Sources checked October 24, 2026. Additional collection descriptions and dates checked November 4, 2026. Earlier valid guide content retained; date spans do not guarantee complete holdings.
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 / Lafayette · Arganbright Genealogy CenterTippecanoe County Historical Association: Alameda McCollough Research Library
Look for the surviving loose papers behind a court entry.
The research page lists original marriage books and returns for 1825–1993, wills and estates, naturalization indexes for 1826–1957, poor-relief records for 1890–1930, and an indentured-children index for 1833–1888.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Search the named indexes, then request the associated record. Remote research is available; personal archival collections require an appointment. Confirm fees and hours directly before travel.
A question you can ask
Can I obtain the full surviving poor-relief or guardianship file, including the supplemental papers?
Keep in mind
Official headquarters and genealogy pages give conflicting schedules and admission charges. An index is not the full packet, and child-placement records do not alone establish parentage.
STOP 02 / Lafayette · Swezey RoomTippecanoe County Public Library: genealogy and local history
Add published local history to a courthouse-record search.
The library identifies the Swezey Room of Indiana History and genealogy resources including Ancestry Library Edition and HeritageQuest.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Use the official genealogy page to identify the local collection, then confirm room access and database requirements with the library before visiting.
A question you can ask
Which local history or newspaper resource covers the place and years in my courthouse record?
Keep in mind
The collection page was indexed but timed out during direct review. Specific holdings, issue coverage, and remote subscription rules should be confirmed with staff.
STOP 03 / Indianapolis · county-specific holdingsIndiana State Library: Tippecanoe County research guide
Identify a record series before requesting an original.
Selected holdings include Alien Declarations, 1830–1889, abstracts of deeds and patents for 1842–1843, and an index to Deed Book A, 1826–1830.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Use the county guide to copy the title and call number, then search the State Library catalog or use its Ask-a-Librarian service to confirm access.
A question you can ask
Can an alien declaration or deed abstract identify the prior residence or associates I need?
Keep in mind
These are selected library holdings, often indexes or abstracts. The guide does not promise every original record or online images.
STOP 04 / Tippecanoe County Historical Association Research LibraryCounty commissioners minute index: roads, services and local officials
The published name-and-subject index covers commissioners minute books dated 1826–1873. Search for road work, county services, officials and other transactions as well as an ancestor’s name.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Search the free PDF, retain the subject and year reference, then ask the Research Library for the underlying minute-book entry.
A question you can ask
Which item or series covers my person, community and year, and how can I consult it?
Keep in mind
An index entry is a lead to a record, not the record itself. Names can represent service providers, officeholders or other parties; do not infer a relationship or poor-relief status from a name alone.
STOP 05 / Tippecanoe County Historical Association Research LibrarySchool yearbook holdings with explicit missing years
The holdings list includes Jefferson High School Nautilus volumes for 1913–1932, 1934–1949, 1951–1959, 1961–1971, and individual volumes for 1973, 1978 and 1980.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Check the PDF by school, title and year, then provide the listed accession number when available. Ask the library about viewing or copying the particular volume.
A question you can ask
Which item or series covers my person, community and year, and how can I consult it?
Keep in mind
These are listed holdings, not a continuous 1913–1980 run. Other schools have their own lists. Presence of a volume does not guarantee a student appears.
STOP 06 / Tippecanoe County Historical Association Research LibraryInvoices and letterheads: businesses, customers and estate connections
The collection inventory pairs business names with personal names and subject folders, including trades, shops, professional services and county offices.
Research details & a question to ask
How to begin
Search the online inventory by surname and business spelling. Send the exact business, person and folder wording to the Research Library to request the original item.
A question you can ask
Which item or series covers my person, community and year, and how can I consult it?
Keep in mind
The 2016 in the inventory title is not a verified date range for the underlying documents. Do not date-match this collection until item dates are confirmed.
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.
Return to the Indiana county map · Explore Ohio collections