The Counties of Indiana

What follows is a listing of Indiana’s counties, their county seats, the date of their founding and the origin of the county’s name.

ADAMS–Decatur–2/7/1835–named for President John Quincy Adams

ALLEN–Ft. Wayne–12/17/1823–named for Col. John Allen, killed at River Raisin

BARTHOLOMEW–Columbus–1/8/1821–named for Gen. Joseph Bartholomew, wounded at the Battle of Tippecanoe

BENTON–Fowler–2/18/1840–named for Thomas H. Benton, U.S. Senator

BLACKFORD–Hartford City–2/15/1838–named for Judge Isaac Blackford

BOONE–Lebanon–1/29/1830–named for Daniel Boone

BROWN–Nashville–2/4/1836–named for Gen. Jacob Brown of War of 1812

CARROLL–Delphi–1/7/1828–named for Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence

CASS–Logansport–12/18/1828–named for Gen. Lewis Cass, Governor of Michigan

CLARK–Jeffersonville–2/3/1801–named for Gen. George Rogers Clark

CLAY–Brazil–2/12/1825–named for Senator Henry Clay

CLINTON–Frankfort–1/29/1830–named for DeWitt Clinton, Governor of New York

CRAWFORD–English–1/29/1818–named for Col. William Crawford, burned at the stake in 1782

DAVIES–Washington–2/24/1816–named for Col. Joseph H. Daviess, killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe

DEARBORN–Lawrenceburg–3/7/1803–named for Gen. Henry Dearborn, Secretary of War

DECATUR–Greensburg–12/31/1821–named for Commodore Stephen Decatur

DEKALB–Auburn–2/7/1835–named for German nobleman, Baron DeKalb

DELAWARE–Muncie–1/26/1827–named for Delaware Indian tribe (an earlier Delaware County was formed 1/20/1820)

DUBOIS–Jasper–12/20/1817–named for Toussaint Dubois, who served under William Henry Harrison

ELKHART–Goshen–1/29/1830–named for the Elkhart River

FAYETTE–Connersville–12/28/1818–named for Gen. Lafayette

FLOYD–New Albany–1/2/1819–named for Col. John Floyd of Kentucky

FOUNTAIN–Covington–12/30/1825–named for Major Fountain of Kentucky, killed at Ft. Wayne in 1790

FRANKLIN–Brookville–2/1/1811–named for Benjamin Franklin

FULTON–Rochester–2/7/1835–named for Robert Fulton

GIBSON–Princeton–4/1/1813–named for Gen. John Gibson, official of Indiana Territory

GRANT–Marion–2/10/1831–named for Samuel and Moses Grant, killed by Indians in 1789

GREENE–Bloomfield–1/5/1821–named for Gen. Nathaniel Greene, a participant in the American Revolution

HAMILTON–Noblesville–1/8/1823–named for Alexander Hamilton

HANCOCK–Greenfield–1/26/1827–named for John Hancock, first signer of the Declaration of Independence

HARRISON–Corydon–12/1/1808–named for Gen. William Henry Harrison, 1st Territorial Governor of Indiana

HENDRICKS–Danville–12/20/1823–named for Indiana Governor, William Hendricks

HENRY–New Castle–12/31/1821–named for Patrick Henry, Governor of Virginia

HOWARD–Kokomo–1/15/1844–named for Tilghman A. Howard, Indiana statesman (originally Richardville County, named for Miami Chief, Richardville)

HUNTINGTON–Huntington–2/2/1832–named for Samuel Huntington, signer of the Declaration of Independence

JACKSON–Brownstown–1/1/1816–named for Gen. Andrew Jackson

JASPER–Rensselaer–2/7/1835–named for Sgt. Jasper, killed at Savannah

JAY–Portland–2/7/1835–name for John Jay, Governor of New York

JEFFERSON–Madison–11/23/1810–named for President Thomas Jefferson

JENNINGS–Vernon–12/27/1816–named for Jonathan Jennings, Indiana’s first governor

JOHNSON–Franklin–12/31/1822–named for Judge John Johnson, one of Indiana’s 1st Supreme Court Judges

KNOX–Vincennes–6/30/1790–named for Gen. Henry Knox, first Secretary of War (first county)

KOSCIUSKO–Warsaw–2/7/1835–named for Gen. Kosciusko, hero of the American Revolution

LAGRANGE–LaGrange–2/2/1832–named for Gen. Lafayette’s home near Paris

LAKE–Crown Point–1/28/1836–named for Lake Michigan

LAPORTE–LaPorte–1/9/1832–named after a French term meaning “the door”

