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Indiana County
Switzerland County, Indiana
Vevay and Indiana's Swiss wine heritage - from Vevay's founding by Swiss immigrants who established Indiana's first commercial winery in the early 1800s (Swiss settlers from the Vaud canton arrived in 1802 and planted vineyards along the Ohio River, making Switzerland County the birthplace of Indiana's wine industry and one of the earliest wine-producing regions in the American Midwest) to the county's scenic Ohio River bluff country (the steep hills and river views of Switzerland County make it one of southeast Indiana's most picturesque counties, with the Ohio River forming the entire southern boundary).
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Office: Switzerland County Sheriff’s Office – Vevay, IN | Sheriff Brian Morton. Confirm current phone via scso-in.org.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-56/156 serve Vevay, the county seat, on the Ohio River.
Notes: Switzerland County was formed in 1814. Vevay was platted in 1813 by Swiss immigrants; when the county formed the following year, Vevay was made its seat. Nearby Patriot is the only incorporated town in the entire United States bearing that name.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Switzerland County Courthouse – Vevay, IN (built 1862-1864, Greek Revival; National Register of Historic Places).
Notes: Switzerland County holds a genuinely remarkable place in American culinary and agricultural history: Vevay is widely credited as home to the first successful commercial winery in the United States. John James Dufour, a French-speaking Swiss immigrant, left his home in Vevey, Switzerland in 1796 (or 1801, per some sources) to bring winemaking to America, studying viticulture at private vineyards including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Using native American grape varieties, Dufour’s Indiana Vineyard produced its first wine by 1807, reaching about 2,400 gallons annually by 1810 across 8 acres – output that earned praise from President Jefferson himself after Dufour sent him samples in 1805. Dufour’s 1826 book “The Vinedresser’s Guide” was influential in early American viticulture. The tradition eventually gave way to hay production by the mid-19th century, but Switzerland County still celebrates its winemaking heritage each year with the Swiss Wine Festival in Vevay (established 1968), one of Indiana’s best-rated food festivals, featuring a Grand Festival Parade, a Grape Stomp competition, and wines from numerous Indiana wineries along the state’s official Wine Trail.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Switzerland County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via switzerlandcounty.in.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Switzerland County Public Library (Vevay) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Swiss Heritage Village & Museum, Shawe Memorial Park, The Ridge Winery, and the annual Swiss Wine Festival are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine, nationally significant claim of Vevay as home to the first successful commercial winery in the United States – praised directly by Thomas Jefferson – is among the most historically remarkable local facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Switzerland County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via switzerlandcounty.in.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Switzerland County Humane Society – confirm current contact via switzerlandcounty.in.gov.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Switzerland County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via switzerlandcounty.in.gov.
NOTES: Switzerland County is the seventy-ninth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine, nationally significant claim of Vevay as home to the first successful commercial winery in the United States 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 Switzerland County
Switzerland County is southeast Indiana’s Swiss heritage and Ohio River wine country county – Vevay’s founding by Swiss vintners in the early 1800s established a wine tradition that has been revived by modern wineries, while the county’s scenic Ohio River bluffs and small-town character attract visitors and rural residents seeking one of Indiana’s most distinctive corners.
Vevay (the county seat, population ~1,600) is Switzerland County’s governmental hub and a historic river town whose Swiss heritage, wine festivals, and Ohio River setting make it one of Indiana’s more culturally distinctive small county seats.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Switzerland County Assessor at 212 W. Main Street, Vevay, IN 47043, phone 812-427-3175. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Switzerland County Circuit Court at 212 W. Main Street, Vevay, IN 47043, phone 812-427-3175, 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)
212 W. Main St., Vevay, IN 47043
(812) 427-3175
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
212 W. Main St., Vevay, IN 47043
(812) 427-3175
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Switzerland County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The county’s Swiss immigrant heritage and Indiana’s first commercial vineyards are a distinctive local settlement-history topic.
Local societies
No dedicated Switzerland 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
Switzerland County Circuit Court 212 West Main Street, Vevay, IN 47043 (812) 427-3410
Switzerland County was settled by Swiss immigrants who established Indiana’s first commercial vineyards along the Ohio River. The 1862-1864 Switzerland County Courthouse (Greek Revival, National Register of Historic Places) features a Corinthian-columned portico.
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 Switzerland 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 Switzerland 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
205 E. Pike St., Vevay, IN 47043
(812) 427-2325
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
212 W. Main St., Vevay, IN 47043
(812) 427-3175
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Switzerland County Health Dept
(812) 427-2876
IN FSSA — Southeast Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Dearborn County Hospital (Lawrenceburg)
dchospital.com
King's Daughters' Health (Madison)
kdmadison.org
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Switzerland County Health Department – confirm current contact via switzerlandcounty.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: Vevay
Population: 11,000
Area: 222 sq mi
Established: 1814
Tier: 4
Public Records
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