Randolph County was organized in 1818 from the north side of Wayne County.

Many official records were started at that time, hand written in large ledger books.

Some have been recopied or indexed at a later time, but not all are indexed.

There is no master index for them.

It is sometimes necessary to look in several books to find the information on one person.

Because of the heavy workload of the various clerks, it is impossible for them to know what is in all the early books.

Please remember to include a self-addressed stamped envelope, and as much information as possible if you request copies or a look up.

Copies from the clerk's office are usually $1.00 per page. Birth certificates are $5.00 and Death certificates are $6.00 from the Randolph County Health Department. Request Forms are available at the Historical Museum.

Before visiting or requesting look-ups from the following departments, please call or write to verify hours of operation or any fees.

Randolph County Health Department

325 South Oak Street

Winchester, IN 47394

Phone: (765) 584-1155

Fax: (765) 584-3287

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 - 4:00 *closed 12:00-1:00 for Lunch

Birth and Death records were not kept in Indiana before 1882. They were not mandatory for some time after that, so there are many that did not get recorded at all. There was NO indexing done in Randolph County by the WPA program. The birth and death records have been indexed for use in the Health Department. They have not been published for libraries as yet. Each book is indexed separately. There is no master index. In about 1908 the birth and death certificates were sent to the State Board of Health, after they were recorded locally.

Please visit the State Health Department Web Site for more information on requesting birth or death records.

Randolph County Recorder's Office

Winchester Courthouse -- First Floor

100 South Main Street

Winchester, IN 47394

Phone: (765) 584-7300

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00

Early land records, including patent deeds starting from 1818 are located here. Books contain plat maps for the towns and cemeteries as they were recorded. Miscellaneous records, cemetery deeds, military discharges, church and organization incorporations, etc. were recorded. Early black settlers, who had been born free in the south, recorded some "freedom papers". These are not in the indexes, but found in the deed books. Newspapers have been kept since 1876 and are on microfilm for use. There is no index to the papers, except for the first roll of film covering 1876-1880.

Randolph County Auditor's Office

Winchester Court House -- First Floor

100 South Main Street

Winchester, IN 47394

Phone: (765) 584-6700

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00

Across from the Recorder's office, also on the first floor of the Courthouse, in the Auditor's Office are the transfer records, original entry books, tract records and the commissioner's meeting records.

Please keep in mind that many of the old books are now in storage, some in the basement.

Randolph County Clerk's Office

Winchester Courthouse -- Third Floor

100 South Main Street

Winchester, IN 47394

Phone: (765) 584-7407

Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00

The Clerk's Office has the following records from 1819, Marriage Records, Wills, Probate Settlements, Common Pleas, Civil Court and Criminal Records, Guardianships etc.

The books containing Naturalizations have been moved to the State Archives.

Randolph County Public Libraries

Libraries are located in Winchester, Union City, Lynn, Farmland and Ridgeville. Each has some local history and genealogy records. Winchester and Union City have microfilm of newspapers and census records. All the libraries have copies of the published history books from 1882 and the new one 1818-1990, as well as many other reference materials. Cemetery Records are also in the libraries.

Farmland Public Library

116 South Main Street

P.O. Box 189

Farmland, IN 47340

Phone: (765) 468-7292

Fax: (765) 468-7383

Hours: Monday 9:00-12:00, Tuesday & Thursday 1:00- 7:00, Saturday 9:00-1:00

Ridgeville Public Library

308 North Walnut Street

P.O. Box 63

Ridgeville, IN 47380

Phone: (765) 857-2025

Fax: (765) 857-2025

Email: jhotmire@jayco.net

Hours: Tuesday 12:30-8:00, Wednesday 1:00-5:00, Thursday 12:30-7:00

The Library in Ridgeville has various resources for Franklin Township and Randolph County History. The Collection includes Family Histories, Cemetery Records, and Microfilm for all the Ridgeville Newspapers. A Copy Machine is available. The price for copies is 10 cents a sheet.

The Ridgeville Kitselman Museum compiled and donated to the library by Wayne Norton is located inside. The Library is accepting donations for the Museum & their Genealogy Collection. If you have any items you would like to donate please contact Barbara Hotmire .