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When Illinois first became a state in 1818, its population was 34,620. It is now the sixth most populous state in America with close to 11.5 million people. You might think it will be hard to find your ancestor among so many people, but don’t worry; we’ll show you exactly how to track them down. To get you started in tracing your Illinois ancestry, we’ll introduce you to the records you’ll need, and help you to understand:
These records can be found both online and off, so we’ll introduce you to online websites, indexes and databases, as well as brick-and-mortar repositories and other institutions that will help with your research in Illinois. So that you will have a more comprehensive understanding of these records, we have provided a brief history of the “Prairie State” to illustrate what type of records may have been generated during specific time periods. That information will assist you in pinpointing times and locations on which to focus the search for your Illinois ancestors and their records.
Illinois was first visited by Europeans in 1673 and the area was claimed by France. The French established a settlement at Cahokia in 1699 and another at Kaskaskia in 1703. French control lasted until 1763 when Illinois was ceded from France to Great Britain. Many settlers from Virginia migrated to the area while it was under British control, which came to an end in 1778 when the militia of George Rogers Clark seized the area. Virginia eventually claimed all land north of the Ohio River, and the first “American” settlement was established at Bellefontaine in 1779.
The introduction of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 saw French Law repealed and the area organized into counties. Illinois was made part of the Indiana Territory in 1800, and in 1809 it became the Territory of Illinois. Migration to the area continued to increase as fur trappers flocked to the area, and settlements were established in the southern part of the territory, especially around the Wabash and Ohio Rivers and in the Mississippi River Valley. Illinois was finally granted statehood in 1818.
Chicago was founded in 1833 and the final treaty with Native Americans pertaining to Illinois land was signed with the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Ottawa tribes. The state capital was moved to Springfield in 1839, and the first railroad was opened from the Illinois River to Springfield. In 1844 Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet, and his brother were killed by a mob at Carthage; prompting a mass exodus of Mormons to an area that we know today as Utah.
The Civil War saw mixed loyalties among the Illinois populace, as many residents had migrated to the area from Virginia, a southern stronghold. The Union though was led by Abraham Lincoln, a native son, and 250,000 troops from Illinois supported the Union cause. In 1865 the Civil War ended, and President Lincoln was assassinated.
Illinois has a relatively peaceful history, though there were famous skirmishes between U.S. troops and the Native American tribes in what was known as the Blackhawk War. During the Civil war a prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers was established at Camp Douglas where many prisoners were starved to death. Death records of the Confederate prisoners who died in Camp Douglas can be viewed online in the Death Register from Camp Douglas Chicago, Illinois, 1865 held by the National Archives.
The battle accounts can be very effective in uncovering the military records of your ancestor. They can tell you what regiments fought in which battles, and often include the names and ranks of many officers and enlisted men.
Boundary Changes: Boundary changes are a common obstacle when researching Illinois ancestors. You could be searching for an ancestor’s record in one county when in fact it is stored in a different one due to historical county boundary changes. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries can help you to overcome that problem. It provides a chronological listing of every boundary change that has occurred in the history of Illinois.
Name Changes: Surname changes, variations, and misspellings can complicate genealogical research. It is important to check all spelling variations. Soundex, a program that indexes names by sound, is a useful first step, but you can't rely on it completely as some name variations result in different Soundex codes. The surnames could be different, but the first name may be different too. You can also find records filed under initials, middle names, and nicknames as well, so you will need to get creative with surname variations and spellings in order to cover all the possibilities. For help with surname variations read our instructional article on How to Use Soundex.
Genealogical resources include not only records, but the organizations that house them, or can direct you to them. These institutions include: Archives, Libraries, Genealogical Societies, Family History Centers, Universities, Churches, and Museums.
(NARA)—Great Lakes Region
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629-5898
Telephone: 773-948-9019
Fax: 773-948-9050
Margret Cross Norton Building
Capital Complex
Springfield, IL 62756
Telephone: 217-782-4682
Fax: 217-524-3930
NB: The Illinois State Archives responds only by mail to inquiries, so any telephone, fax, or e-mail inquiries must be accompanied by a mailing address.
Gwendolyn Brooks Bldg.
300 South Second Street
Springfield, IL 62701-1796
Telephone: 217-785-5600
Reference Department
112 No. 6th Street
Springfield, IL 62701-1507
Telephone: 217-524-7216
The Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Tel: (312) 943-9090
Genealogical and historical societies have access to extensive catalogues of genealogical data. They are also able to offer expert guidance for genealogical researchers. Many members are professional genealogists who are most willing to share their expertise in finding ancestors.
Illinois State Genealogical Society – death indexes, marriage index, church records, pioneers records, African American resources and more
P.O. Box 10195
Springfield, IL 62791
Telephone: 217-789-1968
Illinois State Historical Society – miscellaneous historical and genealogical resources
210 ½ South Sixth St.
