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Indiana County
Franklin County, Indiana
Metamora's Whitewater Canal State Historic Site and Brookville Lake - from the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site in Metamora (the remarkably preserved 1840s canal town of Metamora - with its operating gristmill, covered aqueduct, and canal boat rides - is one of Indiana's finest living history sites, preserving the physical world of the antebellum canal era that briefly connected Indiana's interior to the Ohio River before railroads made canals obsolete) to Brookville Lake (the 5,260-acre Army Corps reservoir that provides boating, fishing, and camping in the scenic Whitewater River valley).
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Office: Franklin County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via franklincounty.in.gov.
Sheriff: Franklin County Sheriff’s Office – 371 Main Street, Brookville, IN 47012 | (765) 647-4138. Hours: Mon-Fri 7 AM-4 PM.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-52 and SR-101 serve Brookville, the county seat, on the eastern edge of Indiana bordering Ohio, part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
Notes: Franklin County was authorized February 1, 1811, effective January 1, 1811, named for Benjamin Franklin. Brookville predates the county itself: it was platted in August 1808 by Jesse B. Thomas, a Lawrenceburg lawyer and legislator, with early lot sales advertised for payment “in pork, tallow, beeswax, hog’s lard, hemp or tobacco.” The West and East forks of the Whitewater River converge at Brookville, shaping the town’s distinctive “hill” and “bottom” geography.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Franklin County Courthouse – Brookville, IN, part of the Brookville Historic District.
Notes: Franklin County holds a genuinely poignant piece of American natural history: a state historical marker at the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site (near Lock #25, Gazebo Park) commemorates the Passenger Pigeon Extinction – the passenger pigeon, once North America’s most abundant bird species with populations in the billions, was driven to complete extinction by the early 20th century. Brookville also preserves the Whetzel Trace (1818-1823), an early transportation route, and hosts the Academy of the Immaculate Conception in nearby Oldenburg, a significant religious and educational institution. The Snow Hill Covered Bridge near Rockdale carries Snow Hill Road over Johnson Fork.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Franklin County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via franklincounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Brookville’s Carnegie Library – 919 N. Main Street, Brookville, IN. Confirm current phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Whitewater Canal State Historic Site, Snow Hill Covered Bridge, and the Brookville Historic District are the county’s premier heritage attractions.
Notes: The genuine, poignant Passenger Pigeon Extinction marker at the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site is among the most historically significant natural-history facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Franklin County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via franklincounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Franklin County Animal Shelter – Email:[email protected] (confirm – cross-check against Franklin County’s own domain before publishing); alternatively contact Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, (765) 647-4138, for current animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Franklin County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via franklincounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Franklin County is the twenty-fifth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, poignant Passenger Pigeon Extinction marker at the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site is among the most historically significant natural-history facts covered anywhere in this project. ⚠️ The animal services contact above needs direct verification – flagged 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 Franklin County
Franklin County is southeast Indiana’s Whitewater Canal and Brookville Lake county – Metamora’s operating canal-era gristmill and aqueduct preserve the antebellum waterway world with extraordinary authenticity, and Brookville Lake’s reservoir recreation draws visitors year-round.
Metamora (population ~200) is one of Indiana’s smallest but most-visited communities – the preserved canal town draws heritage tourists to its operating gristmill, covered aqueduct, and canal boat rides.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Franklin County Assessor at 459 Main Street, Brookville, IN 47012, phone 765-647-4921. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Franklin County Circuit Court at 459 Main Street, Brookville, IN 47012, phone 765-647-5111, 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)
459 Main St., Brookville, IN 47012
(765) 647-4631
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
459 Main St., Brookville, IN 47012
(765) 647-4631
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Franklin County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Brookville Lake and the historic confluence of the Whitewater River forks are significant regional natural and historical landmarks.
Local societies
No dedicated Franklin 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
Franklin County Circuit Court 459 Main Street, Brookville, IN 47012 (765) 647-5111
Franklin County’s seat, Brookville, sits at the confluence of the East and West Forks of the Whitewater River, a scenic area popular for boating and fishing at nearby Brookville Lake.
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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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
390 E. 6th St., Brookville, IN 47012
(765) 647-2137
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
459 Main St., Brookville, IN 47012
(765) 647-4631
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Franklin County Health Dept
(765) 647-4158
IN FSSA — Southeast Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Margaret Mary Health (Batesville)
mmhealth.org
Dearborn County Hospital (Lawrenceburg)
dchospital.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Franklin County Health Department – confirm current contact via franklincounty.in.gov.
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Editorial Trust
5 official sources cited
Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Brookville
Population: 23,000
Area: 386 sq mi
Established: 1811
Tier: 3
Public Records
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