Saline County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Saline County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records. Illinois Online Genealogy Records

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

Historical Facts


Saline County is named for the Saline River which flows through the county. The river produced numerous salt springs which was a source of salt that was commercially extracted and provided a major industry in this region.

Many pioneer settlers migrated into this area from places in Western Kentucky like Muhlenberg County.

Parent County

 * 1847 - Saline County was created 25 February 1847 from Gallatin County. 

Description
The county was named for the Saline River and the springs from which salt was produced in the early history of Gallatin County. The county seat is Harrisburg and the county was organized on 1847. The County is located in the Southeastern area of the state.

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

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:

Cemeteries
There are more than 100 burial grounds in Saline County. To view a list, visit Saline County, Illinois Cemeteries.

Census
1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 federal population schedules of Saline County are available online. For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census. If you're having trouble finding your ancestors in online indexes, try checking printed indexes. Created by local experts familiar with the area's families, these indexes are often transcribed more accurately than online nationwide indexes. See Illinois Population Schedule Indexes: Fiche, Film, or Book for more information about statewide printed indexes. See Saline County, IL census assignments, including links to transcribed files (The USGenWeb Census Project®).

1850

 * 1850 Census of Saline County, Illinois. Transcription and Index. Courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * Tri-City Genealogical Society (Richland, Wash.). The 1850 Census of Saline County, Illinois. Richland, Wash.: Tri-City Genealogical Society, 1973..

1850-1880 Mortality Schedules
Murphy abstracted Saline County's 1850 to 1880 mortality schedules:


 * Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois Deaths. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J. Murphy, 1984. 2 vols. World Cat 11399472; World Cat 11281467, [Volume 2 covers the mortality schedules.]

Online transcripts:


 * Saline County Mortality Schedule 1850, available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * Saline County 1850 Mortality Schedule, available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.

1855

 * Murphy, John V. Saline County, 1855 Illinois State Census. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J.V. Murphy, 1986..

1860

 * Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois, 1860, 8th United States Census Transcribed from National Archives Microfilm Publication, Microcopy 653, Roll No. 223, Population Schedules of the Eighth Census of the United States, 1860; Illinois, Volume 35 (789-1034), Saline County. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J.V. Murphy, 1981..

1865

 * Murphy, John V. Saline County, 1865 Illinois State Census. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J.V. Murphy, 1986..

1870

 * Moore, Bernard W. 1870 Federal Census, Saline County, Illinois. Utica, Ky.: McDowell Publications, 1978..

1880

 * Murphy, John V. and Mary Afton Anderson. Saline County, Illinois, 1880 10th United States Census. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J. Murphy, 1983..

1920

 * Miller-Mathis, Averil. 1920, 14th United States Census, Saline County, Illinois. 3 vols. Eldorado, Ill.: A. Miller-Mathis and R.N. Mathis, 1993..

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

A chapter on early Saline County, Illinois church history appears in an 1887 local history, available for free online, beginning on page 224.

Baptist

 * Church and Family History Research Assistance for Primitive Baptist Churches in Saline County, Illinois
 * 1860–1925 Long Branch Baptist Church. Church minutes, 1860-1925. Nashville, Tennessee : Historical Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, 1955.
 * 1820– Bluford M. Sloan. Bethel's Creek Baptist Church, 1820–. Carbondale, Ill.: 1970s. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * 1826–1852 Nelson, Doris and Ronald L. Nelson. Early Minutes of the Middle Fork of the Saline Creek Baptist Church: Gallatin (now Saline) County, Illinois, 1826-1852. Utica, Ky.: McDowell, 1984. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * 1832–1996 Nelson, Ronald L., Doris Nelson, and Ralph S. Harrelson. History of Liberty Baptist Church, Saline County, IL, 1832-1996. Utica, Ky.: McDowell Pub., 1996. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * 1854–1931 Nelson, Doris. Minutes of the Bankston Fork Baptist Church, 1854-1931 Elizabethtown, Illinois: Nelson's Pub., 1985. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Dorrisville Baptist Church, 1910-2010: Serving the Lord for 100 Years. Ill.: Dorrisville Baptist Church, 2010. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Hedger, Carsa and Mollijean Frazier. First Baptist Church of Muddy, Saline County, Illinois. 2006. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Woodworth, Elizabeth, Lenora Estes Elmore and Saline County Genealogical Society. Minute Book of the Regular Baptist Church at Wolf Creek Meeting House. Harrisburg, Ill.: Saline County Genealogical Society, 2000. WorldCat (Other Libraries)

