Johnson County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Johnson County

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

Historical Facts


Johnson County is named for Richard Mentor Johnson who served in the Indian Wars and the War of 1812. He was also served as Vice-President of the United States from 1837 to 1841 in the administration of Martin Van Buren.

Parent County

 * 1812--Johnson County was created 14 September 1812 from Randolph County. County seat: Vienna

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Johnson County boundary changes.

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

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, Johnson County on page 187.]

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


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

Court Records
The following abstracts are available:


 * 1813–1970 Annable, Edward l. and Johnson County Genealogical and Hsitorical Society. Johnson County, Illinois, probate index, 1813–1970: index to 3485 probate cases. [Vienna, Ill.]: Johnson County Genealogical &amp; Historical Society, 2008. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1813–1817 Gore, Virgil and Ruth Ann Sistler. Commissioners' records, Johnson County, Illinois : July 15, 1813–1817, volume A. [Vienna, Illinois]: Johnson County Genealogical and Historical Society (Illinois), c1992. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1814–1817 Sistler, Ruth Ann and Jack Kent Sistler; and Johnson County Genealogical and Historical Society. Court records, Johnson County, Illinois October 15, 1814–1817. [Vienna, Illinois]: Johnson County Genealogical and Historical Society (Illinois), c1992. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1822–1841 Sullins, Richard D., Ruth A. Sistler, Jack Kent Sistler, and SandS Genealogists. Johnson County probate records, November, 1822-March, 1841 (Including one page from October, 1843.).[Vienna, Ill. (P.O. Box 1323 62995)] : SandS Genealogists, 1997.Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1829–1836 Sullins, Richard D., Ruth A. Sistler, Jack Kent Sistler, and SandS Genealogists. Johnson County Circuit Court records, 1829–1836 [i.e. 1835]. [Vienna, Illinois]: SandS Genealogists, c1997. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1818–1828 Sistler, Jack Kent, Ruth A. Sistler, Richard D. Sullins, and SandS Genealogists. Johnson County comissioner's records, book B, 16 March 1818–2 June 1828. [Vienna, Illinois] : SandS Genealogists, [1995?].


 * 1829–1836 Sullins, Richard D., Ruth A. Sistler, Jack Kent Sistler, and SandS Genealogists. Johnson County Circuit Court records, 1829–1836. [Vienna, Ill. (P.O. Box 1323 62995)] : SandS Genealogists, 1997. Other libraries (WorldCat)

The following copies of original records are available:


 * 1813–1817 Territorial County court minutes IRAD (SIU)
 * 1829–1835 Circuit court record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1813–1861 Commissioner record

DNA
The Johnson County, Illinois Project at FamilyTreeDNA is collecting DNA samples from descendants of historic residents of the county.

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

Local Histories
The online Shawnee Community College Local History Project includes personal interviews and newspaper clippings that give you a taste of historic Johnson County. Was your relative one of the interviewed individuals?

Land and Property

 * Family Maps of Johnson County, Illinois (2007) plats the land of many nineteenth-century Johnson County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index.

The following copies of original records are available:


 * 1809–1907 Deed index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1827–1907 Grantee and Grantor index
 * 1809–1892 Deed record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1827–1928 Deeds
 * 1978 Rockford Map Publishers.Johnson County, Illinois, land atlas &amp; plat book : 1978. Rockford, Ill.: Rockford Map Publishers [Vienna, Ill.]: Distributed by Johnson County Board of Commissioners, 1978. Other libraries (WorldCat)
 * Annable, Edward L. Johnson County, Illinois public domain land sales. Cypress, Ill. (P.O. Box 186 62923) : Ed Annable Pub. Co., ©1997. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Online Resources

 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search
 * 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)

Military

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


 * - 31st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and F.
 * - 60th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H and K.

Probate Records
The following abstracts of the records are available:


 * Sistler, Jack Kent and Ruth A. Sistler and Richard D. Sullins. Probate judges docket, Johnson County, Illinois.[Vienna, Illinois] : SandS Genealogists, 2002. Other libraries (WorldCat)

The following copies of original records are available:


 * 1822–1873 Probate minutes IRAD (SIU)
 * 1822–1888 Probate records
 * 1859–1948 Probate records
 * 1860–1973 Probate case files index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1870–1904 Probate will record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1870–1926 The probate journals and will records for Johnson County probate records are also available in . Click on the browse through images link, select Johnson County, and select the record type you are interested in.

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

Online resources

 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1790–1860 Illinois Marriage index found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * 1850–1885 U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 found at Ancestry.com ($)
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950

The following abstracts are available:

 * 1814–1840 Sistler, Jack K. and Ruth A. Sistler and Richard D. Sullins. 1818-1840 censuses of Johnson County, Illinois : with additional vital records before 1850, marriages, divorces, guardianships, deaths. [Vienna, Illinois] : SandS Genealogists, [200-?]. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Marriages:

 * 1834–1885 Foss, Carolyn Cromeenes and Judy Foreman Lee. Johnson County, Illinois early marriages. Evansville, Indiana : Evansville Bindery, c1992. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1834–1857 Bellamy, Mrs. Guy, Cara Slack and Johnson County (Illinois) Courts. Marriages recorded from 1834 to 1857, Johnson County, Illinois courthouse at Vienna. Copied from county clerk's records as originally recorded, not indexed. [Vienna, Ill., Mrs. G. Bellamy] 1969. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1857–1860 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. [Harrisburg, Ill] : Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1984. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1886–1900 Sistler, Jack K. and Ruth A. Sistler and Richard D. Sullins. Early marriages, Johnson County, Illinois. Evansville, Ind. (221 E. Columbia St., Evansville 47711: Published for the authors by Evansville Bindery, 2004. Other libraries (WorldCat)


 * 1820s-1850s Illinois Miscellaneous Genealogical Records: From Counties, Bond, Boone, Calhoun, Cook, Crawford, Du Page, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Will, Pope: Kentucky county, Mercer: Missouri county, Ralls. Evanston, Ill.: Illinois Society, D.A.R., 1946. Digital version at Ancestry ($). The compiler states that many of the loose marriages records indexed for Johnson County have since disappeared from the courthouse, which means some early Johnson County marriages are only documented in this book.


 * 1839–1853, 1865- 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.P.: Saline County Genealogical Society (Illinois), 1984. Worldcat

Deaths:

 * 1878–1900 Kreklow, Rebel L. Death records, Johnson County, Illinois, 1878-1900. Vienna, Illinois : Johnson County Genealogical and Historical Society (Illinois), c2002. Other libraries (WorldCat)

Births:

 * 1887–1974 Birth record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878–1925 Birth Record IRAD (SIU)

Marriages:

 * 1835–1926 Marriage record index IRAD (SIU)
 * 1835–1857 Index to marriage licenses
 * 1834–1926 Marriage record IRAD (SIU)
 * 1878–1896 Bride and Groom indexes to marriage register
 * 1896–1926 Index to marriage register
 * 1835–1878 Marriage licenses
 * 1878–1926 Marriage register

Deaths:

 * 1878–1933 Index; Death record and register IRAD (SIU)

Places / Localities
To see a list of places in Johnson 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.

Web Sites

 * Johnson County, Illinois Genealogy Trails. Newspapers, Biographies, Marriage, Death records.
 * ILGenWeb Johnson County, Illinois. Biographies, Births, Census, Cemeteries, Court, Deeds/Land, History, Military, Newspapers, Obituaries, Photos.
 * Johnson County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Johnson County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)