Piatt County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Piatt 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 James A. Piatt, a local resident instrumental in formation of the county. The county seat is Monticello and the county was organized on 1841. The County is located in the Central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Piatt County Courthouse 101 W Washington St Monticello, IL 61856 Phone: 217-762-9487 Piatt County Courthouse

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

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County(s): Created from DeWitt and Macon Counties on January 27, 1841.
 * County Seat: Monticello
 * Interactive Map of Illinois County Formation History (1790-1897) - animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes
 * Piatt County, Illinois Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

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:

Biographies
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Piatt County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Piatt County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes. Portrait and Biographical Album of Dewitt and Piatt Counties, Illinois 1891 (Internet Archive) Piatt County Biographies Bibliography (WorldCat)

Census Records

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

Church Records
 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * 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 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Illinois State University (ISU) - search for Piatt County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU IRAD Wiki page. Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1841-1911 Circuit Court Record - IRAD-ISU
 * 1854-1878 Circuit Court Dockets - IRAD-ISU
 * 1859-1878 Circuit Court Default Judgement Record - IRAD-ISU

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. Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1835-1854 Book of Taxable Lands and Patentees. Illinois Auditor's Office. Item 3
 * 1840-1931 Deed Records -IRAD-ISU
 * 1841-1918 Deed Index -IRAD-ISU
 * 1841-1954 Deeds, Piatt County (Illinois) Recorder. first film of 46 microfilm. indexes included.
 * 1861-1874 Chattel Mortgage Records -IRAD-ISU
 * 1865-1891 Mortgage Record - IRAD-ISU
 * 1868-1912 Sheriff's Certificate Sale record and Sheriff's deed record, 1868-1912.

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
For information about using Military records see Illinois Military Records
 * 1862-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

 War of 1812 Military Land Grantsin Piatt County Illinois for Soldiers of the War of 1812 - USGenWeg

 Civil War Civil War Discharges, Piatt County Historical and Genealogical Society. Civil War Veterans, Piatt County: an Information guide. By Dorothy Dowdle. Regiments. Civil War service men from Piatt 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 Piatt County.
 * 1860-1864 Enlisted Men in the Civil War. Piatt County Clerk. Items 2-8
 * 1861 Soldiers' Enlistment. Piatt County Recorder Item 1
 * 1865-1920 Soldiers' Discharges. Piatt County Recorder. Includes index. Item 9
 * 1883 List of Pensioners on the Roll January 1, 1883 (Internet Archive)
 * - 2nd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry,Company F
 * - 21st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C
 * - 73rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D
 * - 107th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C, Company E,
 * - 116th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A
 * - 144th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D

 World War I World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918Piatt County(Ancestry)  World War II Army Casualties (U.S. National Archives and Record Administration)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records. The following copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Illinois State University (ISU) - search for Piatt County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU IRAD Wiki page.

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 ($)
 * 1858-1872 Naturalization Record, Circuit Court - IRAD-ISU
 * 1858-1884 Naturalization Records. Circuit Court.
 * 1862-1906 Naturalization Records, Circuit Court. Items 2-4 and Item 6
 * 1864-1880 Naturalization Record Final, Circuit Court - IRAD-ISU
 * 1864-1880 Naturalization Record Final, County Court - IRAD-ISU
 * 1864-1888 Naturalization Record of Soldiers and Minors, Couty Court - IRAD-ISU
 * 1870-1880 Naturalization Record of Minors, Circuit Court - IRAD-ISU
 * 1888-1901 Naturaliation of Minors, County Court - IRAD-ISU

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($) - index
 * Newspapers Published in Piatt County (Illinois Newspaper Project)
 * Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
 * Piatt County Republican and Piatt Independent. First film of 24.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.
Almshouse Register item 11 and FS Library book: 977.3673 P3w

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 Illinois State University (ISU) - search for Piatt County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU 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
 * 1843-1887 Probate Record. Piatt County Court first film of 7
 * 1843-1901 Probate Record - IRAD-ISU
 * 1850-1918 Will Record. Piatt County Court.
 * 1850-1918 Illinois Probate Records
 * 1850-1961 Probate Will Record - IRAD-ISY
 * 1859-1915 Probate Guardian's Record - IRAD-ISU
 * 1861-1869 Probate Inventory, Appraisement and Sale Record - IRAD-ISU
 * 1869-1905 Probate Inventory Record - IRAD-ISU

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1835-1854 Taxable Lands Lists - IRAD-ISU

Vital Records
Order Birth and Death Certificates Online

Birth

 * 1863-1936 Birth Certificates, Delayed IRAD-ISU
 * 1877-1916 Birth Record IRAD -ISU
 * 1877-1974 Birth Record Index IRAD-ISU
 * 1877-1931 Birth Records. Piatt County Clerk. Includes index. Book: 977.3673 V22i

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1841-1853 Piatt County, Illinois Marriage and Cemetery Records (at Ancestry)
 * 1841-1874 Piatt County Marriage Records. by Betty Varner and Linda Redmond. FS Library Book 977.3 A1 no. 236
 * 1841-1971 Marriage Register. Piatt County Clerk
 * 1878-1938 Marriage Records. Piatt County Clerk.

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1841-1853 Piatt County, Illinois Marriage and Cemetery Records, 1841-1853. at Ancestry
 * 1877-1915 Death Records, Piatt County County Clerk. Includes index.
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage ($) - index
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index

Archives
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. Illinois State University houses the records for Piatt County.

 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Illinois State Universtiy (ISU) 2016 Warehouse Road Campus Box 1520 Normal, Illinois 61802 Phone: 1-309-452-6027 Illinois Regional Archives Depository System- Local Governmental Records Listings Arranged by County

FamilySearch Centers

 * Champaign Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Danville Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Decatur Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Champaign County Historical Archives - an affiliate library
 * Danville Public Library (Illinois) - an affiliate library
 * Vespasian Warner Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Public Libraries of Piatt County Website

Societies
Piatt County Genealogical and Historical Society 1115 N. State Street, Suite 119 PO Box 111 Monticello Illinois 61856 Phone 217-762-9997 E-mail:[mailto:piatthistory@gmail.com piatthistory@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Piatt County ILGenWeb
 * Piatt County IL Genealogy
 * Name Index to Illinois Local Governments
 * Piatt 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.