Illinois, State Census, 1865 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains a name index and images of the Illinois state census taken on 3 July 1865. The following counties are missing:
 * Gallatin
 * Monroe
 * Part of Mason
 * Part of Tazewell

The state constitution of 1848 accepted the federal decennial censuses as the basis for apportionment of representatives, but also provided for state censuses at mid-decades. As a result state censuses were conducted in 1855 and 1865. The state constitution of 1870 ended the practice of state censuses. Census returns for 1865 exist for 99 of the 102 counties.

This census counted and gathered information about the population in 1865. The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress.

Reliability of the information in the census is determined by the accuracy of the knowledge of the informant, which could have been any member of the family or even a neighbor.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:


 * Name of head of family
 * Free white males by decennial age ranges; under 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, etc
 * Free white females by decennial age ranges; under 10, 10 to 20, 20 to 30, 30 to 40, etc
 * Numbers of male and female Negros and mulattoes
 * Total number in household


 * Number of males eligible for duty in the militia
 * Manufacturers by type (for example: mill, tin shop, saddle shop) and their value
 * Number and tons of coal products
 * Value of live stock
 * Value of grain products


 * Value of all other agricultural products
 * Number of pounds of wool
 * Number of universities and number of students
 * Number of academies and grammar schools and number of students
 * Number of common schools and number of students

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate age of your ancestor
 * The county where your ancestor lived

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the "
 * 1) Select the County
 * 2) Select the Locality to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s census record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found the Person I was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date
 * Use the ages and place of residence to locate the family in federal census records
 * If they are in the militia they may have military files in the State or National Archives
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Search the records of nearby counties
 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county
 * You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents, or you may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Illinois.
 * Illinois Guided Research
 * Illinois Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.