Indiana was an early destination for African-Americans leaving North Carolina for perceived greener pastures. Several hundred free people of color migrated to Indiana in the 1830s and 1840s, but only two families have been definitively linked to the area that is now Wilson County. Another large migration circa 1880 was the subject of a Congressional inquiry. During the Great Migration, Indianapolis was a popular focus of migration.

• Artis, Morrison, and Sarah Lassiter Artis, Parke County, late 1840s
• Taylor, Kingsberry, and Charity Jones Taylor, Jefferson County, 1846-47 (onward to Michigan in early 1850s)
• Whitlock, Eleanor Bynum, Indianapolis, ca. 1878
• Bunn, Wiley C., Indianapolis, ca. 1878
• Ruffin, Green, Indianapolis, 1879 (soon returned to Wilson County)
• Sims, Jeffrey, and Carolina Shirley Sims and daughters Martha, Maliza, Lillie and Laura, Indianapolis, ca. 1879
• Farmer, Warren, and Nancy Farmer and children Ella, Roseann, Harriet, Julia, Abel, and Jason, ca. 1879
• Daniels, Julia, Indianapolis, ca. 1879
• Dew, Peter, and Ellen Daniels Dew and children William, Georgeanna, and Jennie, Indianapolis, ca. 1879
• Croom, William, Russellville, ca. 1880
• Bynum, Thomas, Indianapolis, ca. 1880
• Ellis, Joseph, and Prissa Ellis, Putnam County, 1880
• Artis, Jonathan and Margaret Woodard Artis and children, Greencastle, bef. 1880, Indianapolis, 1882
• McGowan, Ira R., Indianapolis, ca. 1884
• Bryant, Willis, Indianapolis, ca. 1885
• Joyner, Henry, and Annie Conner Joyner, Indianapolis, late 1880s
• Ward, Joseph H., Indianapolis, ca. 1888
• Blackwell, Nathan, and Delphia Simpson Lassiter Blackwell, and children Harriet, Jonah, Martha, and Peter, Indianapolis, 1890s
• Artis, John, and Hannah Ellis Artis, and daughters Maggie, Ardena, and Pennie, Indianapolis, bef. 1892
• Blackwell, Nathan, Indianapolis, bef. 1894
• McGowan, Nathan, Indianapolis, bef. 1894
• Suggs, Ella Farmer, Indianapolis, circa 1895
• Hester, Louisa Artis, Indianapolis, bef. 1900
• Kersey, Walter D. and son John D., Indianapolis, ca. 1900
• Kersey, Robert, Indianapolis, ca. 1900
• Baker, Nancy Newsome and daughters Stella Tomlinson Maxwell and Sarah Baker Gregory, Indianapolis, ca. 1900?
• Moore, Alice McGowan and children Charles, Hester, and Wilbert, Indianapolis, betw. 1900 and 1910
• Washington, George H., Indianapolis, 1903
• Venable, Eliza Patterson, Indianapolis, bef. 1910
• Woodard, John A., Indianapolis, ca. 1914
• Sims, Jack, Indianapolis, bef. 1940
• Williams, Eugene, Indianapolis, bef. 1942
• Lassiter, Ruby Jane, Indianapolis, 1943
• Lucas, Sidney, Gary, bef. 1948
• Sutton, Joseph L., Indianapolis, bef. 1958
• Deans, Lewis H., Indianapolis (in Macomb County, Mich., prior)
• Woodard, Floyd, Indianapolis, aft. 1945