Union County, Illinois Genealogy

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United States
Illinois
Union County

Guide to Union County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

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Union County, Illinois
Map
Boundary map of Union County, Illinois
Map of the U.S. highlighting Illinois
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded: January 2, 1818
County Seat Jonesboro
Courthouse
Union County Courthouse.gif
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Illinois State Archives
Address Union County Courthouse
309 W. Market
Jonesboro, IL 62952
(618) 833-5711
Union County Website


Union County Organization

Union County's civil records start the following years:

                                     Beginning Dates for Union County Records
Birth Marriage Death Census Land Probate
1878
 1818
 1877
 1820
 1818
 1818

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

Historical Facts

Union County is named for the union of the American states.

Many early residents of Union County came into the area from Rowan County, North Carolina.[1]

Parent County

  • 1818--Union County was created 2 January 1818 from Johnson County.  County seat:  Jonesboro [2]

Description

The county seat is Jonesboro and the county was organized on January 2, 1818. The County is located in the Southwest area of the state.[3]

Boundary Changes

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

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Records and Resources

Biography

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Union, Illinois online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Illinois Cemeteries for more information


The following web site has additional information on Union county cemeteries.

  • Cemetery List of Union County, by Epodunk.com gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Census

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
190022,610
—
191021,856−3.3%
192020,249−7.4%
193019,883−1.8%
194021,5288.3%
195020,500−4.8%
196017,645−13.9%
197016,071−8.9%
198017,76510.5%
199017,619−0.8%
200018,2933.8%
IL Counties 1900-1990
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. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Union County on page 188.]

Church Records

Catholic

FamilySearch has made parish records from two Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Union County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:

Court Records

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 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

  • 1820-1824 Circuit Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-SIU
  • 1818-1848 Circuit Court Record - IRAD-SIU
  • 1818-1965 County Court and Probate Index - IRAD-SIU S
  • 1861-1873 County Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-SIU
  • 1827-1851 Justice and Constable Appointment Record - IRAD-SIU
  • Order book, 1818-1848 FHL Film 963335 First of 2 films.
  • Records of Justices of the Peace by the Clerk County Commissioner, 1827-1851 FHL Film 964133 item 8
  • Darrell Dexter abstracted nineteenth-century guardianship records. His compilation is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.

Ethnic Research

African American

The following have information concerning African American research.

Genealogy

History

Local Histories

The online Shawnee Community College Local History Project includes a dozen personal interviews that give you a taste of historic Union County. Was your relative one of the interviewed individuals?

Land and Property

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, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Resources

Abstracts

Copies of Original Records

Maps

Perry CountyCape Girardeau CountyAlexander CountyPulaski CountyJohnson CountyWilliamson CountyJackson CountyIL UNION.PNG
About this image
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Military

Civil War

Civil War service men from Union 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 Union County.

- 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company M.
- 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H, I, and K.
- 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, New Company H.
- 30th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
- 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and H.
- 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, and F.
- 81st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
-109th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I.

Naturalization

Newspapers and Obituaries

Probate Records

Online Probate Records


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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Abstracts

Copies of Original Records

Repositories

County Courthouse

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

Family History Center

Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

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. Southern Illinois University houses the records for Union County.

Public Libraries

Social Groups Online

Societies

Union County Genealogical and Historical Society
101 East Spring Street
Anna 62906

Union County, Ilinois Historical and Genealogy Society and Museum
PO Box 93
Cobden, IL 62920
Telephone Number: 618-893-2865
E-mail:uchgsillinois@gmail.com
Website

Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.

Taxation

Vital Records

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 county 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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Birth

Copies of Original Records

Marriage

Abstracts

Copies of Original Records

Online Resources

Death

Copies of Original Records

Online Resources

Places / Localities


To see a list of places in Union 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 websites. 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.

Websites

References

  1. ↑ Don Patterson, "From old Rowan County, NC to Union County, IL," Rowan Roots, accessed 6 July 2011.
  2. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Union County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_County,_Illinois 04/20/2017.
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