Pope County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Description
Pope County was named for Nathaniel Pope, a Secretary of the Illinois Territory. The county seat is Golconda and the county was organized in 1816. The county is located in the southern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Pope County Courthouse 310 E Main St Golconda, IL 62938 Phone: 618-683-4071 Pope County Courthouse

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

Census Records
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885found 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 Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. ; . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Illinois, Pope County on page 187.

Church Records
A chapter on Pope County, Illinois church history appears in a local history, available online at Ancestry ($), beginning on page 27.

 Baptist
 * Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. Minutes of Meetings and Lists of Members, 1864-1972. MSS. Copy: . WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Brownfield Baptist Church. Record, 1860-1952. MSS. Copy: . WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Church and Family History Research Assistance for Primitive Baptist Churches in Pope County, Illinois
 * History of Dixon Springs Baptist Church: Compiled for the Homecoming, September 10, 2000. 2000. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * United Baptist Church (New Liberty, Ill.). Church Records, 1896-1957. MSS. Copy:.

 Disciples of Christ
 * History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois, Pope County section begins on page 363, courtesy: Internet Archive.

 Methodist
 * Blatter, Robert K. The History of Waltersburg: The Peaceful Nineteenth Century Invasion of Pope County in Southern Illinois. 1998. . Includes membership list (1860-1899) &amp; baptisms (1881-1914, 1953) for a church which is referred to as the Waltersburg Methodist Church, Waltersburg German Methodist Church &amp; the Immanuel Church.
 * Zion Methodist Episcopal Church. A History of the Church and Cemeteries with a Directory of Cemeteries at Zion, Pope County, Illinois. 1978. ..

 Presbyterian  List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Michael Hillegan Chapter D.A.R. (Harrisburg, Ill.). Church Records Presbyterian Church of Golconda, Pope County, Illinois Founded 1819. Reputed to be the Oldest Presbyterian Church in Illinois. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); ILGenWeb (deaths)..
 * History of the First Presbyterian Church, Golconda, Illinois. Golconda, Ill.: The Session of the Church, 1937..
 * Thompson, Mrs. Scerial et al. Records of Presbyterian Church of Golconda, Pope County, Illinois. . Baptisms, 1818-1937 -- Session book containing members admitted, dismissed, died, 1824-1911 -- Marriages, 1911-1935 -- List of pastors, 1819-1932.
 * Bannon, Marie et al. Pope County, Illinois, Genealogical Materials. Includes information about the First Presbyterian Church (Golconda, Ill.). WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * FamilySearch Places

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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Pope County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page. Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1816-1831 Foss, Carolyn Cromeenes and Judy Foreman Lee. Pope County, Illinois county court record Book A, 1816-1831. [S.l.: s.n.], 1994. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816-1850 Court record
 * 1818-1851 Circuit Court record
 * 1818-1851 Circuit court dockets IRAD (SIU)
 * 1821-1859 Circuit court miscellaneous record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1824-1860 Circuit Court records
 * 1860-1960 Lee, Judy Foreman and Carolyn Cromeenes Foss. Pope County, Illinois chancery index : approximately 1860-1960. [S.l. : s.n.], c1997. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1886-1920 Bear, Elizabeth Woodworth and Saline county Genealogical Society. Justice docket, Pope County, 1886-1920. [Harrisburg, Illinois] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1994.Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1900-1909 Justice of the peace dockets IRAD (SIU)

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

Genealogies

 * [Glass] Young, John C. Descendants of Francis and James Glass of Pope County, Illinois. Marissa, Ill.: n.p., 1975. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Pope County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * 1811-1850 Winget, Judith L., Saline County Genealogical Society, and Jennifer L. Spohn. Pope County, Illinois deed book, 1811 to 1850. Harrisburg, Illinois: Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), [19--]. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816-1819 Territorial bargain and sale record; IRAD (SIU)
 * 1816-1865 Land and road tax lists, assessor's books
 * 1816-1910 Grantee and Grantor index
 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * 1820 Annable, Edward L. Pope County, Illinois landowners, 1820. Cypress, Illinois: E. Annable, 1994.
 * 1824-1860 Circuit Court records
 * 1835-1857 School land sale record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1899-1899 Mortgagor and Mortgagee indexes
 * Early 1900s Nelson, Ronald L. A Record of land owners in Pope County, Illinois in the early 1900's: plat maps with more than 2,000 listings. Elizabethtown, Illinois: Ronald L. Nelson, 1979. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1987 Pope-Hardin County (Illinois), land atlas and plat book, 1987 Other Libraries (WorldCat);
 * Pope County Federal Township Plats
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * Allen, John W. Pope County Notes. Carbondale, Ill.: Museum of Natural and Social Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1949. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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