Springfield, IL 62701-2781
Telephone: 217-525-2781
Fax: 217-525-2783
Decatur Genealogical Society & Library - especially large Genealogical Library containing historical and genealogical information on every county in Illinois
Decatur Genealogical Society
P O BOX 1548
Decatur, IL 62525-1548
The Family History Centers run by the LDS Church offer free access to billions of genealogical records for free to the general public. They also provide classes on genealogy and one-on-one assistance to inexperienced family historians. Here you will find a Complete Listing of Illinois Family History Centers.
Mailing lists are internet based facilities that use email to distribute a single message to all who subscribe to it. When information on a particular surname, new records, or any other important genealogy information related to the mailing list topic becomes available, the subscribers are alerted to it. Joining a mailing list is an excellent way to stay up to date on Illinois genealogy research topics. Rootsweb have an extensive listing of Illinois Mailing Lists on a variety of topics.
A message board is another internet based facility where people can post questions about a specific genealogy topic and have it answered by other genealogists. If you have questions about a surname, record type, or research topic, you can post your question and other researchers and genealogists will help you with the answer. Be sure to check back regularly, as the answers are not emailed to you. The message boards at the Illinois Genealogy Forum are completely free to use.
Many genealogy periodicals and historical newspapers contain reprinted copies of family genealogies, transcripts of family Bible records, information about local records and archives, census indexes, church records, queries, land records, obituaries, court records, cemetery records, and wills.
The Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Tel: (312) 943-9090
Maps are an integral part of genealogical research. They help us to locate landmarks, towns, cities, parishes, states, provinces, waterways and roads and streets. They also help us to determine when and where boundary changes might have taken place, and give us a visualization of the area we’re researching in.
For locating place names, a gazetteer is the best possible resource for any genealogist. Gazetteers are also sometimes called “place name dictionaries”, and can help you to locate the area in which you need to conduct research.
City directories are similar to telephone directories in that they list the residents of a particular area. The difference though is what is important to genealogists, and that is they pre-date telephone directories. You can find an ancestor’s information such as their street address, place of employment, occupation, or the name of their spouse. A one-stop-shop for finding city directories in Illinois is the Illinois Online Historical Directories which contains a listing of every available city and historical directory related to Illinois.
Birth, Death, Marriage and Divorce Records – Also known as vital records, birth, death, and marriage certificates are the most basic, yet most important records attached to your ancestor. The reason for their importance is that they not only place your ancestor in a specific place at a definite time, but potentially connect the individual to other relatives. Below is a list of repositories and websites where you can find Illinois vital records
Some county clerks kept vital records as early as 1838. The Family History Library has microfilm copies of these documents for many counties which can be accessed at Illinois Family History Centers. Existing originals are found in the county clerk’s office or in the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) for that county.
Original copies of Illinois Vital Records for death, birth, marriage, and divorce may be ordered from:
Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
Telephone: (217) 782-6553
Fax: 217-785-3209
The Illinois State Archives has an Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763–1900 which contains one million marriages, or two million names.
Census records are among the most important genealogical documents for placing your ancestor in a particular place at a specific time. Like BDM records, they can also lead you to other ancestors, particularly those who were living under the authority of the head of household.
Federal census records for Illinois exist from 1800 to 1990. Unfortunately the 1800 census was lost, and the 1810 census contains only a few names from Randolph County. The 1890 census was destroyed, though a few names from Mound Township in McDonough County remain.
Church and synagogue records are a valuable resource, especially for baptisms, marriages, and burials that took place before 1900. You will need to at least have an idea of your ancestor’s religious denomination, and in most cases you will have to visit a brick and mortar establishment to view them.
Most church records are kept by the individual church, although in some denominations, records are placed in a regional archive or maintained at the diocesan level. Local Historical Societies are sometimes the repository for the state’s older church records. Below are links archives that maintain church records, as well as a few databases that can be viewed online.
The Family History Library contains many church records from a variety of denominations on microfilm.
The Illinois State Archives collected some early Illinois church records that are now held by the Illinois State Library.
Most of the records of individual denominations are kept in central repositories.
American Baptist Historical Society
1106 South Goodman Street
Rochester, NY 14620
Phone: (716) 473-1740
Early, for Mormons in Illinois Wards and Branches can be found on microfilm at the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City. The film numbers can be searched online at the Family History Library Catalog
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA Archives)
