Pike County, Illinois Genealogy

United States

Illinois

Pike County

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

Pike County, Illinois
Map
Location in the state of Illinois
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded	31 January, 1821
County Seat	Pittsfield
Courthouse
Address	Pike County Courthouse 100 E Washington Street Pittsfield, Illinois 62363-1445 (217) 285-6612 Pike County Website

Pike County Organization

Pike County's civil records start the following years:

Beginning Dates for Pike County Records
Birth	Marriage	Death	Census	Land	Probate
1876	1827	1877	1830	1818	1821

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

Historical Facts

Zebulon Pike

Pike County is named for Zebulon Pike who was an early explorer of the Louisiana purchase and discovered the peak in Colorado which is named for him.

Parent County

• 1821--Pike County was created 31 January 1821 from Madison, Bond and Clark Counties.  County seat:  Pittsfield

Description

The county was named for Zebulon Pike, leader of the Pike expedition in 1806 to map out the south and west portions of the Louisiana Purchase. The county seat is Pittsfield and the county was organized on 31 January 1821. The County is located in the West Central area of the state.

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

1831 A fire burned the courthouse and some records were destroyed or damaged.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

• Burned Counties. By Michael John Neill at 24-7 Family History Circle.
• When the Records are Gone. By Arlene Eakle at Arlene Eakle's Tennessee Blog.
• Burned Counties Research in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
• List of counties in the United States with Record Loss

Places / Localities

Populated Places

• Pike County
• Name Index to Illinois Local Governments

Neighboring Counties

• Adams
• Brown
• Calhoun
• Greene
• Marion County, Missouri
• Morgan
• Pike County, Missouri
• Ralls County, Missouri
• Scott

Resources

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Pike, Illinois online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online	Findagrave.com ILGenWeb ILGenWeb Archives Tombstone Project Illinois Gravestones Billion Graves
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)	Family History Library WorldCat
List of Cemeteries in the County	Findagrave.com Billion Graves Graveyards of Illinois
See Illinois Cemeteries for more information

The following web sites have additional information on Pike county cemeteries.

• GenealogyTrails.com. Find headstone transcriptions for several Pike County Cemeteries.

• Illinois Ancestors Tombstone Project. Find or submit Pike County tombstone photos.

• Linkpendium. Has links to several Pike County Cemetery related websites.

• The Political Graveyard

• Epodunk has a list of Pike 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 Pike County Cemeteries.

Census And Directories

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	31,595		—
1910	28,622		−9.4%
1920	26,866		−6.1%
1930	24,357		−9.3%
1940	25,340		4.0%
1950	22,155		−12.6%
1960	20,552		−7.2%
1970	19,185		−6.7%
1980	18,896		−1.5%
1990	17,577		−7.0%
2000	17,384		−1.1%
IL Counties 1900-1990

• 1830 Federal Census Index
• 1840 Federal Census Index
• 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, Pike County on page 188.]
• United States Census (Mortality Schedule), 1850
• U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1860
• U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules,1870
• U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules,1880
• U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules,1900
• Illinois State Census Collection, 1825-1865 $
• 1860 Mortality Schedule
• 1880 United States Federal Census $
• 1910 United States Federal Census $
• 1919 Prairie Farmers Directory
• United States Census, 1920
• Illinois, 1930 federal census
• 1930 United States Federal Census $
• Pike County, Illinois Directories

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.

• History of Pike County. Chicago: Chas. C. Chapman, 1880. Online free digital copy. Internet Archive.FHL Film 1000510 Item 2 Church history for each township is found beginning at page 405 in township histories.

• Churches of Pike County Illinois

Baptist

• Regular Baptist Church and Parsonage in Griggsville. Photos Courtesy of ILGenWeb.
• Duncan, Robert S. The History of the Baptists in Missouri. Scammel and Co., St. Louis: 1882.  Online free digital copy.Google Books.

Methodist Episcopal

• 1848–1918 German Episcopal Courtesy of ILGenWeb.

Court Records

Pike County, Illinois Court Records

Many Guardianship records for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

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

History

• 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

Local Histories

• Pike County History by Jess M. Thompson
• 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 ($); Internet Archive FHL film 825598
• 1880 History of Pike County Illinois by Chas. M. Chapman; digital version at Ancestry ($).
• 1891 Portrait and Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties
• Portrait Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois. Chicago, IL, USA: Biographical Publishing, 1891. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
• An Index to the names of person appearing in Portrait and Biographical Album of PIke and Calhou County Illinois
• A True Picture of Emigration by Rebecca Burlend
• Copperheads, Black Republicans and Bushwhackers
• Diary and Financial Account of Joseph Treaster
• WWI With The Colors From Pike County
• Past and Present of PIke County, Illinois (1906); digital version at Ancestry ($).
• Pike County, Illinois Biographies
• Pike County Biographies
• History of Pike County, Illinois Volume 1
• WorldCat
• Biographies 
• Pioneer Families of Pike County, Illinois
• Grimshaw, William A. History of Pike County; A Centennial Address. Pittsfield, Ill., 1989. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  
• Thompson, Jess M. The Jess M. Thompson Pike County History: As Printed in Installments in the Pike County Republican, Pittsfield, Illinois, 1935-1939. Pittsfield, Ill.: Pike County Historical Society, 1967. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
  

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 Pike County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.

