Adoption Records can be very important in genealogical research. This index was compiled by SBAGS volunteers from the records of the Superior Courts of St. Joseph County, Indiana for the years 1908 to 1927.

Elijah Powell and Peter DeKever. This index owes its existence to these two men. If it had not been for the donation of Elijah Powell’s Civil War discharge papers to the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library’s Heritage Center in 1998, this index would never have been compiled. If it had not been for Peter De Kever’s persistent search for information about the Powell family, this index would not have existed. Inspired by these two men, I decided to compile an index of African Americans and African American life as reported in local newspapers. And since the Hibberd’s city directories of 1910, 1912, and 1914 identified people of color with an asterisk behind their names, it also made sense to include those listings in the index.

This database provides a list of burial permits issued by Saint Joseph County between 1910 and 1929. Listed are Name, Age, Date of Death, Place of Death and Cemetery.

The following are the first five volumes of the series "Saint Joseph County Cemetery Inscriptions".

One of the most exciting events for a genealogist is finding the burial locations of your ancestors. You locate an obituary or death certificate which gives the name of the cemetery but these records do not give the location of the cemetery.. The majority of cemeteries are not listed in the telephone book because they do not have an on site office. Most local residents don't know where all of the cemeteries are located, especially the small rural cemeteries. This document should help to bridge that gap.

John Palmer, a longtime member of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society has collected over the years, commemorative plates that were issued by some churches in the South Bend area. John has decided to share images of his collection.

Coroner Records are critical to genealogical research as information contained in them may not appear elsewhere. Some people may never own property or generate any other probate or death record. Many of Saint Joseph County's Coroners kept fastidious records and frequently recorded verbatim depositions from family and friends of the deceased. Many of the earlier Coroner reports contained many "John Doe" cases since the report was entered where the death or accident happened not where the victim resided or worked.

This index has been created from the original records located at the Saint Joseph County Archives & Records Center.

There are 104,215 index records in this database. This database is intended for genealogical research purposes only. The dates may represent a petition, an appearance, dismissal, divorce, or a different order as deemed by the judge.

This index has been created from the original records located at the Saint Joseph County Archives & Records Center.

This index contains the early immigration records found in the Order Books located at the Saint Joseph County, Indiana Archives and Record Center.

There are 39,736 index records in this database. This database is intended for genealogical research purposes only.

Combined Index - 1870, 1880, 1910

Index Contains: Surname, Given Name, Township, Page, Census Year

This database provides a list of Saint Joseph County, Indiana Firearms Permits issued between 1929 and 1943. The database is sorted by Date or Surname in the files listed below. The source of data was the Saint Joseph County, Indiana Archives & Records Center.

The South Bend Area Genealogical Society and the History Museum have collaborated to preserve the original church transfer records of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, South Bend, Indiana.

In the History of St. Stephen’s Hungarian Catholic Church in South Bend, Indiana, there is a brief statement about a Schism which occurred in 1911 which divided the congregation in two, one group supported the pastor and the other half stood behind the churches’ trustees who demanded the pastor’s ouster due to some alleged immorality allegations.

This page was originally "Polish Immigrants of the Midwest". It has been expanded to include additional immigrants from other countries.

This index was compiled by a granddaughter of SBAGS member Carol Collins while interning at the History Museum (formerly Center for History). It indexes the materials South Bend Area Genealogical Society’s first President, Jeanne Denham compiled during her over 30 years as unofficial and official historian for St. Joseph County of Indiana. After her death (July 27, 2012), the collection was transferred to the History Museum where it resides today in 81 archival boxes.

John Palmer, a longtime member of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society has collected over the years, many postcards from the South Bend area. John has now decided to share images of his collection.

Mishawaka Court House filings are from September, 1980 - April, 2013. Mishawaka Licenses are preceded by an 'M'.
There are 246,918 index records and 493,836 names in this database. This database was made possible through the efforts of SBAGS volunteers.

The South Bend Area Genealogical Society sadly acknowledges the death on October 8, 2017, of our long standing friend and author of the Michiana Genealogical Index, Mr. Norbert P. Cramer in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was born in LaPorte, Indiana, on August 8, 1922. This index available on our Society’s website was expressly given to us by Norbert with his strict proviso that he would allow only a non-profit organization to host his index and that it was to be fully available to the public without subscription charge. We maintain the index and will continue to do so in total accordance with his wishes and as a tribute to his dedication to preserving family history records.

