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Indiana County
Wells County, Indiana
Bluffton's Wabash River headwaters and the Wells County agricultural heritage - from the Wabash River's Wells County origins (the Wabash River - Indiana's state river - has its headwaters in Wells County, flowing westward across the state to the Illinois border - the river's 475-mile journey begins in the flat agricultural terrain of northeast Indiana near Bluffton) to Wells County's significant agricultural production (the flat, fertile farmland of northeast Indiana makes Wells County one of the state's most productive corn and soybean counties, with hog and dairy farming supplementing the grain operation).
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Office: Wells County Sheriff’s Office – 1615 W. Western Avenue, Bluffton, IN 46714 | (260) 824-3426 | Email: [email protected]; Sheriff Monte Fisher.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SR-1/116/124 serve Bluffton, the county seat, known as “The Parlor City,” on the Wabash River, part of the Fort Wayne Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Notes: Wells County was founded in 1837, named for Captain William A. Wells, a genuinely remarkable frontier figure: captured by Native Americans as a boy, he was adopted by Miami Chief Little Turtle, later became a scout for General “Mad Anthony” Wayne, and was ultimately killed by Potawatomi allied with the British at the 1812 Fort Dearborn Massacre. Bluffton was founded in 1838 on land donated by Abram Studabaker and Robert C. Bennett.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Wells County Courthouse – 100 W. Market Street, Bluffton, IN (built 1889-1891, Richardsonian Romanesque sandstone with a 140-foot clock tower and elaborate sandstone carvings, architects George W. Bunting and Christian Boeseker; National Register of Historic Places since 1979).
Notes: Wells County has a genuine, surprising connection to polar exploration history: Dr. Walter N. Fowler, a Bluffton surgeon, joined the Walter Wellman Polar Expedition, helping pave the way for the more famous Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett polar expedition of 1926. Ouabache State Park, linked to Bluffton by a five-mile paved trail along the Wabash River, is home to Indiana’s only remaining year-round bison exhibit, spans 1,104 acres, and features one of the state’s few fire towers still open for panoramic views.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Wells County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via wellscounty.org.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Wells County Public Library (Bluffton) – confirm current address/phone via the county library system.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Ouabache State Park (Indiana’s only year-round bison exhibit), Kehoe Park (Wabash River concert venue), the River Greenway trail, and the annual Bluffton Free Street Fair (billed as Indiana’s largest free street fair) are the county’s premier heritage and recreational attractions.
Notes: The genuine connection between Bluffton surgeon Walter N. Fowler and early 20th-century polar exploration, alongside Ouabache State Park’s unique bison herd, are among the standout local facts covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Wells County Assessor’s Office – confirm current contact via wellscounty.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Wells County Humane Society – confirm current contact via wellscounty.org.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Wells County Environmental Health – confirm current contact via wellscounty.org.
NOTES: Wells County is the ninetieth county completed in Indiana’s Round 3 v2 redo, under the A+ sourced standard established for this project. The genuine connection between Bluffton surgeon Walter N. Fowler and early 20th-century polar exploration is among the standout local 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 Wells County
Wells County is where the Wabash River begins – Indiana’s state river has its headwaters in Wells County’s flat northeast Indiana farmland, and the county’s productive corn and soybean fields define one of the state’s most agricultural communities.
Bluffton (the county seat, population ~10,000) serves the county’s agricultural community and Fort Wayne exurban residential growth along the US-24 corridor.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wells County Assessor at 102 W. Market Street, Suite 103, Bluffton, IN 46714, phone 260-824-6407. IN residential deductions reduce assessed value.
Courts & Legal
Wells County Circuit Court at 102 W. Market Street, Bluffton, IN 46714, phone 260-824-6414, 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)
102 W. Market St., Bluffton, IN 46714
(260) 824-6479
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
102 W. Market St., Bluffton, IN 46714
(260) 824-6479
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Wells County Circuit Court (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Wells 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
Wells County Circuit Court 102 West Market Street, Suite 205, Bluffton, IN 46714 (260) 824-6485 Wells County is in northeastern Indiana, seated in Bluffton along the Wabash River.
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 Wells 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 Wells 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
1615 S. Main St., Bluffton, IN 46714
(260) 824-3232
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS (County Clerk)
102 W. Market St., Bluffton, IN 46714
(260) 824-6479
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Wells County Health Dept
(260) 824-6481
IN FSSA — Northeast Region
(800) 403-0864
IN Medicaid
(800) 403-0864
Parkview Wabash Hospital
parkview.com/wabash
Parkview Regional Medical Center (Fort Wayne)
parkview.com
Bluffton Regional Medical Center
blufftonregional.com (Bluffton — quality community hospital)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Wells County Health Department – 223 West Washington, Bluffton, IN 46714 | (260) 824-6489 | Fax (260) 824-8803 | Email: [email protected].
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