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from four Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Saline County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


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

Disciples of Christ

 * History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois, Saline County section begins on page 369, courtesy: Internet Archive

Presbyterian

 * Murphy, John V. and F.L. Chancy. Minutes of Session of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of New Bethel Congregation, Saline County, Illinois: 1876-1886. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J.V. Murphy, 1982. WorldCat (Other Libraries)

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 Family History Library.

Abstracts


 * 1845–1870 Brimm, Mary, Rebecca Schmook, and Saline County Genealogical Society. Early Saline County, Illinois court records, chancery records. Harrisburg, Illinois : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1993-1994. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1847–1888 Schmook, Rebecca and Mary Brimm. Records of the poor, Saline County, Illinois, 1847-1888. [Saline County, Illinois?] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1988. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1847–1855 Schmook, Rebecca and Saline County Genealogical Society. Early Saline County court orders, 1847-1855. [Harrisburg, Illinois] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1989. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Copies of original records


 * 1848–1858 Order book, vol. A

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

Genealogy
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]

General
Saline County, ILGenWeb has a handy list of "Southern Illinois Genealogy Homepages with Saline County ancestors" on their website.

Compiled genealogies treating multiple Saline County families includes:


 * Rice, Christine Rogers. Genesis in Virginia: Exodus to Illinois of Thirty Families Whose Descendants Came to White, Gallatin and Saline Counties. Carbondale, Ill.: C.R. Rice, 1995.
 * Saline County Genealogical Society. Ancestor Charts: Saline County Genealogical Society. 2 vols. Harrisburg, Ill.: Saline County Genealogical Society, 1994.

Message Boards and Lists

 * Saline Co., IL Family History &amp; Genealogy Message Board (Ancestry.com)
 * Genealogy.com
 * Saline Co., IL Genealogy Queries (CousinConnect.com)
 * Saline Co., IL Mailing List (RootsWeb.com) Search or browse the archive.
 * MidWest Community (FamilySearch.org)