This index is the third in a series of vital statistics indexes of the Mishawaka Enterprise and other local contemporary newspapers. The first index is a hardcover book of the same name, covering 1858-1981. The second index covers 1982-1992 and is currently under construction. The fourth index, covering 2004 to the present, is also under construction. This index also covers two short-run newspapers, the Mishawaka Monitor and the Walkerton Times.

This database provides a listing of children whom are featured in two photo albums that are in the collection of the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library.

The Name Change database does not include name changes that are done from Probate Court paternity or adoption records nor names that were changed due to divorce.

The index covers a time period from about 1856 through 1954 and is listed by Surname.

During the Orphan Train movement from 1853 to 1929, an estimated 250,000 children were sent by train from large urban areas in the East to all 48 continental states. Information shows that orphans were brought to Mishawaka/South Bend by Catholic charities such as the New York Foundling Asylum and New York Home Bureau for Dependent Children. We have also found information on Orphan trains to Elkhart County sponsored by the New York Children’s Aid Society and Boston’s Baldwin Place Mission/Home for Little Wanders. Please see the South Bend Area Genealogical Society Quarterly (January 2016 and April 2016 issues) for additional historical background. (Located in the Member Only section).

The following lists contain the names of Pension Applicants from the 1860's through the 1880's. The applications are inclusive for the cities and towns of Saint Joseph County, Indiana. Listed are the applicants name, city, origin date of the application, certificate number and relationship of the person to the veteran.

The data in this index was taken from a book entitled, "Volume 1, Jail Register, Acts of 1891, St. Joseph County."

This listing of Saint Joseph County, Indiana Church records is intended as a tool to help in locating church records but should not be used as the only source of information.

This Military Service Notes Index was created to provide recognition to the thousands of area men and women who served in the American armed forces in the years following World War II. This Index, beginning in 1950, covers a time period of numerous smaller, but no less deadly or important, conflicts. Military personnel during this period have not always been given proper recognition or honor for their service, and this Index attempts to identify and celebrate the efforts of these individuals. This Index originally aimed to cover 1950 – 2000, but it will be expanded beyond 2000 in the future.

John Palmer, a longtime member of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society has collected over the years, commemorative plates that were issued by some churches in the South Bend area. John has decided to share images of his collection.

Birds Eye View of South Bend, Indiana 1866 - A. Ruger, Battle Creek, Michigan
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Birds Eye View of South Bend, Indiana 1874 - J. J. Stoner, Madison, Wisconsin
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Birds Eye View of South Bend, Indiana 1890 - C. J. Pauli, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

The first TIMES (also Saturday TIMES, TIMES DAILY, TIMES WEEKLY, and TIMES BI-WEEKLY) was started by Henry A. Peed in 1881. Robert L. Peed and Jacob D. Henderson also purchased interests in this pro-Democratic party journal, and the three owners formed the Times Printing Company. John B. Stoll acquired controlling interest in the company in early 1883. Charles A. McDonald joined the paper in April of the same year as Stoll’s assistant, and he later became part owner. A daily edition was initiated on December 3, 1883, and a twice-weekly was published from 1894 to 1908. McDonald died on December 15, 1906, and Stoll continued as sole owner and editor until he sold the TIMES to the News-Times Printing Company in August, 1911. The new company was headed by Gabriel R. Summers, who also published the NEWS. Stoll remained with the TIMES as editor until political differences with the management forced him to retire in June, 1912. Hugh Allen succeeded Stoll as editor and was later replaced by John H. Zuver. On June 2, 1913, the NEWS and the TIMES were merged to form the NEWS-TIMES.

St Joseph County, Indiana 1863 - M. W. Stokes, County Surveyor
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Illustrated Historical Atlas of St Joseph County 1875 - Higgins Belden & Co. - SJCPL

The following list of blue-collar employees of the Studebaker Corporation once located at South Bend. This list is important because it is the only list of such employees that exists at the Studebaker Museum Archives at this time. Nearly all hourly employee records were destroyed, except for those of some administrators, when Studebaker closed its doors in 1963.

