Follow-up: Jefferson County, Indiana Courthouse Damaged by Fire, Records Destroyed

Yesterday, I wrote about a fire at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Click here to see that story. Now fire investigators and courthouse employees have had a chance to examine the damage and have found that some documents and artifacts were saved, but a majority were ruined or damaged, including marriage documents, deeds and death certificates.

Jefferson County Commission President Julie Berry said the county will be working with a state archivist to set up a task force to help with the document restoration process.

You can watch a video of the fire aftermath press conference at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhdPnmZ4Gh4 or click on the image below.

Comments

[MrB]

Would have been nice if they'd had an archivist involved with the records BEFORE a destructive even occurred.

[Jason Presley]

Really sad that we're still seeing courthouse fires in the 21st century. What happened to fire-suppression systems?

[Leonard McCown]

The main question here is were the records microfilmed and a copy off site?

[J Shannon]

Let's hope the Mormons had microfilmed the old records at this courthouse so that some have been preserved.

[W. David Samuelsen]

Let's see what are now held by Family History Library:
Birth records to 1970
Marriages to 1923
Civil Order Book 1812-1818
Court Record 1811-1819
Probate Record 1811-1940
Deeds to 1891
Naturalization Records to 1904
Tax Records 1827
Commissioner's Records to 1854
Treasurer book 1812
record of licenses 1816-1837
Children Home Records 1882-1918
Madison City Deaths 1838-1850
Apprentice Record 1847-1882
Register of negroes 1853-1860

[Sheila L. Kell]

Hello;

I am the County Coordinator on INGenWeb for Jefferson County Indiana. As is listed above many of the old records are on microfilm, I happen to be one of those relics that like to go to the Courthouses and sort through the old books myself. I also have a hard time reading some of the microfilmed documents--I am not saying I do not appreciate what has been done there because without it we would have none of these records left now at all. In many Indiana Counties the Will Records are strung out among the Probate Record books and also some are in with Deeds and other Court records. I have been amazed to see where they turn up. Since the advent of digital photography I have been taking pictures of the pages of the old books with my camera. I am also coordinator for Jennings & Switzerland Counties in Southern Indiana, and was going down this week on vacation to photograph the old record books in all three counties. I have the oldest Will & Probate books in Jennings County on CD's already. I see some large gaps in the microfilm records listed above, but they may be all we have left. Tax records and Church Records are I believe in the possession of the Historical Society. I am going to check this week when I go down. I do prefer that the Record Books stay in the County of Origin because if they end up in the Archives here in Indianapolis, you are charged for every thing you want from them. I am torn because I do not want to see them lost but I want them under local control. I hope this makes the local counties realize what they have and consider letting the local Historical Societies care for them instead of keeping them in with the other Court records and in the care of the Courthouse workers who have enough to do without worrying about the old records. Frequently they are just a nuisance to the clerks.

[Rick McNutt]

I will be very grateful if you can post what you find out from the Jeff. Co. Historical Society- what records they have safe and perhaps what they know was forever lost.