Written by Victoria Vasquez | December 11, 2025
A Welcome Return
The Porter County Clerk Archives team is proud to welcome a new addition to its staff. Pete Bryant is a former Porter County IT Specialist. He recently filled the vacancy in the Clerk Archives department, which was left earlier this year by Linda Novotny. Linda served as an Archives Clerk from 2021 to 2025. She provided over 40 years of genealogical experience to the department. Her skill played an integral part during the early stages of the archives’ record digitization project. Jessica A. Bailey, Clerk of the Circuit Courts, launched the project on July 5, 2019. The project is led by Victoria Vasquez, Archives Coordinator.
Pete first came to Porter County Government in 2013 starting with the Information Technology Systems department. As an IT Specialist, he offered external support of software systems to nearly 600 county employees for over a decade. After a brief retirement, his career path changed on December 1, 2025, when he joined the Clerk Archives team.
“I have a special interest in the history of art and was drawn to the Clerk Archives project because of its similarities with record preservation. I am intrigued by Porter County’s history and look forward to contributing to the team’s efforts.” -Pete Bryant.
Pete is a member of the Chicago Art Institute and brings with him over 30 years of IT and Customer Support experience.
“We’re thrilled to welcome our newest team member to the records digitization project. Welcome, Pete Bryant, Pete’s expertise and energy will help us take innovation to the next level!” -Jessica A. Bailey, Clerk of the Circuit Courts.
Bringing the past to life is a task embraced by the Clerk Archives team. The team has rediscovered the historical events of Porter County through the vast collection of records within their holdings. They have highlighted the early settlers’ contributions as topics of interest. This effort has allowed the team to retell the stories of early homesteaders for the next generation. To date, they have built the digital foundation of an online index. This index offers public access to the first Porter County marriage book dating from 1836 to 1850. A Coroner’s Index is available online and dates from 1855 to 1935. A registry of Indiana Civil War Soldiers is also available and dates back to May of 1886. The first marriage recorded in Porter County, Indiana is for Richard Henthorne and Jane Spurlock, who received their marriage license on May 5, 1836 from George W. Turner, the first County Clerk. More online indexes will be available to the public next year.
Since the project started in 2019, the Clerk Archives team has diligently processed thousands of historical records. Some of the oldest records date as far back to 1836. This was when Porter County was first established. These records include details of the county’s first election.
Members of the Archives team are pictured with its old marriage record books. These books are held in a temperature controlled environment.
Pictured clockwise:
Victoria Vasquez, Archives Coordinator
Victoria Jankowski, Archives Clerk
Pete Bryant, Archives Clerk
The archives record digitization project provides online public access to record indexes. These indexes are from its growing record collections. The indexes are conveniently available to independent researchers, educators, government agencies, genealogists, and the public. Its initiatives have reached a global presence with inquiries from other countries like Italy and Sweden. Recently, the Archives team received a $750 micro-grant from Centier Bank that will be used to help further their cause.
The Clerk Archives department is a growing resource for the public both on a local and international level. Individuals seeking dual-citizenship can obtain certain records to prove their family lineage at the Clerk Archives. There are two new digital ways that patrons can conveniently make a records request. The first is to use the online records request form located on their website. Second, patrons can use the mobile app for the “Porter County Clerk’s Office.” The public can download the mobile app through the App Store or Google Play.
The Clerk Archives team continues to meet their project goals with the help of community volunteers, partners and sponsors. The project also provides an educational element through its college internship program. College students that join in the program will learn about the local court systems and record preservation techniques. Next year, Andres Chapa will start his internship. He is a Criminal Justice student at Purdue University Northwest. This will take place in the 2026 Spring Semester. Andres is familiar with criminal research, a bilingual student and a member of the World Language Honor Society. Those who want to volunteer with the project can pick up an application at the Clerk Archives office. The office is located at 3560 Willowcreek Road, Portage, Indiana. Those applying for the internship program can also find applications there. Applications are available Monday through Friday during normal business hours between 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Visit the Porter County Clerk Archives at www.clerkarchives.in to learn more about the project!
The Dash 