Woodford County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Woodford County

Woodford County Organization
Woodford County's civil records start the following years:

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

Historical Facts
Woodford County, Illinois is named for Woodford County, Kentucky which is the place where many of the settlers originated.

Parent County

 * 1841--Woodford County was created 27 February 1841 from Tazewell and McLean Counties. County seat:  Eureka

Boundary Changes
Eastern Part


 * 1831-1841 McLean


 * 1827-1831 Tazewell


 * 1821-1827 Fayette


 * 1819-1821 Clar


 * 1816-1819 Crawford


 * 1815-1816 Edwards

Western Part


 * 1827-1841 Tazewell


 * 1825-1827 Peoria


 * 1821-1825 Sangamon


 * 1817-1821 Bond


 * 1812-1817 Madison


 * 1801-1812 St. Clair


 * 1790-1801 Knox, Northwest Territory

See an interactive map of Woodford County boundary changes.

Biographies
Past and Present of Woodford County, Illinois1878  (WorldCat)

Cemeteries
Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Woodford County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * Woodford Co. IL USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks.


 * Illinois Cemeteries by county.


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists . Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of Woodford County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Court Records
1854-1859 County Court Record IRAD-ISU

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
 * African American Coal Miner Information Center

History
Large numbers of Kentuckians settled in frontier Woodford County, Illinois. The name of the county (Woodford) is reminiscent of Woodford County, Kentucky - the previous residence of many pioneer settlers.

Land and Property
1841-1928 Deed Index IRAD-ISU

1833-1928 Deed Record IRAD-ISU

Land Records available at the Family History Library

1812 Soldiers of 1812 etc.: whose bounty land grants were located in Woodford County, Illinois. by A.F. Marxhall, L.J. Freese and Milo Custer. item 6 and FHL book: 977.3 A1 no. 1. second copy 977.3 A1 no. 218.

1832-1893 Grantee and Grantor Indexes. Woodford County Clerk.

Maps
Woodford County, El Paso and Metamora 1876 from the David Rumsey Map Collection.

Military Records

 * Revolutionary War

Veteran Burials (Genealogy Trail History Group)


 * War 1812

Military Land Grants Woodford County Illinois for Soldiers of the War of 1812 - USGenWeb

1861-1863 Militia Roll Record IRAD -ISU

1863-1865 Militia Discharge Record, Civil War IRAD-ISU

1913-1941 Mother's Pension Applications IRAD-ISU

1931-1934 Mother's Pension Accountts IRAD-ISU


 * Civil War Civil War service men from Woodford 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 Woodford County.

Cavalery 


 * -4th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company G

Infantry


 * -17th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G
 * -47th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B, and Company I
 * - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 77th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C, Company F, and Company H.
 * - 85th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 86th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, :-Company A.
 * -108th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D, and Company E
 * -139th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C

Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)


 * -Woodruff Post, Washburn 1913 - USGenWeb

1883 Federal Pension- USGenWeb


 * World War I

World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 (Ancestry)


 * World War II

Army Casualties U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Naturalization
1855-1906 Naturalization Papers. Woodford County Court.

1861-1901 Naturalization Records. Woodford County Court.

1867-1906 Naturalization Records. Woodford County Court.

1795-1925 Woodford County, Illinois Passport Applications Genealogy Trails History Group

Newspapers and Obituaries
Newspapers Published in Woodford County  Illinois Newspaper Project

Chronicling America  The Library of Congress

Obituaries

Woodford County, Illinois, Prairie District Library, Obituaries, 1887 to Present. at Ancestry

Probate Records
1842-1847 Probate Claim Dockets IRAD-ISU

1869-1964 Probate Will Record IRAD-ISU

1870-1956 Probate Inventory Record IRAD-ISU

1877-1853 Probate Widow's Relinquishment and Selection Record IRAD-ISU

Probate records available at the Family History Library

1846-1866 Probate Order Book; Will Record 1869-1925; Guardian record, 1866-1908; Probate record, 1745-1876  Woodford County Court.

Public Records
1868-1957 Almshouse Register IRAD-ISU

1868-1893 Poor Farm Monthly Reports IRAD-ISU

1917-1940 Poor Farm Case Files IRAD-ISU

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

Family History Centers
Family History Centers FamilySearch

Family History Library Holdings

Illinois Regional Archives Depository - IRAD
Illinois State Universtiy - ISU 2016 Warehouse Road Campus Box 1520 Normal, Illinois 61802 Phone: 309-452-6027

Illinois Regional Archives Depository System - Local Governmental Records Listings Arranged by County

Public Libraries
Woodford County Public Libraries

Societies
Woodford County Historical Society

Taxation
1842-1879 Tax Sale Record IRAD-ISU

1842-1878 Tax Forfeiture Record IRAD-ISU

1853-1871 Tax Deed Affidaviats IRAD-ISU

1860-1880 Tax Judgment Record IRAD-ISU

1857-1888 Tax Assessment Abstracts IRAD-ISU

Vital Records
Order Birth and Death Certificates Online

Birth Records
1877-1916 Birth Record Index IRAD-ISU. Available at the Family History Library.

Marriage Records
Early Marriages in Woodford County, Illinois (Internet Archives)

1841-1901 Marriage Record Index IRAD-ISU

Marriage records available at the Family History Library

1841-1902 Marriage Index. Woodford County Clerk. Items 2-3

1841-1870 Early Marriages performed in Woodford County, Illinois. by Lucy Palmer Frane. and FHL Book 977.353 V25f

1841-1848 Early Marriagesof Woodford County - USGenWeb

Death Records
1877-1915 Death Record Index IRAD-ISU. Available at the Family History Library Item 4

1910-1917 Death Record, Coroner's IRAD-ISU

Voter Registration
1865-1890 Voter Registers IRAD-ISU

Neighboring Counties

 * LaSalle
 * Livingston
 * Marshall
 * McLean
 * Peoria
 * Tazewell

Web Sites
Databases Pertinent to Woodford County Local Governmental Records Database Name Index to Illinois Local Governments Illinois Statewide Marriage Index Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950 Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database Federal Township Plats of Illinois Woodford County Almshouse Registers Index (1868–1957)


 * Woodford County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Woodford County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)