Mason County, IllinoisEdit This Page
From FamilySearch Wiki
United States 
Illinois Mason County
Guide to Mason County Illinois genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Mason County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
| |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | January 20, 1841 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Havana |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Mason County Courthouse 100 N. Broadway Havana, Illinois 62644 (309) 543-6661 Mason County Website |
Mason County Organization
| Beginning Dates for Mason County Records | |||||
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1878 |
1841 |
1877 |
1850 |
1827 |
1841 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Mason County are kept, see the Mason County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts
Large numbers of Kentuckians settled in frontier Mason County, Illinois. The name of the county (Mason) is reminiscent of Mason County, Kentucky - the previous residence of many pioneer settlers.[1]
Parent County
- 1841--Mason County was created 20 January 1841 from Tazewell and Menard Counties. County seat: Havana [2]
Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Mason County boundary changes.
Record Loss
Places / Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Resources
Biography
Cemeteries
Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation. . See the Illinois Cemeteries state wiki page for more information.
Published Records
- The Family History Library Catalog lists records of cemeteries in Mason County. Cemetery books may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.
- Books about Mason County cemeteries are located at many libraries (WorldCat). Explore the wiki page about how to search WorldCat.
Online Gravestone Transcriptions
- Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone. May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.
- Mason Co. IL USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks.
- Burial Index. Courtesy of USGenWeb.
- Cemeteries of Mason County. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
- Confederate Soldiers buried in Mason County. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
- Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project.
Cemetery Gazetteers
- Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Mason County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.
- Illinois Cemeteries by county.
- ePodunk list of Mason County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.
- Mason County Cemeteries. Courtesy of USGenWeb. Some grave transcriptions, but primarily a list of county cemeteries.
- Cemetery Location Project. Courtesy of the Illinois State Genealogical Society.
Census
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 17,491 | ||
| 1910 | 17,377 | −0.7% | |
| 1920 | 16,634 | −4.3% | |
| 1930 | 15,115 | −9.1% | |
| 1940 | 15,358 | 1.6% | |
| 1950 | 15,326 | −0.2% | |
| 1960 | 15,193 | −0.9% | |
| 1970 | 16,161 | 6.4% | |
| 1980 | 19,492 | 20.6% | |
| 1990 | 16,269 | −16.5% | |
| 2000 | 16,038 | −1.4% | |
| IL Counties 1900-1990 | |||
Church Records
Church records may give birth, death and marriage information as well as indictate family relationships. See Illinois state wiki article Church Records for more ideas about how to use church records in your research. Many libraries( WorldCat) and the Family History Library hold abstracts of church records for Mason County. Learn more about how to search WorldCat and the Family History Library Catalog.
The first preachers in Mason were the circuit riders: The Methodist and Baptists came early in the 1820s. Permanent churches in the area trace their origins to congregations orgnozed in the mid- 1800s.
A list of churches and a brief history of the churches in Mason County is at the Genealogy Trails website.
Baptist
- 1829 New Salem
- 1830–1831 Clary's Grove
Methodist
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 University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Mason County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of Original Records
Abstracts
- 1839-1963 Weaver, Jeanne Crain, Betty Gronewald, Susan Gronewald County Court records [Menard County, Illinois] (Petersburg, Illinois:Weaver Genealogical Publications, 1989) Other Libraries; FHL Book 977.3555 P22c
- 1839-1971 Weaver, Jeanne Crain and Menard County (Illinois) Clerk of the Circuit Court Chancery court records, 1839-1971, Menard County, an index [Illinois] (Petersburg, Illinois:Weaver Genealogical Publications, 1991) Other Libraries; FHL Book 977.3555 P2c
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
History
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 online, through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Mason County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.
Online Resources
- BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Mason County from the Govenment Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patant details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales. The Illinois State Archives has an online index to the records of Public land sales held by the State Archives. The indexes are by purchasers name and by legal description. This is a statewide collection with nearly 550,000 land sales fro 54740 square miles.
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- Mason County Federal Township Plats
- Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Expains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry, this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.
Copies of original records
- 1841–1887 Deed records index FHL film 1299493–6
- 1841–1920 Deeds records FHL film 1299496 (first of 27 films)
- 1852–1872, 1887,1897 Swampland records FHL film 1688526 Item 2
- 1852-1897 Swamp Land Record IRAD-UIS
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Mason County land and property may be found in the 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.
