Iroquois County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Iroquois County

County Organization
Iroquois 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 Iroquois County are kept, see the Iroquois County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts


Name taken from the former Iroquois Confederacy of the Six Nations which included the Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Tuscarora.

Parent County
1833--Iroquois County was created 26 February 1833 from Vermilion County. County seat: Watseka

Boundary Changes

 * 1826-1833 Vermillion


 * 1823-1826 Edgar


 * 1819-1823 Clark


 * 1816-1819 Crawford


 * 1815-1816 Edwards


 * 1812-1815 Madison


 * 1801-1812 St. Clair


 * 1795-1801 Knox, Northwest Territory

See an interactive map of Iroquois County boundary changes.

Record Loss

 * Marriage records in Iroquois County before October 1866 were destroyed by a courthouse fire. Marriages before October 1866 were entered from the Iroquois Journal and St. John the Baptist Catholic Church records. (source: Illinois Statewide Marriage Index)

Populated Places
Ashkum, Beaverville, Budkley, Cissna Park,Clifton, Milford, Onarga, Sheldon, and Watseka

Neighboring Counties

 * Benton County, Indiana
 * Ford
 * Kankakee
 * Newton County, Indiana
 * Vermilion
 * Warren County, Indiana

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 Iroquois County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * Iroquois 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 Iroquois 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.

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, Iroquois County on page 187.]

Church Records
1851-1878, 1878-1889 (Marriage Book B) Catholic Church. St. John the Baptist. Marriage Records. item 15 and Fiche 6004547.

Quaker Recordsincludes Onarga and Watseka Monthly Meetins ( Source: Ancestry)

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

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

Chattal Morgages 1930-1968. IRAD - ISU book.

Family History Library Collection


 * 1835-1887 Land Records. County Court Iroquois County, Illinois. filmed by Genealogical Society of Utah, 1983. 60 microfilms. first film.


 * 1831-1882 Iroquois County Original Land Purchases,: a research project of the Iroquois County Historical Society. by Ralph D. Moore and Virginia M. Moore. item 2 and Book 977.364R2m.

Revolutionary War
Veteran Burials (Genealogy Trails History Group)

War of 1812

Military Land GrantsIroquois County Illinois for Soldiers of the War of 1812. - USGenWeb

Civil War
Civil War service men from Iroquois 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 Iroquois County.


 * - 10th Illinois Cavalry Regiment, Company C
 * - 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 76th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A, Company E, and Company K.

Grand Army of the Republic
Williams Post no. 25 of Watseka. Personal War Sketches of the Members of Williams Post. Item 2.

B. Brown Post, Sheldon 1913 - USGenWeb

Gilman Post, Gilman 1913 - USGenWeb

Kirkpatrick Post, Loada 1913 - USGenWeb

Williams Post, Watseka 1913 - USGenWeb

World War I
World War I Draft Registraion Cards, 1917-1918 (Source: Ancestry)

World War II
World War II Casualties, Army and Army Air Corps (Source: AccessGenealogy)

Naturalization
IRAD -Illinois State University (Following records originally from Office: County Court). IRAD Counties Listing

1876-1903 Naturalization Dockets - IRAD-ISU microfilm.

Family History Library Collection


 * 1859-1906 Naturalization Records. Illinois, County Court (Iroquois County) Each volume includes an index.

1867-1931 Index of Petitons for Naturalizations Iroquois Coutny, Illinois (Iroquois County Genealogical Society)

Naturalized Citizens no dates given (Iroquois County Genealogical Society)

Newspapers
Chronicling America    (Source: Library of Congress)

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

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

Societies
Miscellaneous Records, Iroquois County, Illinois by Iroquois County Genealogical Society and Cheryl Wixon Gocken. 3 Volumes. FHL Digital version: Vol. 1,  Vol. 2 , and Vol 3.

Taxation
1890 Tax List and book 977.364 R4i

Vital Records
Iroquois County Vital Records Office

1001 E. Grant St.

Watseka, IL 60970

1-815-432-6970

Order Birth and Death Certificates Online

IRAD- Illinois State University (Following records originally from Offive: County Clerk).IRAD County Listing

Birth Records

 * 1869-1915 Birth Records Index. IRAD-ISU microfilm.


 * 1878-1901 Birth Records. IRAD-ISU microfilm.


 * 1853-1962 Delayed Birth Certificats Index. IRAD-ISU microfilm.


 * 1853-1915 Delayed Birth Certificates. IRAD-ISU microfilm.


 * 1872-1900 Delayed Birth Record. IRAD-ISU microfilm.


 * 1878-1900 Birth Records; and 1853-1915 Delayed Birth Records, are available through the Family History Library and its centers.

Marriage

 * 1866-1935 Marriage Record Index. IRAD-ISU microfilm.


 * 1866-1904 Marriage Record. IRAD-ISU microfilm.

The above Marriage Records Index and Marriage Record are available through the Family History Library and its centers.

Death

 * 1877-1901 Death Record. IRAD-ISU microfilm. Also available through the Family history Library and its Centers Item 2


 * 1902-1948 Death Records of Iroquois County, Illinois and book 977.364 V2g.

Family History Library Collection

 * 1878-1900 Birth Records; and 1853-1915 Delayed Birth Records,


 * 1902-1948 Death Records of Iroquois County, Illinois and book 977.364 V2g.

Web Sites

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

Databases Pertinent to Iroquois County
Local Governmental Records Database

Names Index to Illinois Local Governments

Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

Illinois Statewide Death index, 1916-1950

Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Data Base

Federal Township Plats of Illinois.