Edgar County, Illinois Genealogy

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

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

Historical Facts
The county received its name from the John Edgar who was involved in politics as a Justice of the Peace, Judge and delegate to the Legislature. He was believed to be the wealthiest man in Illinois.

Description
The county was named for Irishman John Edgar who was an officer in the Royal Navy who switched sides during the Revolutionary War rather than fight the colonists. He became a pioneer merchant, politician and land speculator in early Illinois. The county seat is Paris and the county was organized on 1823. The County is located in the East-Central 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.


 * 3 January 1823: Edgar County was created from Clark County.

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

Places/Localities
To see a list of places in Edgar County, click on [Show], above. The preceding list of places includes incorporated cities and towns, unincorporated towns and communities, and place names that may have been used in family histories. Some have well-organized records and even have web sites. Some are simply social communities with no official records, but which may be referenced in small-town newspapers. The list is provided to help researchers identify localities within the county. Localities listed in red have no wiki page yet. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Biography
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Edgar County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Edgar County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

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

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, Edgar County on page 186.]

Church
Copies of Original records


 * 1899 Little Grove Church

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

History

 * &lt;a href="http://everynameindex.com/EdgarCoIL.html"&gt;Every Name Index to History of Edgar County, Illinois&lt;/a&gt;. Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2012, original text by William E. E. Baron, Jr., 1879, reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1968.  &lt;a href="http://www.everynameindex.com"&gt;EveryNameIndex.com&lt;/a&gt;


 * The &lt;a href="Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois"&gt;Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois&lt;/a&gt; has a Edgar County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Edgar County residents.  See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Land and Property
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 through online sources, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Edgar County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of Original Records


 * 1824-1920 Edgar County (Illinois) Recorder, Deeds, 1824-1920; index to deeds, 1827-1891.
 * 1823-1919 Deed Index IRAD-EIU
 * 1823-1894 Deed Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1823-1838 Taxable Lands List IRAD-EIU

Abstracts


 * Ogle, George A. Standard atlas of Edgar County, Illinois: including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county; patrons directory (Evansville, Indiana:Unigraphic, 1974.) ;
 * Compiled and published by the American Atlas Co., Plat book of Edgar County, Illinois (Evansville, Indiana:Unigraphic, 1974.) ;
 * 1987 Edgar County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1987 (Rockford, Illinois:Rockford Map Publishers, c1987.) ;

Online Resources


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database. Also available at Ancestry ($)
 * Edgar County Federal Township Plats
 * 1800s – Present - Use the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Patent Index to obtain original federal land transfer records, including homestead, military warrants, and cash entry patents. These records help a researcher establish location and lead to National Archives’ records which may include genealogical information. Earlier land transfer records are at the National Archives.
 * USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois, Public Land Records
 * USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois, Tax Records (circa 1878)

Maps



 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)


 * Edgar County Federal Township Plats

Military
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has an Edgar County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Edgar County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Edgar 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 Edgar County.


 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company E.
 * - 21st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 25th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 34th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 54th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F and K.
 * - 59th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and H.
 * - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 64th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Yates’ Sharpshooters), Company H.
 * - 66th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 79th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, C, D and H.
 * - 130th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 135th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
 * - 150th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company C.
 * - 14th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company E
 * - Engineer Regiment of the West, Missouri Volunteers (Union), Company B
 * - Engineer Regiment of the West, Missouri Volunteers (Union), Company H


 * Parkinson, Scott, Edgar County Illinois in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (1988). (Thesis [M.A.]-- Eastern Illinois University, 1988). View online at Internet Archives. (accessed 2 Jun 2010)

Naturalization
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records.

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library.


 * 1872-1908 Illinois County Court (Edgar County), Naturalization records, 1872-1908.

Newspapers and Obituaries
USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois Obituaries

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. 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.

Indexes


 * 1823-1963 A. Joyce Brown, Index to Edgar Co., IL estates and wills, 1823-1963. ;
 * 1823-1963 A. Joyce Brown, Index to miscellaneous probate records, 1823-1963, in Edgar County, Illinois. ;

Copies of Original Records


 * 1829-1927 Illinois Probate Court (Edgar County), Will records, 1829-1927; index to estates.
 * Edgar County (Illinois) County Clerk, Unprobated wills.

