Cass County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Cass County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records. Illinois Online Genealogy Records

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

Historical Facts
Cass County is named for who was the 22nd United States Secretary of State.

Description
The county was named for Lewis Cass, a general in the War of 1812, Governor of the Michigan Territory, and United States Secretary of State in 1860. Cass was serving as Andrew Jackson's Secretary of War just before the County was named. The County Seat is Virginia and was founded 1837. It is located in the West-Central area of the state.

Boundary Changes

 * 3 March 1837: Cass County was created from Morgan County.

For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Biography

 * The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Cass County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Cass County residents.  See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes Linkpendium has membership lists and other church-related records from various churches in Cass County, Illinois.
 * FamilySearch Places

The Famly History Library has selected records from a few churches in Cass County. To locate them, search the Library's catalog by "Place names" for the name of the a town, then select the topic "Church records."

Timeline of some churches in Cass County.


 * There were no church buildings built during the first few years of settlement in an area.
 * 1830 - Richmond Precinct. First religious assemblies held.
 * 1830 - Princeton. Zion Presbyterian Society
 * 1832 - Clear Creek Church in Monroe Precinct. This church had ceased regular meetings by 1880.
 * 1832 - Virginia City. Methodist Episcopal. Began as part of the Petersburg Circuit.
 * 1835 - Prinston. Missionary Baptist Church which had passed away by 1880.
 * 1838 - Princeton. Christian Church which had passed away by 1880.
 * 1838 - Hickory precinct. Baptists
 * 1840 - Virginia City. Catholics. They have had an organization in the city since 1840.
 * pre 1842 - Virginia City. Protestant Methodists was the first Christian Church in City of Virginia, but it was extinct before 1880.
 * 1842 - Virginia City. Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Formed from members of the Shiloh church.
 * 1848 - Hickory Precinct. First Christian services held in the open.
 * 1848 - Oregon Precinct. Methodist Episcopal, known as the Oregon Chapel.
 * pre 1852 - Virginia Precinct. Bethlehem Methodistt Church.
 * 1857 - Virginia Precinct. Shiloh Cumberland Presbyterian Church which grew out of a congregation formed first in Morgan County in 1827 and later in Sangamon County. Early records were either lost or mislaid.
 * 1857 -Ashland. Methodist Episcopal Church.
 * 1863 - Virginia City. Presbyterian Church organized, though they built a building in 1857.
 * 1871 - Ashland. Catholic Church.
 * 1875 - Virginia City. Church of Christ.

Lutheran

 * 1893-1895 - Mt. Zion Congregation, Newmansville, Marriage Index 1893-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch

Court Records
Original Court records are held in both offices of the Circuit Court Clerk and County Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online or through the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Cass County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.


 * 1872-1955 Jail Registers IRAD-UIS
 * 1850-1857 Swampland records

Online Resources


 * 1837-1986 Cass County, Illinois Sheriffs 1837-1986 Courtesy Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society
 * 1873 Court CasesCourtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1878–1910 Court Adoption and Foster CareCourtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1893–1898 Circuit Court CasesCourtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.

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

History

 * Biographical Review of Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois: Containing Biographical Sketches of Pioneers and Leading Citizens. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co., 1892. Digital versions at Ancestry ($); Genealogy Trails; Internet Archive; USGenWeb (partial).
 * The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Cass County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Cass County residents.  See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Land and Property
Online Resources


 * BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Cass County from the Government Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patent details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives. The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.


 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales. The Illinois State Archives has an online index to the records of Public land sales held by the State Archives. The indexes are by purchasers name and by legal description. This is a statewide collection with nearly 550,000 land sales fro 54740 square miles.


 * "Illinois Public Land Purchase Records" This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at Ancestry.com ($)


 * "U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796 to 1907" Available at Ancestry.com ($) Records of Illinois are among the 13 states included in this set. It includes images of the land patents which contain the information necessary for ordering the complete case files from the National Archives. This appears to be the same information that is online at the Federal Land Office site http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/.


 * Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Digital book. Explains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. In addition to being on Ancestry, this book is available online at no cost at Internet Archives and Google Books.


 * Federal Township Plats

Copies of original records


 * 1808–1922 Grantor and Grantee index


 * 1823–1907 Original land tract sales


 * 1837–1940 Deed records


 * 1850–1857 Swampland records

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Cass County land and property may be found online in the. Copies of records on FHL microfilm and microfiche may be available for viewing atFamily History Centers. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military

 * 1860s - 1960s at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Civil War
Civil War service men from Cass 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 Cass County.


 * - 3rd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C.
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C.
 * - 14th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 19th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
 * - 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 61st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 114th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, C, D, E, G, H, and I.
 * - 145th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.

Naturalization and Citizenship
Circuit Court:


 * 1837–1892 Naturalization papers available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1859–1929 Declarations of Intent available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1859–1894 Naturalization final available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1871–1899 Naturalization dockets available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1865–1896 Naturalizations, soldiers and minors available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county

County Court:


 * 1860-1906 Declarations of Intent available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1860-1906 Naturalization Final available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1860-1905 Naruralizations, minors (under 21) available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1865-1886 Naturalizations soldiers available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county

For help with using the above links, click here for how to use IRAD.

