Calhoun County, IllinoisEdit This Page
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United States 
Illinois Calhoun County
Guide to Calhoun County Illinois genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Coordinates: 39.16°0′N 90.67°0′W / 39.16°N 90.67°W
| Calhoun County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Illinois | |
 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 |
Calhoun County Organization
Calhoun County's civil records start the following years:
| | |||||
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1878 | 1825 | 1878 | 1830 | 1825 | 1833 |
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
Boundary Changes
- Interactive map of Calhoun County boundary changes.
Record Loss
Records and Resources
Biography
- 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
Published Records
- Calhoun County Cemeteries 1981. FHL Book 977.3853 V3ca, film 1033842 Item 6
- Cemeteries of Calhoun Co., Ill.; pub. 19--? FHL Book 977.385 V22w, film 908035 Item 4
- Cemeteries of Calhoun County, Illinois 1978. FHL Book 977.3853 V3c, film 1036928 Item 12
- Honor Roll, Calhoun County, State of Illinois, Veterans' Commission, 1956. FHL film 1305075 Item 3
Online Gravestone Transcriptions
- Calhoun County ILGenWeb. Search an index to the Phyllis J. Bauer's Calhoun County Cemeteries book online.
- Find A Grave.com has burial information for nearly 100 Calhoun County cemeteries. For a complete list of cemeteries, click Here.
- GenealogyTrails.com. Find headstone transcriptions for Calhoun County Cemeteries.
- Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project. Find or submit Calhoun County tombstone photos.
- Illinois Tombstone Transcription Project. Get accesss to online cemetery transcriptions for several Calhoun County Cemeteries.
- Linkpendium. Has links to several Calhoun County Cemetery related websites.
BillionGraves:
Cemetery Gazetters
- Epodunk has a list of Calhoun County Cemeteries. The website provides name of cemetery, address and telephone number when available, Google Map with cemetery marker, and other helpful Internet links.
- The Illinois State Genealogical Society's "Cemetery Location Project" has identified many Calhoun County Cemeteries.
Census
Federal
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 8,917 | ||
| 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% | |
| Est. 2007 | 5,167 | 1.6% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
- 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$)
- heritagequestonline.com (LAR)
State
- State census, 1855 and 1865 Ancestry.com (FI$)
- State census, 1855 Historical Collections index, FHL film 976179
- State census, 1865 FHL film 972751
- Name index to early Illinois records FHL films
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, Calhoun County on page 186.]
Church History and Records
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 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
Ethnic Research
African American
The following have information concerning African American research.
- African American Research (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
Mailing Lists
Message Boards
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 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
Military History and Records
Civil War
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
Naturalization and Citizenship
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
Newspapers
Obituaries
Postal and Shipping Guides
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 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
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 Calhoun County are kept, see the Calhoun County Courthouse page.
Family History Center
There are over 4500 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)
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
South County Public Library District
Main Street P.O. Box 93
Brussels, IL 62013
Tel: 618-883-2522
Schools
Social Groups Online
Societies
Calhoun County Historical Society
204 North County Road
Hardin, IL 62047-0327
Email: calhounhistoricalsociety@yahoo.com
The Calhoun Historical Society is located on the second floor of the Farm Bureau building.
Pike-Calhoun County Genealogical Society
305 W. Quincy
Pleasant Hill IL 62366-0104
Tel: 217-734-2712
Taxation
Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois.
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
Copies of Original Birth Records
- 1878–1904 Birth Registers FHL film 1305045 Items 3-4
- 1877–1905 Birth record IRAD–WIU
Marriages
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
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900. Also found at genealogytrails.com.
- 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry.com ($)
Deaths
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
- 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
Additional resources for Calhoun births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Calhoun – Vital Records topic page of the Family History Library catalog (FHLC). Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Copies of books found in the FHLC may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the Family History Library Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.
Websites
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- Calhoun County, IL Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- EveryNameIndex.com Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
References
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092, FHL Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
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