The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is July 2024)
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Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.
Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:
- FamilySearch – Institution and School Records
- Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records
- Researching Ancestors in Asylums
What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?
- Poorhouse
- Poor Farm
- Orphanage
- Orphan Train
- Mental Hospital
- Workhouse
- Almshouse
- Institutional School
- Sanitarium
- Asylums
- Correctional institutions
Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.
Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Indiana Free Online Institutional Records
- Adams County, Insanity Records
- Allen County, Deaths at Indiana School for Feeble-Minded Youth, Fort Wayne, Indiana (1891-1917)
- Allen County, Fort Wayne State Hospital Cemetery AKA Indiana Feeble Minded School Cemetery
- Allen County, General Index of Guardianships, 1829-1905
- Allen County, Indiana Poor Asylum Records, Registers for 1853-1939
- Allen County, Indiana School for Feeble-Minded Youth Mortality Lists
- Allen County, Infirmary Deaths and Burials, 1937-1948
- Allen County, Insanity Papers, Judgments and Insane Hospital News, 1852-1861, 1870-1879
- Allen County, Poor Asylum Registers, 1933-1963
- Benton County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Benton County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Home Cemetery
- Boone County, Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home Boone County Residents 1888-1930
- Boone County, Residents of the Indiana Soldiers And Sailors Orphan’s Home
- Brown County, Insane Records including Residents of Institutions
- Brown County, Poor Asylum Federal Census Records
- Brown County, Poor Asylum Overseers and Superintendents
- Brown County, Poor Asylum Reports
- Brown County, Poor Asylum Residents Ledger 1947-1963
- Cass County, Logansport State Hospital Cemetery AKA Northern Indiana Hospital Cemetery
- Clark County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Clark County, Reformatory Cemetery AKA Jeffersonville Prison South Cemetery
- Clay County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Poor Asylum Cemetery
- Clinton County, County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Crawford County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Decatur County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- DeKalb County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Delaware County, 1900 Census: Delaware County Children’s Home
- Delaware County, 1910 Census: Delaware County Orphan’s Home
- Delaware County, 1920 Census: Delaware County Orphan’s Home
- Delaware County, 1930 Census Image: Delaware County Children’s Home
- Delaware County, 1930 Census: Delaware County Children’s Home
- Dubois County, Poor Farm Asylum Cemetery
- Dubois County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- DuBois County, Poor House 1880 Census Record
- Floyd County, Cornelia Memorial Orphan Home Records
- Floyd County, Cornelia Memorial Orphan Home Records
- Floyd County, Cornelia Memorial Orphan’s Home, 1930 Census
- Floyd County, Orphans House 1920 Census
- Floyd County, St. Edwards Hospital of St. Francis Brown Habit 1920 Census
- Fountain County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Fountain County, Poor Farm Cemetery and Associated Records
- Fountain County, Poor Farm Records
- Franklin County, Infirmary Cemetery or Poor Farm Cemetery
- Fulton County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Gibson County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Farm Cemetery
- Gibson County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA James Wheeler Gravesite
- Grant County, County Home/Infirmary Deaths and Burials 1904 – 1954
- Harrison County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Harrison County, Watters Cemetery AKA Old County Asylum Cemetery
- Hendricks County, Indiana Boys School Cemetery
- Hendricks County, Insanity Investigation, 1848-1861
- Henry Country, Pauper’s Asylum Census Records – 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Henry County, 1930 Census for The German Baptist Orphan’s & Aged Person’s Home
- Henry County, 1930 Census Pauper’s Asylum
- Henry County, Commissioner’s Court – June Term, AD, 1885 Spiceland Orphan’s Home
- Henry County, Commissioner’s Court – May Term, 1901 The Orphan’s Home of the German Baptist Church
- Henry County, Deaths County Home 1900-1985
- Henry County, German Baptist Aged Person’s and Orphan’s Home
- Henry County, History of HCPA with Records
- Henry County, Indiana Soldiers & Sailors Orphans Home
- Henry County, Last Burials at HCPA
- Henry County, Orphans
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1841 – 1852
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1852 – 1853
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1860-1900 A-F
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1860-1900 G-O
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1860-1900 P-Z
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1900-1919
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum 1919 – 1930
- Henry County, Pauper’s Asylum Admissions – 1940s – 1980s
- Henry County, Paupers’ Asylum Admissions 1853 – 1854
- Henry County, Pauper’s Home 1931 – 1940
- Henry County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Henry County, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home
- Henry County, Spiceland Orphans’ Home – 1887
- Henry County, Spiceland Orphan’s Home 1893
- Howard County, Orphans Home – 1880 & 1900 Census
- Indiana Department of Corrections
- Indiana, Adults Who Received Services from Indiana Board of Industrial Aid for the Blind (1915)
- Indiana, Children, Children’s Guardian’s Home
- Indiana, Children, Julia E. White Training School
- Indiana, Children, Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Boys School
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Girls School
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Indiana State Farm
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Indiana State Prison North
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Indiana State Prison South
