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Indiana County
Fountain County, Indiana
Covington and Wabash River valley - from Covington's position on the bluffs above the Wabash River (the Wabash River forms Fountain County's western boundary with Illinois, and the river valley's scenic bluffs and bottomland agriculture define much of the county's western character) to Fountain County's rolling upland terrain (the county's interior features gently rolling farmland drained by Coal Creek and other Wabash tributaries, supporting productive corn, soybean, and livestock operations across west-central Indiana).
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Office: Fountain County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via fountaincounty.net.
Sheriff: Fountain County Sheriff’s Office – 216 Union Street, Covington, IN 47932. Confirm current phone via fountaincounty.net; Sheriff Terry R. Holt.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: An interstate highway, two U.S. Routes, and five Indiana state roads cross the county, along with a major railroad line, serving Covington, the county seat, on the east side of the Wabash River. Attica, not Covington, is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Fountain County was officially established April 1, 1826, the 53rd county formed in Indiana, named for Major James Fontaine, a Revolutionary War and Northern Indian War officer. Covington was established as county seat later that year; a two-story frame courthouse was built in 1827, replaced by brick in 1833. The county seat’s location was contested for years since Covington wasn’t centrally located, but a proposed 1831 relocation was ultimately abandoned once railroads addressed the geographic concern.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Fountain County Courthouse – 301 4th Street, Covington, IN (built 1937 as a Public Works Administration project, Art Deco, architect Louis R. Johnson, cost $228,822; National Register of Historic Places since 2008).
Notes: Fountain County has a genuine literary connection: David Wallace, father of Lew Wallace (author of the classic novel “Ben Hur”), was a Covington merchant and lawyer who was elected Lieutenant Governor of Indiana in 1832 while a county resident, and Governor in 1838. The Fountain County Clerk’s Building (built 1842, also known as the Lew Wallace Law Office, 516 4th Street, Covington) is separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a Federal-style red brick building tied to this family. Fountain County’s only recorded execution was John Richardson in 1829, convicted of murdering his wife.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Fountain County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via fountaincounty.net.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Carnegie Library of Covington (Covington) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Covington Courthouse Square Historic District, Covington Residential Historic District, and the Fountain County Clerk’s Building (Lew Wallace Law Office) are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine literary connection between Fountain County and Lew Wallace, author of “Ben Hur,” is among the standout local historical facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Fountain County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via fountaincounty.net.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
⚠️ No confirmed dedicated Fountain County animal shelter was found in current sourcing. Residents should contact the Fountain County Sheriff’s Office for current animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Fountain County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via fountaincounty.net.
NOTES: Fountain County is the twenty-fourth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine literary connection to Lew Wallace, author of “Ben Hur,” is among the standout local historical 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 Fountain County
Fountain County is west-central Indiana’s Wabash River border county – Covington sits above the river on the Indiana-Illinois boundary while the county’s rolling uplands support a traditional agricultural economy of corn, soybeans, and livestock that has sustained the county’s rural communities for generations.
Covington (the county seat, population ~2,400) is Fountain County’s governmental and commercial hub, a small river town serving county residents in west-central Indiana near the Illinois border.
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Fountain County Assessor at 301 4th Street, Covington, IN 47932, phone 765-793-2192. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Fountain County Circuit Court at 301 4th Street, Covington, IN 47932, phone 765-793-2192, 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)
301 4th St., Covington, IN 47932
(765) 793-2391
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
301 4th St., Covington, IN 47932
(765) 793-2391
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Fountain County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Fountain 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
Fountain County Circuit Court 301 4th Street, Covington, IN 47932 (765) 793-2192 Fountain County is a small, rural county on the Wabash River in west-central Indiana.
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 Fountain 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 Fountain 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
301 4th St., Covington, IN 47932
(765) 793-4344
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
301 4th St., Covington, IN 47932
(765) 793-2391
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Fountain County Health Dept
(765) 793-4340
IN FSSA — West Central Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Indiana University Health Arnett (Lafayette)
iuhealth.org/arnett
Franciscan Health Crawfordsville
franciscanhealth.org/crawfordsville
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Fountain-Warren County Health Department – 113 W. Sycamore Street, Attica, IN 47918 | (877) 339-9567 | Fax (765) 762-6520 | Email: [email protected].
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Covington
Population: 16,000
Area: 396 sq mi
Established: 1825
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Fountain County residents.
