Bartholomew County was formed on February 12, 1821, and was named after former Lt Col Joseph Bartholomew who was wounded at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The courthouse in Columbus (the county seat) was completed in 1874 and is still the current courthouse being used by the county today. At a total area of almost 410 sqaure miles, Bartholomeww County has a population count of 82,753 residents.
On February 4, 1836, both the House and Senate passed a bill providing for the formation from western Bartholomew county, eastern Monroe county, and northern Jackson county to be named for Gen. Jacob Brown, who defeated the British at the Battle of Sackett’s Harbor in the War of 1812. Also, due to Browns’ success, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Within the following calendar year, a log Courthouse and Jail were built as the population started to increase. While having a total area 316 sqaure miles, there is also a population count of 15,234 residents.
Clark County was formed on 3 February 1801, with territory annexed from Knox county and was the first county formed in the Territory in 1790. This original area in Clark County was subsequently altered and reduced with the formation of other counties in time. The county was named after former General George Rogers Clark who was victorious in capturing various forts from the British. Jeffersonville (the county seat) has a total area of 376.5 square miles and also has a population count of 118,302 residents.
The Indiana Legislature mandated Clay County in 1825, with territory partitioned from Owen, Putnam, Sullivan, and Vigo counties. Its name honors Henry Clay who was a famous American statesman. The first Courthouse for the county was built in 1828 and it was a two-story structure of hand-hewn logs. Once the population staerted to increase by the late 1830’s, a second courthouse was built and served the county until it was destroyed by fire on Novmeber 30, 1851. With a population count of 26,170 residents, the county also has a total area of 360 sqaure miles.
Crawford County was formed in 1818. The county was named for William H. Crawford who was a U.S. Treasury Secretary in 1818. The county seat was originally Leavenworth for several decades until it was eventually moved to English. The county is surrounded by the counties of Orange, Washington, Harrison, Meade (KY) Perry and, Dubois counties. The county has a total area of 309 sqaure miles along with a population count of 10,558 residents.
Originally as the area that was Knox County was formed in 1816 and didn’t become what is now known as the present-day Daviess County on February in 1818. The boundaries of Daviess were reduced in December of 1818 due to the formation of Owen County and in January of 1820 by the formation of Martin County. Daviess County was named for Major Joseph Hamilton Daveiss who was a U.S. District Attorney for Kentucky, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in the year 1811. Daviess County has a total area of 437 sqaure miles with a population count of 33,351 residents.
Dubois County was formed on December 20, 1818, from Orange, Pike and Perry counties. It is named for Toussaint Dubois who was a Frenchman who fought in the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Tippecanoe and the War of 1812. Dubois was a merchant who lived mainly in Vincennes, IN. He drowned in 1816 while crossing the Little Wabash River near Lawrenceville, Illinois. The city of Jasper is the county seat with a total area of 435 sqaure miles. It also has a population count of 42,565 residents.
Floyd County which originally was the hunting ground for the Shawnee Indians was founded in 1819. The county was later named for former Brigadier General John Floyd who was a leading pioneer out of Jefferson, KY, and uncle to the county’s first circuit court judge, Davis Floyd. Davis Floyd is the person who some beleive that the he is who the county is named after, not John. With a population count of 77,781 residents, the county has a total area of 149 sqaure miles.
Greene County was formed in 1821, from the unincorporated territory and from a portion of the previous land of Sullivan County. It was named after former General Nathanael Greene who commanded the southern troops in the American Revolutionary War, which eventually forced the British army to retreat to Yorktown. There the British were forced to surrender, ensuring American independence. The county has a total area of 546 sqaure miles along with a population count of 32,006 residents.
Originally brought in by the Treaty of St Mary’s in 1818, was not made into its own independent county until a legislature was passed in April of 1823. The county was later named after Alexander Hamilton who was the first U.S. Secretary of Treasury. The first courthouse for the county was at the home of one of the first settlers, William Conner. With the county having a total area of 402 square miles, it also has a population count of 338,011 residents.
