Franklin County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Franklin County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. Illinois Online Genealogy Records

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

Historical Records
County is named for the well known Benjamin Franklin of colonial days.



Description
The county was named for Benjamin Franklin. The county seat is Benton and the county was organized on January 2, 1818. The County is located in the South-central part 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.


 * 2 January 1818: Franklin County was created from White and Gallatin Counties.

Record Loss
1843 Fire burned the courthouse on 18 November and most records were lost.

Census
For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see Illinois Census.

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. ; ; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Franklin County on page 186.]

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Copies of Original records


 * 1854–1915 Methodist Episcopal Church records. Southern Illinois Conference.
 * 1857–1868 Statistics of Bethel Congregation from October 6, 1857 when D. S. Faris was ordained pastor and onward : ca. 1857-1868

Histories


 * A chapter on early Franklin County, Illinois church history appears in an 1887 local history, available for free online, beginning on page 422.
 * History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois 1819-1914 Courtesy USGenWeb.org - Illinois. 
 * and Shiloh Cemetery Associatoin, Ewing Township, Franklin County. Learn about WorldCat.
 * Learn about WorldCat.
 * a pictorial record. Learn about WorldCat.
 * Learn about WorldCat.

Belleville Diocese Catholic Churches

FamilySearch has made parish records from seven Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Franklin County available online (requires free registration). The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
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 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch..
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.

Court Records
See Illinois Court Records for information about how to use county court records.

Court records are held in both offices of the Circuit Court Clerk and County Clerk

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.


 * Circuit Court


 * 1837-1870 Circuit Court Record
 * 1851-1893 Circuit Court Issue Dockets
 * 1870-1924 Circuit Court Record, Chancery
 * 1870-1964 Circuit Court Record, Common Law
 * 1871-1946 Circuit Court Record, Criminal
 * 1873-1927 Circuit Court Indictment Record


 * County Court


 * 1872-1964 County Court Record, Common Law
 * 1872-1964 County Court Record, Criminal
 * 1893-1916 Insanity Dockets
 * 1893-1952 Insanity Record
 * 1915-1942 Feeble-Minded Dockets
 * 1923-1940 Dependent and Delinquent Children Record
 * 1914-1941 Mother's Pension Records and Accounts
 * 1930-1937 Mother's Pension Order Record
 * 1874-1955 Jail Registers (See Sheriff's office)


 * City Court


 * 1915-1962 Benton City Court Record
 * 1914-1952 West Frankfort City Court Records and Naturalization Records.

FamilySearch Library Collection

The following copies of records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library


 * 1836-1900 Early court records Other libraries (WorldCat).

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.


 * Servitude and Emanicpation Records, 1722-1863 of Franklin County, Illinois found at genealogytrails.com


 * African-American Resources for Illinois

History

 * 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.

Land and Property
See Illinois Land and Property for more information.

Original land records for Franklin County are held with the County Clerk

Franklin County "is well watered by Little Muddy river on the West, Big Muddy and its branches through the center. It is quiet, level and is largely prairie. The land is not well adapted to farming, although modern farming methods with liberal use of limestone are producing many fine farms...Slaves were held in Franklin County by the leading families until 1824, and then were taken to Missouri and sold. In some cases they were brought back to Franklin county and manumitted...The land not being very rich, the settlement of the county was slow. The law of 1854 changed the price of land in Illinois from $1.25 per acre to 12 1/2 cents per acre. Thousands of acres of land was purchased from the government under the "Bit Act." When Congress granted the land for the Illinois Central Railroad, 33,078 acres of the grant fell within the limits of Franklin county."

The following abstracts or copies of records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library:


 * 1818 and 1820 Census and original land records Other Libraries (WorldCat),
 * 1819-1907 Deeds, 1819-1907 and indexes, 1835-1889
 * 1814 Franklin County land records, book A, first deed book with dates as early as 1814
 * 1824,1829-1877 Franklin County land records, book B Other Libraries (WorldCat),
 * 1853 Assessor's book personal property tax list Other Libraries (WorldCat),
 * 1865 Property tax list, non-resident and personal
 * 1984-1986 Land atlas and plat book Other libraries (WorldCat),
 * Family maps with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads and more. Other Libraries (WorldCat), Arphax Publishing provides online surname list.

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 Ancestry ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records at Ancestry ($). 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.
 * Franklin County Federal Township Plats

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Multiple Wars

 * Pension applications, Franklin County, Illinois, compiled by Carla Pulliam, ([Benton, Illinois?] : C. Pulliam, c1998). Includes pension applications for the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Black Hawk War Civil War.


 * Discharges, Civil War and Spanish American War, by Susan Doxsie Dorris, ([S.l. : s.n.], c1993).


 * Franklin County, Illinois, War History, 1832-1919: Containing a Brief Review of the World War, Complete History of Franklin County's Activities, Photographs and Service Records of Franklin County's Soldiers, Sailors and Marines, Industrial and Biographical Review of Business and Professional Firms Who Have Made This History Possible; pub. 1920. Reprint 1977 Ancestry ($),


 * An index to the above is: Greenwood, Marie. Index of Franklin County Illinois War History, (Originally Published, 1920.). Index of Franklin County Illinois War History. (Originally published, 1920). Carterville, Ill.: Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, 1975. Ancestry ($).

