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Illinois Research Outline |
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Table of Contents
Records Of The Family History Library
Familysearch™
Familysearch At Family History Centers
Familysearch™ Internet Genealogy Service
Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
National Archives
State Archives, Libraries, And Societies
Illinois Regional Archives Depository System
Another Important Library
Computer Networks And Bulletin Boards
Bible Records
Biography
Major Biographical Collections
Biographical Encyclopedias
Cemeteries
Locating Cemeteries
Internet Tombstone Transcripts And Index
Print And Microfilm Abstracts
Census
Federal Censuses
Mortality Schedules
Territorial And State Censuses
Census Substitutes
Church Records
Court Records
Directories
City Directories
Business Directories
Locating Directories
Divorce Records
Emigration And Immigration
Immigration And Migration
Records
Histories
Funeral Homes
Gazetteers
Genealogy
Nationwide Indexes
Statewide Indexes And Family Group Collections
Pioneers Certificate Applications
Centennial Farms
History
State Histories
Federal Papers Regarding Illinois
The Draper Manuscript Collection
Kaskaskia And Cahokia Records
Local History Bibliographies
County And Local Histories
Land And Property
Early Settlers
Government Land Transfers
Individual Land Transfers
Maps
Statewide Atlases
County Atlases
City Maps
Military Records
Records Covering More Than One War
Revolutionary War (1775 –1783)
War Of 1812 (1812–1815)
Civil War (1861–1865)
Spanish-american War (1898–1899)
World War I (1917–1918)
Additional Military Records
Minorities
Native Races
Naturalization And Citizenship
Guide Book
Card Index, 1840–1950
Availability
Newspapers
Inventory On The Internet
Published Inventories
Birth, Marriage, And Death Notices In Newspapers
Availability
Obituaries
Occupations
Periodicals
Probate Records
Public Records
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
Birth And Death Records
County Records Of Births And Deaths
State Records Of Births And Deaths
Marriages
Chicago And Cook County
Guide To Vital Records
Voting Registers
Other Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions
TAXATION The first tax records of Illinois were created in the late 1700s to early 1800s while Illinois was part of the Northwest Territory After Illinois became a state, tax records of various kinds were kept in the counties, where records began about 1817. Examples of the kind of tax records you might find are: land taxes, poor taxes, school taxes, and county road taxes. A person was also taxed for having bank stock, slaves, and indentured Blacks or Mulattoes.
While tax lists are often used as substitutes for missing census records, in Illinois they do not represent every household. Those who did not own taxable land or property were not listed. No voting or poll taxes were imposed. Most Illinois land purchased from the federal government was not taxable for five years. Therefore, a person appearing on a tax list for the first time may have actually lived in the area for several years.
Many tax records are housed in the county seats of each county. They include assessors’ books, railroad tax books, collectors’ books, taxable land lists, delinquent taxes, and road tax books. Some original and microfilmed copies are in the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD). See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for an explanation of IRAD and its holdings.
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of some Illinois tax records. A list of persons taxed during the Civil War is:
United States. Bureau of Internal Revenue. Internal Revenue Assessment Lists for Illinois, 1862–1866. National Archives Microfilm Publications, M0764. Washington, D.C.: National Archives, 1968?. (FHL film 1534562–624; computer number 463729.) This extensive tax list shows monthly and annual taxes on personal property, income, those who produced and distributed goods, and on licenses to practice and do business. Illinois was divided into 13 tax districts. Cook County is in District 1, Sangamon County in District 8, Peoria County in District 5, and St. Clair County in District 12. Each film has a full list of counties and the districts to which they belonged.
Illinois taxation records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
Birth records usually give the name and sex of the child; the names, birthplaces, and ages of the parents (with the mother’s maiden name); the occupation of the father; and the number of children born to the mother. Birth records of adopted children may give the birth parents but have frequently been amended to show only the adoptive parents. A year-by-year search of birth records may reveal other children born to a couple.
Death records usually give information about the deceased, such as name, age, birth date, state or country of birth (sometimes the city or town), names of the parents (frequently including the maiden name of the mother), and the informant (who may be a close relative). The date and place of death are given. Sometimes burial information, the cause of death, and the names of the physician and mortician are provided. The length of residence in the state or county may also be given.
A few county clerks kept vital records as early as 1838. Illinois law required the filing of vital records in 1877, but not all counties complied. The Family History Library has film copies of these documents for many counties. Existing originals may be found in the county clerk’s office or in the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) serving that county. See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for locations of those depositories.
Delayed registrations of births are available from the county where the birth occurred. The Family History Library has records dating from 1941 for some counties.
