Again, a reminder. This story is being told from the perspective of our indigenous background. Pulaski County was Native American land for thousands of years.
Before getting into how the county took shape within the boundaries of Indiana, we share with you two maps of Pulaski County townships.
The first, undated, shows Monroe and Harrison Townships squared off, in their original fashion. There are a few clues to the year.
- In the southeast corner, Van Buren Township, the town of Thornhope is shown as Rosedale, and the town of Star City is shown both as Star City and Scarboro.
- Just a touch north, in Harrison Township, Mooresburg still exists.
- In the northwest corner, Cass Township, there is a town called Strawberry Ridge.
- A couple of towns exist that this author cannot read.
The second, a map from 1907, is not legible, but you can see the difference in the township colors, which show the current configuration of Monroe (yellow) and Harrison (blue) Townships.
This author does not know when the boundary change was made. Although….. that might be a great idea for a researcher to discover on his or her own!
Pulaski County Takes Shape
A recommendation from the author: follow the link suggested below to see the progression of the counties. If you go through it, year by year, you can watch the state take shape, county by county.
Year | Follow this LINK to watch the progression. | Treaties |
1781 | Clark’s Grant | |
1783 | Vincennes Tract | |
1790 | Knox, St. Clair (IL) formed as original counties of Northwest Territory. | |
1795 | Randolph (IL) from St. Clair. | Treaty of Greenville |
1796 | Wayne (MI) from Knox. | |
1798 | Hamilton (OH) gained from Knox. | |
1800 | Indiana Territory formed from Northwest Territory. | |
1801 | Clark from Knox. St. Clair gained from Knox. | |
1803 | Dearborn from Clark (after Clark gained from Northwest Territory). | First Treaty of Fort Wayne |
Wayne County, Indiana Territory, formed as successor to Wayne County, Northwest Territory, with additions from Knox, St. Clair, non-county area. | ||
1804 | Treaty of Vincennes | |
1805 | Michigan Territory formed from Indiana Territory. | Treaty of Grouseland |
1808 | Harrison from Knox, Clark. | |
1809 | Illinois Territory formed from Indiana Territory. | Second Treaty of Fort Wayne |
1810 | Harrison gained from Clark. | |
1811 | Franklin from Dearborn, Clark. | |
Wayne from Dearborn, Clark, Knox. | ||
Jefferson from Clark, Dearborn, Knox. | ||
1813 | Gibson from Knox. | |
Warrick from Knox. | ||
1814 | Posey from Warrick, Gibson. | |
Posey from Warrick. | ||
Switzerland from Dearborn, Jefferson. | ||
Washington from Clark, Harrison, Knox. | ||
Dearborn gained from Jefferson. | ||
1816 | Indiana admitted as a state. | |
Jackson from Washington, Clark, Jefferson. | ||
Orange from Washington, Knox, Gibson. | ||
Ripley from Dearborn, Jefferson. | ||
Posey gained from Gibson. | ||
1817 | Daviess from Knox. | |
Jennings from Jefferson, Jackson. | ||
Pike from Gibson, Perry. | ||
Sullivan from Knox. | ||
Posey gained from Gibson. | ||
Knox lost to non-county area. | ||
1818 | Dubois from Pike. | Treaty of St. Mary’s |
Crawford from Orange, Harrison, Perry. | ||
Lawrence from Orange. | ||
Monroe from Orange. | ||
Randolph from Wayne. | ||
Vigo from Sullivan. | ||
Spencer from Warrick, Perry. | ||
Vanderburgh from Gibson, Posey, Warrick. | ||
Orange gained from Harrison. | ||
Ripley organized. | ||
1819 | Fayette from Wayne, Franklin, non-county area. | |
Floyd from Harrison, Clark. | ||
Owen from Daviess, Sullivan. | ||
Wayne, Jackson gained from non-county area. | ||
Vigo gained from Sullivan. | ||
1820 | Delaware New Purchase from non-county area. | |
Unorganized, attached concurrently to Fayette, Franklin, Jackson, Jennings, Randolph, Ripley, Wayne. | ||
Wabash New Purchase from non-county area. | ||
Unorganized, attached concurrently to Monroe, Vigo, Owen. | ||
Martin from Daviess, Dubois. | ||
Scott from Clark, Jefferson, Jennings, Jackson, Washington. | ||
Franklin, Randolph gained from non-county area. | ||
Jennings gained from Jackson, non-county area. | ||
Daviess lost to non-county area. | ||
1821 | Bartholomew from Jackson, Delaware New Purchase. | Treaty of Chicago |
Greene from Sullivan, non-county area. | ||
