Crawford County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Crawford 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 William H. Crawford, from Georgia, who was serving as Secretary of War and Secretary of the Treasury at the time. The County Seat is Robinson and was founded 1816. It is located in the East Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Crawford County Courthouse 100 Court St Robinson, Illinois 62454 Phone: 618-544-3512 Crawford County courthouse County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Crawford County are kept, see the Crawford 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:

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

Bible Records
A Family Bible belonging to the Fitch family of Crawford County is included in an Ancestry database ($).

Biographies
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Crawford County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Crawford County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Census Records

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

 Federal
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry ($)

 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, Crawford County on page 186.]

Church Records
 List of Churches and Church Parishes FamilySearch Places  Copies of Original records
 * 1847-1883 Grand Prairie Christian Church
 * 1871-1971 Oak Grove Federated Church of LaMotte Prairie,1971: 100 years Oak Grove Church, 100 years Brethren Church, 10 years Federated Church.
 * 1878-1938 Society of Friends-Pleasant Grove Monthly Meeting was originally known as Union Monthly Meeting

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 abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Crawford County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1817-1958 Circuit Court Index and Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1912-1958 Circuit court Record, Common Law IRAD-EIU
 * 1931-1957 Circuit Court Record, Criminal IRAD-EIU
 * 1922-1960 Jail Registers IRAD-EIU

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 through online sources, the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Crawford County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database. Also available at Ancestry ($)
 * 1800s – Present Use the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Patent Index to obtain original federal land transfer records, including homestead, military warrants, and cash entry patents. These records help a researcher establish location and lead to National Archives’ records which may include genealogical information. Earlier land transfer records are at the National Archives.
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)

 Copies of Original Records
 * 1816-1939 Crawford County, Illinois Clerk of County Court, Deed Records.
 * 1817-1958 Deed Index IRAD-EIU
 * 1817-1958 Deed Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1850-1933 Surveyor's Record
 * 1919-1958 Military Discharge Record and Index IRAD-EIU
 * 1852-1867 Swamp Land Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1882-1957 Plat Record IRAD-EIU

 Abstracts
 * 1850, 1854-1867 Crawford County Illinois, County Court, Land records: abstract, sales, plats, etc., ([Springfield, Illinois]:Office of the Secretary of State, Micrographics Division, Source Documents Unit, 1980-1981.)
 * 1980-1981 Rockford Map Publishers, Rockford, Illinois, Land atlas and plat book, Crawford County, Illinois (Rockford, Illinois:Rockford Map Publishers, c1966.) ;

Local Histories
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Crawford edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Crawford County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Crawford County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Crawford County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

General
 * 1919-1958 Military Discharge Record and Index IRAD-EIU

 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men from Crawford 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 Crawford County.
 * - 5th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company F.
 * - 21st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I
 * - 30th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 38th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 63rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 79th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 98th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and E.
 * - 135th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H.
 * - 152nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company H.
 * - 155th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.

Naturalization and Citizenship
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 ($)
 * The Robinson Constitution was a newspaper printed in Robinson, the county seat of Crawford County. This link features editions of the paper from Mar 15, 1877 - Apr 21, 1894. Newspapers are very important sources for glimpses into our ancestor's daily lives.
 * Bailey, Chris H. Scrapbook of Robinson, Illinois, newspaper clippings (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1972.)
 * Bailey, Imogene; Flat Rock Journal (Illinois), Crawford County, Illinois newspaper genealogical information. Primarily a collection of obituaries, historical and genealogical information from the Flat Rock Journal, newspaper. Also, many biographical sketches of prominent persons of Crawford County, Illinois, of that era.

