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Indiana County
Vermillion County, Indiana
Newport and Wabash River Illinois border country - from Newport's annual Antique Power Show (one of Indiana's longest-running agricultural heritage festivals, drawing vintage tractor and farm equipment enthusiasts from across the region each summer) to Vermillion County's coal and industrial heritage (the county sits atop the Illinois Basin coalfield and was a significant Indiana coal producer, with the Cayuga Power Plant historically one of the region's major electricity generators along the Wabash River corridor).
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Office: Vermillion County Sheriff’s Office – 1888 S. State Road 63, Hillsdale, IN 47854 | (765) 492-3838; Sheriff Robert J. Spence.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-36 and SR-63 serve Newport, the county seat, on the Illinois border along the Wabash River. Clinton is the county’s largest city. The county is less than 10 miles wide but extends over 37 miles north to south.
Notes: Vermillion County was formed February 1, 1824, named for the Vermilion River. A state historical marker commemorates Harrison’s Crossing (1811), where William Henry Harrison’s forces crossed the Vermilion River on the march to the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Vermillion County Courthouse – 255 S. Main Street, Newport, IN (built 1923-1925, Classical Revival, architect John B. Bayard, replacing an earlier courthouse that burned in 1923; National Register of Historic Places since 2007). The Vermillion County Jail and Sheriff’s Residence (220 E. Market Street, Newport, sheriff’s residence built 1868, Italianate brick; jail block added 1896, Romanesque Revival rusticated limestone, architect John W. Gaddis; National Register of Historic Places since 1999) now houses the Vermillion County Historical Society, with its own state historical marker.
Notes: Vermillion County has notable coal-mining industrial heritage centered on Clinton Township, and a genuine connection to American exploration history: Henry Dana Washburn, honored with a 2018 state historical marker in Clinton, led the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition, one of the first organized explorations of the Yellowstone region that helped spur the creation of Yellowstone National Park.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Vermillion County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via vermilliongov.us.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Vermillion County Public Library (Newport/Clinton) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Newport and Eugene Covered Bridges (both preserved with their own state historical markers), the Vermillion County Historical Society (former jail), and the annual Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb (running continuously since the 1960s, drawing several hundred cars) are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine connection to Henry Dana Washburn and the founding exploration of Yellowstone National Park is among the standout local historical facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Vermillion County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via vermilliongov.us.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Confirm current dedicated shelter contact via vermilliongov.us; Vermillion County Sheriff’s Office, (765) 492-3838, for animal control arrangements.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Vermillion County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via vermilliongov.us.
NOTES: Vermillion County is the eighty-third county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine connection to Henry Dana Washburn and the founding exploration of Yellowstone National Park is among the standout local historical facts covered 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 Vermillion County
Vermillion County is west-central Indiana’s narrow Wabash River border county – coal mining and power generation shaped the county’s industrial past while today’s economy blends agriculture, light manufacturing, and the rural character of Indiana’s western edge along the Illinois border.
Newport (the county seat, population ~520) is one of Indiana’s smallest county seats, with Clinton (population ~4,700) serving as Vermillion County’s primary commercial center along US 36.
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Vermillion County Assessor at 255 S. Main Street, Newport, IN 47966, phone 765-492-5360. IN assessed at market value.
Courts & Legal
Vermillion County Circuit Court at 255 S. Main Street, Newport, IN 47966, phone 765-492-3522, 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)
255 S. Main St., Newport, IN 47966
(765) 492-3500
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
255 S. Main St., Newport, IN 47966
(765) 492-3500
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Vermillion County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
The county’s coal-mining heritage is a significant local historical resource.
Local societies
No dedicated Vermillion 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
Vermillion County Circuit Court 255 South Main Street, Newport, IN 47966 (765) 492-3044
Vermillion County is on the Illinois border in west-central Indiana, historically tied to coal mining.
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 Vermillion 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 Vermillion 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
255 S. Main St., Newport, IN 47966
(765) 492-3838
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
255 S. Main St., Newport, IN 47966
(765) 492-3500
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Vermillion County Health Dept
(765) 492-3522
IN FSSA — West Central Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Union Hospital (Terre Haute)
myunionhospital.org
Terre Haute Regional Hospital
regionalhospital.com
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Vermillion County Health Department – confirm current contact via vermilliongov.us.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Newport
Population: 15,500
Area: 257 sq mi
Established: 1824
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Vermillion County residents.
