White County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  White County

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

Parent County
The first white settlers came in about 1806. White County was organized within the Illinois Territory by an act of the Territorial Legislature of 7 December 1815. The land was split off from Gallatin County. The county was named after Leonard White, a prominent citizen of Gallatin County.

Boundary Changes
Hamilton County was cut off from White County in 1821.

See an interactive map of White County boundary changes.

Townships and Election Precincts
The County Court (county commissioners, county government) met for the first time on 12 February 1816. They divided the county into three townships:


 * Prairie, beginning at the mouth of the Little Wabash River, up that river to the line between Townships 4 and 5 South, and along that line to the (Big) Wabash River.
 * Fox River, the part of the county north of the line dividing Townships 4 and 5 South and east of the Little Wabash River.
 * West, the part of the county west of the Little Wabash River.

In December 1819, the County Court divided the county into two townships, East and West, separated by the line between Ranges 7 and 8 East.

In 1830 there were four townships: Burnt Prairie, Mantua, Fox River, and Prairie.

Prior to 1871, the county had eight election precincts:


 * Indian Creek, comprising Township 6 South (T6S) Range 8 East (R8E) and the north half of T7S R8E.
 * Enfield, comprising the territory north of Indian Creek, south of the Skillet Fork, and west of Seven-Mile Creek.
 * Burnt Prairie, all the territory between the Skillet Fork and the Little Wabash River.
 * Carmi, east of Enfield, south of Skillet Fork on the west side of the Little Wabash River, and on the east side of the river south of Townships 27, 28, and 29 of T4S R10E, and extending south to Lick Creek, west of the river, and east of the river to the south line of Sections 27 and 30 of T5S R10E.
 * Grayville, east of Burnt Prairie, and south to the south line of Sections 9 and 12 of T4S R10E, the line extending eastward to the (Big) Wabash River.
 * Fox River, east of Carmi and south of Grayville to the south line of Sections 35 and 36 of T5S R14W.
 * Prairie, all south of Carmi and Fox River, and between the Little Wabash and (Big) Wabash Rivers.
 * Herald's Prairie, bounded on the north by Lick Creek, on the east by the Little Wabash River, on the south by the county line, and on the west by Indian Creek.

Township government was approved by popular vote in the fall of 1871, and the following ten townships were organized. These townships have not changed down to the present.


 * Indian Creek, same as the voting precinct.
 * Enfield, T5S R8E.
 * Burnt Prairie, T4S R9E and the south half of T3S R9E.
 * Carmi, T5S R9E.
 * Gray, T3S R14W and the south halves of T3S R10E and T3S R11E.
 * Herald's Prairie, T6S R9E and the north half of T7S R9E.
 * Mill Shoals, T4S R8E and the south half of T3S R8E.
 * Phillips, T4S R10E and T4S R11E, and T4S R14W.
 * Hawthorne, T5S R10E and T5S R11E, and T5S R14W.
 * Emma, T6S R10E and T6S R11E, the north half of T7S R10E and T7S R11E, and a small part of T8S R10E and T8S R11E.

Places / Localities
To see a list of places in White 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 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. As records or histories of these localities are identified, a page will be added for each of these place names.

Cemeteries
One of the best places to start White County cemetery searches are the two volumes of cemetery transcriptions published back in the 1950s.

The Illinois Cemeteries page provides general explanations of the following online White County resources:

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, White County on page 188.]

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


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

Presbyterian

 * Delap, Sam L. and Harve E. Delap. History of Mount Oval Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1869-1969. 1969. Free digital copy at Issuu. Includes transcript of 100s of burials at the church's cemetery.

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

Genealogy

 * Rudolph, C.F. (Mrs.) Illinois White County Genealogical Records: Jacob Christopher Rudolph -- Stokes and Allied Families 1201-1946. n.p.: Illinois D.A.R., 1946. Digital version at Ancestry ($). Another digital version at Ancestry ($).

Local Histories
A variety of early White County genealogical records are transcribed in:


 * McLean County, White County, Will County Genealogical Records. Evanston, Ill.?: Illinois Society, D.A.R.?, 1945?. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Land and Property

 * 1814–1970 Deeds index; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1816–1928 Deed record; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1853–1857 Swamp land record; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD

Family Maps of White County, Illinois (2005) plat the land of many White County settlers. The publisher's bookstore includes a free surname index.

Military

 * Civil War Civil War service men from White 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 White County.


 * - 40th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 56th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and F.
 * - 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 87th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, C, F, G, I and K.
 * - 98th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.

Naturalization

 * 1860–1898 Some naturalization and citizenship records for White County are included in . Click on the browse through images link, select White County, and select Naturalization and Citizenship.

Probate Records

 * 1816–1914 Probate wills record; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD


 * 1820–1885 The probate journals (1820–1885) and will records(1893–1914) for White County probate records are also available in . Click on the browse through images link, select White County, and select the record type you are interested in.


 * Cyrus, Carol. White County, Illinois Probate Journal, Volume B, 1822-1844, courtesy: ILGenWeb
 * Cyrus, Carol. White County, Illinois Probate Journal 1843-1847, courtesy: ILGenWeb

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

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

Birth

 * 1856–1915 Birth Certificates; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1877–1916 Birth record; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1856–1935Birth record index; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD

Marriage

 * 1816–1917 Marriage record; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1874–1945 Marriage record index; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD


 * Stephenson, James. Marriages from 1816 to 1840, Surnames A-K, Surnames L-Z, courtesy: ILGenWeb

Death

 * 1877–1915 Death record; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1877–1912 Death record index;IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD
 * 1877–1916 Death record, stillbirths; IRAD (SIU) Search for White records How to use IRAD

Web Sites

 * White County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * White County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)