Stark County, Illinois Genealogy

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



Description
Stark County was named for General Colonel John Stark, who served in the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777. The county seat is Toulon and the county was organized on 1839. The county is located in the northwest-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Stark County Courthouse 130 W Main St Toulon, IL 61483 Phone: 309-286-5941 Stark County Courthouse

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

Census Records

 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 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 Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. ; . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Illinois, Tazewell County on page 188.

Church Records
 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 through online sources, the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Stark County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (WIU).

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1776-2015 U.S. General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 at Ancestry ($). Includes images of the land patents which contain the information necessary for ordering the complete case files from the National Archives. This appears to be the same information that is online at the Federal Land Office site Bureau of Land Management.
 * 1817-1851 Fuller book
 * 1820-1907 Deed records
 * 1820-1984 Grantor index
 * 1820-Onward Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * 1874-1902 Grantee index
 * 1882-1891 Deed record IRAD–WIU
 * Illinois Federal Township Plats, by County
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales at the Illinois State Archives. Online index to the records of Public land sales held by the State Archives. The indexes are by purchasers name and by legal description. This is a statewide collection with nearly 550,000 land sales from 54740 square miles. Also at Ancestry ($).
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Documents and biography pertaining to the settlement and progress of Stark County, Illinois. By M. A. Leeson. Chicago: M.A. Leeson & Co., 1887. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * Stark County and its Pioneers. By E. H. Shallenberger. Cambridge, Ill.: B.W. Seaton, Prairie Chief Office, book and job printer, 1989. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($).
 * Stark County, Illinois and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement. Chicago: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1916. 2 volumes. Online at: Vol. 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library; Vol. 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library; Ancestry ($).

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 Stark 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 Stark County.
 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 19th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 37th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment), Companies A and I.
 * - 112th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, E and F.
 * - 139th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company H.
 * - 151st Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company I.

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 ($)
 * 1892-1913 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.

 * 1868-1941 Almshouse Registers IRAD–WIU
 * Stark County Almshouse Registers Index, 1868-1941 at Illinois State Archives

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 copies of original records may be accessed through, the FamilySearch Library.

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
 * 1840-1911 Probate records (and index)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

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 Stark 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 Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Stark County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (WIU).

Birth

 * 1865-1904 Birth Certificates
 * 1877-1904 Birth Certificates IRAD–WIU

Marriage

 * 1839-1982 Marriage register index
 * 1839-1931 Marriage register
 * 1839-1931 Marriage Records IRAD–WIU
 * 1839-1982 Marriage Record Index IRAD–WIU
 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriage index at Ancestry ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

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
 * 1877-1901 Death Records IRAD–WIU,
 * 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

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. Western Illinois University houses the records for Stark County.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Macomb Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Normal Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Ottawa Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Peoria Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Bureau County Genealogy Society - an affiliate library
 * El Paso District Library - an affiliate library
 * Eureka Public Library District - an affiliate library
 * Geneseo Public Library - an affiliate library
 * McLean County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Ira C. Reed Public Library 302 Commercial Street Lafayette, IL 61449 Phone: 309-995-3042 Emai: [mailto:irclibrary@winco.net irclibrary@winco.net] Toulon Public Library District 306 W. Jefferson Street Toulon, IL 61483 Phone: 309-286-5791 Fax: 309-286-4481 Email: [mailto:toulon.library@gmail.com toulon.library@gmail.com] Website Wyoming Public Library District 119 N. Seventh St. Wyoming, IL 61491 Phone: 309-695-2241 Fax: 309-695-2241 Website

Societies
Stark County Genealogical Society PO Box 83 207 W. Main Street Toulon, IL 61483-0083 Email: [mailto:starkcogene@yahoo.com starkcogene@yahoo.com] Website Stark County Historical Society PO Box 524 318 West Jefferson Street Toulon, IL 61483 Phone: 309-286-7079 Email: [mailto:starkcountyilhistoricalsociety@gmail.com starkcountyilhistoricalsociety@gmail.com]

Websites

 * Stark County ILGenWeb
 * Stark County IL Genealogy
 * Stark County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (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.