Maps
Military
Civil War
Civil War service men from Mason 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 Mason County.
- - 2nd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies C and M.
- - 11th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company L.
- - 17th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
- - 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
- - 28th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A
- - 38th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- - 53rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 85th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, and K.
- -108th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- - 139th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I.
Naturalization
Newspapers and Obituaries
Probate Records
Original probate records are held by the circuit court clerk. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. No copies of probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS. The following copies are available online and in the Family History Library Catalog:
- 1841–1973 Online Probate Records Index Courtesy of USGenWeb.
- 1841–1973 Online Probate Records Index Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
- 1841–1973 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mason County, Ill. Mason County Illinois Probate Index. Havana, IL: Published by Mason County members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1988. Other Libraries (WorldCat) FHL Book 977.3553 P22m
- 1866–1886 Index to Estate Papers Record Collection 1834344Online images. Browse for Mason records. FHL Film 1313001
- 1866–1898 Guardian Records Record Collection 1834344Online images. Browse for Mason records.
- 1866–1934 Will Record Record Collection 1834344Online images. Browse for Mason records. FHL Film 1313002–1313004
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 Mason County are kept, see the Mason County Courthouse page.
Family History Center
Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States) and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Mason County.
You may search your address for a center near you on the FamilySearch site.
The following centers are located in surrounding counties. Their wiki pages may supply hours and other information.
Peoria Illinois Family History Center
3700 W. Reservoir Blvd.
Peoria, Illinois 61615
309-682-4073
Macomb Illinois Family History Center
2000 W. Adams
Macomb, Illinois
Phone: 309-836-3201
Springfield Illinois Family History Center
3601 Buckeye Dr.
Springfield, Illinois 62707
217-529-7930
Jacksonville Illinois Family History Center
1053 E. Vandalia Rd,
Jacksonville, Illinois 62650
217-245-8113
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.
The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Mason County. This link will help you find and use the records. There address is:
Illinois Regional Archives Depository
LIB144
University of Illinois at Springfield Region
One University Plaza, MS BRK 140
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407
217-206-6520
Public Libraries
Havana Public Library District
201 West Adams Street
Havana, IL 62644
Phone: (309) 543-4701
Website
Forman Valley Public Library
404 1/2 South Harrison Street
Manito, IL 61546
Phone: (309) 968-6093
Mason City Public Library District
820 West Chestnut Street
Mason City, IL 62664
Phone: (217) 482-3799
Social Groups Online
Societies
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 (1877) and death (1877) records are kept by the Mason 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 kept by the County Clerk from 1829 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
Copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Mason County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page.
Explore Mason County vital records and Mason County vital records indexesfound in the Family History Library Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Mason County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).
Birth
- 1877–1982 Birth Record Index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records. FHL Film 1313036–1313037
- 1877–1906 Birth Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records. FHL Film 1313036–1313037
- 1877–1906 Birth Record, Delayed IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records. FHL Film 1313038
Marriage
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 search for Mason County records.
- 1878–1946 Marriage records index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records. FHL Film 1313035 Item 2
- 1841–1918 Marriage Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records. FHL Film 1313033–1313035
- 1841–1850 Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860. Search for Mason county records.Ancestry ($). The source of this collection is films in the Family History Library's collection
Death
- 1877–1903 Death Records Index. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Mason county. FHL Film 1313035 Items 3-6
- 1877–1910 Death Record. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Mason county. FHL Films 1313035 Items 3-6
- 1910–1917 Death and Burial Permit Record,Havana CityIRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records. FHL Film 1689019 Item 2
Mason County records are not included in th Pre–1916 Statewide Death Index at IRAD.
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 Search for Mason County.
- 1916–1950 Death Index. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
- 1850–1870 US Census Mortality Schedules. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
Web Sites
References
- ↑ Hardin County Fact Sheet, Illinois State Archives, accessed May 28, 2011.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 196. (FHL Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
Need additional research help? Contact our research help specialists.
Need wiki, indexing, or website help? Contact our product teams.
Did you find this article helpful?
You're invited to explain your rating on the discussion page (you must be signed in).
- This page was last modified on 12 April 2013, at 19:31.
- This page has been accessed 2,342 times.
New to the Research Wiki?
In the FamilySearch Research Wiki, you can learn how to do genealogical research or share your knowledge with others.
Learn More