Pope County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Pope County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. Illinois Online Genealogy Records

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

Historical Facts
Pope County is named for Nathaniel Pope who was the first Territorial Secretary of State.

Parent County

 * 1816--Pope County was created 10 January 1816 from Gallatin and Johnson Counties.County seat:Golconda

Description
The county was named for Nathaniel Pope, a Secretary of the Illinois Territory. The county seat is Golconda and the county was organized on 1816. The County is located in the South East 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.

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

Census
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.
 * 1850-1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885found at Ancestry ($)

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, Pope County on page 187.]

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

A chapter on Pope County, Illinois church history appears in a local history, available online at Ancestry ($), beginning on page 27.

Baptist

 * Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. Minutes of Meetings and Lists of Members, 1864-1972. MSS. Copy: . WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Brownfield Baptist Church. Record, 1860-1952. MSS. Copy: . WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * Church and Family History Research Assistance for Primitive Baptist Churches in Pope County, Illinois
 * History of Dixon Springs Baptist Church: Compiled for the Homecoming, September 10, 2000. 2000. WorldCat (Other Libraries)
 * United Baptist Church (New Liberty, Ill.). Church Records, 1896-1957. MSS. Copy:.

Disciples of Christ

 * History of the Disciples of Christ in Illinois, Pope County section begins on page 363, courtesy: Internet Archive.

Methodist

 * Blatter, Robert K. The History of Waltersburg: The Peaceful Nineteenth Century Invasion of Pope County in Southern Illinois. 1998. . Includes membership list (1860-1899) &amp; baptisms (1881-1914, 1953) for a church which is referred to as the Waltersburg Methodist Church, Waltersburg German Methodist Church &amp; the Immanuel Church.
 * Zion Methodist Episcopal Church. A History of the Church and Cemeteries with a Directory of Cemeteries at Zion, Pope County, Illinois. 1978. ..

Presbyterian

 * Michael Hillegan Chapter D.A.R. (Harrisburg, Ill.). Church Records Presbyterian Church of Golconda, Pope County, Illinois Founded 1819. Reputed to be the Oldest Presbyterian Church in Illinois. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); ILGenWeb (deaths)..
 * History of the First Presbyterian Church, Golconda, Illinois. Golconda, Ill.: The Session of the Church, 1937..
 * Thompson, Mrs. Scerial et al. Records of Presbyterian Church of Golconda, Pope County, Illinois. . Baptisms, 1818-1937 -- Session book containing members admitted, dismissed, died, 1824-1911 -- Marriages, 1911-1935 -- List of pastors, 1819-1932.
 * Bannon, Marie et al. Pope County, Illinois, Genealogical Materials. Includes information about the First Presbyterian Church (Golconda, Ill.). WorldCat (Other Libraries)

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

Abstracts


 * 1860–1960 Lee, Judy Foreman and Carolyn Cromeenes Foss. Pope County, Illinois chancery index : approximately 1860-1960. [S.l. : s.n.], c1997. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1886–1920 Bear, Elizabeth Woodworth and Saline county Genealogical Society. Justice docket, Pope County, 1886-1920. [Harrisburg, Illinois] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1994.Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816–1831 Foss, Carolyn Cromeenes and Judy Foreman Lee. Pope County, Illinois county court record Book A, 1816-1831. [S.l.: s.n.], 1994. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Copies of original records


 * 1816–1850 Court record
 * 1818–1851 Circuit Court record
 * 1824–1860 Circuit Court records
 * 1818–1851 Circuit court dockets IRAD (SIU)
 * 1821–1859 Circuit court miscellaneous record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1900–1909 Justice of the peace dockets IRAD (SIU)

African American
The following have information concerning African American research.


 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
 * Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Genealogy

 * [Glass] Young, John C. Descendants of Francis and James Glass of Pope County, Illinois. Marissa, Ill.: n.p., 1975. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Local Histories

 * Allen, John W. Pope County Notes. Carbondale, Ill.: Museum of Natural and Social Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1949. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

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


 * 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 ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Pope County Federal Township Plats
 * 1811–1850 Winget, Judith L., Saline County Genealogical Society, and Jennifer L. Spohn. Pope County, Illinois deed book, 1811 to 1850. Harrisburg, Illinois: Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), [19--]. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1820 Annable, Edward L. Pope County, Illinois landowners, 1820. Cypress, Illinois: E. Annable, 1994. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Early 1900s Nelson, Ronald L. A Record of land owners in Pope County, Illinois in the early 1900's: plat maps with more than 2,000 listings. Elizabethtown, Illinois: Ronald L. Nelson, 1979. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816–1910 Grantee and Grantor index
 * 1816–1865 Land and road tax lists, assessor's books
 * 1899–1899 Mortgagor and Mortgagee indexes
 * 1824–1860 Circuit Court records
 * 1987 Pope-Hardin County (Illinois), land atlas and plat book, 1987 Other Libraries (WorldCat);
 * 1816–1819 Territorial bargain and sale record; IRAD (SIU)
 * 1835–1857 School land sale record IRAD (SIU)

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1860s - 1960s at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
Civil War service men from Pope 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 Pope County.


