Illinois Genealogy

Illinois Genealogy Facts

French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet, in 1673, were the first Europeans of record to visit the region. In 1699 French settlers established the first permanent settlement at Cahokia, near present-day East St. Louis. Great Britain obtained the region at the end of the French and Indian Wars in 1763. The area figured prominently in frontier struggles during the Revolutionary War and in Indian wars during the early 19th century.

  • Illinois was organized as territory on Feb. 3, 1809
  • Illinois entered the union as the 21st state on Dec. 3, 1818.
  • Illinois has 102 Counties.
  • Illinois’s capital is Springfield.
  • Illinois is bordered by Indiana (east), Kentucky (southeast), Missouri (sourthwast), Iowa (northwest) and Wisconsin (north)
  • Illinois has a land area of 57,918 square miles making it the 25th largest state.
  • Illinois’s 2010 population was 12,830,632 .
  • Illinois  largest cities are Chicago, 2,695,598; Aurora, 197,899; Rockford, 152,871; Joliet, 147,433; Naperville, 141,853; Springfield, 116,250; Peoria, 115,007; Elgin, 108,188; Waukegan, 89,078; Cicero, 83,891.
  • Illinois named for the word Illini, a confederation of the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa Indian tribes.
  • Illinois State Nickname is “Prairie State”.
  • Illinois State Motto is “State Sovereignty, National Union”.

Illinois County Genealogy

In the majority of counties, the original records are retained in the office of the clerk of courts located in the county seat. Choose from the counties below to view the county information.

Select a County Below

COUNTY PAGES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Illinois has counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states. These counties need to be looked at when doing genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was abolished or combined with another county.

  • Dane County: Formed in 1839 from Montgomery, Sangamon and Shelby Counties, renamed in 1840 to Christian County
  • Hignland County: Formed in 1847 from Adams and Marquette Counties, abolished in 1848
  • Marquette County: Formed in 1843 from Adams County, abolished in 1847
  • Wayne County: Formed in 1803 from Knox and St. Clair Counties, abolished in 1847

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Illinois Genealogy Links

See Illinois County Genealogy for County Links. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.

Illinois State History

 

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