Champaign County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois Champaign County

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. 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

Illinois State Universtiy 2016 Warehouse Road Campus Box 1520 Normal, Illinois 61802 Phone: 309-452-6027

Champaign County Fact Sheet

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.

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

Court Records
County Clerk

Champaign County Courthouse 1776 E. Washington Street Urbana, Illinois 61802 Phone: 217-384-3720

Circuit Clerk

Champaign Coutny Court Services 1776 E. Washington Street Urbana, Illinois 61802 Phone: 217-384-3725

Land and Property
IRAD - Illinois State University (Following records from the Probate Court)


 * Probate Will Records 1833-1953 - microfilm
 * Probate Case Files 1833-1891 - microfilm
 * Probate Record Index 1835-1976 - microfilm
 * Probate Record 1838-1851 - mircofilm
 * 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

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. ,

Naturalization and Citizenship
IRAD-Illinois State University (The following records from the Circut Court)


 * Naturalization Records 1858-1906 - microfilm
 * Naturalization Records of Minors 1866-1906 - microfilm
 * Naturalization Records of Soldiers 1866-1892 - microfilm
 * Naturlaization Records, Final 1872-1906 - microfilm

IRAD-Illinois State University  (The following records from the 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

Probate Records
IRAD - Illinois State University (Following records from the Probate Court)


 * Probate Record Index 1835-1976 - microfilm
 * Probate Will Record 1833-1953 - microfilm
 * Probate Case Files 1833-1891 - microfilm
 * Probate Inventory Record 1859-1952- microfilm
 * Probate Appraisement Record 1864-1943 - microfilm
 * Probate Sale Records, Real Estate 1868-1907 - 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)