Shelley asks:

I believe my ancestor, John Lambdin, purchased land in the Cincinnati District 9/30/1814.
The land is located in T7N, R1W of 1st P.M., section 19, NE 1/4. The land was paid in full 11/30/1819. I have looked at census records, and have never found him living there (I think it is Logan Twp). Where should I look next to see if he ever lived there or when he sold the property?

County land records would be the best place to start. First, we need to determine which county the land was located in at the time it might have been sold. Township 7N, Range 1W, Section 19 is located in present day Dearborn County.

In this case the land was always a part of Dearborn County, but if for example the land had been located in Ohio County, land records prior to 1844 when Ohio County was formed, would be recorded in Dearborn County, its parent county.

Dearborn County deed books have been indexed on Indiana’s Gore from 1826 to 1886. Unfortunately, Dearborn County suffered a courthouse fire in 1826 that destroyed all of the county’s records. Some deeds were re-recorded, but not all.

If your ancestor lived in Dearborn County and left before 1826, there may be no surviving record due to the courthouse fire. If he only lived in Dearborn County for a short time between census years, he may appear in other county records. Some examples include:

• Purchased something at an estate sale and was mentioned in a neighbor’s probate records. See probate records.
• Involved in a court case or served on a jury. See court records.
• Completed road work, assisted in a coroner’s inquest, took care of a pauper, or had other business with the county. See commissioners’ records.