McLean County, Illinois
From FamilySearch Wiki
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*[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/localList.php?local=6417&locTGroup=Cemeteries&direction=down&sec=0&qty=89&stateAbbv=&stateName= ePodunk list of McLean County cemeteries] gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site. | *[http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/localList.php?local=6417&locTGroup=Cemeteries&direction=down&sec=0&qty=89&stateAbbv=&stateName= ePodunk list of McLean County cemeteries] gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site. | ||
| − | [http://www.billiongraves.com] is a site where people take photos using a smartphone and upload them using the app the site provides, and others transcribe them. | + | [http://www.billiongraves.com BillionGraves] is a site where people take photos using a smartphone and upload them using the app the site provides, and others transcribe them. Some McLean County area cemeteries have been visited and had photos taken for the BillionGraves site. |
*[http://billiongraves.com/pages/cemetery/cemetery.php?cemetery_id=160185 Evergreen Cemetery, Bloomington] | *[http://billiongraves.com/pages/cemetery/cemetery.php?cemetery_id=160185 Evergreen Cemetery, Bloomington] | ||
Revision as of 01:54, 15 May 2012
| McLean County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
| |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | December 25, 1830 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Bloomington |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | McLean County Government Center 115 E. Washington Street Bloomington, Illinois 61702 (309) 888-5190 McLean County Website |
United States 
Illinois McLean County
McLean County Organization
McLean County's civil records start the following years:
| Beginning Dates for McLean County Records | |||||
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1877 |
1831 |
1877 |
1840 |
1831 |
1831 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for McLean County are kept, see the McLean County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts
Parent County
- 1830--McLean County was created 25 December 1830 from Tazewell County and unorganized territory.
County seat:Bloomington [1]
Boundary Changes
Eastern Part
- 1827-1830 Shelby
- 1821-1827 Fayette
- 1819-1821 Clark
- 1816-1819 Crawford
- 1815-1816 Edwards
Western Part
- 1827-1831 Tazewell
- 1825-1827 Peoria
- 1821-1825 Sangamon
- 1817 - 1821 Bond
- 1812-1821 Madison
- 1801-1812 St. Clair
- 1790-1801 Knox, Northwest Territory
See an interactive map of McLean County boundary changes.
Record Loss
The Bloomington Fire
A Loss of $2,000,000, Covering Five Blocks of Houses and Including the Courthouse.
Bloomington, Ill., June 19.-Fire early this morning swept the business section of the city, burning between forty and fifty business houses and entailing a loss of $2,000,000. Word was sent to Peoria and Springfield to send fire engines. As every effort to check progress of the flames proved futile, the blowing up of buildings with dynamite was resorted to after the fire had been raging for three hours and a half. A strong east wind prevailed, which made the work of the firemen extremely difficult.
Among the buildings destroyed and some of the losses are the following:
..., and the courthouse.
Two firemen are missing and are probably in the ruins. The burned district covers an area of five blocks.
The insurance is approximately $800,000.
Dallas Morning News, Dallas, TX 20 Jun 1900
A Terrible Fire
Half the Business Portion of Bloomington, Ills., Wiped Out by Fire
Courthouse Hotels and Dozens on the City's Finest Buildings Destroyed.
Total Loss Variously Estimated at Between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000
Bloomington, Ills., June 20.-A fire which broke out at 12:30 a.m. wiped out nearly one-half of the business portion of Bloomington, .... Two sides of the courthouse square are in ruins. The north and the east and the other two blocks cornering on the square and one-half of the block west of the square are also destroyed. The courthouse, which is standing, is gutted from dome to basement. As far as known no lives were lost or anyone seriously injured.
The fire broke out in the Model laundry on Monroe Street, in the block northeast of the courthouse. The flames soon got beyond control and spread to the 4-story brick structure belonging to the B.S. Green company.
Government Building Escapes
In an hour the entire block was destroyed excepting the government building in which is located the post office and which escaped unharmed.
... . .with the entire block lying east of the courthouse was destroyed. The courthouse caught from Griesheim building and burned slowly, the clock in the dome running until it struck 4.
The Bloomington, Peoria and Springfield fire departments arrived about 6 a.m., and aided the local firemen in getting the fire burning in a westerly direction under control. In all 40 to 50 business houses were destroyed.
Aberdeen Daily News, Aberdeen, SD 20 Jun 1900
source:gendisasters.com
Records and Resources
Biography
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a McLean County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of McLean County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
McLean County Biography Bibliography WorldCat
Cemeteries
Cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.