Probate Records
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 Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Crawford County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 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
 * 1818-1923 Illinois County Court (Crawford), Record of wills.
 * 1818-1956 Probate Will Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1844-1894 Probate Dockets IRAD-EIU
 * 1845-1849 Probate Appraisement Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1845-1923 Illinois County Court (Crawford), Probate records, 1845-1923; probate ledger, 1851-1866.
 * 1849-1958 Probate Minutes IRAD-EIU
 * 1850-1887 Illinois County Court (Crawford County), Record of wills, book 2, 1850-1887.
 * 1911-1958 Probate Inventory Record IRAD-EIU
 * Crawford County Will and Estate Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives Illinois.

Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Crawford 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 FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Crawford County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Birth

 * 1877-1915 Birth Record - IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1957 Birth Record Index - IRAD-EIU
 * 1878-1981 Crawford County (Illinois) Clerk of County Court, Vital records. Including Birth index 1878-1981 and Birth record Books 1 and 2 1877-1902.

Marriage

 * 1817-1851 Crawford County (Illinois) Clerk of County Court, Crawford County, Illinois marriage register, Feb. 1817-Jan. 1851.
 * 1817-1981 Crawford County (Illinois) Clerk of County Court, Vital records. Including marriage indexes, male and female 1817-1981 and marriage record books A,B,C and 1.
 * 1817-1934 Marriage Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1817-1958 Marriage Record Index IRAD-EIU
 * 1843-1859 Lent, Roberta Lee Some early Crawford County, Illinois marriages: 1843-1859. ;
 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * Crawford County Marriage Records courtesy USGenWeb Archives 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
 * 1877-1981 Crawford County (Illinois) Clerk of County Court, Vital records. Including death index from 1877-1981 and death record from 1877-1906.
 * 1877-1915 Death Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1958 Death Record Index IRAD-EIU
 * Richland County Genealogical and Historical Society (Olney, Illinois), Mortality schedules, 1860,1870,1880 ([S.I.:s.n.], 1978.) ;
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1930 Miscellaneous Deaths, Crawford County, Illinois courtesy USGenWeb Archives.
 * Crawford County Register of Deaths courtesy USGenWeb Archives Illinois.
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index

Archives
 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) The Illinois State Archives administers a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) to manage the archival records of local governments. Local governments which have transferred records to the regional depositories include counties, townships, municipalities, and school districts. The records of Crawford County come under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) regional depository.


 * Eastern Illinois University (EIU) 600 Lincoln Avenue Charleston, IL 61920 Telephone: (217) 581-6093 Hours: Monday – Friday, except state holidays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.


 * Note: The depository is staffed by graduate student interns. Because of class scheduling conflicts, hours may vary somewhat from the published schedule. Researchers are urged to call before planning a visit.


 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD); Booth Library

FamilySearch Centers

 * Bedford Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Linton Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Terre Haute Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Vincennes Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Clay County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Sullivan County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Vigo County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

 * Hutsonville Public Library 101 S. Main Street Hutsonville, IL 62433 Phone and Fax: 618-563-9603 E-Mail: hutsonvillepubliclibrary@yahoo.com
 * Oblong Public Library 110 E Main St. Oblong, IL 62449 Phone and FAX: 618-592-3001 E-mail: [mailto:dpoblibrary2@hotmail.com dpoblibrary2@hotmail.com] Website
 * Robinson Public Library District 606 N Jefferson St. Robinson, IL 62454 618-544-2917 Website
 * Susie Wesley Memorial Library 105 S Main St. PO Box 185 Flat Rock, IL 62427 Phone and FAX: 618-584-3636 E-mail: swlib@frtci.net Website

Museums

 * Crawford County Museum Former Schmidt Clinic 408 S. Cross St. Robinson, IL 62454-0554

Societies

 * Crawford County Historical Society PO Box 554 408 S Cross St Robinson, IL 62454-0554 Phone: 618-544-3087 Email:[mailto:olecrawf@frontier.com olecrawf@frontier.com] Website
 *  Hutsonville Historical Society 10953 E. 1825th Ave Hutsonville, IL 62433 Email: [mailto:olecrawf@frontier.com olecrawf@frontier.com]

Websites

 * Crawford County IL Genealogy
 * Crawford County, ILGenWeb
 * Crawford 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.