Adams County, Illinois Genealogy

''This article is about a western Illinois county. For other uses, see Adams.''

United States Illinois Adams County

Quick Dates
Adams County's civil records start the following years:

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

Historical Facts


Adams County is named for, the sixth President of the United States.

Boundary Changes
13 January 1825 -- Adams County was created 13 January 1825 from Pike County. 03 August 1829: Hancock County fully organized, detached from Adams. (Scofield, 679) 03 March 1837: Adams boundaries were extended to the middle of the Mississippi River [not mapped]. (Ill. Laws 1836-1837, pp. 91-92) 11 February 1843: Adams lost to creation of Marquette (later Highland, extinct). (Ill. Laws 1842-1843, pp. 77-83) 27 Febrary 1847: Adams lost to Highland (extinct). (Ill. Laws 1846-1847, gen., pp. 38-41) by 31 December 1848: Adams gained all of Highland (extinct) when Highland failed to become fully organized as a county; Highland eliminated. (Wilcox, David F., 1:119-120) (source: Newberry Library)

Record Loss
9 December 1835 - Courthouse burned and many records were damaged. 9 January 1875 - Courthouse burned again, and may records damaged.

For further information on researching in burned counties, see Burned Counties Research.

Places/Localities
To see a list of places in Adams 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. Localities listed in red have no wiki page yet. 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

 * Inventory of the county archives of Illinois, no. 1, Historical Records Survey, pub. 1939

Biography

 * The History of Adams County, Illinois: containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc.; a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late Rebellion ... portraits of early settlers and prominent men; history of the Northwest, history of Illinois ... etc., etc. Reprint 1977 (original 1879)
 * The History of Adams County, Illinois: containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc.; a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men...miscellaneous matters, etc., etc., pub. 1879 ; Adams Co IL USGenWeb
 * The History of Adams County, Illinois: containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc.; a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men...miscellaneous matters, etc., etc., apparent reprint with index
 * Memorials to those involved in the legal profession, filed by the clerk, with birth and death dates, ca. 1807-1961,
 * Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois: including the late Colonel John Tillson's History of Quincy, together with biographical sketches of many of its leading and prominent citizens and illustrious dead; pub. 1905 ; Adams Co IL USGenWeb
 * Portrait and biographical record of Adams County, Illinois: containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens; pub. 1892. Adams County IL USGenWeb; Google Books; Internet Archive; Ancestry ($);
 * Quincy and Adams County History, Vol. 1. pub. 1919 Adams County IL USGenWeb
 * Quincy and Adams County History, Vol. II, pub. 1919 Adams County IL USGenWeb
 * Adams County IL USGenWeb Message Board

Indexes

 * Naturalization index and bar association index, Adams County, Illinois; pub. 1993

Cemeteries
Find A Grave, list of cemeteries. Additional information can be found at local level (city, township, etc.)


 * A report on Hunsaker burial grounds in Illinois, pub. 1959, Q. Maurice Hunsaker, President, Hunsaker Family Organization.

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

Federal

1830 Census, Quincy only: Adams County ILGenWeb Project

1840 Census, Rural Adams County (No names from Quincy): Adams County ILGenWeb Project

1850 Census, Adams County, Illinois other libraries;

1860 Census, Adams County, Illinois other libraries;

1870 Census of Adams County, Illinois Quincy Public Library

The 1890 census burned. The Directories section includes a reference to an 1892 directory that can be used to learn who lived in the county at approximately the same time.

State

 * 1855, State Census FamilySearch Index only
 * 1855, Name index to early Illinois records
 * 1855, State Census
 * 1865, State Census

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, Adams County on page 186.]

Church History
Inventory of the McDonough County Genealogical Society's church records, ca. 1830-1991 Assembly of God, Eagle Church - [United] Methodist Church, Scotia - FHL film 1787898 [United] Methodist Church, Tennessee - [United] Pentecostal Church of Macomb - other areas [not a lot of material] that include Fulton, Adams &amp; Knox counties. FHL film 1787899 item 1

Court Records

 * Adams County Courthouse


 * Judici.com, go back only to 1987.

Directories

 * Adams County, IL, 1892. Quincy, IL, USA: Stone &amp; Co., 1892. Digital version at Ancestry ($).

Mailing Lists
Rootsweb mailing lists:


 * iladams
 * il-cemeteries
 * il-civil-war
 * il-western
 * illinois-tttp
 * ilroots
 * ilobits
 * il-ghosttowns
 * il-old-news
 * il-history

Yahoogroups:


 * Illinois Trails
 * Illinois Genealogy

Message Boards
Rootsweb/Ancestry


 * Unknown County
 * Adams County

Genforum:


 * Illinois
 * Adams County

Adams County IL USGenWeb has its own message board Message Board

History

 * The History of Adams County, Illinois: Containing History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, etc., A Biographical Directory of Its Citizens, War Record of Its Volunteers in the Late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Illinois, Map of Adams County, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, etc., etc. Chicago: Murray, Williamson &amp; Phelps, 1879. Internet Archive; Ancestry ($); Reprint:
 * Collins, William Herzog. Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1905. Internet Archive; Ancestry ($)
 * Quincy and Adams County History and Representative Men. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1919. Internet Archive; Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($).

Maps

 * GIS Interactive map of Adams County

Military History and Records
Civil War


 * Illinois military census, 1861-1862 A list, by county, of able-bodied male citizens between the ages of eighteen and forty-five in pursuance of General Orders No. 99 of the War Department and instructions of the Adjutant General of the State of Illinois. Adams, Cook, JoDavies and Lake counties.


 * Civil War service men from Adams 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 Adams County.


 * - 50th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, and K.
 * - 78th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, E, F, G, I, and K.
 * - 84th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and I.

Obituaries
The Adams County ILGenWeb Project has a nice collection of Obituaries &amp; Death Notices.

Poorhouses
Adams County Almshouse Register Index, 1873-1898, courtesy: Illinois State Archives.

Vital Records
To learn how to order birth, marriage, and death records, visit the County Clerk's website:

Adams County Clerk Vital Records Georgia Volm 507 Vermont St Quincy, IL 62301 217-277-2150

Marriages

 * Hoffman, Laurie. Early Marriages -- Brown County Illinois 1839 - 1850, courtesy: ILGenWeb

Deaths
Brown County Permanent Resident Index (burials), courtesy: ILGenWeb

Websites

 * Adams County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)