Parke from Vigo, Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
Union from Wayne, Franklin, Fayette. | ||
Daviess gained from non-county area. | ||
Wayne, Monroe gained from Delaware New purchase. | ||
Floyd gained from Clark. | ||
Monroe gained from Owen. | ||
Owen gained from Monroe, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
Change in attachment of Delaware New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
1822 | Decatur, Henry, Marion, Rush, Shelby from Delaware New Purchase. | |
Morgan from Delaware New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
Putnam from Own, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
Gibson gained from Posey. | ||
Ripley gained from Switzerland. | ||
Change in attachments of Delaware New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
1823 | Hamilton, Johnson, Madison from Delaware New Purchase. | |
Montgomery from Wabash New Purchase. | ||
Lawrence gained from Jackson. | ||
Posey gained from Gibson. | ||
Floyd gained from Harrison. | ||
Henry gained from Wayne. | ||
1824 | Allen from Delaware New Purchase, non-county area. | |
Hendricks from Delaware New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
Vermillion from Parke, Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
Delaware New Purchase exchanged with Randolph. | ||
Parke gained from Montgomery, Putnam. | ||
Wayne gained from Henry. | ||
Gibson exchanged with Pike. | ||
Harrison lost to non-county area. | ||
Warrick gained from Gibson. | ||
Changes in attachments of Wabash New Purchase, Delaware New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
1825 | Clay from Owen, Putnam, Vigo, Sullivan. | |
Gibson gained from Pike. | ||
Spencer gained from Warrick. | ||
1826 | Fountain from Montgomery, Wabash New Purchase. | Michigan Road |
Tippecanoe from Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | Treaty of Mississinwas | |
Fayette, Union gained from Franklin. | ||
Warrick gained from Pike. | ||
Change in attachments of Delaware New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
1827 | Hancock from Madison. | |
Unorganized attached to Madison. | ||
Delaware from Delaware New Purchase. | ||
Warren from Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
Delaware New Purchase name changed to Adams New Purchase. | ||
Madison gained from Delaware new Purchase. | ||
Crawford gained from Perry. | ||
Henry gained from Wayne. | ||
1828 | Carroll from Adams New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | |
Bartholomew, Jackson, Monroe gained from Adams New Purchase. | ||
Martin gained from Daviess. | ||
Floyd gained from non-county area. | ||
Adams New Purchase lost to non-county area. | ||
Change in attachments of Adams New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
Hancock organized. | ||
1829 | Cass from non-county area. | |
Change in attachment of non-county area. | ||
1830 | Boone from Adams new Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | |
Clinton from Adams New Purchase, Wabash New Purchase. | ||
Elkhart from non-county area. | ||
Non-county area attachment changed from Allen to Elkhart. | ||
1831 | Grant from Madison, Adams New Purchase, non-county area. | |
Marion gained from Hendricks. | ||
Monroe gained from non-county area. | ||
Change in attachments of areas of Adams New Purchase. | ||
Change in attachments of non-county areas. | ||
1832 | Huntington from Adams New Purchase, non-county area. | Treaty of Tippecanoe |
La Porte from St. Joseph, non-county area. | ||
Miami from Cass, non-county area. | ||
La Grange from non-county area. | ||
St. Joseph gained from Elkhart. | ||
Cass gained from non-county area. | ||
Elkhart gained from non-county area. | ||
Non-county area attachment changed from Elkhart. | ||
Allen to La Grange. | ||
1833 | Vermillion gained from Warren. | |
1834 | White from Wabash New Purchase, non-county ara. | |
Miami gained from Cass. | ||
Huntington, Miami organized. | ||
Part of Wabash New Purchase, non-county area attachment changed from Carroll to White. | ||
Non-county area attachment changed from Warren, St. Joseph to White. | ||
1835 | Adams from Adams New Purchase. | |
Unattached to Allen, Delaware, Randolph. | ||
De Kalb from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to Allen, La Grange. | ||
