Illinois Genealogy

This page of our website provides links to Illinois ancestry databases and historical narratives about Illinois. These genealogical records may include, vital records (birth, marriage and divorce, death), ethnic records (Black, Native American), court records (land, probate and wills, criminal and civil), church records (Bibles, baptisms, marriages, burials and histories), cemeteries, census records, military records directories and yearbooks.

Illinois Ancestry

Adams County Genealogy

Adams County Almshouse Register Index (1873–1898)
The Adams County Almshouse Registers Index, compiled by Tom Arbogast and Darren James of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System at Western Illinois University, contains 3,420 records extracted from the Adams County Almshouse Register. Each entry includes the inmate’s name and the corresponding volume and page numbers. Researchers are advised to consider alternative spellings due to potential variations and legibility issues in the original register.

Bond County Genealogy

History of Bond and Montgomery Counties, Illinois

Brown County Genealogy

Brown County Almshouse Registers Index (1882–1963)
The Brown County Almshouse Registers Index, compiled by Tom Arbogast and David Richards of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System at Western Illinois University, contains 787 records extracted from the Brown County Almshouse Registers. Each entry includes the inmate’s name and the corresponding volume and page numbers. Researchers are advised to consider alternative spellings due to potential variations and legibility issues in the original register.

Carroll County Genealogy

Carroll County Birth Certificates Index (1877–1913)
The Carroll County Birth Certificates Index, compiled by Karen Sauer of the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System at Northern Illinois University, indexes nearly 10,000 births recorded by the county clerk’s office in Carroll County. Each entry includes the certificate number, the child’s name, sex, date and place of birth, the parents’ names, and any remarks about the birth. Researchers should consider alternative spellings due to potential handwriting legibility issues in the original records.

Cass County Genealogy

Cass County Probate Book A, July 1837 – January 1848
Cass County, Illinois Probate Book A Abstracts. The names appearing will include that of the deceased, the administrators, perhaps some bondsmen, guardians, minors and surviving heirs.

Cass County, Illinois Probate Book C, 1849-1852
Cass County, Illinois Probate Book C, 1849-1852 Abstracts by Edna Gorsage Renner, which appeared in The Cass County Historian newsletter, September and December 1985. The names appearing will include that of the deceased, the administrators, perhaps some bondsmen, guardians, minors and surviving heirs.

Champaign County Genealogy

Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church (Champaign, Illinois) extractions:

St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church (Champaign, Illinois): Church Book A: 1860-1875 extractions

St. Peters Evangelical Church (Champaign, Illinois) extractions (Pomeranians):

Champaign Central High School Yearbooks
The Maroon Library at Champaign Central High School has digitized 94 yearbooks of Champaign Central High School. These yearbook images they placed online for everyone to view for free. To facilitate your access we have provided links to the individual yearbooks, by year published, oldest to newest.

Coles County Genealogy

Biographical Sketches, Coles County, Illinois
The 484 biographical sketches presented here highlight many residents of Coles County, Illinois, at the turn of the 20th century. These sketches often include essential biographical details, offering valuable insights for genealogical research, such as birth locations, parental information, and details about their children. Biographies serve as prime research materials for bringing family history to life, as they frequently provide rich, narrative details that go beyond mere facts.

Cook County Genealogy

Arlington Heights Genealogy

First Map of the Town of Dunton (Arlington Heights)
In 1845, William Dunton, son of Asa, built the first house in the town on the 160 acres that his father had staked out for him back in 1836. William’s home stood on the open prairie, beside an old Indian trail (Arlington Heights Road), with no neighbors and no roads. In 1853, William made a deal with the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad to build a rail line directly through his property. A year later, he laid out one-half of his farm into lots, creating the town of “Bradley.” When the village was first platted, it was only four blocks wide by eight blocks long. The name was changed to Dunton when William learned that there was already a Bradley in Illinois (note the word Dunton was later written in by hand). In 1874, the name changed once again to Arlington Heights.

Telephone Directory – 1909, January – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois

Telephone Directory – 1910, October – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois

Telephone Directory – 1911, April – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois

Telephone Directory – 1911, October – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois

Telephone Directory – 1912, April – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1912, October – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1913, April – Arlington Heights and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1913, September – Arlington Heights, Barrington, Palatine, and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1916, May – Arlington Heights, Barrington, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Wauconda and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1917, March – Arlington Heights, Barrington, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Wauconda, and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1919, September – Arlington Heights, Barrington, Lake Zurich, Palatine, Wauconda and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1924, July – Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mt. Prospect and Wheeling, Illinois

Telephone Directory – 1925, July – Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mt. Prospect and Wheeling, Illinois.

Arlington Heights Manual of Facts 1925

Telephone Directory – 1928, June – Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mt. Prospect and Wheeling, Illinois.

