Illinois, State Census, 1865 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
Name index and images of the Illinois state census taken on 3 July 1865.

The following counties are missing:


 * Gallatin
 * Monroe
 * Part of Mason
 * Part of Tazewell

The state constitution of 1848 accepted the federal decennial censuses as the basis for apportionment of representatives, but also provided for state censuses at mid-decades. As a result state censuses were conducted in 1855 and 1865. The state constitution of 1870 ended the practice of state censuses. Census returns for 1865 exist for 99 of the 102 counties.

This census counted and gathered information about the population in 1865.

The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress.

Reliability of the information in the census is determined by the accuracy of the knowledge of the informant, which could have been any member of the family or even a neighbor.

Record Content
The census includes the following information:


 * Name of head of family
 * Free white males by decennial age ranges; under 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, etc.
 * Free white females by decennial age ranges; under 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, etc.
 * Numbers of male and female Negros and mulattoes
 * Total number in household
 * Number of males eligible for duty in the militia
 * Manufactories by type (for example: mill, tin shop, saddle shop) and their value
 * Number and tons of coal products
 * Value of live stock
 * Value of grain products
 * Value of all other agricultural products
 * Number of pounds of wool
 * Number of universities and number of students
 * Number of academies and grammar schools and number of students
 * Number of common schools and number of students

How to Use the Records
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The name of your ancestor
 * Identifying information such as the county of residence

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select "County" ⇒Select "Locality" which takes you to the images.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the wiki article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Using the Information
Use the locator information in the index (such as page number or family number) to locate your ancestors in the census. When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

For example:


 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date.
 * Use the ages and place of residence to locate the family in federal census records.
 * Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * If your ancestor was in the militia they may have military files in the State or National Archives.
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related.
 * Be sure to extract all families before you look at other records. The relationships given will help you to organize family groups. The family groupings will help you identify related families when you discover additional information in other records.
 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county.
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child.
 * You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census.
 * You should also be aware that the census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
If you do not find your ancestors in the census try the following:


 * Look for alternate spellings of the names.
 * Look in neighboring counties or states.
 * Look for another index. Check with local or historical or genealogical societies as they often have indexes to local records.

Related Websites

 * Illinois Genealogy and History (ILGenWeb)
 * Illinois State Genealogical Society

Related Wiki Articles

 * Illinois
 * Illinois Census

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation: