Sources checked October 24, 2026. Additional local collection descriptions and dates checked November 4, 2026. Earlier valid guide content retained. Dates describe selected holdings, not complete coverage.
Start with one connection.
Bring a person, a place, approximate years, and one question. A township, congregation, school, or employer may reveal records a surname search misses. The custodian can be outside the county.
STOP 01 / La PorteLa Porte County Public Library Indiana Room
Start with the town, map and newspaper.
Regional newspaper microfilm dating into the late nineteenth century, plat books, atlases and historical maps.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Ask the Information Desk or use the online research request. Library locations are FamilySearch affiliates; confirm access to the particular image collection.
A question you can ask
Which newspaper and plat map cover this township and date?
Keep in mind
Affiliate status does not open every restricted record. Newspaper titles and exact years need checking.
STOP 02 / OnlineLa Porte County Public Library Digital Indiana Room
Look for a school and a place, not only a surname.
The library describes digital yearbooks dating back to 1902, historical maps and local-history documents.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Follow Digital Indiana Room from the library page and browse collections by school or subject.
A question you can ask
Can this yearbook or map place the family in a school or neighborhood?
Keep in mind
Digitization is selective. The library distinguishes personal use from commercial reuse requiring written consent.
STOP 03 / Indianapolis and onlineIndiana State Library county research guide
Use a record title and call number to move beyond a surname search.
Circuit-court case publications span 1837–1850 and 1851–1872. Separate naturalization titles cover county records and Michigan City, including 1912–1929.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Open the county guide, follow its catalog and records links, and ask the library about the exact volume before visiting.
A question you can ask
Which court handled the naturalization, and can the publication identify a petition number?
Keep in mind
These are selected published holdings, not a complete inventory of original records.
STOP 04 / La Porte County Historical Society, Fern Eddy Schultz Research LibrarySchool enumerations, teachers and alumni
1840s enumeration abstracts; teacher-license and contract ledgers; graduation announcements; alumni directory, 1869–1947.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Research room Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30–4; museum admission applies. Arrange historian assistance in advance.
A question you can ask
Which item covers my person, place and year, and how can I consult the underlying record?
Keep in mind
Dates for individual teacher ledgers are not supplied. Confirm the required school and year.
STOP 05 / La Porte County Historical Society, Fern Eddy Schultz Research LibraryChurch membership and local organizations
Church minutes, member lists and photographs; organization records and township-related topical files.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Research room Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30–4; museum admission applies. Arrange historian assistance in advance.
A question you can ask
Which item covers my person, place and year, and how can I consult the underlying record?
Keep in mind
No inclusive dates published. Ask about the named congregation or organization before visiting.
STOP 06 / La Porte County Historical Society, Fern Eddy Schultz Research LibraryVeteran grave cards and military files
Veteran grave registrations connect service and family information to burial places; the library also lists GAR records.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Research room Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30–4; museum admission applies. Arrange historian assistance in advance.
A question you can ask
Which item covers my person, place and year, and how can I consult the underlying record?
Keep in mind
Card detail varies. Service and burial claims need corroboration.
STOP 07 / La Porte County Historical Society, Fern Eddy Schultz Research LibraryPhysician licenses and municipal ordinances
Physician-certificate/license abstracts, 1897–1926; La Porte ordinances, 1881, 1898 and 1916.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Research room Tuesday–Saturday, 10:30–4; museum admission applies. Arrange historian assistance in advance.
A question you can ask
Which item covers my person, place and year, and how can I consult the underlying record?
Keep in mind
Abstracts are derivative; ordinances provide context rather than a resident list.
Leave a trail another researcher can follow.
Save the repository, collection title, dates, volume, page or item identifier, link, and the date you consulted it. Follow an index to the original record when possible. Keep uncertain names and inferred relationships visibly separate from what the source states.
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