For their service in the American Revolution, George Rogers Clark and the soldiers who served with him were allotted 150,000 acres of land in what is now Clark County, Indiana. The grant was made by the Virginia legislature 2 Jan 1781 with land being allotted in 1784. This began the first settlements in Indiana Territory.

Formation of Indiana

Indiana Territory came into existence by an act of Congress on 4 July 1800. It included what is now Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota.

Indiana became a state 11 Dec 1816.

Clark County, Indiana and It’s Townships

Clark County formed 3 Feb 1801

The original Clark County was large and included what is now Harrison, Washington, Jackson, Scott, Jefferson, Jennings, Ripley, Decatur, Franklin, Bartholomew, Shelby, Rush, Fayette, Union, Henry, Randolph, Wayne, and possibly more counties.

Clark County decreased in size as the surrounding counties separated.

•  Jefferson County formed 1810
•  Washington County formed 1814
•  Floyd County formed 8 Feb 1819
•  Scott County formed 1820

1820 being the last time the boundary of Clark County changed.

There were originally 3 townships in Clark County. None of these exist today.

• Spring Hill Township – everything east of Springville Township
• Springville Township – area between Silver Creek & Fourteen Mile Creek up to northern boundary of Clark County
• Clarksville Township – west of Silver Creek including what became Floyd & Harrison Counties

Boundaries of the Clark County Townships changed over time as new townships were formed. 1858 was the last time a township was added. There are 12 townships in Clark County, Indiana.

Bethlehem Township – formed spring 1816 (Bethlehem town platted 1812)
Carr Township – formed 1854
Charlestown Township – formed spring 1817
Jeffersonville Township – formed 10 Feb 1817
Monroe Township – formed about 1816, named Collins Township until 1827
Oregon Township – formed 1852
Owen Township – formed 1830
Silver Creek Township – formed Feb 1815
Union Township – formed 1858
Utica Township – formed 7 Nov 1831
Washington Township – formed 1816
Wood Township – formed 1807

Clark County cemetery list with locations (updated 2018)

Online Reference of Clark County Interest

1875 Map of Clark County, Indiana 
The Charlestown Library and Sellersburg Library have this map hanging in the meeting rooms.
Digital image provided by Library of Congress.

Baird's History of Clark County Indiana 
written by Lewis Baird in 1909

History of the Ohio Falls Cities and Their Counties Vol 1
General history. History of Jefferson County, Ky. The history of Louisville.

History of the Ohio Falls Cities and Their Counties Vol 2
Precincts of Jefferson County, Ky. General histories of Clark and Floyd counties, Ind. New Albany and Floyd County. Clark County and Jeffersonville.

Biographical and Historical Sourvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington, Indiana
by John M. Gresham & Co. 1889