Franklin County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Franklin County

Parent County

 * 1818--Franklin County was created 2 January 1818 from White and Gallatin Counties. County seat:  Benton

Record Loss
November 18, 1843 -- Courthouse burned and many records were damaged.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see the following:


 * Burned Counties Research
 * http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=2424


 * Lost census: 1890

Places / Localities
To see a list of places in Franklin 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.

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

Cemeteries
Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * 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 Franklin County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.
 * Franklin 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 of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.
 * ePodunk list of Franklin 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.

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.

Land
Franklin County "is well watered by Little Muddy river on the West, Big Muddy and its branches through the center. It is quiet, level and is largely prairie. The land is not well adapted to farming, although modern farming methods with liberal use of limestone are producing many fine farms...Slaves were held in Franklin County by the leading families until 1824, and then were taken to Missouri and sold. In some cases they were brought back to Franklin county and manumitted...The land not being very rich, the settlement of the county was slow. The law of 1854 changed the price of land in Illnois from $1.25 per acre to 12 1/2 cents per acre. Thousands of acres of land was purchased from the government under the "Bit Act." When Congress granted the land for the Illinois Central Railroad, 33,078 acres of the grant fell within the limits of Franklin county."

Family History Library Collection

 * 1818 and 1820 Census and original land records


 * 1819-1907 Deeds, 1819-1907 and indexes, 1835-1889


 * 1818 Franklin County land records, book A, first deed book


 * 1824,1829-1877 Franklin County land records, book B


 * 1853 Assessor's book personal property tax list


 * 1865 Property tax list, non-resident and personal


 * 1984-1986 Land atlas and plat book


 * Family maps with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads and more.

Local Histories

 * History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin, and Williamson Counties, Illinois: From the Earliest Time to the Present, Together with Sundry and Interesting Biographical Sketches, Notes, Reminiscences, Etc., Etc. Chicago: Goodspeed, 1887. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive.

Military

 * Civil War Civil War service men from Franklin 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 Franklin County.


 * - 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and F.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and I.
 * - 63rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 89th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.

Web Sites

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