In Illinois the statewide registration of vital statistics began in 1916 and was generally complied with by 1922. The Family History Library has copies of some statewide birth and death records of Illinois in:
Illinois. Department of Public Health. State Registrar. Illinois Births, Prior to Act, Excluding Chicago: 1842, 1849–1872. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1995. (FHL films 1992052, 1992136–140; computer number 767896.)
Illinois. Public Board of Health. Archives. Death Certificates for the State of Illinois, 1916–1945, Excluding Chicago, with the Exception of Stillbirths. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988–1992. (On 666 FHL films beginning with 1530531; computer number 533094.) The Illinois State Archives also has microfilm copies of the index and certificates.
Illinois. Department of Public Health. State Registrar. Illinois Death Certificates and Stillbirths, Including Chicago, 1946–1947. Salt Lake City: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1995. (On 84 FHL films beginning with 1984845; computer number 772669.)
The counties continue to record marriages to the present day and only county clerks can issue certified copies of the marriage certificate. A statewide register of marriages was started on 1 January 1962 as county clerks forwarded marriage information to the Illinois Department of Health. If you do not know the county where a couple married after 1962, the Division of Vital Records (see address above) can search their statewide register and provide the marriage date and county.
The Illinois State Archives and the Illinois State Genealogical Society are creating a microfiche index to marriages in many counties of Illinois from the earliest settlement to 1900. This index is not yet completed, though it contains nearly one million marriages. It is an excellent source for locating a county of residence when only the state is known. A list of counties and dates covered is found on the first microfiche of this set:
Illinois. State Archives Division. Illinois Marriage Record Index, 1763–1916. Springfield, Ill.: Illinois State Archives and Illinois State Genealogical Society, 1994. (FHL microfiche 6334564 [set of 94]; computer number 734561.) (Not available at Family History Centers.) This index includes the names of the bride and groom, date, county of marriage, and license number or volume and page. The years indexed vary from county to county with most being indexed through 1900. A few counties have been indexed up to 1916. Eighty-four counties are included as of 1998 in this ongoing project. Cook County (Chicago area) records are indexed for the years 1833 to 1891.
More than 6,600 names from 3,300 marriages are listed in:
Dodd, Jordan R., ed. Illinois Marriages: Early to 1825: A Research Tool. Bountiful, Utah: Precision Indexing, 1990. (FHL book 977.3 V22im; computer number 605392.) The names of spouses, the date, and the county are listed. This index was compiled by Liahona Research Inc. from some of the county marriage records on microfilm or in books at the Family History Library. A list of the counties indexed can be found at the beginning of the book.
The Family History Library has a number of compact discs with vital records information from many states which can be used in the Automated Resource Center (ARC) of the library. For Illinois the following may be helpful:
Marriage Records. Automated Archives. Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1994. (FHL compact disc no.9, pt. 2; computer number 683379.) (Not available at Family History Centers.) This file was acquired from the “Hunting for Bears” collection which was compiled from published books, microfilm copies, or original county records of several states. The introduction to this file gives information regarding which counties and years are included and the extraction methods used. Marriages which took place in an unknown county are listed at the beginning of the index. It is not a complete index to Illinois marriage records.
Marriage Records, Early to 1850. Automated Archives. Orem, Utah: Automated Archives, 1996. (FHL compact disc no.9, pt. 228; computer number 683380.) (Not available at Family History Centers.) This is an index to Illinois and Indiana marriage records compiled from county records and published by Liahona, Inc. The index uses the Soundex code for quick access to surnames. It lists marriages by county and gives the marriage date. The introduction lists the counties, the time periods covered, and the FHL film numbers. Again, this is not a complete index to Illinois marriage records.
The records for Chicago and Cook County are available for as early as 1871. Earlier records were destroyed by fire. The library has copies of many of the vital records for Chicago including birth records to 1933, death records to 1945, and marriage records to 1920.
You can learn more about state and county vital records as well as the laws of Illinois affecting them in:
Guide to Public Vital Statistics Records in Illinois. Chicago: Illinois Historical Records Survey, 1941. Reprint, Thomson, Ill.: Heritage House, 1976. (FHL book 977.3 V23h; film 982030, item5; fiche 6051164; computer number 213095.)
