Mason County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Mason 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 George Mason, a member of the Virginia legislature who campaigned for the adoption of the United States Bill of Rights. The county seat is Havana and the county was organized on 1841. The County is located in the Central part of the state.

County Courthouse
Mason County Courthouse 125 N. Plum St Havana, IL 62644 Phone: 309-543-6619 Mason County Courthouse

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

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:

Church Records
The first preachers in Mason were the circuit riders: The Methodist and Baptists came early in the 1820s. Permanent churches in the area trace their origins to congregations orgnozed in the mid- 1800s. A list of churches and a brief history of the churches in Mason County is at the Genealogy Trails website.  List of Churches and Church Parishes  Baptist  Methodist
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1829 New Salem
 * 1830-1831 Clary's Grove
 * United Methodist Record Search

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 FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Mason County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.

Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1830-1853 Circuit Court Dockets IRAD-UIS
 * 1839-1860 Circuit Court Execution Dockets IRAD-UIS
 * 1839-1860 Circuit Court Judgment Dockets IRAD-UIS
 * 1961-1963 Justice of the Peace Dockets IRAD-UIS


 * 1839-1963 Weaver, Jeanne Crain, Betty Gronewald, Susan Gronewald County Court records [Menard County, Illinois] (Petersburg, Illinois:Weaver Genealogical Publications, 1989) ;
 * 1839-1971 Weaver, Jeanne Crain and Menard County (Illinois) Clerk of the Circuit Court Chancery court records, 1839-1971, Menard County, an index [Illinois] (Petersburg, Illinois:Weaver Genealogical Publications, 1991) ;

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
 African American
 * 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. The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online, through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Mason County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.

 Online Resources
 * 1841-1887 Deed records index
 * 1841-1920 Deeds records
 * 1852-1872, 1887,1897 Swampland records
 * 1852-1897 Swamp Land Record IRAD-UIS
 * BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Mason County from the Govenment Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patant details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives.The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales. The Illinois State Archives has an online index to the records of Public land sales held by the State Archives. The indexes are by purchasers name and by legal description. This is a statewide collection with nearly 550,000 land sales fro 54740 square miles.
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Mason County Federal Township Plats
 * Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Expains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry, this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.

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
 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men from Mason 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 Mason County.Confederate Soldiers buried in Mason County
 * - 2nd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies C and M.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company L.
 * - 17th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
 * - 28th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A
 * - 38th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 53rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 85th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, and K.
 * - 108th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 139th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I.

Naturalization and Citizenship
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 ($)

Newspapers

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

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records Original probate records are held by the Mason. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. No copies of probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS.
 * 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
 * 1841-1973 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mason County, Ill. Mason County Illinois Probate Index. Havana, IL: Published by Mason County members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1988.
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only

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

Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth (1877) and death (1877) records are kept by the Mason 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 kept by the County Clerk from 1829 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Mason County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page. and found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Mason County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).

Birth

 * 1877-1982 Birth Record Index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records.
 * 1877-1906 Birth Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records.
 * 1877-1906 Birth Record, Delayed IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records.

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($) search for Mason County records.
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1878-1946 Marriage records index IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records.
 * 1841-1918 Marriage Record IRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records.
 * 1841-1850 Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860. Search for Mason county records.Ancestry ($). The source of this collection is films in the FamilySearch Library's collection

Death
Mason County records are not included in the Pre–1916 Statewide Death Index at IRAD.
 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1850-1870  US Census Mortality Schedules. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1877-1903 Death Records Index. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Mason county.
 * 1877-1910 Death Record. Available at UIS IRAD Region Search for Mason county.
 * 1910-1917 Death and Burial Permit Record,Havana CityIRAD-UIS. How to Use IRAD search for Mason County records.
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index Search for Mason County.
 * 1916-1950 Death Index. Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index

Archives
 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. The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Mason County. This link will help you find and use the records. There address is: Illinois Regional Archives Depository LIB144 University of Illinois at Springfield Region One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407 217-206-6520

FamilySearch Centers

 * Decatur Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Jacksonville Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Macomb Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Normal Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Peoria Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Quincy Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Springfield Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Athens Municipal Library - an affiliate library
 * Eureka Public Library District - an affiliate library
 * McDonough County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * McLean County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Vespasian Warner Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries
Havana Public Library District 201 West Adams Street Havana, IL 62644 Phone: (309) 543-4701 Website Forman Valley Public Library 404 1/2 South Harrison Street Manito, IL 61546 Phone: (309) 968-6093 Website Mason City Public Library District 820 West Chestnut Street Mason City, IL 62664 Phone: (217) 482-3799 Website

Societies

 * Mason County Genealogical and Historical Society In the Havana Public Library 201 West Adams Street Havana, IL 62644-1321 Email:[mailto:masoncountyghs@gmail.com masoncountyghs@gmail.com] Website
 * Mason City, Illinois Area and Family Historical Society Upstairs City Hall 142 S Main Street Mason City, Illinois 62664 Phone 217-971-5670 Email:[mailto:edb521@yahoo.com edb521@yahoo.com]

Websites

 * Mason ILGenWeb
 * Mason County IL Genealogy
 * Mason 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.