Illinois Colonial Records

History
French missions were founded in Illinois during the late 17th century; Fort Crevecoeur (Peoria) in 1680, Cahokia in 1699, and Kaskaskia in 1703. Illinois was controlled by the French until 1763 when it was ceded to England. Illinois was a county of Virginia from 1778-1784, and became part of the Northwest Territory in 1787. It became the Illinois Territory in 1809 before becoming a state in 1818.

Ecclesiastical Records and Sources
Because of French colonization and missions, some parish registers for colonial Illinois are available. These can be found at the following locations:
 * National Archives of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. Copies of Illinois Mission parish registers are available at the archives, originals are located at the French National Archives in Section Outre-Mer, Paris.
 * Diocese of Vincennes. This Diocese covered both Illinois and Indiana.
 * Kaskaskia Parish Registers

Civil Records and Sources

 * Private Land Claims related to Kaskaskia, 1723-1809. These are in the Bureau of Land Management Records (RG 49.12) at the National Archives in Washington, DC.
 * Consolidated index for the Raymond H. Hammes Collection at the Illinois State Genealogical Society, land records, 1678-1814 by Raymond H. Hammes, film 1543598). This collection includes Cahokia land records, 1790-1797, entries made regarding Illinois villages, 1790-1795; Kaskaskia land records, 1804-1814; Randolph county land records, 1768-1815; Cahokia land records, 1800-20; Historical material, 1671-1819; Illinois land transaction typescripts/printouts, 1720-1866; Miscellaneous land records. Except the Illinois land transaction records, these records are available on film 1543598.
 * Illinois and Wabash Land Company Minutes, 1778-1812. Originals are at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
 * George Rogers Clark and His Men, Military Records, 1778-1784 by Margery Heberling Harding, (Frankfort: The Kentucky Historical Society, 1981, film 6050443).

Additional Reading

 * The Illinois Country, 1673-1818 by Clarence Walworth Alvord. (Springfield, Virginia: Illinois Centennial Commission, 1920).
 * Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois by Newton Bateman, (1906, reprint, Wooster, OH: Micro Photo Division, Bell and Howell Co., n.d., film 0825561).
 * The French and the Spanish in the Old Northwest by Henry Putney Beers. (Detroit: Wayne State University, 1964).
 * Great Britain and the Illinois Country, 1763-1774 by Clarence Edwin Carter. (Washington, DC: The American Historical Society and Association, 1910, film 1597561).
 * The Conquest of the Illinois by George Rogers Clark. (n.p.: R.R. Donnelly and Sons, 1920, film 1597594).
 * A Complete History of Illinois from 1673-1884: Embracing the Physical Features of the County, Its Early Explorations, Aboriginal Inhabitants by Alexander Davidson. (Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, 1884, fiche 6051133).
 * Guide to Depositories of Manuscript Collections in Illinois by Historical Records Survey. (Chicago: The Survey, 1940).
 * Illinois on the Eve of the Seven Years' War, 1747-1755 by Theodore Calvin Pease. (Springfield: Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library, 1940).