Edgar County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Edgar 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 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.

County Courthouse
Edgar County Courthouse 115 W Court St Paris, IL 61944 Phone: 217-466-7447 Edgar 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.

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

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

 Federal
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found 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, Edgar County on page 186.]

Church Records
 Copies of Original records
 * 1899 Little Grove Church

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
 African Americans
 * 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 through online sources, the FamilySearch 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.

Online Land Indexes and 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
 * 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.
 * 1987 Edgar County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1987 (Rockford, Illinois:Rockford Map Publishers, c1987.) ;
 * 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.) ;


 * 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
 * USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois, Public Land Records
 * USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois, Tax Records (circa 1878)

Local Histories

 * Every Name Index to History of Edgar County, Illinois. Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2012, original text by William E. E. Baron, Jr., 1879, reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1968.


 * 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.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * 1788-1940 Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * Edgar County Federal Township Plats
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

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

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1872-1908 Illinois County Court (Edgar County), Naturalization records, 1872-1908.
 * 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 ($)

Obituaries

 * USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois Obituaries

Probate Records
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 FamilySearch Library.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry — index and images ($)
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images
 * 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. ;
 * 1829-1927 Illinois Probate Court (Edgar County), Will records, 1829-1927; index to estates.
 * Edgar County (Illinois) County Clerk, Unprobated wills.
 * 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) ;

Vital Records
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 FamilySearch 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.

Birth

 * 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.

Marriage

 * 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
 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1823-1914 Cary, Linda Perkinson Edgar County, Illinois marriages (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Genealogical Society, 1988-1998.)
 * 1870-1874 Stephens, Edythe Edgar County, Illinois, marriages January 1870 thru March 1874 (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978.)
 * 1823-1866 Selby, Robert E. and Phyllis J. Selby Edgar County, Illinois marriage records, 1823-1866 (Kokomo, Indiana:Selby Publishing and Printing, c1981.) ;
 * 1874-1877 Powell, Waunita, Arthur A. Hand, and A. Joyce Brown Edgar County, Illinois marriages, April 1874-1877 (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Illinois Genealogical Society, 1986.) ;
 * Sargent, Samuel S. Genealogies of families of Coles County, Illinois, and miscellaneous cemetery, marriage, and probate records (Salt Lake City, Utah:Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948.) Includes miscellaneous marriage records.
 * Wheeler, Gertrude Genealogical records of Illinois, marriage record, cemetery records, probate court records, will, and family histories : from Edgar, Peoria, Tazewell, and Vermilion Counties (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973.)
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriage indexfound at Ancestry ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1877-1901 Death Record IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1915 Death Record Index IRAD-EIU
 * 1877-1915 Edgar County (Illinois) County Clerk, Death records.
 * 1877-1925 Shutt, Philip L. Edgar Co., Illinois deaths and some burials (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Genealogy Library, 19--.) ;
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * 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) 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.


 * 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.


 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Booth Library

FamilySearch Centers

 * Champaign Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Danville Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Mattoon Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Terre Haute Indiana FamilySearch Center
 * Marshall Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Putnam County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Vigo County Public Library - an affiliate library

Libraries

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

Societies

 * Edgar County Genealogical Society PO Box 304 408 N. Main Street Paris, Illinois 61944-1549 Phone 217-463-5305 E-mail: [mailto:echs1900@gmail.com echs1900@gmail.com] Website

Websites

 * Edgar County IL Genealogy
 * Edgar ILGenWeb
 * Edgar 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.