Union County, Illinois Genealogy

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

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

Historical Facts
Union County is named for the union of the American states.

Many early residents of Union County came into the area from Rowan County, North Carolina.

Parent County

 * 1818--Union County was created 2 January 1818 from Johnson County. County seat:  Jonesboro

Description
The county seat is Jonesboro and the county was organized on January 2, 1818. The County is located in the Southwest 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.

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

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Union county cemeteries.
 * Cemetery List of Union County, by Epodunk.com gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, 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, Union County on page 188.]

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from two Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Union County available online. The records include first communions, confirmations, marriages, and deaths:


 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.
 * , browsable online (no index); courtesy: FamilySearch.

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


 * 1820-1824 Circuit Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1848 Circuit Court Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1965 County Court and Probate Index - IRAD-SIU S
 * 1861-1873 County Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-SIU
 * 1827-1851 Justice and Constable Appointment Record - IRAD-SIU
 * Order book, 1818-1848 First of 2 films.
 * Records of Justices of the Peace by the Clerk County Commissioner, 1827-1851
 * Darrell Dexter abstracted nineteenth-century guardianship records. His compilation is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.

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

 * Every Name Index to History of Union, Alexander, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois. Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2010.  Original text was written by William Henry Perrin, published by O. L. Baskin &amp; Co., 1883, reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1969.  EveryNameIndex.com

Local Histories
The online Shawnee Community College Local History Project includes a dozen personal interviews that give you a taste of historic Union County. Was your relative one of the interviewed individuals?

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

Online Resources


 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Federal Township Plats of Illinois

Abstracts


 * Jeana Gallagher compiled a list of Original Settlers of Union County, Illinois - Preemption before 1817. The list is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.
 * Family Maps of Union County, Illinois (2005) plats the land of many Union County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index.

Copies of Original Records


 * 1818-1887 Deeds First of 21 films.

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * Township Map of 1870 Union County, Illinois with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Union 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 Union County.


 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company M.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H, I, and K.
 * - 18th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, New Company H.
 * - 30th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and H.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, and F.
 * - 81st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * -109th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I.

Naturalization
Online Records


 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images

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

Abstracts


 * 1818-1845, 1856-1868 Union County, Illinois Probate Records

Copies of Original Records


 * 1850-1854 Probate Administrator's and Guardian's Accounts - IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1965 Probate and County Court Index - IRAD-SIU S
 * 1845-1869 Probate Dockets - IRAD-SIU S
 * 1818-1885 Probate Minutes - IRAD-SIU
 * 1856-1891 Probate Will Record - IRAD-SIU
 * 1822-1965 Index
 * 1818-1892 Probate Records first of 8 films.

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

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 Union County.

Societies
Union County Genealogical and Historical Society 101 East Spring Street Anna 62906

Union County, Ilinois Historical and Genealogy Society and Museum PO Box 93 Cobden, IL 62920 Telephone Number: 618-893-2865 E-mail:[mailto:uchgsillinois@gmail.com uchgsillinois@gmail.com] Website

Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois has a page with details about its' activities.

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

Birth
Copies of Original Records


 * 1867-1939 Index - IRAD-SIU
 * 1877-1916 - IRAD-SIU
 * 1878-1907 Birth index
 * 1851-1915 Birth record First of 30 films.

Marriage
Abstracts


 * 1819-1873 Marriage consents First of 2 films.

Copies of Original Records


 * 1818-1907 - IRAD-SIU
 * 1818-1907 Marriages, 1818-1907 First of 5 films.

Online Resources


 * 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1851-1900Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

Death
Copies of Original Records


 * 1877-1915 - IRAD-SIU
 * 1877-1915 Death records First of 2 films.

Online Resources


 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1916-1947 Deaths and Stillbirths

Places / Localities
To see a list of places in Union County, click on [Show], in the bar 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 websites. 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. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Websites

 * Union County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Union County, Illinois Genealogy Trails
 * Union County IL Genealogy
 * EveryNameIndex.com Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
 * EveryNameIndex.com Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.