Fulton from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to Elkhart, Cass, St. Joseph. | ||
Jasper from Wabash New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
Unattached to Warren, White. | ||
Jay from Adams New Purchase. | ||
Unattached to Randolph, Delaware. | ||
Kosciusko from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to St. Joseph, Elkhart, Cass. | ||
Marshal from St. Joseph. | ||
Unattached to St. Joseph, Kosciusko, Cass. | ||
Newton from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to St. Joseph, Warren, White. | ||
Noble from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to Elkhart, La Grange, Allen. | ||
Porter from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to St. Joseph. | ||
Pulaski from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to Cass, White. | ||
Starke from St. Joseph, non-county area. | ||
Unattached to St. Joseph, White Cass. | ||
Steuben from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to La Grange. | ||
Wells from Adams New Purchase. | ||
Unattached to Allen, Delaware, Randolph. | ||
Whitley from non-county area. | ||
Unattached to Elkhart, Allen, La Grange. | ||
Wabash organized. | ||
Wabash New Purchase eliminated. | ||
1836 | Brown from Monroe, Bartholomew, Jackson. | Treaty of Yellow River |
Lake from Porter, Newton. | ||
Unorganized, attached to Porter. | ||
Porter gained from Newton. | ||
Clark exchanged with Jefferson. | ||
Marshall gained from Elkhart, St. Joseph. | ||
Noble, Porter, Adams, Jay, Kosciusko, Fulton, Marshall organized. | ||
Whitley attachment changed from Allen, Grant, Elkhart to Huntington. | ||
1837 | Jefferson gained from Clark. | |
Lake, DeKalb, Steuben, Wells organized. | ||
1838 | Blackford from Jay. | |
Unorganized attached to Jay. | ||
Elkhart, St. Joseph gained from Marshall. | ||
Newton gained from Lake, Porter. | ||
Madison gained disputed area from Grant. | ||
Cass, Fulton, Miami, Wabash, White gained from non-county area. | ||
Bartholomew lost to non-county area. | ||
Jasper, Whitley organized. | ||
1839 | Newton merged into Jasper, Lake, La Porte. | |
White gained from Carroll. | ||
Marshall gained from Elkhart, St. Joseph. | ||
Scott gained from Clark, Washington. | ||
La Porte gained from non-county area. | ||
Non-county areas attached to Carroll, Cass, Hamilton, Miami, Blackford. | ||
Pulaski organized. | ||
1840 | Benton from Jasper. | Treaty of the Wabash |
Fulton gained from Kosciusko. | ||
1841 | Jasper gained from White. | |
1842 | Clark gained from Scott. | |
Clark exchanged with Washington. | ||
La Porte gained from Starke. | ||
Gibson gained from Warrick. | ||
Kosciusko gained from Fulton. | ||
Sullivan gained from Knox. | ||
Warrick gained from Spencer. | ||
Jackson gained from non-county area. | ||
Carroll lost to non-county area. | ||
1844 | Richardville from non-county area. | |
Ohio from Dearborn. | ||
Tipton from Adams New Purchase, non-county area. | ||
Adams New Purchase eliminated. | ||
Floyd gained from Clark. | ||
Warrick gained from Gibson. | ||
Fulton gained from Miami. | ||
1845 | Richardville gained from non-county area. | |
1846 | Richardville name changed to Howard. | |
Fulton gained from Kosciusko. | ||
Clark exchanged with Washington. | ||
Carroll gained from non-county area. | ||
1847 | Gibson gained from Warrick. | |
1850 | La Porte gained from St. Joseph. | |
Starke organized. | ||
1851 | Scott gained from Jefferson | |
1852 | Floyd gained from Harrison. | |
Warrick gained from Gibson. | ||
1853 | Spencer gained from Warrick. | |
1859 | Newton re-created from Jasper. | |
Howard gained from Clinton. | ||
Whitley gained from Noble. | ||
Lawrence gained from Jackson. | ||
1861 | Putnam gained from Morgan. | |
1868 | Hendricks gained from Morgan. | |
1873 | Clark exchanged with Washington. |
The Series
- Indigenous Peoples of Pulaski County
- The Land, From Ice To European Arrival
- The People, From Ice To European Arrival
- Europeans Arrive
- French Fur Trade & The Beaver Wars
- Indian Wars, Pre-Revolutionary War (The Colonial Wars)
- Revolutionary War
- Indian Wars, Post-Revolutionary War
- United States Takes Shape
- Indiana Takes Shape
- Pulaski County Takes Shape
- Indian Removals, 1700 – 1840
- The Potawatomi, Keepers Of The Fire
- Trail Of Death
- The Chiefs Winamac
- 7 Fires of the Anishinaaabe