=
Bibliography =====


 * Abney - Abney, Ella Lorine Rogers. The Abney and Lackey Families. Marion, Ill.: E.R. Abney, 1988.
 * Allen - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Fall 1999):9-18.
 * Arnold - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Spring 2001):34-42.
 * Baldwin - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 32, No. 4 (Winter 2005):32-42.
 * Bolin - Cummins, Pat. Bolin Family History. Ill.: Bolin Family Reunion, 1986.
 * Boyd - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Winter 1976):15-23.
 * Bramlett, Deborah G. "Reuben Bramlett of Gallatin/Saline County, Illinois: Revolutionary War Service," available online, courtesy: ILGenWeb.
 * Bynum - Marlatt, William Pierce and Kimberley Cheryl Bynum Marlatt. Genealogy of the Bynum and Murphy Families of Saline County, Illinois. Moorpark, Calif.: W. and K. Marlatt, 1990.
 * Cleveland - Jacquier, Melinda E. Roles. Descendants of Andrew Jackson "John" Cleveland (1798-1859) and His Wife Ann Tillett (1799-1860) of Harrison County, Kentucky, Posey County, Indiana, and Saline County, Illinois. Placentia, Calif.: M.E. Jacquier, 2008.
 * Cox - Jacquier, Melinda E. Roles. Descendants of John L. Cox (1798-1867) and His Wife Nancy Price (1804-1863) of Posey County, Indiana and Saline County, Illinois. Placentia, Calif.: M.R. Jacquier, 2008.
 * Crabb - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 20, No. 1 (Spring 1993):52-55; Vol. 21, No. 1 (Spring 1994):3-7.
 * Edwards - Walker, William D. Our Tapestry: [Family History - Walker - Edwards - Gunter - Nolen - Rice]
 * Elder - Aaron, Talitha Elder. Elder. Ill.?: T.E. Aaron, 1940s.
 * Estes - Nelson, Doris. Following the Chism Estes Trail: A Genealogy of Chism Estes and His Descendants, 1736-1982. Owensboro, Ky.: McDowell Publications, 1982.
 * Gaskins - Kensley, Marietta Gaskins. The Gaskins Family Tree. Typescript, Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.
 * Harris - English, Georgia Jane Harris. Ancestors of Georgia Jane Harris, ca. 1832-1978. Typescript. Microfilmed 1987:
 * Hartley - Hartley, Harold Ray. Way Down in Egypt Land. 1982.
 * Jordan - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Winter 2001):31-33.
 * Locklear - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Summer 1998):27-29.
 * Menzies - Goddard, Ruth Mings. Menzies, Minzes, Mingues, Mings, Minns, Minges. Typescript, ca. 1992.
 * Miller - Peck, Mary J. Black. Saline County Cousins Illinois. Carrier Mills, Ill.: M.J.B. Peck, 1991, 1993.
 * Mings - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 15, No. 3 (Fall 1988):27-28.
 * Morris - Crampton, Helen Loreda Morris. Branches and Twigs of John W. Morris, 1811-1983. Newell, Iowa: Bireline Publishing, 1983.
 * Muensterman - Muensterman Family, ca. 1846-1970. MSS. Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.
 * Murphy - Marlatt, William Pierce and Kimberley Cheryl Bynum Marlatt. Genealogy of the Bynum and Murphy Families of Saline County, Illinois. Moorpark, Calif.: W. and K. Marlatt, 1990.
 * Neighbors - Myers, David Arthur. Families of Sarah Ann (Mitchell) Neighbors Landrum Peters and Her Three Husbands and Their Wives. Utica, Ky.: McDowell Publications, 1984.
 * Porter - Murphy, Carl L. Genealogical Research &amp; Findings Relative to the Porter Family - Saline County, Illinois. Houston, Texas: C.L. Murphy, 1993.
 * Read - Landrum, Thelma Caraway. Joseph Read of Saline County, Illinois and His Descendants. Columbus, Ga.: T.C. Landrum, 1976.
 * Rhine - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 28, No. 4 (Winter 2001):33-35.
 * Rude - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Summer 2001):38-48.
 * Shaw - Peck, Mary J. Black. Saline County Cousins Illinois. Carrier Mills, Ill.: M.J.B. Peck, 1991, 1993.
 * Sloan - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 5, No. 2 (Summer 1978):33-34; Vol. 11, No. 2 (Summer 1984):54.
 * Stallings - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 20, No. 2 (Summer 1993):3-5.
 * Stephenson - Kensley, Marietta Gaskins. The Gaskins Family Tree. Typescript, Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.
 * Stiff - Lewis, Gerald R. Stiff Family in Posey Co., IN., 1880-1980. n.p.: G.R. Lewis, 1980?.
 * Tanner - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 5, No.1 (Spring 1978):14-16.
 * Tate - Payne, Robert Franklin. John Tate and His Descendants. Online bookstore.
 * Thaxton - Levin, Pat Justice. Ancestor Charts, ca. 1729-1970. MSS., Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.
 * Ward - Kensley, Marietta Gaskins. The Gaskins Family Tree. Typescript, Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.
 * Watson - Levin, Pat Justice. Ancestor Charts, ca. 1729-1970. MSS., Willard Library, Evansville, Ind.
 * Webb - Webb, M.N. and Daniel R. Webb. Biography of Lazarus Webb and His Wife, Nancy Creek, and Eli Webb and His Wife, Margaret Sandusky, With a List of Their Generations. Redwood City, Calif.: Jean Slater Schoen, 1981.
 * Wilkins - Murphy, Nathan W. Early Families of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky: Vincent, Wright, McElwain, Wilkins and Jarvis; Historical Information and Sources for More than 2,000 Descendants of Charles Vincent, William Wright, George McElwain, John Wilkins, and John Jarvis, Whose Numerous Progenitors [Descendants] Make Up a Large Portion of the Present Population of Muhlenberg County. Hanson, Ky.: David W. Murphy and Associates, 1999.
 * Williams - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 21, No. 4 (Winter 1994):26-29.
 * Yates - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Fall 1980):48.
 * Young - The Saga of Southern Illinois, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Winter 1976):15-16.