Civil War
Civil War service men from Franklin 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 Franklin County.


 * - 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C (Dollins' Cavalry Company) and Company F.
 * - 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and F.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and I.
 * - 63rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 89th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 110th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, F, K, and I.
 * - 128th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and C.
 * - 136th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company A.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Naturalization records for Franklin County are held in the offices of the Circuit Court and County Clerk.

The following copies of naturalization records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1886-1909 Naturalization records
 * 1887-1904 Naturalization Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1908-1957 Naturalization Petition Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1911-1913 Naturalization records, Franklin County, Illinois Other Libraries (WorldCat) and
 * 1911-1952 Naturalization Declarations of Intent IRAD (SIU)
 * 1929-1957 Naturalization Order BooksIRAD (SIU)

Online Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index and images, ($)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Populated Places
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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 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 records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * Franklin County Probate Index Other Libraries (WorldCat).
 * 1835-1922 Recorder's Will Record IRAD(SIU)
 * 1835-1922 Will records, volume A-D
 * 1837-1970 Probate Case Files IndexIRAD(SIU)
 * 1837-1938 Probate Record IRAD(SIU)
 * 1840's–1920's Probate abstracts Other libraries (WorldCat).
 * 1845-1964 Probate Will Record IRAD(SIU)
 * 1848-1970 Index to estate papers, volume 2
 * 1848-1970 An unspecified number of Franklin County probate records are available in . The collection does not have an every name index, but the images are available to browse and may often have indexes contained within each volume.
 * 1856-1871 Probate Inventory, Appraisement and Sale RecordIRAD(SIU)
 * 1859-1940 Probate Executor's Record IRAD(SIU)
 * 1871-1898 Probate Appraisement Record IRAD(SIU)
 * 1875-1884 Probate settlement, Volume C
 * 1875-1884 Probate Administrator's and Executor's Final Reports IRAD(SIU)
 * 1878-1934 Probate Widow's Relinquishment and Selection Record IRAD(SIU)
 * 1889-1913 Probate Inventory and Appraisement Record, Copartnership IRAD(SIU)
 * 1893-1957 Probate Administrator's Bonds and Letter IRAD(SIU)

Archives
Inventory of the county archives of Illinois, no. 28, Franklin County (Benton)

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Carbondale Illinois Family History Center
 * Eldorado Illinois Family History Center
 * Foxcroft Illinois Family History Center


 * Herrin City Library - an affiliate library
 * Perry County Genealogical Family Research Library and Archive Center - an affiliate library

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. Southern Illinois University houses the records for Franklin County.

Public Libraries
West Frankfort Public Library 402 E. Poplar West Frankfort, Illinois 62896 Phone: 618-932-3313 Fax: 618-932-3313 Hours: Sunday - Closed Monday - Thursday 10 am - 7 pm Friday 10 am - 6 pm Saturday 11 am - 5 pm

Societies

 * West Franklin Historical District and Silkwood Inn Museum PO Box 601 2130 School House Road Mulkeytown, Illinois 62865 Phone 618-724-2445 Website

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. Birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Franklin County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of records may be accessed through online databases, the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Births

 * Franklin County, Illinois Delayed Births
 * 1861-1879 Early Franklin County, Illinois birth records Other Libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1861-1915 Delayed Birth Certificates IRAD (SIU)
 * 1861-1915 Birth records
 * 1877-1916 Birth and Death Records and Indexes IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878-1888 Returns of birth by Sophia Lookinbee Doty for 1878-1888.

Marriages

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810-1934 at FamilySearch
 * 1818-1845 Franklin County Marriage Records at Genealogy Trails.com
 * 1819-1850 and 1894-1908Franklin County, Illinois Marriages Sorted by date, bride and groom.
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1835-1915 Marriage Records IRAD (SIU)
 * 1835-1915 Marriage records
 * 1836-1865 Marriage records
 * 1866-1877 Marriage record index with dates, 1866-1877, Franklin County, Illinois license book A, B and a few 1874 from another book. Other Libraries (WorldCat);
 * 1877-1924 Marriage Record Index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878-1893 Franklin County, Illinois Marriage Index
 * 1878-1893 Franklin County, Illinois marriage records Other Libraries (WorldCat);
 * 1878-1916 Marriage records, 1878-1916
 * 1916-1920 Marriages book 4 Other Libraries (WorldCat);

Divorces

 * 1837-1875 Franklin County Divorce Records

Deaths

 * Franklin County, Illinois Death Records located at Genealogytrails.com, taken from the Illinois State Archives Database of Death Certificates.
 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1877-1916 Birth and Death Records and Indexes IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877-1915 Death records, Volumes 1-2
 * 1877-1915 The first thousand recorded deaths Other Libraries (WorldCat);
 * 1910-1915 Coroner's certificate of death record
 * 1916-1947
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950

Online Resources
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Websites

 * Franklin County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Franklin 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.
 * Franklin County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)