LAWRENCE–Bedford–1/7/1818–named for Capt. James Lawrence, War of 1812

MADISON–Anderson–1/4/1823–named for President James Madison

MARION–Indianapolis–12/31/1821–named for Gen. Francis Marion of the American Revolution

MARSHALL–Plymouth–2/7/1835–named for Chief Justice John Marshall

MARTIN–Shoals–1/17/1820–named for Maj. John T. Martin of Kentucky

MIAMI–Peru–1/30/1833–named for Miami Indians

MONROE–Bloomington–1/14/1818–named for President James Monroe

MONTGOMERY–Crawfordsville–12/21/1822–named for Gen. Richard Montgomery, killed at Quebec

MORGAN–Martinsville–12/31/1831–named for Gen. Daniel Morgan of the American Revolution

NEWTON–Kentland–2/7/1835–(reorganized in 1859)–named for Sgt. John Newton of the American Revolution

NOBLE–Albion–2/7/1835–named for Noah Noble a governor of Indiana

OHIO–Rising Sun–1/4/1844–named for the Ohio River (the smallest county)

OWEN–Spencer–12/21/1818–named for Col. Abraham Owen, killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe

ORANGE–Paoli–2/1/1816–named for Orange County, North Carolina

PARKE–Rockville–1/9/1821–named for Benjamin Parke, first Territorial delegate to Congress

PERRY–Tell City–11/1/1814–named for Commodore Oliver H. Perry

PIKE–Petersburg–12/21/1816–named for Gen. Zebulon Pike, killed in the War of 1812

PORTER–Valparaiso–2/7/1835–named for Commodore David Porter who served in the War of 1812

POSEY–Mt. Vernon–11/1/1814–named for Thomas Posey, the last governor of the Indiana Territory.

PULASKI–Winamac–2/7/1835–named for Count Casimer Pulaski, killed in the American Revolution

PUTNAM–Greencastle–12/31/1821–named for Gen. Israel Putnam who served in the American Revolution

RANDOLPH–Winchester–1/10/1818–named for Thomas Randolph, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe

RIPLEY–Versailles–12/27/1816–named for Gen. E.W. Ripley of the War of 1812

RUSH–Rushville–12/31/1821–named for Dr. Benjamin Rush

SCOTT–Scottsburg–1/12/1820–named for Gen. Charles Scott who fought in the Indian Wars

SHELBY–Shelbyville–12/31/1821–named for Isaac Shelby who served in the American Revolution

SPENCER–Rockport–1/10/1818–named for Capt. Spier Spencer, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe

STARKE–Knox–2/7/1835–named for Gen. John Starke, victorious general at the Battle of Bennington

ST.JOSEPH–South Bend–1/29/1830–named for Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary

STEUBEN–Angola–2/7/1835–named for Baron Von Steuben who served in the American Revolution

SULLIVAN–Sullivan–12/30/1816–named for Daniel Sullivan who was killed by Indians

SWITZERLAND–Vevay–10/1/1814–named for the country of Switzerland

TIPPECANOE–Lafayette–1/20/1826–named for the Tippecanoe River and battleground

TIPTON–Tipton–1/15/1844–named for Gen. John Tipton a U.S. Senator

UNION–Liberty–1/5/1821–named for the union of states

VANDERBURGH–Evansville–1/7/1818–named for Henry Vanderburgh, a territorial judge

VERMILLION–Newport–1/2/1824–named for the Vermillion River

VIGO–Terre Haute–1/21/1818–named for Col. Francis Vigo, an outstanding pioneer

WABASH–1/20/1820 (reorganized 1/30/1833)–named for the Wabash River

WARREN–Williamsport–1/19/1827–named for Gen. Joseph Warren who was killed at Bunker Hill

WARRICK–Boonville–3/9/1813–named for Capt. Jacob Warrick who was killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe

WASHINGTON–Salem–12/21/1813–named for President George Washington

WAYNE–Richmond–11/27/1810–named for Gen. “Mad” Anthony Wayne the hero of Fallen Timbers

WELLS–Bluffton–2/7/1835–named for Capt. William Wells who was killed during the Ft. Dearborn massacre

WHITE–Monticello–2/1/1834–named for Col. Isaac White who was killed in the Battle of Tippecanoe

WHITLEY–Columbia City–2/7/1835–named for Col. William Whitley who was killed at the Battle of the Thames

 

Taken from A Selection of Newspaper Articles entitled, “Sesquicentennial Scrapbook” by James M. Guthrie, published by the Indiana Sesquicentennial, 1966.