Washington County, Illinois Genealogy

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

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

Historical Facts
Washington County is named for George Washington, Commander in chief during the American Revolution and first president of the United States.

Parent County

 * 1818--Washington County was created 2 January 1818 from St. Clair County. County seat:  Nashville

Description
The county was named for George Washington. The county seat is Nashville and the county was organized on January 2, 1818. The County is located in the Southwest 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
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, 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, Washington County on page 188.]

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from six Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Washington County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


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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

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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Washington County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Abstracts


 * Coulter, Claudine, Washington County, Illinois land records, prior to 1836 and 1841 (Marissa, Illinois: Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society, 1998) Other Libraries (WorldCat)
 * Rockford Map Publishers (Rockford, Illinois), Land atlas and plat book, Washington County, Illinois, 1986 (Rockford, Illinois : Rockford Map Publishers, c1986). Other Libraries (WorldCat);

Online Resources

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

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Civil War
Civil War service men from Washington 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 Washington County.


 * - 5th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company H.
 * - 44th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 110th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 111th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 136th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company B.
 * - 154th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.

Naturalization
Online Records


 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate 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 online or through, the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Washington County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1853-1858 Probate Administrator's and Guardian's Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1863-1964 Probate Administrator's Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1862-1905 Probate Executor's Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1856-1930 Probate Guardian's Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1979 Probate Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1879-1905 Probate Will Record - IRAD-SIU

Pre - 1910 Probate Records Index, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.

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

Family History Center

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Centralia Illinois Family History Center

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 Washington County.

Societies
Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.

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 Clinton 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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Washington County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

General

 * 1809–1870 Myer, Lois C. Vital records of Randolph and Washington counties, Illinois, 1809–1870. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1969.

Birth
Abstracts


 * 1928-1948 Dickinson, H.B. and compiled by Elda (McCormick)Jones, Birth records, Dr. H.B. Dickinson, Coulterville, Illinois (Marissa, Illinois : Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society, 2003). Other Libraries (WorldCat)

Online Resources


 * Genealogy Trails offers a variety of birth records from the 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s.

Marriage
Abstracts


 * 1831-1858 Bohbrink, Mary Ann, Washington County, Illinois marriage records, 1831-1858 (Marissa, Illinois: Marissa Historical and Genealogical Society, 1998). Other Libraries (WorldCat);

Online Resources


 * 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1831-1858 Marriage records
 * 1831-1921 Genealogy Trails' site includes abstracts of marriage books A to E (1831-1921)
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 includes Washington County marriages from 1831-1858

Death
Online Resources
 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 (does not include Washington County)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885found at Ancestry.com ($)

Websites

 * Washington County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Washington County, Illinois (Genealogy Trails) Biographies, Birth Records, Cemeteries, Censuses, many Church Records, Criminals, Death Records, Divorces, Genealogies, Maps, Marriages, Military Records, Mortality Schedule (1850), Naturalizations, Newspapers, Obituaries, Queries, School Records, Wills
 * Washington County, Illinois (USGenWeb Archives) Biographies, Births, Cemeteries, Census, Court, Deaths, History, Marriages, Military, Obituaries, Wills/Estate
 * Washington County IL Genealogy
 * Washington County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Washington County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)