Henderson County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Henderson County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Henderson County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
| |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | January 20, 1841 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Oquawka |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Henderson County Courthouse P.O. Box 308 Oquawka, Illinois 61469 309-867-2911 |
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 Land and Property
- 6.9 Local Histories
- 6.10 Maps
- 6.11 Military
- 6.12 Naturalization
- 6.13 Newspapers and Obituaries
- 6.14 Places and Localities
- 6.15 Probate Records
- 6.16 Repositories
- 6.17 Social Groups Online
- 6.18 Societies
- 6.19 Taxation
- 6.20 Vital Records
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Organization[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1878 | 1878 | 1878 | 1841 | 1841 | 1841 | 1810 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Henderson County are kept, see the Henderson County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Large numbers of Kentuckians settled in frontier Henderson County, Illinois. The name of the county (Henderson) is reminiscent of Henderson County, Kentucky Genealogy - the previous residence of many pioneer settlers.[2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for the Henderson River. The county seat is Oquawka and the county was organized on 1841. The County is located in the Western part of the state.[3]
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]
- The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Henderson County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Henderson County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| ILGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| ILGenWeb Archives | Illinois Graveyards | |
| Tombstone Project | FamilySearch Places | |
| Illinois Gravestones | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Illinois Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Online Gravestone Transcriptions
- GenealogyTrails.com. Provides listing of for Henderson County Cemeteries.
- Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project. Find or submit Henderson County tombstone photos.
- Linkpendium. Has links to several Henderson County Cemetery related websites.
Cemetery Gazetters
- The Illinois State Genealogical Society's "Cemetery Location Project" has identified many Henderson County Cemeteries.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 4,612 | — |
| 1860 | 9,501 | 106.0% |
| 1870 | 12,582 | 32.4% |
| 1880 | 10,722 | −14.8% |
| 1890 | 9,876 | −7.9% |
| 1900 | 10,836 | 9.7% |
| 1910 | 9,724 | −10.3% |
| 1920 | 9,770 | 0.5% |
| 1930 | 8,778 | −10.2% |
| 1940 | 8,949 | 1.9% |
| 1950 | 8,416 | −6.0% |
| 1960 | 8,237 | −2.1% |
| 1970 | 8,451 | 2.6% |
| 1980 | 9,114 | 7.8% |
| 1990 | 8,096 | −11.2% |
| 2000 | 8,213 | 1.4% |
| 2010 | 7,331 | −10.7% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
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.
- 1834–1861 Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of South Henderson minutes FHL film 1823061 Items 1-4
- 1846–1884 Marriages performed by Rev. W.S. Campbell FHL film 1035833 Item 1
- 1865–1900 Parsons, Mary Lou and Ethel Ketchum Trego. Smith Creek United Presbyterian Church, Henderson County, Illinois, 17 June 1865-1900. [S.l.: s.n., 1996?]. FHL film 2055532 Item 15 and book 977.3413 K2p
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Abstracts
- 1841–1853 Warren County, Illinois Genealogical Society. Early court commissioner's records of Henderson County, IL: 1841-1853. [S.l.]: Warren County, Illinois Genealogical Society, 1992. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library, FHL book 977.3413 P2w
Copies of original records
- 1843–1928 Probate records and index FHL first film 1434879 Item 4 (first of 5 films)
- 1856–1944 Naturalization records FHL first film 1434879 Item 5 (first of 2 films)
- 1859–1939 Miscellaneous probate records and bonds FHL first film 1434881 Item 4 (first of 4 films)
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]
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 through online sources or the Family History Library.
- 1841–1886 Grantee index FHL first film 1377851 (first of 3 films)
- 1841–1887 Grantor index FHL films 1377850–1
- 1841–1902 Deed records FHL first film 1434976 Items 3-4 (first of 66 films
- 1982–1983 Land atlas and plat book Many libraries (WorldCat) FHL book 977.3413 E7h
Online Resources
- Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- Henderson County Federal Township Plats
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Henderson County land and property may be found online in the FamilySearch Catalog. 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.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- History of Mercer and Henderson Counties Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc. Chicago, Illinois: H.H. Hill and Company, 1882. FHL fiche 6071026; digital versions at Ancestry ($), and Internet Archive (free)
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
- Civil War service men from Henderson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Henderson County.
- - 10th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and G.
- - 16th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- - 65th Reigment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
- - 84th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies G and K.
- - 91st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and C.
- - 118th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- - 138th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D.
- Despite the destruction of the 1890 Federal Census, a few 1890 Census Veterans Schedules for Henderson County survived. They are available on roll 118 of "Special Schedules of the Eleventh Census (1890) Enumerating Union Veterans and Widows of Union Veterans of the Civil War" (NARA M123). The schedules list veterans and their widows who served as Union soldiers in the Civil War. For more information on the 1890 Veterans Schedules see Union Census Records.
