THE BRICK WALL
PROTOCOLGENEALOGY · BEYOND THE SEARCH BOX
BRICK WALL PROTOCOL / FREE GUIDES

Wells County:
Start with a cemetery-obituary lead, then retrieve the evidence.

Library spreadsheets and Bluffton newspapers can identify a useful article or record, but coverage gaps and transcription errors matter.

Not sure where to begin? Build a free three-step research plan → Choose your question, period and records already checked.

Explore records coverage by year ↓

Additional collection references

Sources checked October 24, 2026. Based on public institutional descriptions and collection catalogs; no staff confirmation or onsite inspection. Confirm access before visiting.

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 / Bluffton

Wells County Public Library Indiana Room

Check the newspaper run before interpreting silence.

Bluffton newspaper microfilm begins in 1866 with many early gaps. The room also lists a marriage index, 1837–April 12, 1980, and birth index, 1883–1920.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Use noncirculating materials in the Indiana Room or submit the library’s genealogy research request.

A question you can ask

Is the newspaper issue for this date present, and can staff check an adjacent issue?

Keep in mind

No complete family-history collection exists; donated family books and early newspaper issues are selective.

STOP 02 / Online

Wells County Public Library Cem-Obit spreadsheets

Use linked burial and obituary clues together.

Downloadable surname spreadsheets include cemetery-obituary information and may add marriage, plot or scan-availability details.

Research details & a question to ask

How to begin

Download the relevant surname file and consult the abbreviation notes before requesting the underlying obituary.

A question you can ask

What underlying obituary or cemetery record supports this row?

Keep in mind

The library explicitly warns that the database is revised and is not error-free. Treat it as a finding aid.

STOP 03 / Indianapolis and online

Indiana State Library county research guide

Use a record title and call number to move beyond a surname search.

Supplemental marriage applications, 1905–1920 (ISLG 977.201 W456u v. 5), land patents and a will index, 1845–1995, are listed.

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

Can the will index identify a courthouse file number for this estate?

Keep in mind

These are selected published holdings, not a complete inventory of original records.

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

Corrections or a useful collection? hello@brickwallprotocol.com

WELLS COUNTY / SELECTED RECORDS COVERAGE

Which collections cover your years?

Use these dated holdings to choose a next search. This is a selection of cataloged collections, not a complete inventory of Wells County records.

A range is a lead, not a guarantee. Bars show the dates stated by the cited catalog or inventory. They do not establish uninterrupted coverage, complete reporting or online image access. Unmarked years mean not represented in this selection, not that records were destroyed. Indexes and abstracts still need to be followed to the underlying record.

Sources reviewed October 26, 2026. Blue shows cataloged holdings; rust identifies indexes or compiled publications where the source specifies them. Read the format label and access notes for each row.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Marriage Records (microfilm)

Listed years: 1837–1886, 1886–1951.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Marriage Records Index (microfilm)

Listed years: 1837–1980.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Deed Records (microfilm)

Listed years: 1837–1872.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

preliminary microfilm inventory entry

Complete Record-Probate (microfilm)

Listed years: 1876–1910.

Source, access and coverage limits

This preliminary inventory warns that it may not be up to date. Give the State Library the title, volumes and years when asking about microfilm access or digital copies. Check the linked entry for gaps and confirm current availability before visiting.

Keep in mind: Selected Indiana State Library holdings. Microfilm overview bounds can include indexes and multiple volumes; consult item-level entries for gaps. These are not countywide survival dates or an assurance of online images. Preliminary inventory entries may not reflect current holdings; confirm with the library.

Confirm the historical jurisdiction as well as the date. A record may be held outside today’s county, and an inventory’s ending year does not mean recordkeeping stopped.

Check historical jurisdiction → · Find collections for my years →

FOLLOW THE COLLECTION

Additional collection references

Official catalog descriptions checked October 25, 2026. These notes identify research routes, not completed name-level searches.

McBride and Son undertaking accounts, 1865–1877

The published index to volume 3 describes coffin and funeral charges from the Bluffton business; the wider microfilm collection spans 1837–1915.

How to begin: Search the free PDF, then request IHS microfilm F0011, volume 3, for the underlying account.

What remains uncertain: An account holder or payer is not automatically the deceased. Charges and coffin descriptions do not independently establish an exact death date.

HELP KEEP THIS GUIDE USEFUL

Know a collection we should include?

Suggest a correction, an overlooked collection or an updated access detail. An official link or source helps us check it before making a change. Please leave out private family documents and sensitive personal information.

Suggest a correction or collection

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