Evergreen Cemetery (Bloomington) is a 80 plus acre cemetery from the 1820's. It is the final resting place of some prominent MCLean County individuals, including Adlai Stevenson I, baseball player Charles "Ol Hoss" Radbourne, David Davis, Supreme Court Judge and friend of Abe Lincoln, and Dorothy Gage, the inspiration for the Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.
The cemetery caretakers have done a wonderful job with their website, and have over 26,000 burials recorded for online searching. Each year, it is the host of the Evergreen Cemetery Walk, where actors in period clothing portray the life of some of the individuals in the cemetery, while standing at their grave site. This cemetery has won awards for its dedication to preserving history.
- Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried.Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries,names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.
- Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in McLean County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.
- McLean Co. IL USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks.
- Illinois Cemeteries by county.
- The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in McLean County. Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.
- ePodunk list of McLean County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.
BillionGraves is a site where people take photos using a smartphone and upload them using the app the site provides, and others transcribe them. Some McLean County area cemeteries have been visited and had photos taken for the BillionGraves site.
Census
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 67,843 | ||
| 1910 | 68,008 | 0.2% | |
| 1920 | 70,107 | 3.1% | |
| 1930 | 73,117 | 4.3% | |
| 1940 | 73,930 | 1.1% | |
| 1950 | 76,577 | 3.6% | |
| 1960 | 83,877 | 9.5% | |
| 1970 | 104,389 | 24.5% | |
| 1980 | 119,149 | 14.1% | |
| 1990 | 129,180 | 8.4% | |
| 2000 | 150,433 | 16.5% | |
| 2010 | 169,572 | 12.7% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
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, McLean County on page 187.]
Church Records
LDS Ward and Branch Records
Cemetery, Church and Family Records of Illinois. by Daughters of the American Revolution. FHL Collection item 5
West Twin Grove Christian Church, Bloominton, Illinois: membership and board meetings, 1847-1908. transcribed by Gerald W. Kattke. FHL 573476 item 12. FHL Book 977.359 K2k
Bloomington Methodist Church. by McLean County Historical Society WorldCat
Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
McLean County Circuit Court, 104 West Front Street, Bloomington, IL 61701
website: http://www.mcleancountyil.gov/circuitcourt/
This website gives information regarding vital records, court records, immigration and property records.
The Circuit Clerk's office has an on line database of immigration records which was done with the assistance of the McLean County Genealogical Society.
The court has one of the more extensive collections of original court records in the state.
The county policies for birth and death records are posted, and copies can be paid for on line, or by mail. On location: the the county clerk has a public index card file of births and deaths. Request for marriage application form on older marriages must be separately.
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
History
E. Duis, The Good Old Times in McLean County. Bloomington: (Publishers name not given), 1874. Digital version at Google Books. The book contains biographies of the early settlers of McLean County.
A variety of early McLean County genealogical records are transcribed in:
- McLean County, White County, Will County Genealogical Records. Evanston, Ill.?: Illinois Society, D.A.R.?, 1945?. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
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.
1909-1926 Coal Mine Maps - IRAD-ISU
Maps
Military Records
For information about using Military records see Illinois Military Records
Revolutionary War
1835 Revolutionary War Pensioners
War of 1812
Custer, Milo Soldiers of the Revolution and the War of 1812 buried in McLean County, Illinois (bloomington, Illinois Bloomington Norman Genealogical Society, 1969) pages 25 FHL Book 977.359 V22
Military Land Grants McLean County Illinois for Soldiers of the War of 1812 - USGenWeb
Blackhawk War
Captain M.L.Covell's Company - USGenWeb
Captain Robert McClure's Company - USGenWeb
Civil War
Civil War service men from McLean 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 McLean County.
Cavalry
- - 1st Regiment, Illinois Cavalry - Company A
- - 3rd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company I
- - 4th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company G, and Company L
- - 5th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C
Infantry
- - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company K.
- - 20th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C
- - 24th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B
- - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months), Company K
- - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 years), Company K
- - 20th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C
- - 24th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B
- - 26th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K
- - 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A, Company C, and Company G
- - 37th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G
- - 39th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B, and Company K.
- - 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G
- - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, (part of Kentucky Brigade) Company H
- - 63rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D
- - 68th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F, and Company G
- - 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H
- - 82nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
- - 94th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A, Company B, Company C, Company D, Company E, Company F, Company G, Company H, Company I, and Company K.
