Gallatin County, Illinois Genealogy

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

County Organization
Gallatin 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 Gallatin County are kept, see the Gallatin County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts
Gallatin county was named for Albert Gallatin who was the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and Minister to France and England.

Description
The county was named for Albert Gallatin, who was Secretary of the Treasury at the time. The county seat is Shawneetown and the county was organized on 1812. The County is located in the Southeast part 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.


 * 14 September 1812: Gallatin County was created from Randolph County.

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

Cemeteries

 * Cemeteries by Glen Miner One of the best places to start Gallatin County cemetery searches are the books published by Glen Miner in the 1970s. They are available for free online.


 * ePodunk List cemeteries in and around Gallatin County.

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

1830


 * Census, 1830, Gallatin County, Illinois. n.p.: n.p., 1900. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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, Gallatin County on page 187.]

Church Records
A chapter on early Gallatin County, Illinois church history appears in an 1887 local history, available for free online, beginning on page 126.

Baptist

 * Church and Family History Research Assistance for Gallatin County, Illinois Primitive Baptists
 * Harmony Church of General Baptist (Junction, Ill.). Records of Organization, 1856 and 1889. MSS. Copy:.
 * Levin, Pat Ann. "Kinships, Communities, and Conflicts: Bethel Creek Primitive Baptist Church, 1820-1840," Ph.D. Thesis, University of Pennsylvania, 1995. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Nelson, Ronald L. and Doris Nelson. Minutes of The Muddy Baptist Association Illinois 1820 - 1840, available online, courtesy: RootsWeb.

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from four Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Gallatin 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.

For information about St. Patrick's, see:


 * Dedication Souvenir, St. Patrick's Church, Gallatin County, Illinois. Doherty, Ill.: The Church, 1929. WorldCat (Other Libraries)

Methodist

 * First Methodist Episcopal Church (Shawneetown, Ill.). Church Records, 1867-1938. Copy: . Contains list of pastors; alphabetical lists of members; probationers; marriages, 1868-1933 -- baptisms, 1867-1938 -- burials, 1915-1933 -- historical record; classes.

Presbyterian

 * Pisgah C.P. Church Records, courtesy: ILGenWeb.

Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using court records.

The following records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1813-1839 Circuit Court Order Books IRAD (SIU)
 * 1813-1820 Court records, Gallatin County, Illinois
 * 1814-1920 Circuit Court Case Files IRAD (SIU) and

African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * Register of Slaves (Indentures) and Emancipation of Slaves - provided by the Illinois State Genealogical Society; originally published in 1978.
 * 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

History

 * 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. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive.

Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Land Records for more information about using land records.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online sources, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of Original Records


 * 1813-1900 Deed Index IRAD (SIU) and
 * 1813-1911 Deed Record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1813-1917 Land records
 * 1820-1914 County recorder's miscellaneous instruments, Gallatin County, Illinois land related records IRAD (SIU) and
 * 1829-1865 Early Illinois land records
 * 1987 Gallatin County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1987 Other Libraries (WorldCat) and

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

Maps



 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Gallatin 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 Gallatin County.


 * - 1st Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company B.
 * - 1st Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery, Battery K.
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies F and L.
 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company G.
 * - 14th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company E.
 * - 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, D, and G.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and F.
 * - 118th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 120th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and H.
 * - 131st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, D, E, and F.

Naturalization
The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1839-1906Naturalization Papers IRAD (SIU)
 * 1859-1888 Naturalization Record, Final IRAD (SIU)
 * 1859-1893 Naturalization Declarations of Intent IRAD (SIU)
 * 1859-1893 Naturalization records: intentions, vol. A, 1859-1893; final papers, Vol. A; soldiers and minors, vol B, 1881-1953; papers, box 112, 1802-1906
 * 1881-1886 Naturalization Record of Soldiers IRAD (SIU)

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.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Abstracts


 * 1813-1838 Order book
 * 1814-1847 Will Record I, Gallatin County, Illinois, November 1814-January 1847 Other Libraries (WorldCat) and
 * 1817-1893 Early Gallatin County, Illinois probates Other Libraries (WorldCat) and
 * 1838-1908 Early Saline County, Illinois court records administrator's records, books B-F. Some of the early Saline estates may be located in Gallatin County. Other Libraries (WorldCat) and


 * 1849-1859 Gallatin County, Illinois wills and estates, October 1849-November, 1859, book A Other Libraries (WorldCat) and

Copies of Original Records


 * 1813-1928 Probate Case Files IRAD (SIU) and
 * 1814-1931 An unspecified number of Gallatin County probate records are available in
 * 1814-1931 Probate Will Record IRAD (SIU) and
 * 1815-1860 Probate files
 * 1815-1900 Probate Case Files Index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1821-1838 Records of Gallatin Co., Illinois; some early records of estates in Gallatin County.
 * 1847-1849 Probate DocketsIRAD (SIU)
 * 1860-1887 Probate Record IRAD (SIU) and

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

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 Gallatin County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health 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 Gallatin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Births

 * 1878-1972 Birth Record Index IRAD (SIU) and

Marriages
Online Resources


 * 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
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index

Abstracts


 * 1830-1858 Gallatin County, Illinois marriages Other Libraries (WorldCat) and
 * 1859-1870 Gallatin County, Illinois marriage Other Libraries (WorldCat) and

Copies of Original Records


 * 1813-1838 Marriage licenses issued in Gallatin County, Illinois from 1813 through 1838 Other Libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1813-1896 Marriage Licenses/CertificatesIRAD (SIU) and
 * 1813-1926 Marriage Indexes
 * 1830-1926 Marriage Record Index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1867-1882 Gallatin County, Illinois marriage indexes Other Libraries (WorldCat) and
 * 1867-1887 Gallatin County, Illinois marriages, book B, 1867 to 1874, book C, 1874 to 1882, book D, 1882 to 1887 Other Libraries (WorldCat) and
 * USGenWeb spotlights a few obscure Gallatin County marriage indexes.

Deaths
Online Resources
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916

Copies of Original Records


 * 1878-1916 Death Record Index IRAD (SIU)and

Websites

 * Gallatin County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Gallatin County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Gallatin County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)