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Indiana State Reformatory
- Indiana, Department of Corrections, Indiana Womens Prison
- Indiana, Descriptive List of Convicts in the State
- Indiana, Education, Indiana School for the Blind
- Indiana, Education, School for the Deaf
- Indiana, Indiana Archives Digital Index Records
- Indiana, Orphans in Indiana
- Indiana, Orphans in Indiana
- Indiana, Prisoners Deaths
- Indiana, State Schools Foster Care Orphanages Poor Asylums
- Indiana, Trustees and Superintendents of the State Institutions
- Indiana, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918
- Indianapolis Asylum for Friendless Colored Children, Admission Record, 1871-1900
- Indianapolis. Festberich zum silbernen Jubiläum des Ev.-Luth. Waisenhauses zu Indianapolis, Sonntag, Den 14. Juni 1908
- Jay County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery or County Infirmary Cemetery
- Jefferson County, Madison State Hospital Cemetery AKA Rest Hill Cemetery
- Jefferson County, Poor Asylum Cemetery
- Jennings County, Poor Farm aka Old Folks Home or Alm’s House Cemetery
- Jennings County, Poor Farm Census Records
- Jennings County, Poor Farm Old Folks Cemetery
- Johnson County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Poor Asylum Cemetery
- Knox County, Minutes of the Orphans’ Court, 1796-1805; Index to Minutes of the Orphans’ Court, 1796-1805
- Knox County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Knox County, Residents of the Soldiers and Sailors Children’s Home
- Knox County, Saint Vincent dePaul Cemetery or Saint Francis Cemetery
- Knox County, Record of Poor Relief, 1821-1832
- La Porte County, Asylum for the Poor 1850-1880 Census
- La Porte County, Asylum for the Poor 1898-1960 Census and Directory Records
- La Porte County, Asylum for the Poor Obituaries and News
- La Porte County, Indiana State Prison Cemetery
- La Porte County, Indiana State Prison Cemetery
- La Porte, Old Indiana State Prison North Cemetery
- Lagrange County, Rogers Orphan Home Cemetery
- Lake County, Residents in the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home
- LaPorte County, County Asylum for the Poor
- LaPorte County, Federal Census Reports and Random Directories for the County Asylum – 1898 to 1960
- LaPorte County, Federal Census Reports for the County Asylum – 1850 to 1880
- LaPorte County, Index to Life Prisoner’s Statements
- Lawrence County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Lawrence County, Record of Persons Admitted into the County Asylum
- Marion County, Central State Hospital Cemetery
- Marion County, Children Born at Indiana Women’s Prison, Indianapolis (1886-1888)
- Marion County, Potters Field AKA County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Marshall County, Marshall County Asylum Register
- Martin County, Poor Asylum Cemetery AKA County Farm Cemetery
- Martin County, Poor Farm Asylum 1880 Census
- Miami County, Insane Records, (1882-1894)
- Miami County, Insane Records, (1894-1900)
- Miami County, Insane Records, (1901-1909)
- Miami County, Insane Records, (1909-1918)
- Miami County, Insane Records, (1918-1928)
- Miami County, Old Mort Cemetery AKA County Farm Cemetery #1
- Miami County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Monroe County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Farm Cemetery
- Parke County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Parke County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Perry County, Camp Koch for Crippled Children, 1958
- Perry County, Conner Cemetery AKA Pauper Cemetery or Poor Farm Cemetery
- Pike County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Porter County, Insanity Records, 1864-1912
- Posey County, Indiana Orphans Listings Found in Commissioners Records
- Posey County, Poor Infirmary Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
- Putnam County, County Home Cemetery AKA County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Randolph County, Asylum Cemetery AKA County Infirmary Cemetery
- Randolph County, Asylum Records, 1909-1918
- Randolph County, Board of Health Records, 1912-1918
- Randolph County, Infirmary Records, 1914-1918
- Randolph County, Insanity Records
- Randolph County, Jail, 1909-1918
- Randolph County, Orphans, Records, 1909-1918
- Randolph County, Reports of Relief to the State of Indiana, 1908-1918
- Randolph County, Residents in the Indiana Boys School, the Indiana Industrial School for Girls, and the Indiana Reformatory for Women
- Randolph County, Poor Farm, 1908-1918
- Rush County, Soldiers and Sailors Childrens Home Cemetery
- Spencer County, Poor and Orphan Asylum 1900 Census Records
- Sullivan County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Home Cemetery
- Switzerland County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Tippecanoe Cemetery, Laurel Hill Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
- Tippecanoe County, Poor Farm Cemetery #1
- Tippecanoe County, Poor Farm Cemetery #2
- Vanderburgh County, 1900 Census Black Orphan Home
- Vanderburgh County, 1900 Census Home of the Friendless
- Vanderburgh County, 1900 Census Little Sisters of the Poor
- Vanderburgh County, 1900 Census Orphans Home
- Vanderburgh County, Orphan Asylum 1870 Census
- Vanderburgh County, Residents of the Soldiers and Sailors Children’s Home
- Vanderburgh County, Woodmere Cemetery AKA Evansville State Hospital Cemetery or Southern Indiana State Hospital for the Insane
- Vermillion County, Collett Cemetery AKA Collett Orphanage Cemetery
- Vermillion County, People Buried at Poor Asylum
- Vermillion County, Poor Farm Cemetery AKA County Home Cemetery
- Vigo County, Poor Farm Graveyard AKA County Home Cemetery
- Wabash County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery or County Home Cemetery
- Warren County, County Home Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
- Washington County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Washington County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Wayne County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Wells County, Poor Asylum Report, 1881
- Wells County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Woodsfield, Record of Inmates in the Monroe County Home, 1855-1978
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!