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.
