Membership
Why Join? Am I eligible? Is my Ancestor already proven? Types of memberships?
Why Join?
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Give recognition to my ancestors to honor them and keep their names alive
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Archive research for future generations
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Prestige of joining a lineage society
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Joining Pilgrimages that focus on Indiana early history
Am I Eligible?
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If you have a direct-line ancestor that was residing in the State of Indiana by December of the cutoff year, then you are eligible to submit an application for membership in The Society of Indiana Pioneers
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As of November, 2018, we now have a two-tiered eligibility map. The yellow counties were founded close to 1840 or later which left very few with options when it came to their pioneer ancestors in those counties. SIP has updated the cutoff date in those counties to December 31st, 1850, which covers our pioneers movement into the newer counties.
Is my ancestor already proven?
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When you trace your ancestry to a settler who lived in Indiana during its pioneer era, the application documentation for that settler becomes part of the Society’s genealogical archives — a unique source of information about Indiana’s pioneers.
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We have all our proven ancestors available to Search. If you find your Indiana Pioneer Ancestor’s name, that means that someone has submitted an application sometime since 1916 when the group was formed and we might have some information that could be shared for anyone applying for membership.
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If you find your ancestor, make sure to send the genealogist an email (genealogist@indianapioneers.org) and we can check to see what is on file for your ancestor that might be helpful with your own application.
Types of Membership
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The Membership Process involves filling in the application and supplying documentation to prove birth, death, marriage and the tie between generations. Head over to HOW TO JOIN for more information on the application process.
Important to note:
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The very first application you make is called the “Initial Application” which has a $25.00 fee.
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Every application you make after the first one is considered an “Added Line Application” and has a $15.00 fee. (If you would like to add your pioneer ancestor’s spouse, that would also be considered as an “Added Line.”)
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When a prospective member applies for the first time, it is considered as their Initial Application. This ancestor will always be listed as their very first ancestor so many people choose the ancestor that is the farthest back or has sentimental meaning such as the same surname or maiden-surname.
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When the applicant has all their documents copied and ready to submit along with their application, a check should accompany the documents that includes the Initial application fee ($25.00) plus the yearly dues ($25.00) for a total of $50.00.
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ANY subsequent applications submitted after the Initial Application are considered to be Added Lines (even if they are starting a new line in the family tree!) The fee for Added Lines is $15.00 each.
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Some members only ever add one ancestor and others add ALL of their ancestors that qualify according to the Eligibility Dates (see the map above). It’s really up to the member to decide!