Alexander County, Illinois Genealogy

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

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

Historical Records
Alexander County is named for William M. Alexander, early settler and Illinois state senator.

Description
The county was named for William M. Alexander, a physician who practiced in the town of America. The County Seat is Cairo and was founded 1819. It is located in the South-West area of the state.

Boundary Changes

 * 4 March 1819: Alexander County was created from Johnson County. County seat: Cairo


 * Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Union (1818–1819) Johnson (1812–1818) Randolph (1795–1812) St. Clair (1790–1795)

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

 * Bankert Cemetery, courtesy: Interment.net.
 * Provo Cemetery, courtesy: Interment.net.

Census
For information and tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.


 * Index to the 1820 census of Alexander County...Bond County...Crawford County...Wayne County, Illinois.


 * USGenWeb Archives - Alexander County, Illinois


 * Illinois 1870 census index, Alexander County

Church History and Records
Some church records can be found at the town level.

Baptist

 * 1840-1979 (Tamms, Illinois)
 * 1887-1984 (Tamms, Illinois)
 * 1944-1983 (Tamms, Illinois)

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from four Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Alexander County available online (requires free registration). 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.

Methodist

 * 1864-1910 - First United Methodist Church, Cairo, Baptism Index 1864-1910 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1865-1910 - First United Methodist Church, Cairo, Marriage Index 1865-1910 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

Court Records
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following copies of records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page

Circuit Court


 * 1842-1873 Circuit Court Record

County Board/County Commissioners


 * 1819-1929 County Commissioners' Minutes and Index
 * 1819-1942 County Commissioners' Proceedings Files
 * 1931-1935 Blind Relief Warrant Registers

County Clerk


 * 1873-1930 County Court Case Files

Justice of the Peace


 * 1942-1949 Justice of the Peace Dockets

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
 * Illinois Afrigeneas

History

 * Shawnee Community College Local History Project includes dozens of personal interviews, newspaper clippings, and even a locally-composed song to give you a taste of historic Alexander County. Was your relative one of the interviewed individuals?


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

Land and Property
Original land records for Alexander County are held in the office of the County Recorder (618) 734-7001. See Illinois Land Records for more information about using land records.

Online Resources


 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database. Also available at Ancestry ($)
 * Alexander County Federal Township Plats

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following abstracts and copies of land records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page


 * 1816-1857 Entry Books
 * 1818-1943 Deed Index
 * 1818-1944 Deed Record
 * 1853-1939 Plat Record
 * 1864-1870 Mortgage Release Record
 * 1865-1904 Mortgage Record
 * 1872-1903 Incorporation Record, Corporations
 * 1900-1944 Mortgage Index
 * 1915-1963 Chattel Mortgage Record

Family History Library Collection


 * Selected Land records from Alexander and Pulaski counties
 * Atlas and plat book, Pulaski - Alexander County, Illinois, 1978
 * 1819-1917 Deeds and mortgages, 1818-1910; indexes

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * Township Map of 1870 Alexander County, Illinois with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)

General
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1861-1862 Militia Roll Record
 * 1918-1944 Military Discharge Record

Civil War
Civil War service men from Alexander 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 Alexander County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery, Battery A (Smith's Battery Chicago Light Artillery), Battery D, and Battery G.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery, Battery D.
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company M.
 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 9th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Companies A, H, I, and K.
 * - 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A, (Stewart's Independent Cavalry Company).
 * - 16th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company K.
 * - 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, I and K.
 * - 109th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 130th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 143rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company B.


 * Alexander County/Illinois Genealogy Trails. Information about Civil War soldiers from Alexander County such as their burials, pension applications and decendants' records. (accessed 31 May 2011)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Records
 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images

The following copies of records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Circuit Court


 * 1857-1941 Naturalization Record Index
 * 1864-1892 Naturalization Record of Soldier and Minors
 * 1864-1893 Naturalization Record, Final
 * 1865-1941 Naturalization Declarations of Intent
 * 1907-1940 Naturalization Petition Record
 * 1929-1940 Naturalization Order Books

Probate Records
Online Probate Records


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

Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk (618) 439-2011. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

Online Resources


 * 1829-1902 An unspecified number of are available at the Family Search Records online database. The collection does not have an every name index, but the images are available to browse and may often have indexes within each volume.


 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following copies of records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1819-1942 Probate Minutes
 * 1829-1870 Probate Case Files
 * 1842-1943 Probate Guardian's Record
 * 1850-1942 Probate Will Record
 * 1857-1889 Probate Record
 * 1865-1938 Probate Administrator's Record
 * 1866-1944 Probate Publication Record
 * 1872-1944 Probate Administrator's and Executor's Record
 * 1873-1928 Probate Sale Record, Personal Property
 * 1873-1944 Probate Inventory Record
 * 1879-1940 Probate Appraisement Record
 * 1887-1940 Probate Conservator's Record
 * 1911-1917 Probate Fee Books
 * 1913-1916 Probate Dockets


 * Family History Library Collection

1819-1902 Probate records, 1819-1902; index to probate files


 * Conservators bonds and letters
 * proof of birth and death
 * Index to probate files, estates &amp; guardians, 1820-1971
 * Estates probate files 1828 to 1867
 * Wills, 1850 to 1902
 * Probate Order Books, 1857 to 1889


 * SAMPUBCO - Index of testators of wills.

Public Records
The following copies of records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1870-1926 Almshouse Registers
 * 1889-1949 School Teachers' Directories
 * 1895-1959 School Teachers' Daily Registers
 * 1914-1928 School Teachers' permanent Record
 * 1941-1976 Santa Fe Township Poor Relief Account Books

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

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 Alexander County.

Public Libraries
Cairo Public Library 1609 Washington Avenue Cairo, Illinois 62914 Phone: 618-734-1840

Dodge Memorial Public Library P.O. Box 65 Railroad Street Olive Branch, Illinois 62969 Phone: 618-776-5115

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

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 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 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 Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Births

 * Selected birth and death records for Alexander County at Genealogy Trails.
 * 1850-1878 Birth and Death Record, Proof of IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878-1915 Birth Record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878-1915 Birth records, 1878-1915
 * 1878-1917 Birth Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1893-1901 Cairo Birth and Death Record IRAD (SIU)

Marriages

 * 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1819-1850 James Stephenson prepared an index to Marriages --Alexander Co., IL From 1819 to 1850. Available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1819-1870 Marriages of Alexander County, Illinois, volume I, 1819 through 1870 Other libraries (WorldCat).
 * 1819-1918 Alexander County, Illinois marriage records, 1819-1918
 * 1810-1934
 * 1819-1934 Alexander County / Illinois Genealogy Trails Marriages, 1819–1934
 * 1819-1944 Marriage Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index

Deaths

 * Selected birth and death records for Alexander County at Genealogy Trails.
 * 1850-1880 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1850-1878 Birth and Death Record, Proof of IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878-1915 Death Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1879-1917 Alexander County, Illinois death records, v.1-3, 1879-1917
 * 1893-1901 Cairo Birth and Death Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1916-1947
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1960s-1990s Roxanne Layton-Bayle prepared a list of people who died in Thebes, Illinois. Dates range from the 1960s to the 1990s. Courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.

Websites

 * Alexander County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project for Alexander County, Illinois
 * Alexander County IL Genealogy
 * Alexander County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * EveryNameIndex.com, free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.