Local Histories

 * History of Gallatin, Saline, Hamilton, Franklin, and Williamson Counties, Illinois: From the Earliest Time to the Present, Together with Sundry and Interesting Biographical Sketches, Notes, Reminiscences, etc., etc. Chicago: Goodspeed, 1887. WorldCat 2793052; WorldCat 3832741; WorldCat 3525055; WorldCat 6452351; WorldCat 9904971; WorldCat 42044116*; WorldCat 10944911; WorldCat 12664093; WorldCat 25635984; WorldCat 42986633; WorldCat 55884600*; WorldCat 61313399*; WorldCat 81890512; WorldCat 20150322; WorldCat 287889485; WorldCat 48204237; WorldCat 181343565; ; digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive;.

Immigration
Early migration routes to and from Saline County for European settlers included:


 * Ohio River pre-historic
 * Wabash River pre-historic
 * Russellville - Shawneetown Trail

Land and Property
Because of Illinois’s history as an agricultural state many residents owned land. For more information about types of land records see Illinois Land and Property.

Abstracts


 * Boyd, Gregory A. Family maps of Saline Couny, Illinois : with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns cemeteries, railroads and more. Norman, Oklahoma : Arphax Pub. Co., 2009.


 * 1908 Schmook, Rebecca and Geo. A. Ogle and Co. Standard atlas of Saline County, Illinois [1908] : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county ... patrons directory, reference directory Harrisburg, Illinois : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1990. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Copies of original records


 * 1847–1913Grantee and Grantor index
 * 1821–1908 Deeds
 * 1854–1857 Swamp land records
 * 1884–1952 Cemetery deed record
 * 1983 Rockford Map Publishers. Land atlas and plat book, Saline County, Illinois, 1983. Rockford, Illinois : Rockford Map Publishers, 1983. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1854–1889 Swamp land recordIRAD (SIU) Search for Saline records How to use IRAD

Online Resources


 * 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.com ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Saline County Federal Township Plats

Maps

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

War of 1812

 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. ; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Illinois, Saline County, p. #. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Blackhawk War

 * ILGenWeb list of companies with soldiers from Gallatin/Saline counties.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Saline 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 Saline County.


 * - 3rd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company E.
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies F and K.
 * - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
 * - 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and G.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 110th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 120th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 128th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.

For an extensive list, see Civil War Companies Organized in Saline County, Illinois (courtesy: ILGenWeb).

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records


 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1856-1991 - Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry.com - index and images, ($)

Newspapers and Obituaries

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

Historic
The Library of Congress has identified the following historic newspapers for Saline County, Illinois on their Chronicling America website. For publication details, including dates of publication, frequency, preceding and succeeding titles, and to find out which libraries have holdings, click on the newspaper title.


 * Carrier Mills News (Carrier Mills, Ill.) 19??-1957.
 * Eldorado Daily Journal (Eldorado, Ill.) 1921-current.
 * Eldorado Examiner (Eldorado, Ill.) 19??-1957.
 * Harrisburg Chronicle (Harrisburg, Ill.) 18??-1881.
 * Harrisburg Chronicle (Harrisburg, Ill.) 188?-1???.
 * Harrisburg Chronicle-Sentinel (Harrisburg, Ill.) 1881-188?.
 * Harrisburg Democrat (Harrisburg, Ill.) 1882-1???.
 * Raleigh Egyptian and Poet's Record (Raleigh, Ill.) 185?-1???.
 * Saline County Democrat (Harrisburg, Ill.) 188?-1882.
 * Saline County Register (Harrisburg, Ill.) 18??-187?.
 * Saline County Register (Harrisburg, Ill.) 189?-19??.
 * Saline County Republican (Eldorado, Ill.) 18??-1918.
 * The Daily Register (Harrisburg, Ill.) 19??-current.
 * The Egyptian Legionnaire (Eldorado, Ill.) 1929-19??.
 * The Eldorado Journal (Eldorado, Ill.) 1911-1921.
 * The Illinois Baptist (Harrisburg, Ill.) 190?-????.
 * The Raleigh Flag (Raleigh, Ill.) 1856-1???.
 * The Toilers' Friend (Harrisburg, Ill.) 1892-1???.

