Union County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Union County

Union County Organization
Alexander County's civil records start the following years:

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.

Historical Facts
Union County is named for the union of the American states.

Many early residents of Union County came into the area from Rowan County, North Carolina.

Parent County

 * 1818--Union County was created 2 January 1818 from Johnson County. County seat:  Jonesboro

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Union County boundary changes.

Cemeteries
The Illinois Cemeteries page provides general explanations of the following online Union County resources:

Census
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.]

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:


 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.

Court Records

 * 1820-1824 Circuit Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-EIU Search for Union records. How to use IRAD
 * 1818-1848 Circuit Court Record - IRAD-EIU
 * 1818-1965 County Court and Probate Index - IRAD-EIU S
 * 1861-1873 County Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-EIU
 * 1827-1851 Justice and Constable Appointment Record - IRAD-EIU

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.

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

Local Histories
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?

Land and Property

 * 1796-1907U.S General Land Office Records at Ancestry–($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Recordsat Ancestry–($)
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales
 * Federal Township Plats of Illinois

Jeana Gallagher compiled a list of Original Settlers of Union County, Illinois - Preemption before 1817. The list is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.

Family Maps of Union County, Illinois (2005) plats the land of many Union County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index.

1818-1887 Deeds First of 21 films.

Military

 * Civil War 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.


 * - 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.

Probate Records

 * 1850-1854 Probate Administrator's and Guardian's Accounts - IRAD-EIU
 * 1818-1965 Probate and County Court Index - IRAD-EIU S
 * 1845-1869 Probate Dockets - IRAD-EIU S
 * 1818-1885 Probate Minutes - IRAD-EIU
 * 1856-1891 Probate Will Record - IRAD-EIU


 * 1822-1965 Index
 * 1818-1892 Probate Records first of 8 films.
 * 1818-1845, 1856-1868 Union County, Illinois Probate Records

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.

Societies
Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.

Birth

 * 1867-1939 Index - IRAD-EIU Search for Union records. How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1916 - IRAD-EIU Search for Union records. How to use IRAD
 * 1878-1907 Birth index
 * 1851-1915 Birth record First of 30 films.

Marriage

 * 1818-1907 - IRAD-EIU Search for Union records. How to use IRAD
 * 1819-1873 Marriage consents First of 2 films.
 * 1818-1907 Marriages, 1818-1907 First of 5 films.
 * 1851-1900 Illinois 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

 * 1877-1915 - IRAD-EIU Search for Union records. How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1915 Death records First of 2 films.
 * 1916-1947 Deaths and Stillbirths
 * Pre-1916 Statewide Death Index
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates

Places / Localities
To see a list of places in Union County, click on [Show], in the bar above. The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Web Sites

 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy Trails
 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy Trails