Arlington Heights Herald, Annual Progress Edition
Arlington Heights Herald, Annual Progress Edition (Supplement), March 15, 1929, Vol. 3, No. 19, 34 pages.

Telephone Directory – 1929, June – Palatine, Arlington Heights, Mt. Prospect and Wheeling, Illinois.

Telephone Directory – 1930, June – Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mt. Prospect and Wheeling, Illinois

Business Men’s Directory 1930

Pictorial Arlington Heights 1930

Telephone Directory — 1933, July – Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, Wheeling, and Palatine, Illinois.

Arlington Heights Municipal Directory 1935

Arlington Heights Municipal Directory 1939

Arlington Heights Municipal Directory 1943

Register of Certificates of Death
Index only, exact years of coverage not supplied by the book images, nor the description.

Register of Interment Permits
Index only, exact years of coverage not supplied by the book images, nor the description.

Chicago Genealogy

Chicago City Council Proceedings Files, 1833–1871

Cook County Coroner’s Inquest Record Index, 1872–1911

Chicago Police Department Homicide Record, 1870–1930

1936 Chicago area, Lithuanian telephone directory

Chicago & Suburbs: Obituaries from DRAUGAS and NAUJIENOS

Chicago Ridge Genealogy

Newspaper, Golden Jubilee Souvenir Edition of the Worth-Palos Reporter, Chicago Ridge 1914-1964, June 25, 1964

Frieda Polchow Rutz Burba, personal narrative, 1968
Personal narrative about the history of Chicago Ridge written by Frieda Polchow Rutz Burba in 1968. Frieda discusses local businesses, the post office, the Klee General Store, taverns and the one-room schoolhouse. Frieda was the daughter of Charles and Luzina Polchow. Charles served as the first president of Chicago Ridge when it organized as a village in 1914. Frieda’s first husband Gus Rutz, a former Chicago Ridge village trustee, died in 1952. She married Bruno Burba in 1955. Frieda is credited with organinzing the first Chicago Ridge Brownie Troop, Troop 215, in 1949. Frieda died in 1974 at the age of 69.

Diamond Jubilee Souvenir Edition of the Worth-Palos Reporter – Newspaper, Chicago Ridge 1914-1974, July 4, 1974

Bicentennial booklet, village of Chicago Ridge, 1976

Railroad history, Chicago Ridge, as told by Robert Babcock, 1976

Saluting Chicago Ridge on its 70th Anniversary – Newspaper, section 3 of the Reporter, October 25, 1984

Chicago Ridge 75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary – Newspaper, section 1-B of the Reporter, July 13, 1989

Park Ridge Genealogy

A History of Park Ridge
A history of Park Ridge, Illinois written by Orvis F. Jordan

The History of Park Ridge, 1841-1926
The first history of Park Ridge, Illinois, written by the Park Ridge Community Church Circle.

DeWitt County Genealogy

Douglas County Genealogy

Arthur Local Registrar’s Birth Certificates Index (1868–1925)
The Arthur Local Registrar’s Birth Certificates Index was compiled by Heather Stecklein and Barry Hudek, interns for the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The database indexes nearly 1,335 births that were recorded by the local registrar for the Village of Arthur between 1868 and 1925. The information in the database was extracted from the Arthur Local Registrar’s Birth Certificates

Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois
This collection on the History of Douglas County Illinois currently contains 114 biographies on important people in the history of Douglas County.

Du Page County Genealogy

Fulton County Genealogy

Henry County Genealogy

JoDaviess County Genealogy

Kane County Genealogy

Knox County Genealogy

Lake County Genealogy

Livingston County Genealogy

Logan County Genealogy

Macon County Genealogy

Macoupin County Genealogy

Madison County Genealogy

Mattoon County Genealogy

Mattoon Death Certificate Registers Index (1899–1918)
The Mattoon Death Certificate Registers Index was compiled by Amanda Standerfer, intern for the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The database indexes nearly 3,600 death records that were recorded by the local registrar in the City of Mattoon. The City of Mattoon is located in Coles County. The information in the database was extracted from the Mattoon Death Certificate Registers.

Mattoon Court of Common Pleas Case Files Index (1869–1873)
The Mattoon Court of Common Pleas Case Files Index was compiled by Jennifer Van Haaften and Amanda Standerfer, interns for the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) System at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The index includes nearly 500 cases heard by the Common Pleas Court of the City of Mattoon from its inception in 1869 to its termination in 1873. The information in the database was extracted from the Mattoon Court of Common Pleas Case Files.

McHenry County Genealogy

Algonquin the Beautiful
A History of Its Pioneers and Settlement In Commemoration of Its 100th Birthday, 1935

Time was…
Algonquin Founder’s Days Collector’s Edition, August 9-13, 1972.

