Shelby  County,  Indiana
Historical  Articles

Townships

          The Indiana General Assembly created Shelby County in December of 1821, and the law became effective 1 Apr 1922.  During the first meeting of the Board of Commissioners on 9 Apr 1822, Shelby County was divided into four townships:  Hendricks,  Marion,  Noble  and  Union.  After much reorganization and subdivision, Shelby County now has 14 townships (see dates below).

1822*	1840**	1841	1843	1845	1882
Hendricks	Addison	VanBuren	Brandywine	Washington	Shelby
Marion	Hanover
Noble	Jackson
Union	Liberty
	Moral
	Sugar Creek

The  Shelbyville  Democrat
Saturday, July 1, 1922
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ORGANIZATION  OF  TOWNSHIPS
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          Many changes have taken place in the past one hundred years in the various sub-divisions of Shelby county. Originally Shelby county was divided into four civil townships, made us as follows:  Union township was Congressional Township No. 14;  Marion township was Congressional Township No. 13;  Hendricks township was Congressional Township No. 12;  Noble township was Congressional Township No. 11.
          In May 1822, the name of Union township was changed to Harrison township, and that of Marion township to Shelby township.
          Addison township was organized in February, 1823.
          Sugar Creek township was organized in May, 1823.
          Liberty township was organized in March, 1827.
          Monroe township was organized in May, 1831.
          Fleming township, Hanover township and Moral township were organized from 1832 to 1839.
          On the first Monday in January, 1840, the Board of County Commissioners reorganized the townships of the county.  They divided the county into eleven townships, and named them as follows:  Jackson, Noble, Hendricks, Sugar Creek, Moral, Marion, Hanover, Union, Liberty, Addison, and Van Buren.
          Brandywine township was organized March 7, 1843.
          Washington township was organized April, 1845.
          Shelby township was carved out of the Addison township on June 26, 1882.
          This made the fourteen townships as we now know them.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming


* The original four townships followed the Townships as designated by the federal surveyors of the Northwest Territory. Starting at the northern edge of Shelby County, these Townships
run west to east (i.e., from Range 5 E to Range 8 E).
     (1) Union included all land in Township 14 N
     (2) Marion included all land in Township 13 N
     (3) Hendricks included all land in Township 12 N
     (4) Noble included all land in Township 11 N
County Commissioners at this time were Elijah Tyner, David Fisher and Joseph Dawson

** County Commissioners on 8 Jan 1840 were Joseph Dawson, John Sleeth and James Robertson

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