Granduncle Mark's Genealogy Parlor

Orange County,

Indiana





    Located deep in the rolling wooded hills of southern Indiana, beautiful Orange County, Indiana was named by the pioneer settlers for Orange County, North Carolina, from which many of them had come.

    French traders first settled in this region more than 200 years ago. They discovered mineral springs here, and noticed that animals in the region licked up the minimal rich rocks, leading the area now known as French Lick to be called "The Lick." The French intended to capitalize on these natural mineral salts, but the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 ended French claim on that area, letting the British settlers of 1812 establish a fort there. Fights between the British settlers and Native Americans followed, but despite casualties, the fort was successfully defended.

    Then, 1500 acres of this land was sold in the 1830's and the French Lick Springs Hotel was built on the site. The owner of the Hotel, Doc Bowles, became rich as people traveled great distances to get the "miracle water."

    But it was around the turn of the century when the Hotel was renovated and thrust into international fame by it's new owner, who was the 1904 Democratic National Chairman. Politicians and celebrities came to this luxery hotel. Gambling casinos were operated in the region to entertain the guests, despite Indiana law prohibiting such activity. Actors such as John Barrymore, Clark Gable and Bing Crosby were guests of the Hotel. Three U. S. Presidents (Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagon) also enjoyed this resort.

    Today the Hotel is once again renovated and offering elegance to visitors.

    Still otherwise a county comprised of pristine farmland and small towns where everyone knows everyone else, Orange County is an easy drive from larger cities such as Bloomington, Indiana; Evansville, Indiana; Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinatti, Ohio.

    Paoli is the county seat of Orange County and is built around a charming courthouse square, with the town radiating out along the highways that literally circle around the town square.

    The Orange County towns of French Lick and West Baden Springs bring memories of an earlier era when the rich and famous traveled to these sites to enjoy the elegance of the spas.

    Provided below are links to other pages about Orange County, as well as information that may help you search for your Orange County area ancestors and kin.




Orange County Historical Society

P. O. Box 454
Paoli, IN 47454

Web site: http://www.rootsweb.com/~inochs/



    Cities, Towns and Villages of Orange County, Indiana

          • Abydel
          • Bacon
          • Bonds
          • Braxtons Siding
          • Bromer
          • Chambersburg
          • Concord
          • Ethel
          • Fargo
          • French Lick
          • Greenbrier
          • Hindostan
          • Leipsic
          • Lost River
          • Orangeville
          • Orleans
          • Paoli
          • Pine Valley
          • Prospect
          • Roland
          • Scarlet
          • Stampers Creek
          • Syria
          • Trotter Crossing
          • Valeene
          • West Baden Springs
          • Woodlawn Grove
          • Youngs Creek --------------------------------------------------- Map credit: Indiana Department of Transportation

Orange County, Indiana has the following townships


          • French Lick

          • Greenfield

          • Jackson

          • Northeast

          • Northwest

          • Orangeville

          • Orleans

          • Paoli

          • Southeast

          • Stampers Creek





    Map credit:
    Indiana Business Research Center
    at the
    Indiana University
    Kelley School of Business





Indiana Counties Adjacent to Orange County
          • Crawford (to the south)
          • Dubois (to the west)
          • Washington (to the east)
          • Lawrence (to the north)
          • Martin (to the west)


Marriage, Divorce, Probate, and Civil Court Records from 1816

Orange County Clerk
Courthouse
Paoli, Indiana 47454


Birth and Death Records from 1882

Orange County Health Department
205 E. Main Street
Paoli, Indiana 47454


Land Records from 1816

Orange County Recorder
205 E. Main Street
Paoli, Indiana 47454


My Orange County Surnames

            Ancestral Surnames

          • Denton
          • Farnsley
          • Fears
          • Foster
          • Harrison
          • Henderson
          • Hickman
          • Williams
          • Zenor

            Collateral Surnames

          • Andrew
          • Babcock
          • Ball
          • Barnett
          • Bennett
          • Boister
          • Boyd
          • Cook
          • Easter
          • Enterkin
          • Hammond
          • Jackson
          • Kincaid
          • Lane
          • Limeberry
          • Moore
          • Newlin
          • Qualkenbush
          • Raiser
          • Scott
          • Shafer
          • Southerland
          • Stalcup
          • Stone
          • Stout
          • Turner
          • Walls
          • White
          • Williams
          • Wilson
          • Wolfington









Copyright 1996-2006, Granduncle Mark
(Mark Ellsworth Hickman, PhD)



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