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Indiana County
Benton County, Indiana
Fowler and Indiana's wind energy prairie - from Benton County's emergence as Indiana's wind energy capital (the county's remarkably flat, open prairie terrain makes it one of Indiana's premier wind energy sites, and the Benton County Wind Farm is among the largest in the state, with hundreds of turbines generating electricity across the former Kankakee Marsh prairie landscape) to the county's exceptional agricultural productivity (Benton County's nearly level, tile-drained soils consistently produce some of Indiana's highest corn and soybean yields per acre, making it one of the state's most intensively farmed counties despite its small population).
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What do you need to do?
Tell us your goal and we'll guide you step-by-step to the right office, forms, and official resources.
Office: Benton County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via bentoncounty.in.gov.
Sheriff: Benton County Sheriff’s Office – 105 S. Lincoln Avenue, Fowler, IN 47944 | (765) 884-0080 (Option 1: jail, Option 2: admin/dispatch) | Fax (765) 252-1782 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff John Cox. Serves roughly 8,700-8,900 residents across 412 square miles; jail opened 1997, capacity 43. Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 AM-4 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-52 and SR-43 serve Fowler, the county seat, in far northwestern Indiana.
Notes: Benton County was established by the Indiana General Assembly in 1840, covering roughly 406-412 square miles. Its original county seat was Oxford; after a contentious dispute, the seat moved to Fowler in 1874. Fowler was platted in 1871 by Moses Fowler and officially incorporated in 1875, growing quickly – by September 1875 it already supported 10 lawyers, 3 doctors, 2 churches, and 3 restaurants.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Benton County Courthouse – Fowler, IN (built 1874, architecturally notable building).
Notes: Benton County holds a genuinely remarkable place in American wind-energy history. Its flat terrain and strong, consistent winds made it a pioneer site for utility-scale wind power: the Benton County Wind Farm came online in 2008, followed by the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm (2008-2009), a joint BP/Dominion Resources project with a 600 MW nameplate capacity that was, at the time, one of the largest wind farms in the world and the second utility-scale wind facility built in Indiana. Fowler and the surrounding area now host roughly 653 wind turbines with a combined capacity exceeding 1,288 MW – spanning Benton and neighboring Warren counties across some 50,000 acres, with crops still grown beneath and between the turbines. The 2015 Amazon Wind Farm Fowler Ridge project alone contributed an estimated $40 million to the regional economy, including $5 million in local tax revenue.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Benton County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via bentoncounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Fowler-Benton County Public Library (Fowler) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Fowler Ridge and Benton County Wind Farms (visible from most points in the county) are the county’s most distinctive modern landscape feature and a notable renewable-energy tourism draw.
Notes: The genuine, historically significant role of Benton County as one of the earliest and largest utility-scale wind-energy regions in the United States is among the standout local facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Benton County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via bentoncounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ No confirmed dedicated Benton County animal shelter was found in current sourcing. Residents should contact the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, (765) 884-0080 ext. 2, for current animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Benton County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via bentoncounty.in.gov. Wind energy development in the county requires county planning approval and, for structures over 200 feet, FAA obstruction evaluation.
NOTES: Benton County is the fourth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, historically significant role of Benton County as one of the earliest and largest utility-scale wind-energy regions in the US is among the standout local facts covered in this project. ⚠️ Animal services could not be confirmed and are flagged for follow-up rather than smoothed over. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Benton County
Benton County is northwest Indiana’s flat prairie wind energy and agricultural county – the open landscape that makes Benton County one of Indiana’s top corn and soybean producers also makes it ideal for wind power generation, creating a dual agricultural and renewable energy economy across one of Indiana’s most sparsely populated counties.
Fowler (the county seat, population ~2,300) is Benton County’s governmental and commercial center, a small prairie town serving one of Indiana’s most agricultural and least populated counties near the Illinois border.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Benton County Assessor at 706 E. 5th Street, Fowler, IN 47944, phone 765-884-0220. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Benton County Circuit Court at 706 E. 5th Street, Fowler, IN 47944, phone 765-884-0930, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT (Court Records, Marriage Licenses)
706 E. 5th St., Fowler, IN 47944
(765) 884-0760
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
706 E. 5th St., Fowler, IN 47944
(765) 884-0760
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Benton County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Benton County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Benton County Circuit Court 706 East 5th Street, Fowler, IN 47944 (765) 884-0930
Benton County is a small, rural county in west-central Indiana known for its agricultural heritage and wind farms.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Indiana has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is governed by Indiana Code Title 29. Indiana offers several tracks depending on estate size and complexity:
Small Estate Affidavit – for estates where the gross probate estate (less liens, encumbrances, and funeral expenses) is $100,000 or less. Available 45 days after death. The affidavit must be signed and recorded with the county recorder’s office before a personal representative is appointed. No court filing is required.
Devolution of Real Estate Affidavit – a separate affidavit specifically for transferring real property, available 7 months after death, with no value limit on the real estate, recorded with the county recorder.
Unsupervised Administration – a simplified probate track available when the estate is solvent and all inheritors agree; fewer court appearances and filings than supervised administration.
Supervised Administration – full court oversight, used for contested, complex, or insolvent estates.
Step 2: filing for formal probate
File a Petition for Probate of Will and for Issuance of Letters (if there’s a will) or a Petition for Appointment of Personal Representative (if intestate) with the Benton County Circuit Court.
The court reviews the will for compliance with Indiana Code § 29-1-5-3 (in writing, signed by the testator, witnessed by at least 2 credible witnesses).
The court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (intestate) appointing the personal representative.
Publish notice to creditors; creditors generally have a limited window (commonly 3 months from first publication) to file claims.
The personal representative marshals assets, pays valid debts and expenses, and distributes the estate.
File a closing statement or final accounting to formally close the estate.
What it costs
Indiana does not have a state estate or inheritance tax.
Filing fees vary by county – confirm current amounts with the Benton County Circuit Court.
Indiana has no statutory fee schedule for attorneys or personal representatives – fees must be “reasonable” and are subject to court approval.
Typical timelines: Small Estate Affidavit – a minimum 45-day wait; Unsupervised Administration – roughly 6-9 months if uncontested; Supervised Administration – 9-12+ months.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
706 E. 5th St., Fowler, IN 47944
(765) 884-1240
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
706 E. 5th St., Fowler, IN 47944
(765) 884-0760
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Benton County Health Dept
(765) 884-1920
IN FSSA — Northwest Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Franciscan Health Rensselaer
franciscanhealth.org/rensselaer
IU Health White Memorial (Monticello)
iuhealth.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Benton County Health Department – confirm current contact via bentoncounty.in.gov.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Fowler
Population: 8,700
Area: 406 sq mi
Established: 1840
Tier: 4
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Benton County residents.