Abstracts


 * Hammond, Barbara L. Hammond, Echos [i.e. Echoes] from the past, vol. 1 : estate packets [drawers] 1-23, Edgar County, Illinois (Paris, Illinois:Tresearch,c2002) ;

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

Family History Centers
There are over 4500 Family History Centers worldwide which serve as branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Volunteers provide research assistance to help patrons identify their ancestors. Microfilm and microfiche may be ordered from the FHL collection at a nominal cost. Locate your nearest Family History Center at the FamilySearch website. Call ahead to verify operating hours. All are welcome. The following centers are accessible to residents of Edgar County, Illinois:

Champaign Illinois Family History Center 604 W Windsor Rd Champaign, Champaign, Illinois Phone: 217-352-8063 Hours: Thur-Sat 9:30-12:30pm; Thur 7pm-9pm; or by appt Danville Illinois Family History Center 1941 N Bowman Ave Danville, Vermilion, Illinois Phone: 217-446-5887 Hours: Sat 9:30am-2pm  Terre Haute Indiana Family History Center 1845 N 6 1/2 St Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana Phone: 812-234-0269 Hours: Tue 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Closed: Mondays after 6:00 p.m., all major holidays, inclement weather, whenever Vigo schools are on delays or early dismissals. Attention: The Center is also available by appointment. Please note: Addresses posted are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
The Illinois State Archives administers a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) to manage the archival records of local governments. Local governments which have transferred records to the regional depositories include counties, townships, municipalities, and school districts. The records of Edgar County come under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) regional depository.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Booth Library Eastern Illinois University (EIU) 600 Lincoln Avenue Charleston, IL 61920 Telephone: (217) 581-6093 Hours: Monday – Friday, except state holidays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Note: The depository is staffed by graduate student interns. Because of class scheduling conflicts, hours may vary somewhat from the published schedule. Researchers are urged to call before planning a visit.

Libraries
Chrisman Public Library 108 North Illinois Street, Chrisman, IL 61924-1001 (217) 269-3011 Edgar County Genealogy Library 408 N Main St Paris, IL 61944-1549 (217) 463-4209  Kansas Community Memorial Library 107 N Front St Kansas, IL 61933 (217) 948-5484  Paris Carnegie Public Library 207 S. Main St Paris IL 61944 (217) 463-3950

Societies
Edgar County Genealogical Society 408 N. Main Street PO Box 304 Paris, Illinois 61944-0304 Telephone Number: 217-463-4209 E-mail: [mailto:ecgl@comwares.net ecgl@comwares.net] Website Hours: 9 a.m. - 4p.m. Wed, Thur, Fri 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 1st Sat of each month Closed Holidays

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 Edgar 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 Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Edgar County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Births
Copies of Original Records


 * 1857-1899 Birth Certificates, Delayed - IRAD-EIU;
 * 1877-1908 Birth Record - IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1908 Birth Record Index – IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1908 Edgar County (Illinois) County Clerk, Birth records.

Marriages
Copies of Original Records


 * 1823-1904 Edgar County (Illinois) County Clerk, Marriage records.
 * 1823-1903 Marriage Record, Licenses Issued IRAD-EIU
 * 1823-1904 Marriage Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1823-1851 Marriage records in Edgar County, Illinois.
 * 1855–1855 Marriage Licenses IRAD-EIU
 * 1878-1903 Marriage Record Index IRAD-EIU

Abstracts


 * 1823-1914 Cary, Linda Perkinson Edgar County, Illinois marriages (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Genealogical Society, 1988-1998.)
 * 1870-1874 Stephens, Edythe Edgar County, Illinois, marriages January 1870 thru March 1874 (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978.)
 * 1823-1866 Selby, Robert E. and Phyllis J. Selby Edgar County, Illinois marriage records, 1823-1866 (Kokomo, Indiana:Selby Publishing and Printing, c1981.) ;
 * 1874-1877 Powell, Waunita, Arthur A. Hand, and A. Joyce Brown Edgar County, Illinois marriages, April 1874-1877 (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Illinois Genealogical Society, 1986.) ;
 * Sargent, Samuel S. Genealogies of families of Coles County, Illinois, and miscellaneous cemetery, marriage, and probate records (Salt Lake City, Utah:Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948.) Includes miscellaneous marriage records.
 * Wheeler, Gertrude Genealogical records of Illinois, marriage record, cemetery records, probate court records, will, and family histories : from Edgar, Peoria, Tazewell, and Vermilion Counties (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973.)

Online Resources


 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage indexfound at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index

Deaths
Copies of Original Records


 * 1877–1901 Death Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1877–1915 Death Record Index IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1915 Edgar County (Illinois) County Clerk, Death records.

Abstracts


 * 1877-1925 Shutt, Philip L. Edgar Co., Illinois deaths and some burials (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Genealogy Library, 19--.) ;

Online Resources


 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com ($)

Websites
Databases pertinent to Edgar County


 * Edgar County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Edgar County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Local Governmental Records Database IRAD
 * Name Index to Illinois Local Governments IRAD
 * USGenWeb Project, Edgar County, Illinois (ILGenWeb)
 * Edgar County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)