Champaign County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois Champaign County

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

Historical Facts
Large numbers of Ohio residents settled in frontier Champaign County, Illinois. The name of the county (Champaign) is reminiscent of Champaign County, Ohio - the previous residence of many pioneer settlers.

Parent County

 * 20 February 1833: -- Champaign County was created from Vermilion County.

Boundary Changes
1790-1801 originally part of Knox, Northwest Territory

1801-1812 St. Clair (Illinois Territory)

1812-1813 Madison (Illinois Territory)

1815-1816 Edwards (Illinois Territory)

1816-1819 Crawford (Illinois Statehood 1818)

1819-1823 Clark County, Illinois

1823-1826 Edgar County, Illinois

1826-1833 Vermilion County, Illinois

Places/Localities
To see a list of places in Champaign 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.

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

Archives and Libraries
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- Illinois State University Region

Urbana Free Library 210 West Green Street Urbana, IL 61801 Phone: (217) 367-4025 Fax: (217) 531-7088

Expanding on an index-card based index created in the 1960's and 1970's, the Urbana Free Library has created an on-line index of Champaign County historical records of genealogical interest called the Champaign County Historical Archive. Included are newspaper mentions of birth, marriage and death notices, along with official county records of birth, marriage, death, wills, probate, cemetery and other records. The index includes details (names and dates) that make it easy to identify records of interst.

Copies (non-certified) can be requested using the library's printable PDF Request Form.

Cemeteries
Find A Grave, list of cemeteries. Additional information can be found at local level (city, township, etc.)


 * Champaign 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.


 * Linkpendiumhas a list of cemeteries transcriptions many done by the Champaign County Genealogical Society.

Federal
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.

Church History and Records
Society of Friends. Stanton Monthly Meeting 1799-1909. Item 6, and

Shiloh Methodist Episcopal Church Records 1899-1970.

Oak Grove Church 1909-1925. items 7-9

Linkpendium has many church records transcripted by the Federation of East European Family History Societies. (currently the link seem broken-jeh 21 Jun 2011)

Court Records
Court Record 1833-1852, 1857-1872. Item 2-3

Directories
Available at Ancestry:

J.S.Lothrop's Champaign County Directory1870-1871.

Additional directories available at: Linkpendium.

Land and Property
IRAD - Illinois State University (Following records originally from Office: Recorder)


 * Deed Index 1833-1927.- microfilm. Also available through the Family History Library and its Centers


 * Deed Record 1833-1902. - microfilm. Years 1833-1889. Also available through the Family History Library and its Centers (first film)
 * Chattel Mortgage Record 1862-1877. - book.
 * Chattel Mortgages 1959-1965. - book.

Military History and Records
Linkpendium links data to information and records for the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I, and World War II.

Civil War
Civil War service men from Champaign 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 Champaign County.


 * - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and E.
 * - 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, F and H.
 * - 72nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 76th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and G.


 * Behrens, Robert H. From Salt Fork to Chickamauga: Champaign County Soldiers in the Civil War, includes full-name index of 3,200 men. ,
 * Cemetery Record, Civil War Veterans 1916-1931 - IRAD

Naturalization and Citizenship
Champaign County, Circuit Court searchable online data base: Civil, Criminal, and Probate.

IRAD-Illinois State University (The following records originally from Office: Circut Court)


 * Naturalization Records 1858-1906. - microfilm. Also available through Family History Library and its Centers
 * Naturalization Records of Minors 1866-1906. - microfilm. Also availbale through Family History Library and its Centers
 * Naturalization Records of Soldiers 1866-1892. - microfilm.
 * Naturlaization Records, Final 1872-1906. - microfilm.

IRAD-Illinois State University(The following records orignally from Office: County Court)


 * Naturalization Records 1860-1902. - microfilm.
 * Naturalization Records of Minors 1866-1896. - microfilm.
 * Naturalization Records of Soldiers 1866-1889. - microfilm.
 * Naturalization Decarations of Intent 1896-1906. - microfilm.

Newspapers
FHL has a collection - see FHLC

Ancestry.com ($) has:

Champaign, Illinois Newspaper Index, 1892 search by name, date and event.

The Evening Courier: 1935-39 and 1941-44.

Probate Records
IRAD - Illinois State University (Following records originally from Office: Probate Court)


 * Probate Record Index 1835-1976 - microfilm. Also available through the FHL and its centers
 * Probate Will Records 1833-1953 - microfilm.
 * Probate Case Files 1833-1891 - microfilm.
 * Probate Record 1838-1851 - microfilm.
 * Probate Inventory Record 1859-1952 - microfilm.
 * Probate Appraisement Record 1864-1943 - microfilm.
 * Probate Sale Record, Real Estate 1868-1907 - microfilm.
 * Probate Appraisement Review Record 1950-1955 - microfilm.

Family History Library Collection


 * Probate Records 1833-1851. - Items 4-5


 * Probate Records 1851-1921.- and online:


 * Probate Packets, 1877-1900. - first film

Taxation
IRAD - Illinois State University (Following records originally from Office: County Clerk and Treasurer)


 * Tax Sale Record 1857- 1872. - book.
 * Tax Assessment Abstracts 1935-1945. - book.
 * Tax Ledgers 1947-1965. - book.

Vital Records
YEARS ? Birth, Marriage, and Death records may be ordered from the Champaign County Clerk:

IRAD - Illinois State University ( Following records originally from Office: County Clerk)

Births

 * IRAD-Birth Record Index. years unlisted. - microfilm.
 * IRAD-Birth Record 1878-1901. microfilm. Also available through
 * IRAD-Birth Certificates, Adoptees 1940-1946. book. - may be restricted

Marriages

 * IRAD- Marriage Record Index 1864-1932 - microfilm.
 * IRAD- Marriage Licenses 1833-1915 - microfilm.
 * IRAD- Marriage Record 1833-1932 - microfilm. Also available with index through first film
 * IRAD-Marriage License Applications 1878-1973 - microfilm.

Available through Ancestry.com Marriage Records,1790-1860 ($) (gives film no. as FHL film 338047)

Some of the Family History Library's Collection of Champaign County marriages have been digitized:.

Deaths

 * IRAD- Death Record Index 1878-1949- microfilm. Also available through Family History Library and its centers first film
 * IRAD- Death Record 1878-1901 - microfilm. Also available through Family History Library and its centers first film
 * IRAD- Death Certificates 1902-1915 - microfilm.

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Champaign County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

Databases Pertinent to Champaign 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