White County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  White County

County Courthouse
The White County Courthouse, built in 1883, is located at 301 East Main Street, Carmi, Illinois 62821. It houses the White County Clerk; the Circuit Court Clerk, 2nd Judicial District; and other government offices.

Parent County
The first white settlers came in about 1806. White County was organized within the Illinois Territory by an act of the Territorial Legislature of 7 December 1815. The land was split off from Gallatin County. The county was named after Leonard White, a prominent citizen of Gallatin County.

Boundary Changes
Hamilton County was cut off from White County in 1821.

Townships and Election Precincts
The County Court (county commissioners, county government) met for the first time on 12 February 1816. They divided the county into three townships:


 * Prairie, beginning at the mouth of the Little Wabash River, up that river to the line between Townships 4 and 5 South, and along that line to the (Big) Wabash River.
 * Fox River, the part of the county north of the line dividing Townships 4 and 5 South and east of the Little Wabash River.
 * West, the part of the county west of the Little Wabash River.

In December 1819, the County Court divided the county into two townships, East and West, separated by the line between Ranges 7 and 8 East.

In 1830 there were four townships: Burnt Prairie, Mantua, Fox River, and Prairie.

Prior to 1871, the county had eight election precincts:


 * Indian Creek, comprising Township 6 South (T6S) Range 8 East (R8E) and the north half of T7S R8E.
 * Enfield, comprising the territory north of Indian Creek, south of the Skillet Fork, and west of Seven-Mile Creek.
 * Burnt Prairie, all the territory between the Skillet Fork and the Little Wabash River.
 * Carmi, east of Enfield, south of Skillet Fork on the west side of the Little Wabash River, and on the east side of the river south of Townships 27, 28, and 29 of T4S R10E, and extending south to Lick Creek, west of the river, and east of the river to the south line of Sections 27 and 30 of T5S R10E.
 * Grayville, east of Burnt Prairie, and south to the south line of Sections 9 and 12 of T4S R10E, the line extending eastward to the (Big) Wabash River.
 * Fox River, east of Carmi and south of Grayville to the south line of Sections 35 and 36 of T5S R14W.
 * Prairie, all south of Carmi and Fox River, and between the Little Wabash and (Big) Wabash Rivers.
 * Herald's Prairie, bounded on the north by Lick Creek, on the east by the Little Wabash River, on the south by the county line, and on the west by Indian Creek.

Township government was approved by popular vote in the fall of 1871, and the following ten townships were organized. These townships have not changed down to the present.


 * Indian Creek, same as the voting precinct.
 * Enfield, T5S R8E.
 * Burnt Prairie, T4S R9E and the south half of T3S R9E.
 * Carmi, T5S R9E.
 * Gray, T3S R14W and the south halves of T3S R10E and T3S R11E.
 * Herald's Prairie, T6S R9E and the north half of T7S R9E.
 * Mill Shoals, T4S R8E and the south half of T3S R8E.
 * Phillips, T4S R10E and T4S R11E, and T4S R14W.
 * Hawthorne, T5S R10E and T5S R11E, and T5S R14W.
 * Emma, T6S R10E and T6S R11E, the north half of T7S R10E and T7S R11E, and a small part of T8S R10E and T8S R11E.

Places / Localities
To see a list of places in White 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.

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

Cemeteries
Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * 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.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in White County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * White 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.


 * Illinois Cemeteries by county.


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of White 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.

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from four Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in White County available online. 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.

Presbyterian

 * Delap, Sam L. and Harve E. Delap. History of Mount Oval Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1869-1969. 1969. Free digital copy at Issuu. Includes transcript of 100s of burials at the church's cemetery.

Military

 * Civil War Civil War service men from White 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 White County.


 * - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and F.
 * - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 87th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, C, F, G, I and K.
 * - 98th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.

Societies and Libraries

 * Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois John A. Logan College Library 700 Logan College Road Carterville, Illinois 62918 Telephone: 618-985-2828, Ext. 8338 Hours: vary by season, see website

The Society focuses on Alexander, Clay, Clinton, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Saline, St. Clair, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, and Williamson counties. The Society's book and microfilm collection is housed at the John A. Logan College Library. The Society publishes a newsletter (click here for recent issues) and a quarterly journal The Saga of Southern Illinois (click here for a topical index that breaks down what has been published county-by-county).

Web Sites

 * White County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * White County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)