Alexander County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Historical Records
Alexander County is named for William M. Alexander, early settler and Illinois state senator.

Parent County
4 March 1819: Alexander County was created from Johnson County. County seat: Cairo

Boundary Changes
Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Union (1818–1819) Johnson (1812–1818) Randolph (1795–1812) St. Clair (1790–1795)

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
 * Illinois Afrigeneas

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

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


 * Index to the 1820 census of Alexander County...Bond County...Crawford County...Wayne County, Illinois.


 * USGenWeb Archives - Alexander County, Illinois


 * Illinois 1870 census index, Alexander County

Church History and Records
Some church records can be found at the town level.

Catholic
FamilySearch has made parish records from four Belleville Diocese Catholic churches in Alexander County available online (requires free registration). 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.

Court Records
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page

Circuit Court


 * 1842-1873 Circuit Court Record
 * 1857-1941 Naturalization Record Index
 * 1864-1892 Naturalization Record of Soldier and Minors
 * 1864-1893 Naturalization Record, Final
 * 1865-1941 Naturalization Declarations of Intent
 * 1907-1940 Naturalization Petition Record
 * 1929-1940 Naturalization Order Books

County Board/County Commissioners


 * 1819-1929 County Commissioners' Minutes and Index
 * 1819-1942 County Commissioners' Proceedings Files
 * 1931-1935 Blind Relief Warrant Registers

County Clerk


 * 1873-1930 County Court Case Files

Justice of the Peace


 * 1942-1949 Justice of the Peace Dockets

History
The online Shawnee Community College Local History Project includes dozens of personal interviews, newspaper clippings, and even a locally-composed song to give you a taste of historic Alexander County. Was your relative one of the interviewed individuals?

Land and Property
Original land records for Alexander County are held in the office of the County Recorder (618) 734-7001. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

Online Resources


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database. Also available at Ancestry ($)
 * Alexander County Federal Township Plats

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following copies of land records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Franklin County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page


 * 1816-1857 Entry Books
 * 1818-1943 Deed Index
 * 1818-1944 Deed Record
 * 1853-1939 Plat Record
 * 1864-1870 Mortgage Release Record
 * 1865-1904 Mortgage Record
 * 1872-1903 Incorporation Record, Corporations
 * 1900-1944 Mortgage Index
 * 1915-1963 Chattel Mortgage Record

Family History Library Collection


 * Selected Land records from Alexander and Pulaski counties
 * Atlas and plat book, Pulaski - Alexander County, Illinois, 1978
 * 1819-1917 Deeds and mortgages, 1818-1910; indexes

General
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for ______ County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page


 * 1861-1862 Militia Roll Record
 * 1918-1944 Military Discharge Record

Civil War
Civil War service men from Alexander 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 Alexander County.


 * - 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, I and K.


 * Alexander County/Illinois Genealogy Trails. Information about Civil War soldiers from Alexander County such as their burials, pension applications and decendants' records. (accessed 31 May 2011)

Probate Records
Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk (618) 439-2011. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

Online Resources


 * 1829-1902 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 within each volume.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) Collection

The following records may be accessed through: IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU) and search for Alexander County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page


 * 1819-1942 Probate Minutes
 * 1829-1870 Probate Case Files
 * 1842-1943 Probate Guardian's Record
 * 1850-1942 Probate Will Record
 * 1857-1889 Probate Record
 * 1865-1938 Probate Administrator's Record
 * 1866-1944 Probate Publication Record
 * 1872-1944 Probate Administrator's and Executor's Record
 * 1873-1928 Probate Sale Record, Personal Property
 * 1873-1944 Probate Inventory Record
 * 1879-1940 Probate Appraisement Record
 * 1887-1940 Probate Conservator's Record
 * 1911-1917 Probate Fee Books
 * 1913-1916 Probate Dockets

Family History Library Collection


 * 1819-1902 Probate records, 1819-1902; index to probate files, 1820-1971

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

Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. The following records may be accessed through the Family History Library and IRAD-Southern Illinois University (SIU)– Franklin County. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page. Records without a source listed are from IRAD, and records with FHL film or book numbers are from the Family History Library. Online databases are also listed among the records available.

Birth


 * Selected birth and death records for Alexander County at Genealogy Trails.
 * 1850-1878 Birth and Death Record, Proof of
 * 1878-1915 Birth Record index
 * 1878-1915 Birth records, 1878-1915
 * 1878-1917 Birth Record
 * 1893-1901 Cairo Birth and Death Record
 * 1893-1901 Cairo Birth and Death Record

Marriage


 * Alexander County / Illinois Genealogy Trails Marriages, 1819–1934
 * James Stephenson prepared an index to Marriages --Alexander Co., IL From 1819 to 1850. Available online, courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * Some of the Family History Library's Collection of Alexander County marriages have been digitized:.
 * 1819-1870 Marriages of Alexander County, Illinois, volume I, 1819 through 1870
 * 1819-1918 Alexander County, Illinois marriage records, 1819-1918
 * 1819-1944 Marriage Record
 * 1819-1944 Marriage Record

Death


 * Selected birth and death records for Alexander County at Genealogy Trails.
 * Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * Roxanne Layton-Bayle prepared a list of people who died in Thebes, Illinois. Dates range from the 1960s to the 1990s. Courtesy: USGenWeb Archives.
 * 1850-1878 Birth and Death Record, Proof of
 * 1878-1915 Death Record
 * 1879-1917 Alexander County, Illinois death records, v.1-3, 1879-1917
 * 1893-1901 Cairo Birth and Death Record
 * 1893-1901 Cairo Birth and Death Record

Web Sites

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