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 Domain Land Tract Sales Database
• Pike County Federal Township Plats

Copies of original records

• 1817–1940 Tract Index FHL film 1313440 (first of 5 films
• 1818–1891 Deed RecordIRAD–WIU
• 1818–1910 Deed records FHL first film 1313480 Items 2-4(first of 54 films)
• 1835–1945 Town lot index, town lots FHL first film 1313478 Items 2-3 (first of 3 films)
• 1852–1854 Swamp Land Record IRAD–WIU FHL film 1688944

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Pike County land and property may be found in the FamilySearch Catalog and FamilySearch Catalog–maps. Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at 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.

Maps

• Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
• 1876 Map of Eastern Pike County
• 1876 Map of Western Pike County
• City Map
• Illinois County Boundaries 1790 - Present
• USGS Mapping Information
• Township Map of 1870 Pike County, Illinois with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
  
• Many Maps for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Military

Civil War

Civil War service men from Pike 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 Pike County.

- 2nd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company K.

- 5th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company G.

- 7th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, New Company D.

- 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company G.

- 10th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company L.

- 16th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.

- 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.

- 28th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, E, and I.

- 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.

- 68th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.

- 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.

- 73rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.

- 99th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, all Companies.

- 137th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F.

• Illinois Civl War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database
• Ninty-Ninth Infantry Regiment of Illinois Volunteers
• Federal Pension Roll of 1883

• Spanish American War

• Illinois Spanish-American :War Veterans Database

• World War I

• WWI With The Colors From Pike County 
• Database of 1929 Illinois Roll of Honor

• World War II

• United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942
• WWII Service Record of Men and Women

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.

• Many Naturalization and Citizenships for Pike County have been microfilmed or abstracted. Some of those copies are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. For a listing of their holdings, see the topic details from their catalog.

Newspapers and Obituaries

• Pike County, Illinois Old Newspapers
• 1896 Bary Adage Speical Edition
• 1946 Anniversary Edition of the Barry Adage
• Kinderhook Centennial Souvenir
• Newspapers Serving Pike County
• Notes and Newspaper Excerpts
• Obituaries
• Pike County Republican
• Pike Press

Probate

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

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 Pike County records. For information on how to use IRAD see theWIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of original records

• 1821–1873 Probate records FHL first film 1314858 Items 2-4(first of 10 films)
• 1850–1950 Estate papers index FHL film 1314782 Item 1)
• 1850–1923 Will Records FHL film 1314882 Item 2(first of 6 films)

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Pike County probates may be found in the Illinois, Pike – Probate topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at 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.

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 Pike County are kept, see the Pike County Courthouse page.

Family History Center

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

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 Pike 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)

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 Pike County.

Public Libraries

Barry Public Library
880 Bainbridge St.
Barry, IL 62312
Telephone: 217-335-2149
Email: barrypubliclibrary@adams.net  

Griggsville Public Library
119 South Corey St.
Griggsville, IL 62340
Telephone: 217-833-2633
Facebook

Pittsfield Public Library
205 North Memorial
Pittsfield, IL 62363
Telephone: 217-285-2200
Fax: 217-285-9423
Email: pittsfieldlibrary@kcds.net
Facebook

Societies

Griggsville Area Genealogical and Historical Society
PO Box 75
Griggsville, IL 62340-0075

New Canton Historical Society
PO Box 155
New Canton, IL 62356

Pike-Calhoun County Genealogical Society
305 W. Quincy
Pleasant Hill, IL 62366-0104
Telephone Number: 217-734-2712

Pike County Historical Society and Museum
400 E. Jefferson
Pittsfield, IL 62363-0044
Telephone Number: 217-285-4618
Facebook
Website

• Historical Societies, Libraries, Museums
  
  

Schools

• 1901–1959 School teacher's daily registers IRAD–WIU

• Pike County, Illinois Schools

Taxation

• U. S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918

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 Pike 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 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 Pike County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Births

Copies of Original Birth Records

• 1877–1915 Births IRAD–WIU FHL first film 1314766 Items 3-4 (first of 6 films)
• 1877–1886 Birth Record Index IRAD–WIU

Online Resources

• Pike County Birth Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives Illinois.

Marriages

• 1827–1923 Marriage RecordIRAD–WIU
• 1827–1923 Marriage Record IndexIRAD–WIU
• 1828–1857 Marriages FHL film 229485
• 1831–1878 Marriage Licenses IRAD–WIU
• 1831–1923 Marriages FHL first film 1314768 Items 2–5 (first of 23 films)
• 1948–1976 Marriage Licenses ApplicationsIRAD–WIU

Online Resources

• 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
• 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
• 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
• Pike County Marriage Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives Illinois.

Deaths

• 1877–1915 Death Record IRAD–WIU FHL first film 1314767 Items 3-4 (first of 3 films)
• 1877–1902 Death Record index IRAD–WIU

Online Resources

• Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
• 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
• 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com ($)
• 1850 Mortality Schedule for Pike County, Illinois courtesy genealogytrails.com
• Pike County Death Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives Illinois.

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Pike County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Pike – Vital Records topic page of the FamilySearch Catalog . Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at 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

• Pike County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
• Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
• Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
• FamilySearch Catalog.
• Genealogy Trails, Welcome to Pike County, Illinois
• Pike County, Illinois Online Genealogical Projects
• Pike County Chamber of Commerce
• The ILGenWeb Project
• Pike County, Illionis American History and Genealogy Project
• USGenWeb Archives Illinois, Pike County
• Pike County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
• Pike County IL Genealogy
• EveryNameIndex.com    Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

Family History Library (FHL); now called, FamilySearch Library (FSL)