Those Were the Days! Algonquin Founders Days Booklet, 1973
Program Guide to the Algonquin Founders Days Festival, August 8th – 12th, 1973. The booklet contains information about the festival events, as well as historical information about the Village of Algonquin and its people. Includes photographs, diary.

The Way We Were – Algonquin Founders Days, August 7-11, 1974
Historical booklet featuring information about historical structures and people from Algonquin. Includes an excerpt from the diary of John Hamilton Cornish recounting his visit to the area in 1845 to see his brother, Dr. Andrew Cornish.

McLean County Genealogy

Mercer County Genealogy

Menard County Genealogy

Montgomery County Genealogy

Morgan County Genealogy

Moultrie County Genealogy

Ogle County Genealogy

Peoria County Genealogy

Piatt County Genealogy

Randolph County Genealogy

Rock Island County Genealogy

Sangamon County Genealogy

Sangamon County Guardian’s Case Files Index (1825–1901)

Sangamon County Probate Case Files Index (1821–1885)

History of Williamsville Illinois, 1853-1953
The “Williamsville Centennial Souvenir Program, 1853-1953,” authored by Jane Brown Groves, is an historical record celebrating the first hundred years of Williamsville, Illinois. Published in 1953 by “Star” Printing Co. in Springfield, Illinois, this program is dedicated to Miss Jane B. Groves for her relentless dedication to compiling the historical data contained within. Her family had been integral to the development of Williamsville for over a century, contributing to its economic, social, political, religious, and educational spheres.

Shelby County Genealogy

Shelby County Circuit Court Case Files Index (1828–1871)
The Shelby County Circuit Court Case Files include chancery, criminal and common law proceedings. These case files generally show the names of the plaintiff, defendant, judge and clerk of the court; the court dates; and usually the charge or cause of action. Documents contained in these case files include: summonses, affidavits of witnesses, subpoenas, bonds, receipts, depositions, declarations, decrees and orders of the court, jury and witness lists, indictments, warrants, writs of habeas corpus, verdicts, dismissals and transcripts of coroner’s inquests.

St. Clair County Genealogy

Stark County Genealogy

Stephenson County Genealogy

Vermillion County Genealogy

Wayne County Genealogy

Wayne County Coroner’s Inquest Record Index (1888–1960)
The Wayne County Coroner’s Inquest Record Index was compiled by Jenny K. Crider and Erin Russell, interns for the Illinois Regional Archives Depository at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. The 1,122 records in the database were extracted from the Wayne County Coroner’s Inquest Records. Each entry found in the index contains the following categories of information: the name of the deceased; the date of inquest; the volume number; and the page numbers.

Will County Genealogy

Winnebago County Genealogy

Cherry Valley: our memories are warm, 1835-1976
This is a series of PDFs which in turn have multiple pages. It looks like they have scanned each section of the book into separate PDF’s.

Woodford County Genealogy

Illinois Black Genealogy

Illinois Biographies

Biographies serve as prime research materials for bringing family history to life, as they frequently provide rich, narrative details that go beyond mere facts.

Biographies of Champaign County, Illinois
These 475 biographies were collected from the manuscript “A Standard History of Champaign County, Illinois,” written in 1918 by J. R. Stewart. A citizen’s inclusion in this manuscript indicates only that they or someone on their behalf chose to “subscribe” to its publication.

Biographical Sketches, Coles County, Illinois
The 484 biographical sketches presented here highlight many residents of Coles County, Illinois, at the turn of the 20th century. These sketches often include essential biographical details, offering valuable insights for genealogical research, such as birth locations, parental information, and details about their children.

Macoupin County Illinois Biographies
The county coordinator of the Macoupin County ILGenWeb site, along with her volunteers, has a comprehensive collection of biographies of Macoupin County people. All told they have compiled 853 biographies from a variety of sources. We’ve placed links to those biographies here. All questions and corrections, as well as donations of additional biographies, should be referred to them.

Biographies of Rock Island County, Illinois
The Biographical History of Rock Island County Illinois provides 165 biographies of the leading men in the establishment of Rock County, Illinois. These extensive biographies provide a narrative into the History of Rock Island County Illinois.

Historical and Biographical Record of Douglas County, Illinois
This collection on the History of Douglas County Illinois currently contains 114 biographies on important people in the history of Douglas County.

Illinois Cemetery Records

Illinois Census Records

Illinois Church Records

Illinois, Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Parish Records, 1695-1956
A help guide for accessing the images of parish registers recording the events of baptism, first communion, confirmation (to 1907), marriage (to 1930) or death (to 1956) in the Diocese of Belleville (Illinois), Roman Catholic Church. The index to some volumes may reference pages within a given volume beyond current publication dates. As such, these images are not currently available. In addition to traditional parish registers, this collection includes a small number of census, church history, family and financial records. To assist the researcher I have broken down the available registers by county and name of parish, including the years covered by those parish records.

