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Will County, Illinois
Genealogy, History & Facts
County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links
Will County, Illinois Facts
Will County, Illinois genealogy and family history research. Find links to record collections, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your Will Co., ancestors. Get started by building a Free Family Tree.
When was Will County, IL Created?
Will County was established on January 12, 1836.
What is the County Seat of Will County, IL?
The County Seat is located in Joliet also, the county government website is www.willcountyillinois.com/ .
What counties are adjacent to Will County, IL?
Bordering Counties are Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, Indiana, Kankakee County, Grundy County, Kendall County, Kane County
Will County, IL Vital Records
Where can find Will County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Will County vital records can be found at the Illinois Department of Public Health has copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Illinois for current fees and application process.
You can search online for Will County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Illinois Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.
- Will County, Illinois, Saint Dennis Catholic Church Vital Records, 1852-1951
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- Social Security Death Index
- Order Hard Copies of Vital Records
- USGenweb Archives Illinois Marriage Project
- Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922
- Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915
- Illinois Marriage Records, 1860 – 1905
- Illinois County Marriages, 1810-1934
- Cook County, Illinois, Marriage and Death Indexes, 1833-1889
- Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920
- Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900
- Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
- Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860
- Illinois Marriages to 1850
- Cook County Deaths, 1878-1922
- Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950
- Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947
- Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947
Will County, IL Census Records
What Will County, IL census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Will County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Will Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Will Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Will Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. One can find free online and printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Illinois Census Records Research Guide
Will County, IL Courthouse and Government Records
Will County CourthouseWhat genealogical records can I find in the Will County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Will County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Illinois courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Illinois residents.
The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Will County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Illinois Corthouse Records Research Guide.
- Will County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 14 W. Jefferson St., Joliet, IL 60432
- Will County Clerk
- Address: 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432
- Phone: 815-740-4615
- Marriage Records: 1836
- Birth & Death Records: 1877
- Will County Recorder of Deeds
- Address: 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, IL 60432
- Phone: 815-740-4637
- Land Records:1835
- Will County Clerk of the Circuit Court,
- Phone: 815-727-8592
- Probate Records: 1837
- Court Records: 1836
- McLean County, White County, Will County genealogical records
- The county archives of the state of Illinois
- BLM Land Records
Will County, IL Societies and Family History Resources
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Will County, IL?
A list of Will County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Illinois Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
- Fox Valley Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 5435, Naperville, IL ; 60567-5435
- Lockport Area Genealogical & Historical Society, 222 E. 9th Street, Lockport, IL 60441
- Northern Will County Genealogical Society, 603 Derbyshire Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60440; Phone: (630) 739-7924
- Will/Grundy Genealogical Society, P. O. Box 24, Wilmington, IL 60481-0024
- Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois Regional Archives Depository, c/o Regional History Center, Founders Memorial Library, Rm. 400, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115; 815-753-1807
- Illinois State Archives, Norton Building, Capitol Complex, Springfield, IL 62756; (217) 782-4682
- National Archives – Great Lakes Region (Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001
- Illinois State Historical Society 210 1/2 S. Sixth, Springfield, IL 62701-1503; Phone: (217)525-2781
- Illinois State Library, 300 South 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1796; Phone: (217) 785-5600
- Illinois State Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 10195, Springfield, IL 62791; Phone: (217) 789-1968
Where can I connect with other Will County, IL Researchers through message boards and forums?
- Illinois Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
- Illinois State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Will County, Illinois Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Will County
- Will County, Illinois Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
What other genealogical resources are available in Will County, IL?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Will County. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a cost. This is simply a collection that has been gathered or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site over another.
Will Co. IL Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Map of Illinois Links and Information
- Will Co. D.O.T. Map
- Map of Will County and its civil and congressional townships
- Will Federal Township Plats of Illinois (1804-1891) (landplats.ilsos.net)
- 1892 Will Co., IL Railroad Map (usgwarchives.net)
- 1895 Will County Map (livgenmi.com)
Will Co. IL Books, Newspapers & Publications
- Illinois Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
- Illinois historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
- Historical Newspapers from Illinois (1808 – 1922) (genealogybank.com) Quickly identify names and keywords and phrases in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and also other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. Unique articles and other content added each and every month!
- Will County, Illinois Books (amazon.com)
- Search Illinois Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
Will Co. IL Cemeteries & Church Records
- Will Co., Illinois Graves (findagrave.com)
- Will County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Will Co., Illinois Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Will Co., Illinois Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- Will County, Illinois Church Books (amazon.com)
Will Co. IL Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
- Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
- Index to names in twenty-six volumes of Illinois records (search.ancestry.com)
- The Illinois Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)
Will Co. IL General and History Websites
- See Also State History for Illinois
- Will County, Illinois Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- Will County Fact Sheet (cyberdriveillinois.com)
- History of Will County, Illinois (search.ancestry.com)
- The History of Will County, Illinois : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a directory of its real esta (search.ancestry.com)
- Will County, Illinois History (search.ancestry.com)
- Past and present of Will County, Illinois (search.ancestry.com)
- Portrait and biographical album of Will County, Illinois : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominen (search.ancestry.com)
- Will County, Illinois Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Will Co. IL Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Will County, Illinois (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi’s List – United States – Illinois – Counties – Will (cyndislist.com)
- Will County Illinois (genealogytrails.com)
- Will Co. ILGenweb (ilgenweb.net)
- Will County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Will Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Will Co. IL Military Records
- Illinois Military Records Research Guide
- Col. Frederick A. Bartleson Chapter, National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865
- Illinois Military Records (fold3.com) gives easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents belonging to the Illinois both males and females that served. Suitable for Will County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.
Will Co. IL Schools & Directories
- Joliet, Illinois Directories, 1884-92 (search.ancestry.com)
- Prairie Farmer’s Reliable Directory: Will and Southern Cook County, Illinois, 1918 (search.ancestry.com)