Union County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Description
The county seat is Jonesboro and the county was organized on January 2, 1818. The County is located in the Southwest area of the state.

County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse 309 W Market St Jonesboro, IL 62952 Phone: 618-833-8114 Union County Courthouse

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Union County are kept, see the Union 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
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, Union County on page 188.]

Church Records
 Catholic FamilySearch has made parish records from two Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Union County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:  List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 1729-1956 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * FamilySearch Places

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 FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1820-1824 Circuit Court Execution Dockets IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1848 Circuit Court Record IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1965 County Court and Probate Index IRAD-SIU S
 * 1861-1873 County Court Execution Dockets IRAD-SIU
 * 1827-1851 Justice and Constable Appointment Record IRAD-SIU
 * Order book, 1818-1848 First of 2 films.
 * Records of Justices of the Peace by the Clerk County Commissioner, 1827-1851
 * Darrell Dexter abstracted nineteenth-century guardianship records. His compilation is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.

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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1818-1887 Deeds First of 21 films.
 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Federal Township Plats of Illinois
 * Jeana Gallagher compiled a list of Original Settlers of Union County, Illinois - Preemption before 1817 at Genealogy Trails.
 * Family Maps of Union County, Illinois (2005) plats the land of many Union County residents. Arphax Publishing provides online surname list.

Local Histories

 * Every Name Index to History of Union, Alexander, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois.Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2010.Original text was written by William Henry Perrin, published by O. L. Baskin &amp; Co., 1883, reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1969.EveryNameIndex.com

The online Shawnee Community College Local History Project includes a dozen personal interviews that give you a taste of historic Union County. Was your relative one of the interviewed individuals?

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1788-1940 Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * Township Map of 1870 Union County, Illinois with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
 * 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 Union 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 Union County.
 * 1862-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * Darrel Dexter, comp.  Union County, Illinois soldiers : of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Creek Indian War, the Seminole Indian War, the Illinois State Militia, the Black Hawk Indian War, the Mexican War, the Civil War Carterville, Illinois : Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois, c1997 FS Library 977.3995 M2d
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company M.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H, I, and K.
 * - 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, New Company H.
 * - 30th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and H.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, and F.
 * - 81st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * -109th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, F, G, H, and 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 ($)

Newspapers

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

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 at FamilySearch or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU 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
 * 1818-1845, 1856-1868 Union County, Illinois Probate Records
 * 1850-1854 Probate Administrator's and Guardian's Accounts - IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1965 Probate and County Court Index - IRAD-SIU S
 * 1845-1869 Probate Dockets - IRAD-SIU S
 * 1818-1885 Probate Minutes - IRAD-SIU
 * 1856-1891 Probate Will Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1822-1965 Index
 * 1818-1892 Probate Records first of 8 films.

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 county 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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Union County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Birth

 * 1867-1939 Index - IRAD-SIU
 * 1877-1916 IRAD-SIU
 * 1878-1907 Birth index
 * 1851-1915 Birth record First of 30 films.

Marriage

 * 1819-1873 Marriage consents First of 2 films.
 * 1818-1907 IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1907 Marriages, 1818-1907 First of 5 films.
 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index $
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1851-1900Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

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
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1877-1915 IRAD-SIU
 * 1877-1915 Death records First of 2 films.
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1916-1947 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 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. Southern Illinois University houses the records for Union County.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Carbondale Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Eldorado Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Foxcroft Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Herrin City Library - an affiliate library
 * Perry County Genealogical Family Research Library and Archive Center - an affiliate library
 * The State Historical Society of Missouri - Cape Girardeau - an affiliate library

Societies

 * Union County Genealogical and Historical Society PO Box 93 117 S. Appleknocker Dr Cobden, IL 62920 Phone: 618-893-2865 Website

Websites

 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy Trails
 * Union County IL Genealogy
 * Union ILGenWeb
 * – 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.