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Indiana County
Gibson County, Indiana
Princeton's Toyota Manufacturing and southwest Indiana energy production - from Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana in Princeton (the massive Toyota truck and SUV assembly plant in Gibson County - one of the largest manufacturing employers in southwest Indiana, producing Sequoia and Highlander vehicles - has brought significant economic activity and employment to a region that had previously depended on coal and agriculture) to Gibson County's coal mining and power generation heritage (the Western Coal Field's Gibson County seams supported mining operations and coal-fired power generation for generations, providing energy and employment to southwest Indiana communities).
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Office: Gibson County Emergency Management – confirm current contact via gibsoncounty-in.gov.
Sheriff: Gibson County Sheriff’s Office – 119 E. Brumfield Avenue, Princeton, IN 47670 (new facility, opened mid-May 2025, houses Sheriff’s Office, 911 Dispatch, and County Jail; entrance at Brumfield Ave and Prince St) | Office (812) 385-3496 | Fax (812) 385-2814; Sheriff Vanoven.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-41 and SR-64 serve Princeton, the county seat, in southwestern Indiana.
Notes: Gibson County is Indiana’s Alphanumeric County Number 26.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gibson County Courthouse – Princeton, IN.
Notes: Gibson County holds a genuinely remarkable place in American civil rights history. Sheriff Thomas Beloat, who served 1901-1904, personally prevented the lynching of a 19-year-old white man named Henry Reynolds, accused of assaulting a 14-year-old girl, in Princeton on June 11, 1901. His actions were significant enough to draw national attention, including a June 1901 New York Tribune article, and Mark Twain himself credited Beloat in his 1901 essay “The United States of Lyncherdom” as one of only two American law enforcement officials whose bravery in stopping lynchings he specifically praised.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gibson County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via gibsoncounty-in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Gibson County Public Library (Princeton) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Downtown Princeton’s historic district is the county’s primary heritage attraction.
Notes: The genuine, nationally significant history of Sheriff Thomas Beloat – credited by Mark Twain for preventing a 1901 lynching – is among the most historically remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gibson County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via gibsoncounty-in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via gibsoncounty-in.gov; Gibson County Sheriff’s Office, (812) 385-3496, for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gibson County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via gibsoncounty-in.gov.
NOTES: Gibson County is the twenty-seventh county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, nationally significant history of Sheriff Thomas Beloat – credited by Mark Twain for preventing a 1901 lynching – is among the most historically remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project. 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 Gibson County
Gibson County is southwest Indiana’s Toyota manufacturing and coal heritage county – the Toyota Indiana plant in Princeton and the county’s Western Coal Field energy production define a community navigating the intersection of traditional and new economy.
Princeton (the county seat, population ~8,500) has benefited significantly from the Toyota plant’s employment – the manufacturing facility has sustained Gibson County’s economy through the post-coal transition.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gibson County Assessor at 101 N. Main Street, Suite 204, Princeton, IN 47670, phone 812-386-6113. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Gibson County Circuit Court at 101 N. Main Street, Princeton, IN 47670, phone 812-386-8401, 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)
101 N. Main St., Princeton, IN 47670
(812) 386-8401
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
101 N. Main St., Princeton, IN 47670
(812) 386-8401
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gibson County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Gibson 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
Gibson County Circuit Court 101 North Main Street, Princeton, IN 47670 (812) 385-4885
Since 1815, three courthouses have served Gibson County; the current 1883-1884 Romanesque Revival building (National Register of Historic Places) was the model for Department 56’s Original Snow Village Courthouse collectible.
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 Gibson 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 Gibson 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
200 E. Broadway St., Princeton, IN 47670
(812) 386-8433
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
101 N. Main St., Princeton, IN 47670
(812) 386-8401
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Gibson County Health Dept
(812) 386-6401
IN FSSA — Southwest Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Gibson General Hospital
gibsongeneral.com (Princeton — quality community hospital)
Deaconess Health System (Evansville)
deaconess.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gibson County Health Department – confirm current contact via gibsoncounty-in.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Princeton
Population: 33,000
Area: 490 sq mi
Established: 1813
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Gibson County residents.
