Illinois Colonial Records

History
French missions were founded in Illinois during the late 17th century; Fort Crevecoeur (Peoria) in 1680, Cahokia in 1699, and Kaskaskia in 1703. Illinois was controlled by the French until 1763 when it was ceded to England. Illinois was a county of Virginia from 1778-1784, and became part of the Northwest Territory in 1787. It became the Illinois Territory in 1809 before becoming a state in 1818.

Resources

 * The Illinois Country, 1673-1818 by Clarence Walworth Alvord. (Springfield, Virginia: Illinois Centennial Commission, 1920).
 * Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois by Newton Bateman, (1906, reprint, Wooster, OH: Micro Photo Division, Bell and Howell Co., n.d., film 0825561).
 * The French and the Spanish in the Old Northwest by Henry Putney Beers. (Detroit: Wayne State University, 1964).
 * Great Britain and the Illinois Country, 1763-1774 by Clarence Edwin Carter. (Washington, DC: The American Historical Society and Association, 1910, film 1597561).
 * The Conquest of the Illinois by George Rogers Clark. (n.p.: R.R. Donnelly and Sons, 1920, film 1597594).
 * A Complete History of Illinois from 1673-1884: Embracing the Physical Features of the County, Its Early Explorations, Aboriginal Inhabitants by Alexander Davidson. (Springfield, IL: H.W. Rokker, 1884, fiche 6051133).
 * Guide to Depositories of Manuscript Collections in Illinois by Historical Records Survey. (Chicago: The Survey, 1940).
 * Illinois on the Eve of the Seven Years' War, 1747-1755 by Theodore Calvin Pease. (Springfield: Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library, 1940)

Civil Records and Sources

 * Private Land Claims related to Kaskaskia, 1723-1809. These are in the Bureau of Land Management Records (RG 49.12) at the National Archives in Washington, DC.
 * Consolidated index for the Raymond H. Hammes Collection at the Illinois State Genealogical Society, land records, 1678-1814 by Raymond H. Hammes, film 1543598). This collection includes Cahokia land records, 1790-1797, entries made regarding Illinois villages, 1790-1795; Kaskaskia land records, 1804-1814; Randolph county land records, 1768-1815; Cahokia land records, 1800-20; Historical material, 1671-1819; Illinois land transaction typescripts/printouts, 1720-1866; Miscellaneous land records. Except for Illinois land transaction records, these records are available on film 1543598.
 * Illinois and Wabash Land Company Minutes, 1778-1812. Originals are at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
 * George Rogers Clark and His Men, Military Records, 1778-1784 by Margery Heberling Harding, (Frankfort: The Kentucky Historical Society, 1981, film 6050443).

Ecclesiastical Records
Because of French colonization and missions, some parish registers for colonial Illinois are available. These can be found at the following locations:
 * National Archives of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. Copies of Illinois Mission parish registers are available at the archives, originals are located at the French National Archives in Section Outre-Mer, Paris.
 * Diocese of Vincennes. This Diocese covered both Illinois and Indiana.
 * Kaskaskia Parish Registers