Little has been published providing reliable data about Indiana pioneers prior to the first federal census in 1820. This book helps to fill that void.
The Indiana Territory was formed in 1800 with the division of the Northwest Territory. At that time, Ohio's western boundary was the Greenville Treaty Line of 1795. When Ohio became a state in 1803, and its present western boundary was established, a wedge of land was ceded to the Indiana Territory from Ohio and named Dearborn County. It became known as the "Gore." The county seat at Lawrenceburg was the primary repository for records concerning inhabitants. Subdivision of Dearborn County began in 1811 with the formation of Franklin and Wayne Counties, followed by Switzerland in 1814.
The "Gore" area slices through the present-day counties of Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, Randolph, Switzerland, Union and Wayne. Original Entry Tract Books as recopied by the Indiana government circa 1845 and county Deed Books are major sources of information for this book. Maps assist the researcher to follow the area's subdivision into counties and to locate the section, township and range given in the land records. Unfortunately, an 1826 Courthouse fire destroyed the earliest records of Dearborn County. A variety of documents in the Indiana State Archives were abstracted to fill that gap-letters, petitions and militia rolls. All material is carefully researched and resources identified. Muster rolls of the War of 1812 provide additional knowledge of the pioneers. The militia soldier may not have been a landowner, but he served the county in which he lived. These records may provide clues for further areas of inquiry. Additional features of this book include an explanation of how to use entry tract and land records, an every name index, and pertinent information about the courthouses and local libraries: their hours of operation, locations, and brief notes about the content of their collections.
Shirley Keller Mikesell
(1995), 2008, 5.5" x 8.5", paper, index, 414 pp.
ISBN: 9780788402548
101-M0254