Illinois Methodist Church Records
The following collection of material reflects 250 churches of the Methodist faith which have closed their doors since 1824 in southern and central Illinois. This region makes up the Illinois Great Rivers United Methodist Conference. While the vast majority of the information relates to membership rolls and registers of officials, many of the churches also kept vital records of their members. Ancestry claims that “Baptism records are available until 1914, and Marriage records are available until 1970.” In fact I found baptism records which occurred after 1914, however, they’re not indexed. They appear in the records on the images only.

Illinois Directories

Cook County Directories

Moultrie County

Randolph County Directories

Illinois Genealogy Websites

United States Genealogy

Illinois History

  • Narrative of Richard Lee Mason in the Pioneer West, 1819
    In the late fall and early winter of the year 1819 Dr. Richard Lee Mason made a journey from Philadelphia to Illinois, through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Some of his adventures were remarkable, and these, together with his observations on the country, the towns and the people whom he encountered, were recorded in a diary kept by him, which is now in the possession of his only surviving child, a daughter, who resides in Jacksonville, Ill.

Illinois Land Records

  • U.S., Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908
    3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of information included in the tract books are as follows: number of acres, date of sale, purchase price, land office, entry number, final Certificate of Purchase number, and notes on relinquishments and conversions.
  • Arizona Land Patents online. Index.
  • Database of Servitude and Emancipation Records (1722–1863)
  • Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database

Illinois Military Records

Illinois Native American Records

Illinois Indian Tribes
The article “The Illinois Indian Tribes” explores the early history and cultural evolution of the Illinois Indian tribes, initially part of the Kentucky Indian Knoll type. These tribes, primarily hunters and fishermen, gradually formed villages, created pottery, and began small-scale agriculture during the early and middle Woodland periods. The arrival of the Mound Builder faith and ceremonial practices marked a significant cultural shift, leading to more elaborate burial customs and increased agricultural activity. In Northern Illinois, particularly Fulton County, the adoption of the new Ohio religion revitalized local communities, while Southern Illinois tribes, though adopting similar practices, retained many traditional ways. The article also highlights various tribes historically residing in Illinois, such as the Chippewa, Delaware, Fox, Kickapoo, Miami, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Sauk, Shawnee, Winnebago, and Wyandot, detailing their movements, conflicts, and land cessions over time.

Indian Tribes of Illinois and Indiana, 1822
Provides a historical overview of the native tribes that once inhabited the Illinois and Indiana. It details the significant changes these tribes experienced, including the sale of their lands and their subsequent displacement. Many of these tribes have either reluctantly remained on their ancestral lands or have been scattered, moving to new territories beyond the Mississippi River. The article reflects on the once populous villages of these tribes and the uncertainty surrounding their whereabouts in 1822.

Indians of The Chicago Region
The history of the Chicago region is deeply intertwined with the lives and cultures of the indigenous peoples who inhabited this area long before the arrival of European settlers. This booklet, “Indians of The Chicago Region,” focuses particularly on the Illinois and Potawatomi tribes, drawing on extensive research and firsthand information. Prepared by Assistant Curator Strong, this work is based on materials collected by Mr. M. G. Chandler, an adopted member of the Potawatomi tribe, whose intimate knowledge of the central Algonkian group has been invaluable.

Sac and Fox Indians of Illinois
The article “The Sac and Fox Indians of Illinois” details the history and migration of the Sac and Fox tribes, also known as the Sacs and Sauks. Originating near the St. Lawrence River, these tribes were driven westward by conflicts with other Native American tribes and European settlers, eventually settling in northwestern Illinois around 1722. The names “Sac” and “Fox” are derived from their native terms “A-Sau-we-Kee” (yellow earth) and “Mus-qua-Kee” (red earth), respectively. These tribes, belonging to the Algonquin family, formed a lasting alliance through intermarriage and shared experiences. The article covers significant historical events, including their interactions with French traders, alliances with other tribes, and their role in regional conflicts, establishing them as formidable and strategic warriors.

Illinois Newspapers

Illinois Historical Newspapers Online
This is a list of Illinois historical newspapers images and transcriptions available online. They are organized by website and then alphabetically within each website listing. Some titles may appear more than once, as the images might be hosted on multiple websites. It’s important to check all listings for a particular newspaper to ensure you find the best quality scans.

Illinois Obituaries

Illinois Vital Records

Illinois School Yearbooks

  • Champaign Central High School Yearbooks
    The Maroon Library at Champaign Central High School has digitized 94 yearbooks of Champaign Central High School. These yearbook images they placed online for everyone to view for free. To facilitate your access we have provided links to the individual yearbooks, by year published, oldest to newest.
  • Sullivan County