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Indiana County
Spencer County, Indiana
Lincoln's boyhood home and Ohio River bluffs - from Lincoln State Park and the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (Abraham Lincoln spent his formative years from age 7 to 21 in Spencer County, and the national memorial preserves the site of the Lincoln family farm where his mother Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried) to Spencer County's scenic Ohio River bluff country (the county's southern edge along the Ohio River features dramatic limestone bluffs, river bottom agriculture, and scenic overlooks that define one of southwest Indiana's most historically and naturally distinctive counties).
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Office: Spencer County Sheriff’s Office – Rockport, IN. Confirm current phone via spencercounty.in.gov.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-231/162 serve Rockport, the county seat, on the Ohio River – the town’s name comes from rocky outcroppings along the riverbank.
Notes: Spencer County was formed in 1818 from parts of Warrick and Perry counties, named for Captain Spier Spencer, killed at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Spencer County Courthouse – Rockport, IN.
Notes: Spencer County is genuinely one of the most historically significant places in Abraham Lincoln’s life: he lived there for 14 formative years, from age 7 to 21 (1816-1830), moving with his family from Kentucky. It was here that young Lincoln developed his love of books and learning and his entrepreneurial spirit before the family moved on to Illinois. The graves of his mother Nancy Lincoln and sister Sarah Lincoln Grigsby are located in Spencer County. The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial preserves the site of the Lincoln family farm, and the Rockport Lincoln Pioneer Village (built 1935 by WPA/FERA workers, architect George Honig; National Register of Historic Places since 1998) recreates more than 30 relocated 19th-century log structures depicting the Spencer County environment Lincoln knew, including a hutch handmade by Lincoln himself with his father Thomas. The county is also home to Saint Meinrad Archabbey, a significant Benedictine monastery, and Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari, a major regional amusement and water park.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Spencer County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via spencercounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Spencer County Public Library (Rockport) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, the Rockport Lincoln Pioneer Village and Museum, Saint Meinrad Archabbey, and Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, deeply significant Abraham Lincoln boyhood connection – 14 formative years spent in the county – is among the most historically important local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Spencer County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via spencercounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Spencer County Humane Society – confirm current contact via spencercounty.in.gov.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Spencer County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via spencercounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Spencer County is the seventy-fifth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, deeply significant Abraham Lincoln boyhood connection is among the most historically important 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 Spencer County
Spencer County is southwest Indiana’s Lincoln heritage and Ohio River county – the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial draws visitors from across the country while the county’s Ohio River bluffs, bottom land agriculture, and small communities maintain the rural character of the region where America’s 16th president came of age.
Rockport (the county seat, population ~2,100) serves as Spencer County’s governmental hub along the Ohio River, with Santa Claus – home to Holiday World theme park – adding a notable tourism draw to the county’s economy.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Spencer County Assessor at 200 Main Street, Rockport, IN 47635, phone 812-649-6027. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Spencer County Circuit Court at 200 Main Street, Rockport, IN 47635, phone 812-649-6028, 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)
200 Main St., Rockport, IN 47635
(812) 649-6027
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
200 Main St., Rockport, IN 47635
(812) 649-6027
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Spencer County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and Lincoln State Park document the significant Lincoln family history in the county.
Local societies
No dedicated Spencer 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
Spencer County Circuit Court 200 Main Street, Room 15, Rockport, IN 47635 (812) 649-6004
Spencer County is on the Ohio River in southern Indiana; the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, honoring Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home, is located here.
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 Spencer 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 Spencer 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 Main St., Rockport, IN 47635
(812) 649-4533
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
200 Main St., Rockport, IN 47635
(812) 649-6027
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Spencer County Health Dept
(812) 649-6036
IN FSSA — Southwest Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Deaconess Health System (Evansville)
deaconess.com
St. Mary's Medical Center (Evansville)
evansville.ascension.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Spencer County Health Department – confirm current contact via spencercounty.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: Rockport
Population: 20,000
Area: 399 sq mi
Established: 1818
Tier: 3
Public Records
TruthFinder
Search public records for Spencer County residents.
