Jefferson County, Illinois

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Revision as of 15:47, 4 October 2011

Jefferson County, Illinois
Map
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded:	March 26, 1819
County Seat	Mt. Vernon
Courthouse
Address	Jefferson County Courthouse 100 S. 10th Street Mt. Vernon, IL 62864 618-244-8020 Jefferson County Website

United States Illinois Jefferson County

Jefferson County Organization

Jefferson County's civil records start the following years:

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Jefferson County are kept, see the Jefferson County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts

Jefferson County is named for Thomas Jefferson who was the author of the Declaration of Independence and also the third president of the United States.

Parent County

• 1819--Jefferson County was created 26 March 1819 from Edwards and White Counties.

County seat:  Mount Vernon ^[1]

Boundary Changes

See an interactive map of Jefferson County boundary changes.

Places / Localities

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Jefferson County, Illinois County seat: Mount Vernon Townships Bald Hill · Blissville · Casner · Dodds · Elk Prairie · Farrington · Field · Grand Prairie · McClellan · Moore's Prairie · Mt. Vernon · Pendleton · Rome · Shiloh · Spring Garden · Webber Cities Centralia · Mount Vernon · Nason Villages Belle Rive · Bluford · Bonnie · Dix · Ina · Waltonville · Woodlawn Unincorporated Communities Bakerville · Boyd · Camp Ground · Divide · Drivers · Idlewood · Marcoe · Marlow · Miller Lake · Opdyke · Roaches · Summersville · Shady Grove · Texico Neighboring Counties Franklin · Hamilton · Marion · Perry · Washington · Wayne

To see a list of places in Jefferson County, click on [Show], in the bar above. The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Records and Resources

Biography

Cemeteries

One of the best places to start Jefferson County cemetery searches is at the Jefferson County Illinois Cemeteries page (available online, courtesy: ILGenWeb). Information, photographs, and transcripts from more than 100 cemeteries may be found on this site.

The Illinois Cemeteries page provides general explanations of the following online Jefferson County resources:

Census

1840 Pensioners

• A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Jefferson County on page 187.]

Church Records

Abstracts

• 1842–1881 Barbee, Bessie. Sugar Camp Creek United Baptist Church of Jefferson County, Illinois. Effingham, Illinois: Effingham County Genealogical Society, 1984. At other Libraries(WorldCat) FHL book 977.3796 K2s

Copies of Original records

• 1866–1950 Panther Fork Baptist Church minutes FHL film 984190 Item 2

Catholic

FamilySearch has made parish records from two Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Jefferson County available online (free registration is required). The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:

• Church Records of St. Barbara Parish, Scheller, Jefferson County, Illinois 1898-1931, browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
• Church Records of St. Mary Parish, Mount Vernon, Jefferson County, Illinois 1875-1956, browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.

Court Records

Jefferson County Courthouse
100 South 10th St.
Mt. Vernon, IL
Phone: (618) 244-8020

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library:

• Jefferson County, Illinois Circuit Court Records FHL Film 1698207 item 14, FHL Book 977.3793 P22z and World Cat

Ethnic Research

African American

The following have information concerning African American research.

• African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records

• Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
• African-American Resources for Illinois

Genealogy

Land and Property

Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Jefferson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of Original Records

• 1822-1904 Deeds FHL Film 1003250First of 32 films.
• 1822-1927 Deed Index IRAD (SIU)
• 1822-1922 Deed Records IRAD (SIU)
• 1857-1861 Mortgage Record IRAD (SIU)
• 1874-1905 Mortgage Index IRAD (SIU)

Online Resources

• 1796-1907U.S General Land Office Records at Ancestry–($)
• Illinois Public Land Purchase Records at Ancestry–($)
• Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
• Cindy Ford compiled an extensive list of Jefferson County Illinois Early Land Sales, which is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.
• Jefferson County, Illinois Early Land Sales and Land Grants available through USGENWEB
• Federal Township Plats of Illinois

Local Histories

• Continental Historical Bureau. History of Jefferson County, Illinois, 1810-1962. Mt. Vernon, Ill.: Continental Historical Bureau, 1962. Digital version at Ancestry ($). FHL Fiche 6078617
• Perrin, William Henry. History of Jefferson County, Illinois. Chicago: Globe Pub. Co., 1883. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive. FHL Film 825579
• Wall, John A. Wall's History of Jefferson County, Illinois. Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1909. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive. Reprint: FHL Book 977.3793 H2w

Maps

Military

Civil War

Civil War service men from Jefferson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Jefferson County.

- 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.

- 44th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.

- 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, D, G, and I.

- 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.

- 110th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and G.

Naturalization

Newspapers and Obituaries

Probate Records

Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Jefferson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Abstracts

• 1866-1927 Will record book indexes as found in Jefferson County, Illinois circuit court records Available through the Family History Library FHL book. This book is also available through Other Libraries (WorldCat)
• Flannigan, Misty. Will Book Index Jefferson County Illinois Record Book Index - A 1886-1898, courtesy: ILGenWeb

Repositories

County Courthouse

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Jefferson County are kept, see the Jefferson County Courthouse page.

Family History Center

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois. Southern Illinois University houses the records for Jefferson County.

Public Libraries

Social Groups Online

Societies

Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.

Jefferson County Historical Society
1411 N 27th St.
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
Phone: (618) 246-0033
E-mail: jchsvip@mvn.net

Jefferson County Genealogical Society
c/o C.E. Brehm Memorial Library
101 S. 7th Street
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864

Taxation

Vital Records

See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Jefferson County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Jefferson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Births

• 1877-1902 Index - IRAD (SIU)
• 1877-1915 - IRAD (SIU)
• 1870-1920 Index Delayed Birth certificates- IRAD (SIU)
• 1870-1920 Delayed Birth certificates- IRAD (SIU)
• 1867-1915 Birth certificates- IRAD (SIU)
• 1877-1915 Births - FHL film 1004706 First of 6 films; Index at ILGenWeb
  
• 1877-1902 Birth index
• 1867-1915 Birth certificates - FHL film 1004712 First of 15 films
• 1870-1920 Delayed birth certificates - FHL film 1004727 First of 10 films
• 1870-1920 Delayed birth certificate index - FHL film 1004727

Marriages

• 1819-1850 Jefferson County, Illinois marriages
• 1891-1916 Index - IRAD (SIU)
• 1819-1916 - IRAD (SIU)
• 1819-1916 Marriages - FHL film 1004738 First of two films
• 1891-1916 Marriage index - FHL film 1004738
• To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
• 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
• 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
• Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

There are several marriage collections at ILGenWeb.

Deaths

• Pre-1916 Illinios Statewide Death index
• 1877-1902 Index - IRAD (SIU)
• 1877-1915 - IRAD (SIU)
• 7 December 1877-1915 Death register FHL Book 977.3793 V2zi Two Volumes; FHL Film 795918 items 13-14
• 1877-1915 Death records FHL Film 1004737
• 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates

Web Sites

• USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
• Family History Library Catalog
• Jefferson County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

References

1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 195. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.