The Graves Registration Project gives the locations of all Saint Joseph County males known to have served in the military and died in the county before 1938. This page of our website contains an index to these graves (taken from the SBAGS publication "Index to Graves Registration Project Form GR5: Record of Deceased Male Adults to 1939 in St. Joseph County, Indiana Cemeteries," available at the St. Joseph County Public Library). Clicking on one of the highlighted letters below will take you to an alphabetical list of veterans, showing their date of birth, date of death, and a numerical code. The code specifies the cemetery where the veteran is buried. (see code and key below).

Time and Place of Birth Records were used to establish this event for people who were born at home or on the farm in the early 1900s, not delivered by a doctor, and had no birth certificate issued. These records contain a great deal of information about the individual, the parents and the siblings of the subject involved.

The Wakarusa Tribune is a weekly newspaper serving the Wakarusa, Indiana, community, although its coverage extends into St. Joseph and Marshall Counties as well. The Tribune states it has been published since 1892, but John Miller’s Indiana Newspaper Bibliography (Indiana Historical Society, 1982) says the newspaper was founded in September, 1893 by the firm of J. R. Rheubottom and Sons as a politically independent paper. After a series of ownership changes, Mr. and Mrs. James Wright bought the paper in August, 1952. The paper then became Democratic, which it remains to this day. It is currently owned by ECOM Publishing Company, with William Nich as Editor.

Listed below are links to indexes of news articles pertaining to the Town of Walkerton, Indiana. These indexes span a published time period from August 7, 1886 to September 26, 1929.

Complied by the South Bend Area Genealogical Society with The Cooperation of the St. Joseph County Archives

The 1930s in American history are infamous for the Great Depression and its accompanying joblessness, poverty, disruptions, and sense of personal loss. St. Joseph County, Indiana, was no exception. Township Trustees, tasked with poor relief, were inundated with requests for aid, far beyond their meager resources and those of civic organizations willing to assist. They, in turn, begged the State Legislature for assistance. The State Legislature turned to the federal government for assistance.

This page provides a listing of the year books, anniversaries, memorials and other items that we have scanned.
The albums are in PDF. (The fIles are large, so each takes a few minutes to load)

Birds Eye View of South Bend, Indiana 1874 - J. J. Stoner, Madison, Wisconsin
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Birds Eye View of South Bend, Indiana 1890 - C. J. Pauli, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

St Joseph County, Indiana 1863 - M. W. Stokes, County Surveyor
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.

Illustrated Historical Atlas of St Joseph County 1875 - Higgins Belden & Co. - SJCPL

Adoption Records can be very important in genealogical research. This index was compiled by SBAGS volunteers from the records of the Superior Courts of St. Joseph County, Indiana for the years 1908 to 1927.

Elijah Powell and Peter DeKever. This index owes its existence to these two men. If it had not been for the donation of Elijah Powell’s Civil War discharge papers to the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library’s Heritage Center in 1998, this index would never have been compiled. If it had not been for Peter De Kever’s persistent search for information about the Powell family, this index would not have existed. Inspired by these two men, I decided to compile an index of African Americans and African American life as reported in local newspapers. And since the Hibberd’s city directories of 1910, 1912, and 1914 identified people of color with an asterisk behind their names, it also made sense to include those listings in the index.

This database provides a list of burial permits issued by Saint Joseph County between 1910 and 1929. Listed are Name, Age, Date of Death, Place of Death and Cemetery.

The following are the first five volumes of the series "Saint Joseph County Cemetery Inscriptions".

One of the most exciting events for a genealogist is finding the burial locations of your ancestors. You locate an obituary or death certificate which gives the name of the cemetery but these records do not give the location of the cemetery.. The majority of cemeteries are not listed in the telephone book because they do not have an on site office. Most local residents don't know where all of the cemeteries are located, especially the small rural cemeteries. This document should help to bridge that gap.

Coroner Records are critical to genealogical research as information contained in them may not appear elsewhere. Some people may never own property or generate any other probate or death record. Many of Saint Joseph County's Coroners kept fastidious records and frequently recorded verbatim depositions from family and friends of the deceased. Many of the earlier Coroner reports contained many "John Doe" cases since the report was entered where the death or accident happened not where the victim resided or worked.