8765 West Higgins Road
Chicago IL 60631-4198
Phone: (800) 638-3522 or (773) 380-2700
Fax: (773) 380-1465
Illinois Mennonite Historical and Genealogical Society
675 State Route 116
Metamora, IL 61548-7732
Phone: (309) 367-2551
Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference
United Methodist Church Historical Society
1211 North Park Street
Bloomington, Illinois 61701
Phone: (309) 828-5092, ext. 227
Attn: Archives
2121 Sheridan Road
Evanston, Illinois 60201
Phone: (847) 866-3909
Archives of the Archdiocese of Chicago
Joseph Cardinal Bernadine Archive and Record Center
Attn: Assistant Research Archivist
711 West Monroe
Chicago, Illinois 60661
Phone: (312) 831-0711
222 South Third Street
Belleville, IL 62220
Phone: (618) 277-8181
425 Summit St.
Joliet, IL 60435
Phone: (815) 722-6606
419 NE Madison Avenue
Peoria, IL 61603
Phone: (309) 671-1568
555 Colman Center Drive
P.O. Box 7044
Rockford, IL 61108
(815) 399-4300
Catholic Pastoral Center
1615 West Washington St.
P.O. Box 3187
Springfield, Illinois 62708-3187
Phone: (217) 698-8500
More than 40 million Americans have participated in some time of war service since America was colonized. The chance of finding your ancestor amongst those records is exceptionally high. Military records can even reveal individuals who never actually served, such as those who registered for the two World Wars but were never called to duty.
Margret Cross Norton Building
Capital Complex
Springfield, IL 62756
Telephone: 217-782-4682
Fax: 217-524-3930
NB: The Illinois State Archives responds only by mail to inquiries, so any telephone, fax, or e-mail inquiries must be accompanied by a mailing address.
As convenient as it is to search cemetery records online, keep in mind that there are a few disadvantages over visiting a cemetery in person. They are:
Obituaries can reveal a wealth about our ancestor and other relatives. You can search our Illinois Newspaper Obituaries Listings from hundreds of Illinois newspapers online for free.
The documents found in a probate packet may include a complete inventory of a person’s estate, newspaper entries, witness testimony, a copy of a will, list of debtors and creditors, names of executors or trustees, names of heirs. They can not only tell you about the ancestor you’re currently researching, but lead to other ancestors. Most of these records must be accessed at a county court or clerk’s office, but some can be found online as well. You can obtain copies of the original probate records by writing to the county clerk.
Since 1964, the circuit court in each county has custody of the earlier court records including those of the former Cook County Superior Court and a few other Chicago area courts. They can be found at:
Clerk of Circuit CourtArchives Room 1113
Richard J. Daley Center
50 W. Washington St.
Chicago, IL 60602
Telephone: 312- 603-6601
Fax: 312-603-4974
The Illinois Regional Archives has a huge database of court and county records for the entire state of Illinois
Family Search – has an online collection of probate records, which includes will, indexes, dating from 1819-1970
The naturalization process generated many types of records, including petitions, declarations of intention, and oaths of allegiance. These records can provide family historians with information such as a person's birth date and place of birth, immigration year, marital status, spouse information, occupation, witnesses' names and addresses, and more.
US National Archives – Immigration and Naturalization records for the entire United States
Family Search has two searchable online indexes, the Illinois, Northern District (Eastern Division), Naturalization Index, 1926-1979, and the Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950
Looking for female ancestors requires an adjustment of how we view traditional records sources. A woman’s identity was often under that of her husband, and often individual records for them can be difficult to locate. The following resources are effective in locating female ancestors in Illinois where traditional records may not reveal them.
Marriages have been recorded in county records since 1791. The Illinois State Archives has copies of county marriage records from 1791-1920. The first divorces were granted in 1809 and those records have been kept by the county clerks and the clerk of the Superior Court in Cook County. Many county records have been filmed such as:
Chicago Area Women’s History Conference
400 E. Randolph, #3910
Chicago, IL 60601
Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War
503 S. Walnut St.
Springfield, Il 62704
Helen Matthes Library
100 Market St.
Effingham, IL 62401
The following surnames are among the most common in Illinois and are also being currently researched by other genealogists. If you find your surname here, there is a chance that some research has already been performed on your ancestor.
Abernathy, Albertson, Andersen, Archer, Austin, Baer, Bearsley, Boyd, Brown, Bryson, Buchholz, Burger,Christensen, Clements, Cordani, Coyle, Davidson, Diestelmeier, Eckert, Edwards, Everly, Farthing, Fields, Forth, Frigo, Gammon, Garrison, Gibson, Good, Hamill, Harris, Hartstone, Hatahet, Hess, Hill, Hoover, Hughes, Jackson, Jones, Joynt, Judge, Kelsey, Klitz, Knight, Kruegel, Krug, Lablaiks, Lane, Locke, Lockwood, Lundblade, Marshel, Masterman, Mayberry, McCormick, Millenbine, Miller, Montgomery, Neel, Newman, Nilles, Norris, Olerud, Ore, Palmer, Penhollow, Puetz, Rainey, Reuter, Reynolds, Rodhisel, Rosbrook, Shaub, Sikkema, Stannard, Strange, Swarthy, Tennison, Thompson, Tompkins, Trammel, Trotter, Watson, Weier, Westfall, Wheeler, Whipple, Wilson, Woodyatt, Wright, Wyatt, Yarbor, Young, Youngblood