Calhoun County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Calhoun County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Calhoun County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | January 10, 1825 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Hardin |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Calhoun County Courthouse Main Street Hardin, Illinois 62047 (618) 576-2351 |
Contents
- 1 Calhoun County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Boundary Changes
- 4 Record Loss
- 5 Places and Localities
- 6 Records and Resources
- 6.1 Biography
- 6.2 Cemeteries
- 6.3 Census
- 6.4 Church History and Records
- 6.5 Court Records
- 6.6 Directories
- 6.7 Ethnic Research
- 6.8 Genealogy
- 6.9 Land and Property
- 6.10 Maps
- 6.11 Military History and Records
- 6.12 Names, Personal
- 6.13 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 6.14 Newspapers
- 6.15 Obituaries
- 6.16 Postal and Shipping Guides
- 6.17 Probate Records
- 6.18 Public Records
- 6.19 Repositories
- 6.20 Schools
- 6.21 Social Groups Online
- 6.22 Societies
- 6.23 Taxation
- 6.24 Vital Records
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
Calhoun County Organization[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1877 | 1825 | 1877 | 1825 | 1825 | 1833 | 1810 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Calhoun County are kept, see the Calhoun County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Calhoun County is named for John C. Calhoun who served in politics and became Vice-President of the United States.
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Vice President John C. Calhoun. The County Seat is Hardin and was founded 1825. It is located in the West-Central area of the state.[2]
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.
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:[4]
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
Records and Resources[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
- Every Name Index to Portrait and Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2011, original text by Biographical Publishing Company, 1891, reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1975. EveryNameIndex.com
- Portrait and Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois: Containing Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, Together with Portraits and Biographies of All the Presidents of the United States, and Governors of the State. Chicago: Biographical Pub. Co., 1891. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive FHL film 825598
- Portrait Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. Chicago, IL, USA: Biographical Publishing, 1891. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Reprint 19823 with index FHL Book 977.3 D3p, fiche 6088665
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- GenealogyTrails.com. Find headstone transcriptions for Calhoun County Cemeteries.
- Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project. Find or submit Calhoun County tombstone photos.
- Linkpendium. Has links to several Calhoun County Cemetery related websites.
- The Illinois State Genealogical Society's "Cemetery Location Project" has identified many Calhoun County Cemeteries.
Census[edit | edit source]
Federal[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 1,090 | — |
| 1840 | 1,740 | 59.6% |
| 1850 | 3,231 | 85.7% |
| 1860 | 5,144 | 59.2% |
| 1870 | 6,562 | 27.6% |
| 1880 | 7,467 | 13.8% |
| 1890 | 7,652 | 2.5% |
| 1900 | 8,917 | 16.5% |
| 1910 | 8,610 | −3.4% |
| 1920 | 8,245 | −4.2% |
| 1930 | 8,034 | −2.6% |
| 1940 | 8,207 | 2.2% |
| 1950 | 6,898 | −15.9% |
| 1960 | 5,933 | −14.0% |
| 1970 | 5,675 | −4.3% |
| 1980 | 5,867 | 3.4% |
| 1990 | 5,322 | −9.3% |
| 2000 | 5,084 | −4.5% |
| 2010 | 5,089 | 0.1% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- Calhoun County, Illinois 1830 census WorldCat 52447394. WorldCat 16796520
- United States census, 1850, Calhoun County, Illinois FHL Book 977.3 A1 no. 92, fiche 6093467
- U. S. census, Calhoun County, Illinois, 1860, indexed FHL Book 977.3853 X2u 1860, film 6093820
- Ancestry.com (FI$)
- heritagequestonline.com (LAR)
State[edit | edit source]
- State census, 1855 and 1865 Ancestry.com (FI$)
- Illinois State Census, 1855, FHL film 976179
- State census, 1865 FHL film 972751
- Name index to early Illinois records FHL films
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, Calhoun County on page 186.]