- - 116th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F
- - 117th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A
- - 145th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B, Company I, and Company K
- - 146th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G
- - 150th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A, and Company B
- - 152nd regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B, and Company C
Soldiers of the Revolution and the War 1812 Buried in McLean County, Illinois. by Milo Custer FHL Collection item 4 FHL book: 977.359 V22c Also Online at Internet Archives
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)
A list of GAR Post in Illinois additional site for post in Illinois; Library of Congress
Chas. E. Hovey Post, Normal 1913 - USGenWeb
Chenoa Post, Cheona 1913 - USGenWeb
H.W. Wood Post, McLean 1913 - USGenWeb
Thomas Riddle Post, Le Roy 1913 - USGenWeb
W. T. Sherman Post, Bloomington 1913 - USGenWeb
Indian Wars
Military Land Grants in McLean County, Illinois for Soldiers of the Indian Wars - USGenWeb
World War I
McLean County, Illinois in the World War, 1917-1918
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
World War II
Army Casualties Part 1 U.S. Natiional Archives and Records Administration
Army Casualties Part 2 U.S. National Archives and records Administration
Naturalization
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records.
The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Illinois State University (ISU) - search for McLean County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU IRAD Wiki page.
The website of the McLean County Circuit Clerk includes a free online naturalization index (produced with the help of the McLean County Genealogical Society).
1853-1965 Naturalization Abstracts. by Phyllis Abner and McLean County Genealogical Society FHL Collection items 4-6 FHL book: 977.359 P4n
Newspapers and Obituaries
Newspapers Published in McLean County
Chronicling America Library of Congress
1850-1870 Central Illinois Obituaries,
1871-1880 Central Illinois 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 Illinois State University (ISU) - search for McLean County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU IRAD Wiki page.
1834-1934 Probate Record -IRAD-ISU
1838-1940 Probate Will Record -IRAD-ISU
1850-1928 Probate Inventory Record - IRAD-ISU
1862-1939 Probate Dockets - IRAD-ISU
1866-1944 Probate Executor's Record IRAD-ISU
1881-1965 Probate Guardian's and Conservator's Account Record - IRAD-ISU
- 1831-1946 Index to Probate Records, McLean County, Illinois. by Nola G. Marquardt FHL Collection
Repositories
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. Illinois State University houses the records for McLean County.
County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for McLean County are kept, see the McLean County Courthouse page.
Family History Centers
Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States) and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in McLean County.
You may search your address for a center near you on the FamilySearch site. The following centers are located in surrounding counties. Their wiki pages may supply hours and other information.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
Illinois State Universtiy
2016 Warehouse Road Campus
Box 1520
Normal, Illinois 61802
Phone: 1-309-452-6027
Illinois Regional Archives Depository System - Local Governmental Records Listings Arranged by County
Public Libraries
McLean County Public Libraries
Social Groups Online
Societies
McLean County Genealogical Society
McLean County Historical Society
The Lexington Genealogical and Historical Society, Inc. (a.k.a. "The Fort") at Lexington, Illinois is a small building crammed with genalogical materials that cover McLean, Livingston, Woodford and Ford Counties.
Their records exist in either paper or microfilm form, the collection is a gold mine. They have saved obituaries from newspapers, extensive cemetery records and have some microfilm of marriage records, etc. from official sources. The staff is friendly and knowledgable.
Taxation
1898-2001 Inheritance Tax Record IRAD-ISU
Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois
The website of the McLean County Clerk's Office explains how to order copies of birth, marriage, and death records.
Birth
1860-1900 Birth Index - IRAD-ISU. Available at the Family History Library FHL Collection items 3-9. FHL book: 977.359 V21b
1877-1902 Birth Record - IRAD-ISU. Available at the Family History Library FHL Collection
The website of the McLean County Clerk's Office includes a Birth Index Search from 1860 through 1915.
Marriage
1831-1912 Marriage Record - IRAD-ISU. Available at the Family History Library FHL Collection index 1831-1911
Death
1877-1900 Death Record - IRAD-ISU. Available at the Family History Library FHL Collection
1878-1899 Death Index Cards. McLean County Clerk. FHL Collection
Web Sites
Databases Pertinent to McLean County
Local Governmental Records Database
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments
Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
Federal Township Plats of Illinois
McLean County Probate Record Index (1834–1934)
Places / Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
References
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 196. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
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