Online Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry.com - index and images, ($)

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Poorhouses

 * 1887–1945 Almshouse Registers available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county.
 * 1887–1945 Almshouse registers also available through

For help with using the above links, click here for how to use IRAD.

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1819 - 1988 at FamilySearch.org — images


 * 1837–1848 Probate Book A Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1848–1849 Probate Book B Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1849–1852 Probate Book C Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1853–1858 Probate Book D Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1858–1861 Probate Book E Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1861–1864 Probate Book F Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * Guardianship Book A–1 Courtesy of Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.

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

Historical and Genealogical Society
The Society has a museum and holdings open to the public. You may find your family in their holdings.

Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society 109 S. Front St. Virginia, Illinois 62691 217-452-7977 Email: cchgs@casscomm.com

Family History Centers
Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States) and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy. Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Cass County.

You may search your address for a center near you on the FamilySearch site.

The following centers are located in surrounding counties. Their wiki pages may supply hours and other information.

Jacksonville Illinois Family History Center 1053 E. Vandalia Road Jacksonville, Illinois 62650 Phone: 217-245-8113

Springfield Illinois Family History Center 3601 Buckeye Drive Springfield, Illinois 62707 Phone: 217-529-7930

Macomb Illinois Family History Center 2000 W. Adams Macomb, Illinois Phone: 309-836-3201

Quincy Illinois Family History Center 210 Cardinal Terrace Quincy, Illinois Phone: 217-224-3220

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois.

The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Cass County. The link will help you find and use the records. There address is:

Illinois Regional Archives Depository LIB144 University of Illinois at Springfield Region One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407 217-206-6520

Public Libraries
Prairie Skies Public Library District 125 West Editor Street Ashland, Illinois 62612 Phone: 217-476-3417

Beardstown Houston Memorial Library 13 Boulevard Road Beardstown, Illinois 62618 Phone: 217-323-4204

"The library provides you with online access to complete articles from thousands of magazines and journals, and that's just the beginning. Also available are biographies, reports, pamphlets and additional reference materials. You will need an authorization code and password to access these databases. Contact the local librarian."

Virginia Memorial Public Library 100 North Main Street Virginia, Illinois 62691 Phone: 217-452-3846 Email: vmpl@casscomm.com

Societies

 * Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society 109 S. Front St. Virginia, Illinois 62691 Telephone Number: 217-452-7977 E-mail:[mailto:cchgs@casscomm.com cchgs@casscomm.com] Facebook Website

Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth (1860) and death (1878) certificates are kept by the Cass County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are kept by the County Clerk from 1877 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

Copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Universtiy of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Cass County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page.

found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Cass County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).

Births

 * 1860–1915 Birth Records available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass county
 * 1860–1915 Birth Records index available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass County
 * 1917–1950 Birth Certificates (Ashland Twp) available at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass County

For help with using the above links, click here for how to use IRAD.

Marriages

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837–1915 Marriage Record Index at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass records
 * 1837–1915 Marriage Licenses at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass records
 * 1837–1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. Search for Cass records.
 * 1837–1850 Illinois Marriages at Ancestry ($)
 * 1834–1870 First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Beardstown, Marriages
 * 1880–1902 Marriage License Applications at UIS RAD Region search for Cass records
 * 1882–1890 Marriage Records at UIS IRAD Region search for Cass records

For help with using the above links, click here for how to use IRAD.

Deaths

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * Pre–1916 Statewide death index. Illinois State Archives. Search for Cass records.
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1850–1880 U.S. Federal Mortality Schedules. Search for Cass County. Ancestry ($)
 * 1850U.S. Federal Mortality Schedule. Courtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1860U.S. Federal Mortality Schedule. Courtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1880 U.S. Federal Mortality Schedule. Courtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.
 * 1878–1915 Cass County Death Records indexed and made available courtesy of Researching Your Roots in Central Illinoishosted by RootsWeb
 * 1878–1917 Death records index Available at UIS IRAD Region
 * 1878–1915 Death records Available at UIS IRAD Region
 * 1878–1898 Death records stillbirths Available at UIS IRAD Region
 * 1910's–1930's Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois listing those Cass County patient deaths availble by RootsWeb
 * 1916–1925 Death certificates stilbirth (Ashland twp) Available at UIS IRAD Region
 * 1916–1950 Death Index Courtesy of Genealogy Trails.
 * 1916–1950 Illinois Statewide Death Index Search for Cass County.
 * 1917–1933 Death certificates (Ashland twp) Available at UIS IRAD Region
 * post 1941 The site also provides a list of WWII Deaths

For help with using the above IRAD links, click here for how to use IRAD.

Online Resources
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index, ($)

Newspapers
[ Obituary and Birth Announcements] Courtesy of ILGenWeb.

Divorce

 * 1875–1912 Miscellaneous Divorces, GrantedCourtesy of the Cass County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Websites

 * Cass County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Cass County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Cass County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Cass County, Illinois (Researching Your Roots in Central Illinois) Cemetery, Census, Church Records, Deeds, Funeral Home Records, Local Histories, Naturalizations, Tax Lists, Vital Records