks. The surface of the county is gently rolling, and the soil is generally very good. The county is well timbered, especially in the northern portion. It is well watered by Eel river, Mill creek, Mud creek, White Lick creek, and their numerous tributary streams.
    The first settlers of the county emigrated from North Carolina to this county about the year 1818, and settled on goverment lands prior to entry. The first lands were entered in the county in 1821, about three years before the organization of the county. The first settlements were made in the southeast portion of the county, in what is now Liberty and Gillford townships. Among the first settlers were David Downs, Boss Nicholas, Richard Christie, George and David Matock, William Ballard, Jonathan Rodgers, James Thompson, Thomas Hadley, Josiah Tomlinson, John Bryant and Thomas Lockhart.
    The county was organized in 1824, and Danville was chosen as the seat of justice. The first settlements were made in the county in 1818, when the first trees were felled and the first rude cabins erected. This population increased so rapidly that in 1824 there were more than one thousand inhabitants in the county. In 1870, the population of the county was twenty thousand two hundred and seventy seven. The growth of wealth and public improvements in the county have been commensurate with this growth in population. The old court house has long since perished, and a new and substantial building has taken its place. The new jail and county asylum are substantial and well conducted institutions. The pioneer log school houses of the county have gone, and now over one hundred fine brick and frame school buildings attest the educational advantages of Hendricks county. Excellent turnpike roads bisect each other in all parts of the county, and ample railroad facilities are presented. The county has now over one hundred and thirty thousand acres of improved land, valued at twelve million dollars. The products of the farms have always been largely remunerative. The taxable property in the county is worth over twenty million dollars. In every sense, the people of Hendricks county are intelligent, progressive, and enterprising citizens.
The Indiana House of Refuge is located on the State farm adjoining Plainfield, in Hendricks county. This is one of the State's most worthy and benevolent institutions, and it is doing a good work for the benefit of the boys who have been sent there.

Online Data

  Early Settlement And Organization

  The First Settlement, Surveys And Indian Treaties

  Settlement of 1824 and Other First Events

  Church History

  Hendricks County Military

  Biographies

  Mortality Schedule

  Townships And Their History

Political History And Official Roster

  The History Of Journalism In Hendricks County

  Medical Profession

  Marriages

  Deaths

Newspaper Articles

Obits