Talk:Illinois, United States Genealogy

I would like the Illinois Wiki page to look more like the pages for sister states, including a left-hand topics bar. See the proposed reorganization below. Unless I hear strong objections, I will replace the current page with this version sometime after 17 June 2011. Please add your approval or disapproval notes before the dotted line on this discussion page. DiltsGD 21:31, 2 June 2011 (UTC) "Thanks for posting to my talk page! Because the list of Illinois counties is so lengthy, I would prefer to see it more compressed. I'm not a big fan of the left-hand topics list, but don't have strong preferences. The skyline photo doesn't have quite the feel I'd like for the page. Can you look at the draft of what I've been working on? (It's still got some problems, which is why it's in the sandbox still.  So look at it for a broad comparison, not for the annoying details - like the oversized seal image.)  I'd also like to see the wonderful Historical Records Collections for Illinois featured prominently in some way. Lise 13:46, 3 June 2011 (UTC)"

Yeas or Nays (and why)
____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''This page is about a Midwest state of the United States. For other uses, see Illinois (disambiguation)''. United States Illinois

Unique genealogical features:


 * 7 IRAD (Illinois Regional Archives Depositories) have good records
 * Also, Newberry Library, Chicago
 * Learn Chicago big city research: history, places, and resources

Illinois Counties
Extinct or Renamed Counties:  Dane

Click on the map below to go to a county page. Hover over a county to see its name. To see a larger version of the map, click here.

Major Repositories
Newberry Library· Illinois State Archives· Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)· Illinois State Library· Illinois State Historical Library (ISHL)· National Archives Great Lakes Region (Chicago)· Allen County Public Library

Migration Routes
Illinois River· Mississippi River· Ohio River· Wabash River· Lake Michigan· Buffalo Trace· Chicago-Dubuque Highway· Chicago-Kaskaskia Road· Detroit-Chicago Road· Kellog Trail· Mihoaukee Trail· Nashville-Saline River Trail· National Road (or Cumberland Road)· Old Chicago Road· Pecatonica Trail· Russellville-Shawneetown Trail· Illinois and Michigan Canal· Santa Fe Railway· Great Northern Railway (U.S.)

Featured Content
The Illinois State Genealogical Society Internet page gives contact information, newsletter archives, collection and project descriptions, events calendar, speakers, and key databases.

Research Tools

 * Cook County Genealogy Online is a free (requires registration) index of over 8 million births 1871-1936, marriages 1856-1961, and deaths 1871-1991.
 * The Chicago, Illinois Wiki page describes big city research including history, neighborhoods, available record types, societies, and ethnic groups.
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 allows free statewide or countywide searches.
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index 1878-1916 allows free statewide or countywide searchs. This is an on-going project.*Pre-statehood settlers of English and Ulster Scots descent came from Virginia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Kentucky by way of the Ohio River, where they joined a few hundred Frenchmen already in the area. The first blacks came to Illinois in 1719 with the French, but their numbers remained few until after the Civil War. Indian tribes relinquished their last remaining Illinois lands shortly after the Black Hawk War of 1832.
 * Many archives and libraries in the state have resources such as maps, gazetteers, and other place-finding aids to help you locate information about Illinois. They may have collections of previous research, such as family and local histories and biographies. Many have record-finding aids such as guides to their own collections or inventories of records housed elsewhere in the state.

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