Champaign County, Illinois Genealogy

United States  Illinois  Champaign County

History
Large numbers of Ohio residents settled in frontier Champaign County, Illinois. The name of the county (Champaign) is reminiscent of Champaign County, Ohio - the previous residence of many pioneer settlers.

Parent County

 * 1833--Champaign County was created 20 February 1833 from Vermilion County. County seat: Urbana

Neighboring Counties

 * Douglas
 * Edgar
 * Ford
 * McLean
 * Piatt
 * Vermilion

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 Champaign County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * Champaign 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 Champaign 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.

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

Church
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Champaign
 * University (Urbana)

Military

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


 * - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and E.
 * - 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, F and H.
 * - 72nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 76th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and G.

BOOKS


 * Behrens, Robert H. From Salt Fork to Chickamauga: Champaign County Soldiers in the Civil War. (Urbana, Ill: Urbana Free Library, 1988)..FHL US/CAN Book 977.366 M2b. Other libraries with this book.

Societies and Libraries
Urbana Free Library 210 West Green Street Urbana, IL 61801 (217) 367-4025 (217) 531-7088 fax

Expanding on an index-card based index created in the 1960's and 1970's, the Urbana Free Library has created an on-line index of Champaign County historical records of genealogical interest called the Champaign County Historical Archive. Included are newspaper mentions of birth, marriage and death notices, along with official county records of birth, marriage, death, wills, probate, cemetery and other records. The index includes details (names and dates) that make it easy to identify records of interst.

Copies (non-certified) can be requested using the library's printable PDF Request Form.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Champaign County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Champaign County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)