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Illinois, U.S., State Census Collection, 1825-1865690,833
U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820171,563
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898165,796
Illinois, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-189047,577
Illinois Census Returns, 1820471
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Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-19405,480,909
U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-19704,566,787
U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-19473,655,095
Illinois, U.S., Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-19472,881,376
Illinois, U.S., Marriage Index, 1860-19202,294,483
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U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 194214,501,913
Web: Illinois, U.S., Databases of Illinois Veterans Index, 1775-1995Free414,835
Illinois, U.S., Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1790-189047,577
Genealogical records, Illinois, 1938-19391,178
History of the Thirty-sixth Regiment Illinois Volunteers, during the War of the Rebellion817
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Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-19917,260,800
U.S., Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992 (Indexed in World Archives Project)Free5,810,303
Northern District, Illinois, U.S., Naturalization Index, 1926-1979550,929
Chicago, Illinois, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplanes 1943-1963273,301
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Illinois, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current767,579,474
Genealogical material collected by the Illinois D.A.R. : presented to Newberry Library130
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There are no pictures collections unique to Illinois
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U.S., Chicago and North Western Railroad Employment Records, 1935-1970Free1,095,637
U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995465,389
U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970210,143
Illinois, U.S., Compiled Records from Lockport Area Genealogical and Historical Society, 1811-1990Free99,767
U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-197052,945
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Illinois, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1772-19991,707,962
Illinois, U.S., Public Land Purchase Records, 1813-1909546,064
U.S., Census Reconstructed Records, 1660-1820171,563
U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898165,796
U.S., Homestead Records, 1863-1908107,521
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Index to the Transactions of the Ill. State Historical Society and other publications of the Ills. State Historical Library1,323
The county archives of the state of Illinois870
Gould's blue book for the city of St. Louis, 1913807
Collections of the Illinois State Historical Library.662
Index to names in twenty-six volumes of Illinois records616
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U.S., Indexed Early Land Ownership and Township Plats, 1785-1898165,796
A gazetteer of the states of Illinois and Missouri351
A gazetteer of Illinois336
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History of Illinois and her people3,077
The winning of the West1,736
History of the Swedes of Illinois1,595
History of the Illinois River Valley1,579
A compendium of Freemasonry in Illinois1,526
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A genealogical history

Illinois in brief

Statehood:  3 December 1818
Capital: Springfield
Largest City: Chicago
Counties: 102
State motto:  State Sovereignty, National Union
State nickname: The Prairie State
Neighboring states: Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa
 


Transportation Building, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois, 1893

Interesting facts

  • Following the French and Indian War in 1763, pioneers from the eastern colonies of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the Carolina began moving westward to present-day Illinois, traveling along the Cumberland Road and via the Great Lakes.
  • When the Illinois & Michigan (I&M) Canal was completed in 1848, it created a water route from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. Travelers could take the Erie Canal to Buffalo and from there westward via the Great Lakes to Chicago. The I&M Canal would take them from there on a 96-mile trip to the Illinois River, which was the last leg of the journey to the Mississippi River. Its completion secured Chicago's future as a transportation hub.
  • On 8 October 1871, a fire swept through Chicago, killing hundreds of people and scorching about four square miles. The Chicago fire was actually one of four fires that were sparked that night near Lake Michigan. Fires in Peshtigo, Wisconsin; Holland, Michigan; and Manistee, Michigan, also flared and spread quickly due drought and high winds.
     

Featured Illinois collections

U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970
Illinois, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current
Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991
U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
Illinois, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1800-1940

Famous people

Help and advice

Resources

Illinois Census Research

Federal censuses for the state of Illinois began in 1820. They were taken every ten years and are available through 1920, except for 1890. The mostly destroyed 1890 census exists only for Mound Township, McDonough County.

The following state and territorial censuses are available for Illinois:

  • 1810: Territorial censuses include inhabitants of Randolph County in 1810.
  • 1818: An incomplete territorial census exists
  • 1820: Covers all of Illinois except Edwards County
  • 1825: Edwards, Fulton, Montgomery and Randolph counties only.
  • 1830: Morgan County only (includes present counties of Cass, Morgan, and Scott)
  • 1835: Fayette, Fulton, Jasper, Union and Morgan counties (includes present counties of Cass, Morgan, and Scott)
  • 1840: Thirty-five counties included. Consult Descriptive Inventory of the Archives of the State of Illinois (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies) for list of counties.
  • 1845: Cass, Adams, Putnam, and Tazewell counties only
  • 1855: All counties except Carroll, Champaign, Franklin, Gallatin, Henry, Jefferson, Lake, Stark, Will, and Woodford
  • 1865: All counties except Gallatin, Mason, Monroe, and Tazewell (Elm Township in Tazewell County has survived)

 

Illinois Vital Records

Birth and death records in Illinois were kept on a statewide basis from January 1, 1916. Some records are found in the individual counties as early as 1871, and occasionally earlier. Marriage records continue to be kept on a county level for most areas, though the state has kept an index to these records since 1962.

  • Illinois Department of Public Health: Holds records of births and deaths from January 1, 1916 and marriages from 1962. For earlier records, contact the clerk of the county where the event was recorded. See the online indexes from the Illinois State Archives for help in locating a record.
  • Illinois State Archives: In partnership with the Illinois Genealogical Society and the Illinois State Department of Health, the State Archives provides searchable statewide indexes of marriages and deaths. The indexes contain information on how to order copies of original documents. In addition, vital records indexes for selected counties are available through IRAD, the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories. See the llinois State Archives Databases page for a list of available indexes.
  • Cook County Clerk’s office provides a searchable index of birth, marriage, and death records from Cook County (covers Chicago).

 

Illinois Research Resources

The organizations listed below provide information about Illinois history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.

 

Statewide Research Resources

 

Specialty and Regional Research