Franklin County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Franklin County

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

Historical Records
County is named for the well known Benjamin Franklin of colonial days.



Boundary Changes

 * 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.


 * Servitude and Emanicpation Records, 1722-1863 of Franklin County, Illinois found at genealogytrails.com


 * African-American Resources for Illinois

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

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois 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. ; ; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Franklin County on page 186.]

Church
FamilySearch has made parish records from seven Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Franklin County available online (requires free registration). The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
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 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
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Court
Illinois Court Records for more information

Court records are held in both offices of the Circuit Court Clerk and County Clerk

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page

Circuit Court


 * 1837-1870 Circuit Court Record
 * 1851-1893 Circuit Court Issue Dockets
 * 1870-1924 Circuit Court Record, Chancery
 * 1870-1964 Circuit Court Record, Common Law
 * 1871-1946 Circuit Court Record, Criminal
 * 1873-1927 Circuit Court Indictment Record
 * 1908-1957 Naturalization Petition Record
 * 1911-1952 Naturalization Declarations of Intent
 * 1929-1957 Naturalization Order Books

County Court


 * 1872-1964 County Court Record, Common Law
 * 1872-1964 County Court Record, Criminal
 * 1887-1904 Naturalization Record
 * 1893-1916 Insanity Dockets
 * 1893-1952 Insanity Record
 * 1915-1942 Feeble-Minded Dockets
 * 1923-1940 Dependent and Delinquent Children Record
 * 1914-1941 Mother's Pension Records and Accounts
 * 1930-1937 Mother's Pension Order Record
 * 1874-1955 Jail Registers (See Sheriff's office)

City Court


 * 1915-1962 Benton City Court Record
 * 1914-1952 West Frankfort City Court Records and Naturalization Records.

Family History Library Collection


 * 1836-1900 Early court records

Land
See Illinois Land and Property for more information.

Land records in Franklin County are held with the County Clerk: 202 West Main Benton, Illinois 62918 (618) 438-3221

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."

Online Resources


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database. Also available at Ancestry ($)
 * Franklin County Federal Township Plats

Family History Library Collection


 * 1818 and 1820 Census and original land records
 * 1819-1907 Deeds, 1819-1907 and indexes, 1835-1889
 * 1814 Franklin County land records, book A, first deed book with dates as early as 1814
 * 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. . The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index.

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

 * Baird, S. S. Franklin County, Illinois, War History, 1832-1919: Containing a Brief Review of the World War, Complete History of Franklin County's Activities, Photographs and Service Records of Franklin County's Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, Industrial and Biographical Review of Business and Professional Firms Who Have Made This History Possible. Benton: H.W. Trovillion for the Franklin County War History Society, c1920. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

An index was later published by the Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois. It has been digitized:


 * Greenwood, Marie. Index of Franklin County Illinois War History, (Originally Published, 1920.). Index of Franklin County Illinois War History. (Originally published, 1920). Carterville, Ill.: Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, 1975. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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.

Probate
See Illinois Probate Records for more information.

Estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk: 202 West Main Benton, Illinois 62918 (618) 439-2011

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1835-1922 Recorder's Will Record
 * 1837-1970 Probate Case Files Index
 * 1837-1938 Probate Record
 * 1845-1964 Probate Will Record
 * 1856-1871 Probate Inventory, Appraisement and Sale Record
 * 1859-1940 Probate Executor's Record
 * 1871-1898 Probate Appraisement Record
 * 1875-1884 Probate Administrator's and Executor's Final Reports
 * 1878-1934 Probate Widow's Relinquishment and Selection Record
 * 1889-1913 Probate Inventory and Appraisement Record, Copartnership
 * 1893-1957 Probate Administrator's Bonds and Letter

Family History Library Collection


 * An unspecified number of Franklin County probate records are available in.
 * 1835-1922 Will records, volume A-D
 * 1840's - 1920's Probate abstracts
 * 1848-1970 Index to estate papers, volume 2
 * 1875-1884 Probate settlement, Volume C
 * Probate Index

Vital Records
Illinois Vital Records for more information.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. The following records may be accessed through the Family History Library and IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU)– Franklin County. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page. Records without a source listed are from IRAD, and records with FHL film or book numbers are from the Family History Library. Online databases are also listed among the records available.

Birth

 * Franklin County, Illinois Delayed Births
 * 1861-1879 Early Franklin County, Illinois birth records
 * 1861-1915 Delayed Birth Certificates
 * 1861-1915 Birth records
 * 1877-1916 Birth and Death Records and Indexes
 * 1878-1888 Returns of birth by Sophia Lookinbee Doty for 1878-1888.

Marriage

 * Franklin County, Illinois Marriages, 1819-1850 and 1894-1908 Sorted by date,bride and groom.
 * Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1818-1845 Franklin County Marriage Records at Genealogy Trails.com
 * Franklin County, Illinois Marriage Index 1878-1893
 * Franklin County Divorce Records, 1837-1875
 * 1835-1915 Marriage Records
 * 1835-1915 Marriage records
 * 1836-1865 Marriage records
 * 1866-1877 Marriage record index with dates, 1866-1877, Franklin County, Illinois license book A, B and a few 1874 from another book.
 * 1877-1924 Marriage Record Index
 * 1878-1893 Franklin County, Illinois marriage records
 * 1878-1916 Marriage records, 1878-1916
 * 1916-1920 Marriages book 4
 * 1916-1920 Marriages book 4

Death

 * Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * Franklin County, Illinois Death Records from the Illinois State Archives Database of Death Certificates.
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1861-1915 Delayed Birth Certificates
 * 1877-1916 Birth and Death Records and Indexes
 * 1877-1915 Death records, Volumes 1-2
 * 1877-1915 The first thousand recorded deaths
 * 1910-1915 Coroner's certificate of death record
 * 1910-1915 Coroner's certificate of death record

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)