Vital records can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
Coroner’s inquests, hospital, and midwife records may also contain birth and death information. These records may only be available through existing hospitals and coroner’s offices. IRAD depositories have coroners inquest records for many counties and a few county hospital records. A few of these records may be found in the Family History Library Catalog using a Locality Search under:
Chicago (Illinois). Board of Election Commissioners. Record and Index of Persons Registered and of Poll Lists of Voters, Northern District of Illinois, City of Chicago, 1888, 1888–90, 1892; Town of Lake View, 1888; Town of Hyde Park, 1888; Town of Lake, 1888. Springfield, Ill.: Office of the Secretary of State, Micrographics Division, Source Document Unit, 1989. (FHL films 1730744–66; computer number 552893.)
For voters in Chicago in 1937, see the Lurie Index mentioned in the “Directories” section of this outline.
Original poll (voter) lists may be found in the custody of county clerks and in IRAD depositories. The Family History Library has few such lists for Illinois, other than those for Chicago. Those available can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search under:
Other types of records for Illinois that are not discussed in this outline can be found in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Locality Search. For example, see the following topics:
Beckstead, Gayle, and Mary Lou Kozub. Searching in Illinois: A Reference Guide to Public and Private Records. Costa Mesa, Calif.: ISC Publications, 1984. (FHL book 977.3 D27b; computer number 351697.) This is a good source for locating federal, state, county, and city or town records and resources. It also gives lists of cemeteries, libraries, and newspapers and shows addresses of genealogical and historical societies. This guide has a special emphasis for adoptees.
Clements, John. Illinois Facts: A Comprehensive Look at Illinois Today, County by County. Dallas, Tex. Clements Research II, 1989. (FHL book 977.3 B5if; computer number 669150.) This book gives details on the government offices and their functions and provides descriptions of each county, its location, climate, people, economy, and transportation.
Eichholz, Alice, ed. Ancestry' s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1992. Ancestry is a trademark of Ancestry, Inc. (FHL book 973 D27rb 1992; computer number 594021.) It contains bibliographies and background information on history and ethnic groups. It also contains maps and tables showing when each county was created.
Genealogical Sources in Chicago, Illinois 1835–1900. Chicago: Chicago Genealogical Society, 1982. (FHL book 977.311 D27g; fiche 6051029 [set of 2]; computer number 142327.) This contains Chicago maps and a list of ward boundaries in addition to suggesting sources for Chicago research.
Gooldy, Pat, and Ray Gooldy. Manual for Illinois Genealogical Research. Indianapolis, Ind.: Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe, 1994. (FHL book 977.3 D27g; computer number 750994.) The source gives addresses of county courthouses, genealogical societies, and record repositories and gives Illinois locations of record categories such as census, land, military, and church records.
O'Hara, Margaret. Finding Your Chicago Ancestor. 2nd ed. N.p.: M. O’Hara, 1982. (FHL book 977.311 D27o 1982; film 1597813; computer number 559731; 1st edition, book 977.311 D27o 1981; fiche 6051413; computer number 104886.) This includes a list of the churches in Chicago by denominations and ethnic groups, suggests sources for research, and gives addresses of various archives.
Szucs, Loretto Dennis. Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research. Rev. ed. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1996. Ancestry is a trademark of Ancestry, Inc. (FHL book 977.31 D27sL; computer number 764732.) Chapters describe record types and the major archives and libraries in Chicago and Cook County holding such records. Selected bibliographies are found at the end of some chapters.
Paper publication: Third edition August 1999. English approval: 8/99.
©1998, 2006 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
. These recorded an assessment for property tax on unimproved land. If payment became delinquent, the property was sold at public auction. However, most tax records created before statehood in 1818 have been lost.
ILLINOIS- TAXATIONILLINOIS, [COUNTY]- TAXATIONILLINOIS, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- TAXATION
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VITAL RECORDS
Birth and Death Records
County Records of Births and Deaths
State Records of Births and Deaths
Illinois Department of Public Health
Division of Vital Records
605 West Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62702-5097
(217) 782-6553
Marriages
Chicago and Cook County
Guide to Vital Records
ILLINOIS- VITAL RECORDSILLINOIS, [COUNTY]- VITAL RECORDSILLINOIS, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- VITAL RECORDS
For related record types, see the “Newspapers,” “Obituaries,” “Cemeteries,” “Church Records,” “Genealogy,” “Biography,” and “Funeral Homes” sections of this outline.
ILLINOIS, [COUNTY]- MEDICAL RECORDS
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VOTING REGISTERS
ILLINOIS, [COUNTY]- VOTING REGISTERSILLINOIS, [COUNTY], [TOWN]- VOTING REGISTERS
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OTHER RECORDS
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FOR FURTHER READING
ILLINOIS- GENEALOGY- HANDBOOKS, MANUALS, ETC.
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COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Publications Coordination
Family History Library
35 N. West Temple Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400
USA
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Version of Data: 4/11/2006]