Greene County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Greene County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Greene County, Illinois | |
Map | |
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![]() Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded: | January 20, 1821 |
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County Seat | Carrollton |
Courthouse | |
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Illinois State Archives | |
Address | Greene County Courthouse 519 N. Main Street Carrollton, Illinois 62016 (217) 942-5443 |
Contents
- 1 County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Parent County
- 4 Boundary Changes
- 5 Record Loss
- 6 Records and Resources
- 6.1 Biography
- 6.2 Cemeteries
- 6.3 Census
- 6.4 Church Records
- 6.5 Court Records
- 6.6 Ethnic Research
- 6.7 Genealogy
- 6.8 History
- 6.9 Land and Property
- 6.10 Maps
- 6.11 Military
- 6.12 Naturalization
- 6.13 Newspapers and Obituaries
- 6.14 Places / Localities
- 6.15 Probate Records
- 6.16 Repositories
- 6.17 Societies
- 6.18 Taxation
- 6.19 Vital Records
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Organization[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1877 | 1821 | 1877 | 1821 | 1821 | 1821 | 1810 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Greene County are kept, see the Greene County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Greene County was named for Nathanael Greene who was a major general during the American Revolution, becoming Washington's most dependable officer.
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for General Nathanael Greene, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The county seat is Carrollton and the county was organized on 1821. The County is located in the West-Central part of the state.[2]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Records and Resources[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
All of the family biographies from The History of Greene County, Illinois (1879) published by Donnelley, Gassette & Loyd are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- Linkpendium has many links to cemetery records and cemetery projects in Greene County.
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1830 | 7,674 | — |
1840 | 11,951 | 55.7% |
1850 | 12,429 | 4.0% |
1860 | 16,093 | 29.5% |
1870 | 20,277 | 26.0% |
1880 | 23,010 | 13.5% |
1890 | 23,791 | 3.4% |
1900 | 23,402 | −1.6% |
1910 | 22,363 | −4.4% |
1920 | 22,883 | 2.3% |
1930 | 20,417 | −10.8% |
1940 | 20,292 | −0.6% |
1950 | 18,852 | −7.1% |
1960 | 17,460 | −7.4% |
1970 | 17,014 | −2.6% |
1980 | 16,661 | −2.1% |
1990 | 15,317 | −8.1% |
2000 | 14,761 | −3.6% |
2010 | 13,886 | −5.9% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.
1840 Pensioners[edit | edit source]
- 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, Greene County on page 187.]
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Churches of many denominations abound in Greene County. The leading denominations in oyder of membership are currently Evangelical denominations, Catholic, American Baptist churches, Assemblies of God, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Presbyterian, and Methodist. For a guide to Greene County churches on the internet Click Here.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/IRAD/home.html Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)] located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Greene County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of Original Records
- 1821-1840 Circuit Court execution dockets 1821 to 1840
- 1836-1972 Jail registers
Abstracts
- Maire, Jean M. Early records of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois (Springfield, Illinois:Allers and Gochanour, 1986) WorldCat 16880764; FHL Book 977.38 H2ma
Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
The following have information concerning African American research.
- African American Genealogy (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[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
- History of Greene County -- Its Past and Present by Clement L. Capp can be viewed for no charge online at the Internet Archive. "The book is dated 1879, so it includes the history of the county and its residents from the beginning of the county up to 1879. This is a wonderful resource for a genealogist if they have family that lived in Greene County before 1879. The book has 784 pages and contains detailed information on the history of the county, including the history of the towns within Greene County. There are illustrations of farms, pioneer dwellings, companies, and Indians and their impact on the history of the county. Portraits are also included of some of the early pioneers. The book also contains maps, War Records, Directories, and an abstract of Illinois State Law." It can also be downloaded to view on a Kindle.
- All of the biographies from The History of Greene County, Illinois (1879) published by Donnelley, Gassette & Loyd are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
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 online, through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Greene County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.
- Deed records 1824 to 1887 IRAD-UIS Broken link (13 Mar 2019)
- Entry books 1821 to 1853 IRAD-UIS Broken link
- Estray papers 1831 to 1971 IRAD-UIS Broken link
- Estray records 1866 to 1904 IRAD-UIS Broken link
- School land sale records 1834 to 1859 IRAD-UIS Broken link
Online Resources
- BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Greene County from the Govenment Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patant details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- "U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796 to 1907" Available at Ancestry.com ($). Records of Illinois are among the 13 states included in this set. It includes images of the land patents which contain the information necessary for ordering the complete case files from the National Archives. This appears to be the same information that is online at the Federal Land Office site http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.
- Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Expains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry, this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.
Copies of original records
- 1821–1853 Land records FHL film 1722568
- 1821–1929 Deeds records and indexes FHL film 1310001 (first of 35 films)
- 1822–1839 Land records FHL film 1320028 Item 3 (first of 2 films)
- 1831–1877 School land records FHL film 1722569 items 4–6
- 1866–1915 Estray record FHL film 1722569 Item 1
Abstracts
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Greene County land and property may be found online in the FamilySearch Catalog, FamilySearch Catalog–maps and FamilySearch Catalog–indexes. Online microfilm are indicated by the camera icon in the catalog entry. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the WorldCat Online Catalog.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- Township Map of 1870 Greene County, Illinois with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
Multiple Wars[edit | edit source]
IRAD Holdings:
- Military Discharge records 1863 to 1801
- Military Discharge records index 1862 to 1981
- Military Discharge records, Civil War 1865 to 1891
- Militia roll records 1861 to 1862
Civil War [edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Greene 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 Greene County.
