Menard County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for Pierre Menard, the first lieutenant governor of Illinois. The county seat is Petersburg and the county was organized on February 15, 1839. The County is located in the Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Menard County Courthouse 102 S 7th St Petersburg, IL 62675 Phone: 217-632-2107 Menard County Courthouse

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

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:

Cemeteries
Additional Cemeteries:
 * Illinois States Genealogical Society

Census Records

 * Federal population schedules 1830-1930 for McHenry County are available online. 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, Menard County on page 187.]

Church Records
 Baptists New Salem The church appears to one of the first churches in the area. It was actually organized in 1829 prior to Menard County being formed. The church was known as Salem until 1832, then it was listed as "New Salem." More information can be found at Church and Family History Research Assistance for Menard County, Illinois.
 * 1823-1837 Minutes of the Sangamon United (later Regular) Baptist Association

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
 African Americans
 * 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 Records
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 online, through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Menard County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1822-1844 Deed records index
 * 1824-1866 Taxable Lands Lists IRAD-UIS
 * 1827-1900 Deeds records
 * 1838-1898 Deed records index
 * 1838-1934 Deed records
 * 1861-1867 Swamp Land Account Record IRAD-UIS
 * 1861-1870 Swamp Land Record IRAD-UIS
 * Menard County Federal Township Plats
 * BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Menard County from the Govenment Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patant details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales. The Illinois State Archives has an online index to the records of Public land sales held by the State Archives. The indexes are by purchasers name and by legal description. This is a statewide collection with nearly 550,000 land sales fro 54740 square miles.
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men from Menard 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 Menard County.
 * - 10th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 14th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 28th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F and K
 * - 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 106th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 114th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F and K.
 * - 133rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I.
 * - 152nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company A.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Menard County naturalization records on file in the Menard County Courthouse are in delicate physical condition. Coverage is also not complete and consistent. Fortunately these records have been microfilmed. For preservation of the records and greater ease in using them, it is better to research using the microfilms at your closest FamilySearch Center.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; 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 ($)

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records Original probate records are held by the Menard. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. Copies of probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS. The following copies are available at IRAD–UIS and in the FamilySearch Catalog:
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1839-1924Probate Record IRAD–UIS
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1849-1884Probate Will Record IRAD–UIS
 * 1849-1864 Probate Administrator's and Executor's ReportsIRAD–UIS
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1859-1881Probate Dockets IRAD–UIS
 * 1859-1875Probate Judgment Dockets IRAD–UIS
 * 1859-1864Probate Ledgers IRAD–UIS
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1839-1963 Weaver, Jeanine Crain. Menard County, Illinois, Index to Probate Records.Petersburg, Illinois: Weaver Genealogical Publications, 1987.

Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth (1877) and death (1877) records are kept by the Menard 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 kept by the County Clerk from 1839 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Universtiy of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Menard County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page. and found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Menard County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).

Birth

 * 1877-1903 Birth Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Menard County records. Includes index.
 * 1878-1887 Menard County Birth Records. Courtesy: Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois.

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1839-1925 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 search for Menard County records.
 * 1839-1907 Marriage records index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Menard County records.
 * 1839-1932 Marriage Records IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Menard County records.
 * 1839-1850 Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860. Search for Menard county records.Ancestry ($). The source of this collection is films in the FamilySearch Library's collection
 * 1839-1900 Illinois Marriages 1851 to 1900. Search for Menard county records.Ancestry ($)The source of this collection is films in the FamilySearch Library's collection
 * 1926-1932 Menard County Illinois Marriages Groom Index. Courtesy: Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois
 * 1926-1932 Menard County Illinois Marriages Bride Index. Courtesy: Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1877-1910 Death Record. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Menard county. Includes index.
 * 1877-1910 Menard County Death Records. Courtesy:Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * Menard County, Illinois Death Certificates (incomplete, but very good), Courtesy: Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois
 * WWII Deaths from Menard County, Illinois, Courtesy: Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois
 * Menard County Patient Deaths at the Illinois State Hospital (1910s-1930s)

Archives
 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. The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Menard County. The link will help you find and use the records. There address is: Illinois Regional Archives Depository LIB144 University of Illinois at Springfield Region One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407 217-206-6520

FamilySearch Centers

 * Decatur Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Springfield Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Athens Municipal Library - an affiliate library
 * Vespasian Warner Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Athens Municipal Library 410 East Hargrave Street Athens, IL 62613 Phone: (217) 636-8047 Website
 * Petersburg Public Library 220 South 6th street Phone - (217) 632-2807 Fax - (217) 632-2833 Website

Museums
Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site 15588 History Lane Petersburg, IL 62675 Phone: 217-632-4000 Website

Societies

 * Menard County Historical society PO Box 531 125 S 7th St Petersburg, IL 62675 Phone 217-632-0202 Website

Websites

 * Menard ILGenWeb
 * Menard County IL Genealogy
 * Menard County, IL Linkpendium
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.