This index has been created from the original records located at the Saint Joseph County Archives & Records Center.

There are 104,215 index records in this database. This database is intended for genealogical research purposes only. The dates may represent a petition, an appearance, dismissal, divorce, or a different order as deemed by the judge.

This index has been created from the original records located at the Saint Joseph County Archives & Records Center.

This index contains the early immigration records found in the Order Books located at the Saint Joseph County, Indiana Archives and Record Center.

There are 39,736 index records in this database. This database is intended for genealogical research purposes only.

Combined Index - 1870, 1880, 1910

Index Contains: Surname, Given Name, Township, Page, Census Year

This database provides a list of Saint Joseph County, Indiana Firearms Permits issued between 1929 and 1943. The database is sorted by Date or Surname in the files listed below. The source of data was the Saint Joseph County, Indiana Archives & Records Center.

The South Bend Area Genealogical Society and the History Museum have collaborated to preserve the original church transfer records of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, South Bend, Indiana.

In the History of St. Stephen’s Hungarian Catholic Church in South Bend, Indiana, there is a brief statement about a Schism which occurred in 1911 which divided the congregation in two, one group supported the pastor and the other half stood behind the churches’ trustees who demanded the pastor’s ouster due to some alleged immorality allegations.

This page was originally "Polish Immigrants of the Midwest". It has been expanded to include additional immigrants from other countries.

This index was compiled by a granddaughter of SBAGS member Carol Collins while interning at the History Museum (formerly Center for History). It indexes the materials South Bend Area Genealogical Society’s first President, Jeanne Denham compiled during her over 30 years as unofficial and official historian for St. Joseph County of Indiana. After her death (July 27, 2012), the collection was transferred to the History Museum where it resides today in 81 archival boxes.

Mishawaka Court House filings are from September, 1980 - April, 2013. Mishawaka Licenses are preceded by an 'M'.
There are 246,918 index records and 493,836 names in this database. This database was made possible through the efforts of SBAGS volunteers.

The South Bend Area Genealogical Society sadly acknowledges the death on October 8, 2017, of our long standing friend and author of the Michiana Genealogical Index, Mr. Norbert P. Cramer in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He was born in LaPorte, Indiana, on August 8, 1922. This index available on our Society’s website was expressly given to us by Norbert with his strict proviso that he would allow only a non-profit organization to host his index and that it was to be fully available to the public without subscription charge. We maintain the index and will continue to do so in total accordance with his wishes and as a tribute to his dedication to preserving family history records.

This index is the third in a series of vital statistics indexes of the Mishawaka Enterprise and other local contemporary newspapers. The first index is a hardcover book of the same name, covering 1858-1981. The second index covers 1982-1992 and is currently under construction. The fourth index, covering 2004 to the present, is also under construction. This index also covers two short-run newspapers, the Mishawaka Monitor and the Walkerton Times.

This database provides a listing of children whom are featured in two photo albums that are in the collection of the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library.

The Name Change database does not include name changes that are done from Probate Court paternity or adoption records nor names that were changed due to divorce.

The index covers a time period from about 1856 through 1954 and is listed by Surname.

During the Orphan Train movement from 1853 to 1929, an estimated 250,000 children were sent by train from large urban areas in the East to all 48 continental states. Information shows that orphans were brought to Mishawaka/South Bend by Catholic charities such as the New York Foundling Asylum and New York Home Bureau for Dependent Children. We have also found information on Orphan trains to Elkhart County sponsored by the New York Children’s Aid Society and Boston’s Baldwin Place Mission/Home for Little Wanders. Please see the South Bend Area Genealogical Society Quarterly (January 2016 and April 2016 issues) for additional historical background. (Located in the Member Only section).

The following lists contain the names of Pension Applicants from the 1860's through the 1880's. The applications are inclusive for the cities and towns of Saint Joseph County, Indiana. Listed are the applicants name, city, origin date of the application, certificate number and relationship of the person to the veteran.

The data in this index was taken from a book entitled, "Volume 1, Jail Register, Acts of 1891, St. Joseph County."

This listing of Saint Joseph County, Indiana Church records is intended as a tool to help in locating church records but should not be used as the only source of information.