 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies A, B, and G.
 * - 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 120th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and E.
 * - 131st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, and H.
 * - 136th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies I and K.


 * 1861–1865 Militia roll record IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records.

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) - search for Pope County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the SIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1820–1859 Naturalization declarations of intent IRAD (SIU)
 * 1864–1894 Naturalization record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1868–1886 Naturalization record of soldiers and minors IRAD (SIU)
 * 1888–1898 Naturalization record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Newspapers and Obituaries

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

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

Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry — index and images $
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch.org — images
 * 1819-1888 An unspecified number of are available at the Family Search Records online database. The collection does not have an every name index, but the images are available to browse and may often have indexes contained within each volume.
 * 1816–1845 Annable, Edward L. Pope County, Illinois probate records. Cypress, Illinois : E.L. Annable, c1994-c1997.Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1816–1950 Index to estate and miscellaneous papers
 * 1861–1916 Will record
 * 1819–1888 Probate records and journals
 * 1867–1888 The probate journals for Pope County probate records are also available in . Click on the browse through images link, select Pope County, and select the record type you are interested in.
 * Index to Pope County, Illinois Will Record Volume A (1861-1916), available online, courtesy: USGenWeb.
 * 1861–1916 Probate will record IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD

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

FamilySearch Centers

 * Carbondale Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Eldorado Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Foxcroft Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Paducah Kentucky FamilySearch Center


 * McCracken County Public Library - an affiliate library
 * The State Historical Society of Missouri - Cape Girardeau - an affiliate library

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 Pope County.

Societies

 * Pope County Historical Society PO Box 837 206 East Main Street Golconda, IL 62938-0837 Phone 618-683-3341 Email:[mailto:popecohistso66@gmail.com popecohistso66@gmail.com] Facebook Website

Taxation

 * 1826–1827 Road tax lists IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD
 * 1825–1865 Taxable lands list IRAD (SIU) Search for Pope records How to use IRAD

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

Births:

 * 1862–1930s Births
 * 1862–1915 Birth records and still birth register
 * 1862–1952 Birth certificate index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877–1915 Birth certificates IRAD (SIU)
 * 1862–1916 Birth certificates, delayed IRAD (SIU)

Marriages:

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry ($)
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1816–1839 Schonert, Janet. Pope County, Illinois marriages, 1816-1839. Thomson, Illinois : Heritage House, 1972. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1813–1909 Lee, Judy Foreman and Carolyn Cromeenes Foss. Pope County, Illinois :*1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and imagesmarriage books. [S.l. : s.n.], c1990-c1995. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1826–1845 Winget, Judy Walley. Williamson County, Illinois marriages, 1839 to 1853 and 1865; Pope County, Illinois marriages, 1826 to 1845; Johnson County, Illinois marriages, 1857 to 1860. [S.l.] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1984. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Pope County Marriage Records, available online, courtesy: UsGenWeb
 * 1822–1960 Marriage index
 * 1822–1944 Marriage records
 * 1813–1915 Marriage licenses IRAD (SIU)
 * 1813–1915 Marriage licenses and consents
 * 1813–1915 Marriage licenses IRAD (SIU)
 * 1816–1944 Marriage record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1816–1960 Marriage record index IRAD (SIU)

Deaths

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1860 Allen, Ricky T. 1860 federal census and mortality schedule of Pope County, Illinois. Decatur, Illinois: Bowers Press, 1983.Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * 1870 Allen, Ricky T. 1870 federal census and mortality schedule of Pope County, Illinois. Utica, Kentucky : McDowell Publications, [198-?].Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Some Deaths From the Presbyterian Church Records Golconda, Illinois
 * 1877-1910 Death register and index
 * 1877-1915 Death record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1877-1909 Death record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1883-1915 Death record, stillbirths IRAD (SIU)
 * 1909-1917 Death record
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHertitage($)
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index, ($)
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Neighboring Illinois Counties
Hardin · Johnson · Massac · Saline · Williamson

Neighboring Kentucky Counties
Livingston

Websites

 * Pope County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Pope County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Pope County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Southern Illinois History and Genealogical Links
 * Southern Illinois History and Genealogical Links