Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana
township in Clark County, Indiana, United States
Bethlehem Township is one of twelve townships in Clark County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population was 309 and it contained 127 housing units.
History
Bethlehem Township was organized in 1816. It was named after the town of Bethlehem, Indiana.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the township has a total area of 18.59 square miles (48.1 km2), of which 18.27 square miles (47.3 km2) (or 98.28%) is land and 0.31 square miles (0.80 km2) (or 1.67%) is water.
Unincorporated towns
Bethlehem
Miles Point
Otto
(This list is based on USGS data and may include former settlements.)
Adjacent townships
Owen Township (southwest)
Washington Township (west)
Saluda Township, Jefferson County (northwest)
Cemeteries
The township contains several cemeteries: Antioch, Bethlehem, Camp Creek, Louden, Mikesell, New Hope, Otto, Palmer, Patterson, Ross, Tiaris, Turner, and Waters (aka Stoner).
References
"Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
The public source identifies “Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana” as township in Clark County, Indiana, United States. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Bethlehem, Township and Clark.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana”, the useful work is to connect “township in Clark County, Indiana, United States” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q586806. Authority coordinates are 38.547, -85.457. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2010, 1816 and 2009.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana primary sources, Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana archive and Bethlehem research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Bethlehem Township, Clark County, Indiana” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.