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records.
The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library.
- 1856–1944 Naturalization records FHL first film 1434879 Item 5 (first of 2 films)
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers and Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- NewspaperArchive.com ($) has historical newspapers online including Burlington, Iowa newspapers dating back to the mid 1800's that may have included Henderson County residents. This database is free at some libraries.
Places and 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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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 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 Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Henderson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see theWIU IRAD Wiki page.
Online Resources
- 1841–1939 Probate records, wills, administratiors' records, executors' records, guardianship records, and widows relinquishment records for Henderson County probate records are also available in Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970. Click on the browse through images link, select Henderson County, and select the record type you are interested in.
Copies of original records
- 1841–1923 Probate Record FHL first film 1377925 (first of 3 films)
- 1843–1928 Probate records and index FHL first film 1434879 Item 4 (first of 5 films)
- 1859–1939 Miscellaneous probate records and bonds FHL first film 1434881 Item 4 (first of 4 films)
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Henderson County probates may be found in the Illinois, Henderson – Probate topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . 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.
Repositories[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Henderson County are kept, see the Henderson 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 Affiliate Libraries
There are over 4500 Introduction to Family History Centers in more than 80 countries offering public access to genealogical records from all over the world. Family History Centers provide patrons with access to over a billion online records and approximately 2.5 million circulating microfilms. Centers are staffed by local volunteers who are eager to provide genealogical research assistance. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Henderson County. To find the nearest Family History Center, check out the Family Search Centers page on the FamilySearch.org website.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)[edit | edit source]
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. Western Illinois University houses the records for Henderson County.
Public Libraries[edit | edit source]
Henderson County Public Library District
110 Hill Crest Drive
Biggsville, IL 61418
Telephone: 309-627-2830
Fax: 309-627-2830
Email: hcp161418@hotmail.com
Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]
Henderson County Genealogical Society
110 Hill Crest Drive
Biggsville, IL 61418
Email: hencogen@hotmail.com
The Henderson County Genealogical Society meets in the Henderson County Public Library in Biggsville.
Societies[edit | edit source]
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 until the year 1916 are kept by the Henderson 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 usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Henderson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Births[edit | edit source]
Copies of Original Birth Records
- 1877–1901 Birth register IRAD–WIU FHL film 1377857 Items 2-3
- 1877–1915 Birth Record Index IRAD–WIU
- 1878–1887 Index to births FHL film 1377857 Items 2-3
Online Resources
- Miscellaneous Births From Henderson County Register of Births, courtesy USGenWeb Archives.
Marriages[edit | edit source]
Copies of original Marriage Records
- 1841–1934 Index to Marriages IRAD–WIU FHL first film 1377856 (first of 2 films)
- 1841–1901 Marriage register IRAD–WIU FHL first film 1377856 (first of 2 films)
Online Resources
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
- 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
- 1810–1934 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- Henderson County, Illinois Marriage Records, courtesy USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
Deaths[edit | edit source]
Copies of Original Death Records
- 1878–1915 Death Record index IRAD–WIU
- 1878–1900 Death index FHL film 1377857 Items 4-5
- 1878–1902 Register of deaths, v. 1 IRAD–WIU and FHL film 1377857 Items 4-5
Online Resources
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com ($)
- 1999, Stronghurst, Henderson County, Illinois Deaths listed in the Hancock-Henderson Quill, courtesy genealogybuff.com
- 2000, Stronghurst, Henderson County, Illinois Deaths listed in the Hancock-Henderson Quill, courtesy genealogybuff.com
- 2001, Stronghurst, Henderson County, Illinois Deaths listed in the Hancock-Henderson Quill, courtesy genealogybuff.com
- 2002, Stronghurst, Henderson County, Illinois Deaths listed in the Hancock-Henderson Quill, courtesy genealogybuff.com
- 2003, Stronghurst, Henderson County, Illinois Deaths listed in the Hancock-Henderson Quill, courtesy genealogybuff.com
- 2004, Stronghurst, Henderson County, Illinois Deaths listed in the Hancock-Henderson Quill, courtesy genealogybuff.com
Additional Resources[edit | edit source]
Additional resources for Henderson County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Henderson – Vital Records and the Illinois, Henderson – Vital Records - indexes topic page topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . 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.
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Henderson County, Illinois ILGenWeb
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Henderson County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Henderson County IL Genealogy
- Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Henderson County, IllinoisGenealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Henderson 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.
- ↑ Hardin County Fact Sheet, Illinois State Archives, accessed May 28, 2011.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Henderson County, Illinois Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ill/henderson/ accessed 04/13/2017.
- ↑ 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, "Henderson County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 7 January 2020.