 * 1862-1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images

 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men from Pope 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 Pope County.
 * 1861-1865 Militia roll record IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies A, B, and G.
 * - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 120th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and E.
 * - 131st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, and H.
 * - 136th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies I and K.

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

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1820-1859 Naturalization declarations of intent IRAD (SIU)
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry ($) - index and images
 * 1864-1894 Naturalization record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1868-1886 Naturalization record of soldiers and minors IRAD (SIU)
 * 1888-1898 Naturalization record IRAD (SIU)

Newspapers

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

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 or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Pope County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1816-1845 Annable, Edward L. Pope County, Illinois probate records. Cypress, Illinois : E.L. Annable, c1994-c1997.Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816-1950 Index to estate and miscellaneous papers
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1819-1888 Probate records and journals
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1861-1916 Index to Pope County, Illinois Will Record Volume A (1861-1916), available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * 1861-1916 Will record
 * 1861-1916 Probate will record IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

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

Tax Records
Online Tax Indexes and Records
 * 1825-1865 Taxable lands list IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD
 * 1826-1827 Road tax lists IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD

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 Pope 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 Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Pope County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Birth

 * 1862-1915 Birth records and still birth register
 * 1862-1916 Birth certificates, delayed IRAD (SIU)
 * 1862-1930s Births
 * 1862-1952 Birth certificate index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877-1915 Birth certificates IRAD (SIU)

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1813-1915 Marriage licenses IRAD (SIU)
 * 1813-1915 Marriage licenses and consents
 * 1813-1915 Marriage licenses IRAD (SIU)
 * 1816-1839 Schonert, Janet. Pope County, Illinois marriages, 1816-1839. Thomson, Illinois : Heritage House, 1972. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816-1944 Marriage record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1816-1960 Marriage record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1822-1944 Marriage records
 * 1822-1944 Marriage records
 * 1822-1960 Marriage index
 * 1822-1960 Marriage index
 * 1826-1845, 1839-1853, 1865, 1857-1860  Winget, Judy Walley. Williamson County, Illinois marriages, 1839 to 1853 and 1865; Pope County, Illinois marriages, 1826 to 1845; Johnson County, Illinois marriages, 1857 to 1860. [S.l.] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1984. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Pope County Marriage Records at UsGenWeb Archives

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1860 Allen, Ricky T. 1860 federal census and mortality schedule of Pope County, Illinois. Decatur, Illinois: Bowers Press, 1983.Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1870 Allen, Ricky T. 1870 federal census and mortality schedule of Pope County, Illinois. Utica, Kentucky McDowell Publications, [198-?].Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Some Deaths From the Presbyterian Church Records Golconda, Illinois
 * 1877-1909 Death record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877-1910 Death register and index
 * 1877-1915 Death record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1883-1915 Death record, stillbirths IRAD (SIU)
 * 1909-1917 Death record
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage ($)- index
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index

Archives
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) 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 Pope County.

FamilySearch Centers

 * Carbondale Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Eldorado Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Foxcroft Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Paducah Kentucky FamilySearch Center
 * McCracken County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * The State Historical Society of Missouri - Cape Girardeau - an affiliate library

Societies
Pope County Historical Society PO Box 837 206 East Main Street Golconda, IL 62938-0837 Phone: 618-683-3341 Email: [mailto:popecountyhistoricalsociety@outlook.com popecountyhistoricalsociety@outlook.com] Website

Websites

 * Pope County IL Genealogy
 * [https://linkpendium.com/pope-il-genealogy/ Pope County, IL Linkpendium
 * Pope ILGenWeb
 * – 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.