This Military Service Notes Index was created to provide recognition to the thousands of area men and women who served in the American armed forces in the years following World War II. This Index, beginning in 1950, covers a time period of numerous smaller, but no less deadly or important, conflicts. Military personnel during this period have not always been given proper recognition or honor for their service, and this Index attempts to identify and celebrate the efforts of these individuals. This Index originally aimed to cover 1950 – 2000, but it will be expanded beyond 2000 in the future.

The first TIMES (also Saturday TIMES, TIMES DAILY, TIMES WEEKLY, and TIMES BI-WEEKLY) was started by Henry A. Peed in 1881. Robert L. Peed and Jacob D. Henderson also purchased interests in this pro-Democratic party journal, and the three owners formed the Times Printing Company. John B. Stoll acquired controlling interest in the company in early 1883. Charles A. McDonald joined the paper in April of the same year as Stoll’s assistant, and he later became part owner. A daily edition was initiated on December 3, 1883, and a twice-weekly was published from 1894 to 1908. McDonald died on December 15, 1906, and Stoll continued as sole owner and editor until he sold the TIMES to the News-Times Printing Company in August, 1911. The new company was headed by Gabriel R. Summers, who also published the NEWS. Stoll remained with the TIMES as editor until political differences with the management forced him to retire in June, 1912. Hugh Allen succeeded Stoll as editor and was later replaced by John H. Zuver. On June 2, 1913, the NEWS and the TIMES were merged to form the NEWS-TIMES.

The following list of blue-collar employees of the Studebaker Corporation once located at South Bend. This list is important because it is the only list of such employees that exists at the Studebaker Museum Archives at this time. Nearly all hourly employee records were destroyed, except for those of some administrators, when Studebaker closed its doors in 1963.

The Graves Registration Project gives the locations of all Saint Joseph County males known to have served in the military and died in the county before 1938. This page of our website contains an index to these graves (taken from the SBAGS publication "Index to Graves Registration Project Form GR5: Record of Deceased Male Adults to 1939 in St. Joseph County, Indiana Cemeteries," available at the St. Joseph County Public Library). Clicking on one of the highlighted letters below will take you to an alphabetical list of veterans, showing their date of birth, date of death, and a numerical code. The code specifies the cemetery where the veteran is buried. (see code and key below).

Time and Place of Birth Records were used to establish this event for people who were born at home or on the farm in the early 1900s, not delivered by a doctor, and had no birth certificate issued. These records contain a great deal of information about the individual, the parents and the siblings of the subject involved.

The Wakarusa Tribune is a weekly newspaper serving the Wakarusa, Indiana, community, although its coverage extends into St. Joseph and Marshall Counties as well. The Tribune states it has been published since 1892, but John Miller’s Indiana Newspaper Bibliography (Indiana Historical Society, 1982) says the newspaper was founded in September, 1893 by the firm of J. R. Rheubottom and Sons as a politically independent paper. After a series of ownership changes, Mr. and Mrs. James Wright bought the paper in August, 1952. The paper then became Democratic, which it remains to this day. It is currently owned by ECOM Publishing Company, with William Nich as Editor.

Listed below are links to indexes of news articles pertaining to the Town of Walkerton, Indiana. These indexes span a published time period from August 7, 1886 to September 26, 1929.

Complied by the South Bend Area Genealogical Society with The Cooperation of the St. Joseph County Archives

The 1930s in American history are infamous for the Great Depression and its accompanying joblessness, poverty, disruptions, and sense of personal loss. St. Joseph County, Indiana, was no exception. Township Trustees, tasked with poor relief, were inundated with requests for aid, far beyond their meager resources and those of civic organizations willing to assist. They, in turn, begged the State Legislature for assistance. The State Legislature turned to the federal government for assistance.

This page provides a listing of the year books, anniversaries, memorials and other items that we have scanned.
The albums are in PDF. (The fIles are large, so each takes a few minutes to load)

John Palmer, a longtime member of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society has collected over the years, many postcards from the South Bend area. John has now decided to share images of his collection.

John Palmer, a longtime member of the South Bend Area Genealogical Society has collected over the years, commemorative plates that were issued by some churches in the South Bend area. John has decided to share images of his collection.