Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Hamilton 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 Hamilton County are kept, see the Hamilton County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts
Hamilton County is named for Alexander Hamilton who was the first Secretary of Treasury (1789–1795), and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army in 1799.

Description
The county was named for Alexander Hamilton, Revolutionary War hero and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. The county seat is McLeansboro and the county was organized on 1821. The County is located in the Southeast part of the state.

Parent County
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.


 * 1821--Hamilton County was created 8 February 1821 from White County. County seat: McLeansboro.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Cemeteries
A volunteer through Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness is willing to provide names and dates from tombstones at three Catholic churches in Hamilton County: St. John the Baptist, Pinopolis; St. John Nepomucene, Dahlgren; and St. Clement's, McLeansboro. Click here to learn more.

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

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Copies of Original records


 * 1829–1848 Ten Mile Creek Church

A chapter on early Hamilton County, Illinois church history appears in an 1887 local history, available for free online, beginning on page 322.

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from three Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Hamilton 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.

A volunteer is available to do cemetery look-ups at these Catholic church cemeteries, see Cemeteries.

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Hamilton County church records may be found in the. Histories of area churches may be found in the. Online microfilm are indicated by the camera icon in the catalog entry. 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.

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 copies of records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library


 * 1821-1839 Circuit Court record, vol. A–B

African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records


 * Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.

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


 * 1818–1954 Davis, Patricia S. Index to Harriet Vaught's Early land grants of White County, Illinois, 1814-1854 and probate index, 1818-1976. Marion, Illinois: Patricia S. Davis, c1995.
 * 1818–1954 Vaught, Harriet B. Early land grants of White County, Illinois, 1814-1854, probate index, 1818-1976. Carmi, Ill.: Vaught, 1980?
 * Rockford Map Publishers (Rockford, Illinois). Land atlas and plat book, Hamilton County, Illinois, 1986. Rockford, Illinois: Rockford Map Publishers, c1986.
 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family maps of Hamilton County, Illinois.Norman, Oklahoma: Arphax Pub. Co., c2007.  This book plats the land of many nineteenth-century Hamilton County residents.

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 ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Hamilton 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

Civil War
Civil War service men from Hamilton 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 Hamilton County.


 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies D, H, and K.
 * - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and G.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, F and G.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and G.
 * - 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 87th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and E.
 * - 110th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 131st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, I and K.
 * - 155th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 17th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company I

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.

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


 * 1824-1860 Circuit Court Naturalization records IRAD (SIU)
 * 1824–1860; 1840–1860 Naturalization records index (3 p.)
 * 1860–1883 Naturalization records, intentions and final papers

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 and Obituaries

 * 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. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

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

Online Resources


 * 1823–1933 The probate journals and will records for Hamilton County probate records are also available in . Click on the browse through images link, select Hamilton County, and select the record type you are interested in.

Abstracts


 * 1821–1900 Index: Vaught, Harriet B. Hamilton County cemeteries probate index [1821-1900]. Carmi, Ill.: White County Historical Society, 1989?
 * 1821–1915 Neff, Hazel Lea. Abstracts of wills, Hamilton County, Illinois, 1821-1915. Wayne City, Illinois;: Family Ties, 1986 

Copies of Original Records


 * 1823-1855 Probate Case Files IRAD (SIU)
 * 1823-1969 Probate Case Files Index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1823–1970 Index of probate files
 * 1823–1838; 1847–1855 Probate files
 * 1823–1933 Will records, v. A–B and IRAD (SIU)
 * 1838-1922 Index to probate journal
 * 1838-1847; 1855-1922 Probate journals
 * 1838-1923 Probate Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1865-1923 Probate Guardian's Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1868-1925 Probate Record, Decrees IRAD (SIU)
 * 1871-1875 Probate Guardian's Dockets IRAD (SIU)

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Eldorado Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Foxcroft Illinois FamilySearch Center


 * C.E. Brehm Memorial Public Library District - an affiliate library
 * Herrin City Library - an affiliate library

Illinois Regional Archives Depostitories
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 Hamilton County.

Public Libraries
Carterville Public Library 117 South Division Street Carterville, IL 62918 (618)985-3298

Dahlgren Public Library Third And Dale Streets Dahlgren, IL 62828 (618)736-2652

Mccoy Memorial Library 118 South Washington Street Mcleansboro, IL 62859 (618)643-2125

Societies

 * Hamilton County Historical Society, Museum and Genealogy Library McCoy Memorial Library, 2nd Floor 118 South Washington Street McLeansboro, IL 62859 Phone 618-643-2125 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. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Hamilton 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 and the FamilySearch Library.

Online Resources

 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage indexfound at Ancestry ($)
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1821–1870 Harrelson, Ralph S. Marriages, information taken from original marriage documents old marriage record books relative to marriages celebrated in Hamilton County, Illinois, 1821-1870 also a record of marriages celebrated in White County, Illinois, 1816 through 1821. Carterville, Illinois: Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, c1986. 
 * 1821–1854 Felty, Harold G. Marriage records and related notes, Hamilton County, Illinois 1821-1854.Owensboro, Kentucky: Cook McDowell Publications, 1981.
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1858-1992 Legacy of kin, Hamilton County, Illinois: relationships, vital statistics, marriages, abstracted from obituaries and notices in Hamilton County newspapers, 1858-1992
 * 1899-1929 (with additional notices for 1930-1931) Grandma Deem's marriage notices: Hamilton County, Illinois Other Libraries (WorldCat) and

Death

 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1852–1930 Hatton, Charles E and Ralph S. Harrelson.A history of Mary's Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church, 1852-1967 and school, 1882-1950 in Hamilton County, Illinois including a section giving Mary's Chapel cemetery headstone inscriptions and burial records. Danville, Illinois: Hatton House, 1973.
 * 1871–1920 Harrelson, Dessie Hunt. Record of deaths. Vol 1 and 2, Carterville, Illinois: Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, c1983, c1985.
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index

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

Places/Localities
To see a list of places in Hamilton County, click on [Show], in the bar above. The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Websites

 * Hamilton County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Hamilton County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Yesterdays of Hamilton County, Illinois. Bible records, biographies, cemeteries, census records, churches, deeds, family records &amp; essays, government/court/crime, histories, old letters, the lighter side, lists/directories, maps, marriages, military, miscellanous, news clippings, obituaries, old photos, wills, queries/researchers, books for sale, links, recent updates, area announcements, site search, lost and found. Carol Lee Yarbough is the branchild behind this valuable resource. It is one of the best places to start Hamilton County, Illinois genealogy searches.
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Hamilton County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)