Knox County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Knox 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 Knox County are kept, see the Knox County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts


The county is named for General Henry Knox (1750-1806), Revolutionary War hero, and the nation's first Secretary of War.

Parent County

 * 1825--Knox County was created 13 January 1825 from Fulton County. County seat: Galesburg

Boundary Changes
A part of Knox County was taken to create Stark County 2 March 1839.

Fulton | Henry | Mercer | Peoria | Stark | Mercer

Populated Places
Galesburg | Knoxville | Oneida | Abingdon | Altona | Appleton | Bridgeport | Burnside | Centerville | Dahinda | DeLong | Douglas | East Galesburg | Elba Center | Eugene | Gilson | Henderson | Henderson Grove | Hermon | Knox | London Mills | Maquon | Oak Run | Ontario | Rapatee | Rio | Saint Augustine | Saluda | Soperville | Trenton Corners | Truro | Uniontown | Victoria | Walnut Grove | Wataga | Williamsfield | Yates City

Neighboring Counties

 * Fulton
 * Henry
 * Mercer
 * Peoria
 * Stark
 * Warren

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 Knox County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * Knox 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 Knox 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.

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, Knox County on page 187.]

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Galesburg

Local Histories
Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County. Chicago: Munsell Pub. Co., 1899. Digital version at Ancestry ($); USGenNet. Perry, Albert J. History of Knox County, Illinois: Its Cities, Towns and People. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1912. Digital version at Ancestry ($); Google Books; Internet Archive.


 * Knox County, Illinois, the Honor Roll, 1917-1918-1919: Being a Record of What was Done in Knox County in Those Three Eventful Years and Who Did It. Galesburg, Ill.: Wagoner Print. Co., 1920. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Military

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


 * - 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and H.
 * - 42nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 45th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C.
 * - 55th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 59th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 64th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Yates’ Sharpshooters), Company D.
 * - 66th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 72nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 77th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 83rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E, G, I and K.
 * - 84th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 86th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 89th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.

Vital Records
Knox County Clerk Knox County Courthouse 200 S. Cherry St. Galesburg, Illinois 61401-4992 Telephone: 309-345-3815 Fax: 309-345-3801 Email: info@knoxclerk.org Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30AM-4:30PM

Copies of Knox County birth, marriage and death records can be obtained from the county clerk. To make a credit card payment for birth, marriage, and death records use the Illinois E-PAY system.

Marriage Records

 * 1830s-1850s - Illinois Miscellaneous Genealogical Records: From Counties, Bond, Boone, Calhoun, Cook, Crawford, Du Page, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Will, Pope: Kentucky county, Mercer: Missouri county, Ralls. Evanston, Ill.: Illinois Society, D.A.R., 1946. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes marriages dated 1833-1838 and 1850-1852.

Societies and Libraries
Galesburg Public Library 40 East Simmons Street Galesburg, Illinois 61401 Telephone: 309-343-6118 Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9AM-8PM, Fri. 9AM-5PM, closed Sun.

The Galesburg Public Library has a fine collection of local and state histories, censuses, city directories, cemetery records, county plat books, maps, newspapers, journals, yearbooks, and photographs that reflect the history and heritage of Galesburg and the surrounding area. The collection includes many rare books and original manuscripts. The Library also houses the records of the Knox County Genealogical Society.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Knox County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Knox County, section ofIllinois Ancestors, has biographies, cemetery and tombstone photos, military and obituaries, veteran histories, township histories, and more.
 * Knox County, section ofIllinois Ancestors, has biographies, cemetery and tombstone photos, military and obituaries, veteran histories, township histories, and more.