Major
These periodicals regularly publish articles about Saline County:


 * Saga of Southern Illinois (Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois). For a breakdown of articles about Saline County, visit the online topical index.
 * Saline County Genealogical Society Newsletter
 * The Shawnee
 * Shawnee Newsletter
 * Springhouse

Minor
These periodicals occasionally publish articles about Saline County:


 * Ansearchin' News
 * Bend of the River
 * Facts and Findings
 * Footprints in Williamson County, Illinois
 * Fulton County [Illinois] Historical &amp; Genealogical Society Newsletter
 * ILL-IA-MO Searcher
 * Illinois State Genealogical Society Quarterly
 * Illinois State Historical Society Journal
 * Journal of Illinois History
 * Sabbath Recorder
 * Searching Illinois Ancestors
 * Smith County [Tennessee] Historical and Genealogical Society Quarterly Newsletter
 * Tree Climber
 * Tri-State Packet

Probate Records
Probate is the “court procedure by which a will is proved to be valid or invalid” and encompasses “all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, guardianships, etc.” Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. For further information see probate records in State Probate Records.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1819 - 1988 at FamilySearch.org — images

Abstracts


 * 1847–1911 Fetcho, Joyce and Guylene Pait. Abstracts of wills, Saline County, Illinois, 1847-1911. Harrisburg, Illinois : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1986. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1838–1908 Brimm, Mary and Rebecca Schmook. Early Saline County, Illinois court records administrator's records, books B-F; ca. 1838-1908. Harrisburg, Illinois : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), [19--]. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1814–1947 Schmook, Rebecca. Will Record I, Gallatin County, Illinois, November 1814-January 1847. [Harrisburg, Illinois] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1994. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Shewmake, Shirley Cummins. Saline County, Illinois probate records. Harrisburg, Illinois : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1987–1994. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1850–1868 Brimm, Mary and Rebecca Schmook. Early Saline County, Illinois court records, probate journals B &amp; C, January 1850-December 1868. Harrisburg, Illinois : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1993. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Copies of original records


 * 1848–1970 Index to file boxes
 * 1847–1922 Will record
 * 1850–1868 Probate journal
 * 1869–1891 Probate record
 * 1847–1922 Probate will record IRAD (SIU) Search for Saline records How to use IRAD

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

Family History Centers

 * Introduction to Family History Centers
 * Eldorado Illinois Family History Center

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 Saline County.

Societies

 * Saline County Genealogical Society PO Box 4 1600 Feazel St Harrisburg 62946 Facebook
 * Saline County Historical Society/Area Museum PO Box 55 160O South Feazel Street Harrisburg, IL 62946 Phone 618-841-1781 Facebook Website
 * "Archiving is one of our favorite things at the museum !..."
 * "One thing we are always working on is archiving and making digital copies of our glass and paper negative collections."

Taxation
Tax-related records are kept by the offices of the county Assessor, Auditor, Sheriff, and Treasurer. Taxes were levied on real and personal property and can help establish ages, residences, relationships, and the year an individual died or left the area. They can be used as substitutes for missing or destroyed land and census records.

Newspapers include tax information. For example, Harrisburg taxpayers, 1862-1893 are included in newspapers held at the Illinois State Historical Library.

Published abstracts

 * 1840-1877 - "Tax Records, 1840-77," Shawnee, Vol. 10, No. 3 (Winter 1995).
 * 1845-1849 - "Land Forfeited for Taxes, 1845-49," Prairie Gleaner, Vol. 25, No. 1 (Dec. 1993).
 * 1847-1848 - "Delinquent Taxes, 1847 and 1848," Searching Illinois Ancestors, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Nov. 1987).
 * 1852-1921 - "Treasurer's Book, T 10, R 5 E, 1852-1921," Shawnee, Issue 2 (Winter 2002).
 * 1889 - "Delinquent Tax List, 1889," Shawnee, Vol. 14, No. 2 (Winter 1999).
 * 1903 - "Personal Property Tax, 1903," Shawnee, Vol. 4, No. 1 (Summer 1988); Vol. 4, No. 2 (Fall 1988); Vol. 4, No. 3 (Winter 1988).
 * 1904 - "Assessment, 1904, Eagle Creek twp.," Shawnee, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Summer 1986).

Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Saline 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 Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Saline County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Birth
Abstracts of Birth Records


 * 1866–1884 Pait, Guylene. Saline County, Illinois delayed births, 1866–1884 [Harrisburg, Illinois]: Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1996. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Online abstracts of births from 1877 to 1903 are available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives. Abstracts of select records (beginning 1877) are also available online, courtesy: USGenWeb. See also Saline County Birth Records Index, 1866-1916, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

Copies of Original Birth Records


 * 1866–1939 Birth index
 * 1866–1916 Births
 * 1866–1915 Birth certificates IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877–1916 Birth record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1867–1939 Birth record indexIRAD (SIU)

Marriage
Abstracts of Marriage Records


 * 1847-1850 - Saline County, Illinois Marriages 1847-1850, available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1847-1850 - Dodd, Jordan. Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860, available online, courtesy: Ancestry ($). Includes Saline County marriages from 1847 to 1850.
 * 1847-1880 - Moore, Bernard W. Saline County, Illinois Marriages, 1847-1880. Thomson, Ill.: Heritage House, 1976. World Cat 3249020, ; Free Online Surname Index
 * 1878-1898 - Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois, Marriage Register, Book A-1, 1878-1898. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J. Murphy, 1984. World Cat 11060438,
 * 1879-1916 - Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois Marriage Records. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J.V. Murphy, 1986. World Cat 14992369,
 * 1898-1908 - Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois Marriage Register, Book B, 1898-1908. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J. Murphy, 1985. World Cat 13328285,
 * 1914-1921 - Brimm, Mary Douglas. Saline County, Illinois Marriage Register, Book C. n.p.: M.D. Brimm, 2004. World Cat 57424148

During the first two decades of the twentieth century, (some) Saline County residents (eloped) to Piggot, Arkansas to get married.

Copies of original Marriage Records


 * 1847–1958 Groom and bride marriage index
 * 1847–1921 Marriage record
 * 1874–1927 Marriage record, minors IRAD (SIU)
 * 1847–1917 Marriage record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1847–1958 Marriage record index IRAD (SIU)

County marriage registration began in 1847. The original records are kept at the courthouse. Microfilm copies:. Records from 1847 to 1900 are indexed in the online Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, courtesy: Illinois State Archives.

Online Resources


 * 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($)
 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index

Divorce

 * 1897-1912 Divorce recordIRAD (SIU);

Death
Abstracts of Death Records


 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1850-1880 Mortality Schedules, courtesy: Ancestry ($)
 * 1862-1883 Ferrell, Ed. Index to death and administrator's notices found in Saline County, Illinois, newspapers, 1862-1883. Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988..
 * 1877-1922 Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois Deaths. 2 vols. Carrier Mills, Ill.: J. Murphy, 1984. World Cat 11399472; World Cat 11281467, - includes 1850-1880 mortality schedules
 * 1903-1912 Murphy, John V. Saline County, Illinois Death Record Book 2 (1903-1912), available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1912-1947 Moore, Bernard W. Funeral records, Gaskins funeral home, Saline County, Illinois. Hartford, Kentucky: McDowell Publications, 1978. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1947-1955 Reynolds, Marion Lavender, James Austin Rittenberry, and Shirley acummins Shewmake. Gaskins Funeral Home records, Harrisburg, Saline Co., Illinois (with obituaries and annotations), 1947–1955: volume II. Harrisburg, Illinois: M.L. Reynolds, 1993. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Saline County's USGenWeb page includes online transcripts and links to the 1850 mortality schedule, coroner's reports (1901-1919), obituaries (1917-1919, 1922), and statewide death indexes.

Copies of original Death Records


 * 1878-1939 Death record index
 * 1878-1915 Death records.
 * 1877-1915 Death record; IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877-1939 Death record index;IRAD (SIU)

Online Resources
 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Websites

 * Saline County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Saline County ILGenWeb project
 * Saline County IL Genealogy
 * Saline County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Saline County, Illinois History &amp; Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)
 * Saline County, Illinois History &amp; Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)