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
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 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Calhoun County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
- 1825–1850 Circuit court dockets IRAD–WIU
- 1825–1843 Court records FHL film 1688506 item 1 and 6
- 1842–1850 Court records FHL film 1688498
Directories[edit | edit source]
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]
Mailing Lists[edit | edit source]
Message Boards[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, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Calhoun County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of original records
- Tract Index FHL first film 1305047 Item 3 (first of 4 films)
- 1825–1926 Grantee and grantor indexes FHL film 1305047 Items 1,2,4 and 1305048
- 1825–1881 Deeds FHL films 1305051 Items 2-3 through 1305063
- 1841–1857 School land records FHL films 1688507 Items 2-3
- 1854–1894 Estray book FHL film 1688506 Item 4
- 1825–1915 Public records FHL film 1688504 Items 1-10 and 1688505 Items 1-6
- 1987 Land atlas and plat book Other libraries (WorldCat) FHL book 977.3853 E7c
- 1825–1850 Entry books IRAD–WIU
- 1825–1886 Marks and brands record IRAD–WIU
- 1827–1894 Estray record IRAD–WIU
- 1841–1853 School land sale petitions IRAD–WIU
- 1841–1857 School land sale record IRAD–WIU
- 1841–1851 School land sale reports IRAD–WIU
- 1846 Taxable lands lists IRAD–WIU
- 1847–1852 Surveyor's record IRAD–WIU
- 1850–1860 Chattel Mortgage record IRAD–WIU
- 1853–1872 Swamp land record IRAD–WIU
Online Resources
- Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
- Calhoun County Federal Township Plats
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Calhoun 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 Calhoun County.
- - 97th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
- Genealogy Trails. (Civil War) Military Data for Calhoun County. (accessed 31 May 2011)
Names, Personal[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[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 or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Calhoun County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
- 1849–1897 Naturalization record, finalIRAD–WIU
- 1859–1924 Naturalization declarations of intent IRAD–WIU
- 1866–1902 Naturalization declarations of intent IRAD–WIU
- 1867–1906 Naturalization record of minors IRAD–WIU
- 1868–1902 Naturalization record, final IRAD–WIU
- 1903–1926 Naturalization record IRAD–WIU
- 1911–1926 Naturalization petition record IRAD–WIU
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Postal and Shipping Guides[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
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.
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
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 Calhoun County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.
Online Resources
- 1829–1916 Some estate records, probate records, and wills for Calhoun County probate records are also available in Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970. Click on the browse through images link, select Calhoun County, and select the record type you are interested in.
- SAMPUBCO - Index of testators of wills.
- Calhoun County Wills found at USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
Copies of original records
- 1829–1874 Estate Records FHL film 1305071 Items 1–5
- 1832–1843 Estate books FHL film 1688507 Item 1
- 1834–1843 Probate settlement record IRAD–WIU
- 1859–1904 Probate records FHL first film 1305072 Item 3(first of 4 films
- 1870–1916 Will records FHL films 1305071 Item 6 thru 1305072 Items 1-2
Public Records[edit | edit source]
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 Calhoun County are kept, see the Calhoun 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
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 Calhoun 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-WIU)[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 Calhoun County.
Public Libraries[edit | edit source]
South County Public Library District
Main Street P.O. Box 93
Brussels, IL 62013
Tel: 618-883-2522
Schools[edit | edit source]
Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Calhoun County Historical Society
PO Box 46
204 North County Road
Hardin, IL 62047-0327
Telephone Number: 618-576-2660
E-mail:calhounhistoricalsociety@yahoo.com
Website
The Calhoun Historical Society is located on the second floor of the Farm Bureau building.
Pike-Calhoun County Genealogical Society
305 W. Quincy
PO Box 104
Pleasant Hill IL 62366-0104
Telephone Number: 217-734-2712
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 Calhoun County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by theIllinois 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 Calhoun County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Births[edit | edit source]
Copies of Original Birth Records
- 1878–1904 Birth Registers FHL film 1305045 Items 3-4
- 1877–1905 Birth record IRAD–WIU
Marriages[edit | edit source]
Abstracts of Marriage Records
- 1825–1982 Calhoun County Historical Society. Marriages of Calhoun County, 1825-1982. [Hardin, Illinois]: Calhoun County Historical Society, [1982?]. Other libraries (WorldCat) FHL book 977.3853 V2m
Copies of original Marriage Records
- 1825–1905 Marriage record IRAD–WIU FHL film 1305044 and 1305045 Items 1-2
Online Resources
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900. Also found at genealogytrails.com.
- 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
Deaths[edit | edit source]
Copies of original Death Records
- 1877–1903 Death records IRAD–WIU
- 1878–1903 Death records FHL film 1305046
- 1893–1915 Coroner's inquest record IRAD–WIU
Online Resources
- 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
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950. Also found at genealogytrails.com.
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
- 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com (free)
Additional Resources[edit | edit source]
Additional resources for Calhoun births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Calhoun – Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Introduction to Family History Centers. 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]
- Calhoun County, IL History, Records, Facts and 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.
- Calhoun County IL Genealogy
- Calhoun County, IL Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- EveryNameIndex.com Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Calhoun 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, "Calhoun County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Illinois 4/11/2017.
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092, FHL Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Calhoun County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calhoun_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 21 October 2019.
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