Gallatin County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Gallatin County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Gallatin County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | September 14, 1812 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Shawneetown |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Gallatin County Courthouse 484 N. Lincoln Blvd. Shawneetown, Illinois 62984 (618) 269-3025 |
Contents
- 1 County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Boundary Changes
- 4 Record Loss
- 5 Records and Resources
- 5.1 Biography
- 5.2 Cemeteries
- 5.3 Census
- 5.4 Church Records
- 5.5 Court Records
- 5.6 Ethnic Research
- 5.7 Genealogy
- 5.8 History
- 5.9 Land and Property
- 5.10 Maps
- 5.11 Military
- 5.12 Naturalization
- 5.13 Newspapers and Obituaries
- 5.14 Places and Localities
- 5.15 Probate Records
- 5.16 Repositories
- 5.17 Social Groups Online
- 5.18 Societies
- 5.19 Taxation
- 5.20 Vital Records
- 6 Websites
- 7 References
County Organization[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1878 | 1830 | 1878 | 1813 | 1800 | 1860 | 1810 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Gallatin County are kept, see the Gallatin County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Gallatin county was named for Albert Gallatin who was the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and Minister to France and England.
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Albert Gallatin, who was Secretary of the Treasury at the time. The county seat is Shawneetown and the county was organized on 1812. The County is located in the Southeast part 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.
Records and Resources[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- Cemeteries by Glen Miner(Be Patient they are slow loading) One of the best places to start Gallatin County cemetery searches are the books published by Glen Miner in the 1970s. They are available for free online.
Census[edit | edit source]
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1820 | 3,155 | — |
| 1830 | 7,405 | 134.7% |
| 1840 | 10,760 | 45.3% |
| 1850 | 5,448 | −49.4% |
| 1860 | 8,055 | 47.9% |
| 1870 | 11,134 | 38.2% |
| 1880 | 12,861 | 15.5% |
| 1890 | 14,935 | 16.1% |
| 1900 | 15,836 | 6.0% |
| 1910 | 14,628 | −7.6% |
| 1920 | 12,856 | −12.1% |
| 1930 | 10,091 | −21.5% |
| 1940 | 11,414 | 13.1% |
| 1950 | 9,818 | −14.0% |
| 1960 | 7,638 | −22.2% |
| 1970 | 7,418 | −2.9% |
| 1980 | 7,590 | 2.3% |
| 1990 | 6,909 | −9.0% |
| 2000 | 6,445 | −6.7% |
| 2010 | 5,589 | −13.3% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
1830
- Census, 1830, Gallatin County, Illinois. n.p.: n.p., 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
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, Gallatin County on page 187.]
Church Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
A chapter on early Gallatin County, Illinois church history appears in an 1887 local history, available for free online, beginning on page 126.
Baptist[edit | edit source]
- Church and Family History Research Assistance for Gallatin County, Illinois Primitive Baptists
- Harmony Church of General Baptist (Junction, Ill.). Records of Organization, 1856 and 1889. MSS. Copy: FHL Film 978271 Item 2.
- Levin, Pat Ann. "Kinships, Communities, and Conflicts: Bethel Creek Primitive Baptist Church, 1820-1840," Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 1995. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
- Nelson, Ronald L. and Doris Nelson. Minutes of The Muddy Baptist Association Illinois 1820 - 1840, available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.
Catholic[edit | edit source]
FamilySearch has made parish records from four Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Gallatin County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:
- Church Records of St. Joseph Parish, Equality, Gallatin County, Illinois 1893-1956, browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
- Church Records of St. Joseph Parish, Ridgeway, Gallatin County, Illinois 1842-1957, browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
- Church Records of St. Mary Parish, Shawneetown, Gallatin County, Illinois 1842-1957, browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
- Church Records of St. Patrick Parish, Pond Settlement, Gallatin County, Illinois 1842-1956, browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
For information about St. Patrick's, see:
- Dedication Souvenir, St. Patrick's Church, Gallatin County, Illinois. Doherty, Ill.: The Church, 1929. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
Methodist
[edit | edit source]
- First Methodist Episcopal Church (Shawneetown, Ill.). Church Records, 1867-1938. Copy: FHL Film 978272 Items 1-2. Contains list of pastors; alphabetical lists of members; probationers; marriages, 1868-1933 -- baptisms, 1867-1938 -- burials, 1915-1933 -- historical record; classes.
Presbyterian[edit | edit source]
- Pisgah C.P. Church Records, courtesy: ILGenWeb.
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using court records.
The following records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
- 1813-1839 Circuit Court Order Books IRAD (SIU)
- 1813-1820 Court records, Gallatin County, Illinois FHL book 977.397 P2
- 1814-1920 Circuit Court Case Files IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 2132368–2132374
Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
The following have information concerning African American research.