- - 12th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company F.
- - 14th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
- - 59th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- - 61st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, E, and G.
- - 91st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies G, H, I, and K.
- - 122nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
- - 133rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies C and G.
- - 144th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers and Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[4]
Cities | ||
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Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1819 - 1988 Illinois Probate Records 1819-1988 at FamilySearch.org — images
Original probate records are held by the circuit court clerk. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. No probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS. The following copies are available in the FamilySearch Catalog:
- 1836–1923Index to Probate FilesRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records. {{1306488 item 3
- 1836–1981 Estate Index FHL Film 1310079
- 1836–1848Probate IndexRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records.
- 1836–1917Probate RecordsRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records.
- 1836–1981 Probate Records FHL Film 1306488 (first of 14 films) Includes indexes to all records.
- 1845–1915Will RecordRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records.
- 1836–1921 Will Records 1306486–1306488
- 1864–1927Inventory Records FHL Film 1310079–1310083
Repositories[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Greene County Courthouse
519 N. Main Street
Carrollton, IL 62016-1033
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Greene County are kept, see the Greene County Courthouse page.
Family History Center[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Introduction to 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.
Greene county does not have a family history center. Center addresses are not mailing addresses. Some of the nearest centers are:
- Alton Illinois Family History Center
6500 Humbert Rd
Godfrey, Illinois
Telephone: 618-466-4352 - Jacksonville Illinois Family History Center
1053 E. Vandalia Rd
Jacksonville Illinois
Telephone: 217-245-8113
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)[edit | edit source]
The Archives hold many records for Greene County. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page
Illinois Regional Archives Depository
LIB144
University of Illinois at Springfield Region
One University Plaza, MS BRK 140
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407
217-206-6520
Public Libraries[edit | edit source]
Carrollton Public Library
509 South Main Street
Carrollton, IL 62016-1251
(217) 942-6715
e-mail: cte@lcls.org
Website
Greenfield Public Library
515 Chestnut Street
Greenfield, IL 62044
Phone: (217) 368-2613
Fax: (217)368-2613
Website
Roodhouse Public Library
220 West Franklin Street
Roodhouse, IL 62082
Phone: (217) 589-5123
White Hall Township Public Library
119 East Sherman Street
White Hall, IL 62092
Phone: (217) 374-6014
Fax: (217) 374-6554
E-mail: whelib@gcctv.com
Website
The White Hall Library has a genealogy file, which contains dates of birth, death, and marriages, which have appeared in the local newspaper, dating 1869 to present time. These newspapers are on microfilm, and are used in the library by people throughout the U.S. We also have other local history information available for use in the library.
Societies[edit | edit source]
Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society
PO Box 137
Carrollton, Illinois 62016
Telephone Number: 217-942-6013
The Greene County Historical & Genealogical Society is located in the Lee-Baker-Hodges House on North Main Street on the northwest corner of the square in Carrollton, Illinois. The Society Library and Museum hours are currently Wednesday & Friday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The entrance is at the side door at the top of the ramp. For more information, see their website.
The genealogical society has a file folder for each surname. The folders contain summaries of newspaper articles, burial locations (including some unmarked graves) and extractions of marriage and probate records.
The courthouse is located across the street and the County Clerk's office is open on Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. The courthouse has birth, marriage and death records that they will search for a fee. There are originals of wills that you can see and copy for a minimal cost.
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded since 1877 are kept by the Greene 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 kept by the County Clerk from 1877 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
Copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Universtiy of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Greene County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database . For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page.
Explore Greene County vital records found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Greene County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1877–1981 Birth Record Index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1877–1981Birth records Index 1877 to 1981 FHL film 1310038
- 1877–1901 Birth Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1877–1901Birth records FHL film 1310038–7
- 1862–1972 Delayed Birth Record Index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1860 to 1972 Index to delayed births FHL film 1310039
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
- 1810–1934 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1821–1981 Marriage Record Index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1821–1901 Marriage Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1821 to 1900 Statewide Marriage Index search for Greene County records.
- 1821–1981 Marriages with index FHL films 1310035–1310037
- 1821–1850 Greene County marriages in Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860. Ancestry ($) The source of this collection is films in the Family History Library's collection
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1851–1900 Greene County marriages in Illinois Marriages 1851 to 1900. Ancestry ($) The source of this collection is films in the Family History Library's collection
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1877–1981 Death Record Index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1877–1901 Death Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Greene County records.
- 1877–1901Death records with indexes FHL films 1310039–1310040
- Pre-1916 Death Index
- 1916–1950 Illinois Statewide Death Index. Search for Greene records.
- 1916–1947 Deaths and Stillbirths Record Collection 1438856 Online index.
- 1850 Sheffer, Mabel T. 1850 Greene County, Illinois Census, Mortality Schedule. Carrollton, Ill.(P.O. Box 137, Carrollton): The Society, [198-].at other libraries FHL Book 977.384 X2g 1850
- 1850–1880 U.S. Census Mortality Schedules Ancestry ($)
Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois offers the following online free death indexes:
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Greene County ILGenWeb
- Greene County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Greene County IL Genealogy
- Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Greene County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Greene County, Illinois (Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois) Cemeteries, Census, Death Records, Local Histories, Military, Naturalizations, Newspapers, Probate Index, Soldier's and Sailor's Home
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Greene County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 194-197.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Greene County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_County,_Illinois 04/013/2017.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 194. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Greene County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 6 January 2020.