- Register of Slaves (Indentures) and Emancipation of Slaves - provided by the Illinois State Genealogical Society; originally published in 1978.
- 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 Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin, and Williamson Counties, Illinois: From the Earliest Time to the Present, Together with Sundry and Interesting Biographical Sketches, Notes, Reminiscences, Etc., Etc. Chicago: Goodspeed, 1887. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive. FHL Film 873820 Item 1
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Original land records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Land Records 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 and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of Original Records
- 1813-1900 Deed Index IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 977336–977338
- 1813-1911 Deed Record IRAD (SIU)
- 1813-1917 Land records FHL film 977339–977359
- 1820-1914 County recorder's miscellaneous instruments, Gallatin County, Illinois land related records IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 2132377–2132378
- 1829-1865 Early Illinois land records FHL film 1689436
- 1987 Gallatin County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1987 Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 E7g
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 ($)
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- Gallatin 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[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Gallatin 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 Gallatin County.
- - 1st Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company B.
- - 1st Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery, Battery K.
- - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies F and L.
- - 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company G.
- - 14th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company E.
- - 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
- - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, D, and G.
- - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and F.
- - 118th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
- - 120th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and H.
- - 131st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, D, E, and F.
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
- 1839-1906 Naturalization Papers IRAD (SIU)
- 1859-1888 Naturalization Record, Final IRAD (SIU)
- 1859-1893 Naturalization Declarations of Intent IRAD (SIU)
- 1859-1893 Naturalization records: intentions, vol. A, 1859-1893; final papers, Vol. A; soldiers and minors, vol B, 1881-1953; papers, box 112, 1802-1906 FHL film 977824
- 1881-1886 Naturalization Record of Soldiers IRAD (SIU)
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers and Obituaries[edit | edit source]
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]
| Cities | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and 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 (618) 439-2011. 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 and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Abstracts
- 1813-1838 Order book FHL film 977823 item 2
- 1814-1847 Will Record I, Gallatin County, Illinois, November 1814-January 1847 Other Libraries (WorldCat) andFHL book 977.397 P2sr
- 1817-1893 Early Gallatin County, Illinois probates Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 P2s
- 1838-1908 Early Saline County, Illinois court records administrator's records, books B-F. Some of the early Saline estates may be located in Gallatin County. Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.3992 P2b
- 1849-1859 Gallatin County, Illinois wills and estates, October 1849-November, 1859, book A Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 P2g
Copies of Original Records
- 1813-1928 Probate Case Files IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 2132375–2132376
- 1814-1931 An unspecified number of Gallatin County probate records are available in Illinois, Probate Records
- 1814-1931 Probate Will Record IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 977822–977823 item 1
- 1815-1860 Probate files FHL film 977830 (first film)
- 1815-1900 Probate Case Files Index IRAD (SIU)
- 1821-1838 Records of Gallatin Co., Illinois; some early records of estates in Gallatin County. FHL film 7702
- 1847-1849 Probate DocketsIRAD (SIU)
- 1860-1887 Probate Record IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 977825–977829
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 Gallatin County are kept, see the Gallatin 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
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. Southern Illinois University houses the records for Gallatin County.
Public Libraries[edit | edit source]
Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.
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 Gallatin County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health 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 Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1878-1972 Birth Record Index IRAD (SIU) and FHL film 977360
Marriages[edit | edit source]
Online Resources
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
- 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
Abstracts
- 1830-1858 Gallatin County, Illinois marriages Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 V2h
- 1859-1870 Gallatin County, Illinois marriage Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 V2g
Copies of Original Records
- 1813-1838 Marriage licenses issued in Gallatin County, Illinois from 1813 through 1838 Other Libraries (WorldCat)FHL film 1421095 item 2 and 978271 item 16; book 977.397 N2b
- 1813-1896 Marriage Licenses/CertificatesIRAD (SIU) and FHL film 969484 (first film)
- 1813-1926 Marriage Indexes FHL film 977361–977362 items 1–2
- 1830-1926 Marriage Record Index IRAD (SIU)
- 1867-1882 Gallatin County, Illinois marriage indexes Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 V22g
- 1867-1887 Gallatin County, Illinois marriages, book B, 1867 to 1874, book C, 1874 to 1882, book D, 1882 to 1887 Other Libraries (WorldCat) and FHL book 977.397 V22h
- USGenWeb spotlights a few obscure Gallatin County marriage indexes.
Deaths[edit | edit source]
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
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
Copies of Original Records
- 1878-1916 Death Record Index IRAD (SIU)and FHL film 977360
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Gallatin County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Gallatin 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.
- Gallatin County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Gallatin 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, "Gallatin County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallatin_County,_Illinois 04/013/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.; Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002 WorldCat 50140092, FHL Book 973 D27e 2002
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Gallatin County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallatin_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 6 January 2020.
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