Greene County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Greene County, Illinois ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Greene County was named for General Nathanael Greene, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The county was organized in 1821 and its seat is Carrollton. Greene County is located in the west-central area of the state.[1]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Greene County Courthouse
519 N. Main St
Carrollton, IL 62016-1033
Phone: 217-942-6731
Greene County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Greene County are kept, see the Greene County Courthouse page.
Greene County, Illinois Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1877 | 1821 | 1877 | 1821 | 1821 | 1821 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[4]
| Cities | ||
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| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
All of the family biographies from The History of Greene County, Illinois (1879) published by Donnelley, Gassette & Loyd are available free on the My Genealogy Hound website.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 11,951 | — |
| 1850 | 12,429 | 4.0% |
| 1860 | 16,093 | 29.5% |
| 1870 | 20,277 | 26.0% |
| 1880 | 23,010 | 13.5% |
| 1890 | 23,791 | 3.4% |
| 1900 | 23,402 | −1.6% |
| 1910 | 22,363 | −4.4% |
| 1920 | 22,883 | 2.3% |
| 1930 | 20,417 | −10.8% |
| 1940 | 20,292 | −0.6% |
| 1950 | 18,852 | −7.1% |
| 1960 | 17,460 | −7.4% |
| 1970 | 17,014 | −2.6% |
| 1980 | 16,661 | −2.1% |
| 1990 | 15,317 | −8.1% |
| 2000 | 14,761 | −3.6% |
| 2010 | 13,886 | −5.9% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.
- 1850 Sheffer, Mabel T. 1850 Greene County, Illinois Census, Mortality Schedule. Carrollton, Ill.(P.O. Box 137, Carrollton): The Society, [198-].at other libraries FS Library Book 977.384 X2g 1850
- 1850-1880 U.S. Census Mortality Schedules Ancestry ($)
1840 Pensioners
- A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FS Catalog 973 X2pc 1840; FS Catalog 2321. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Illinois, Greene County on page 187.
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Churches of many denominations abound in Greene County. The leading denominations in order of membership are currently Evangelical denominations, Catholic, American Baptist churches, Assemblies of God, Christian (Disciples of Christ), Presbyterian, and Methodist.
United Baptist
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Search for Greene County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (UIS).
Court Indexes and Records
- 1821-1840 Circuit Court Execution Dockets at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Abstracts
- Maire, Jean M. Early records of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois (Springfield, Illinois:Allers and Gochanour, 1986) WorldCat 16880764; FS Library Book 977.38 H2ma
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans
- African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
- Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
- African-American Resources for Illinois
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
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Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online, through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Greene County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (UIS).
- 1824-1887 Deed Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1846-1850 Assessor's Books at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1821-1853 Land records FS Library film 1722568
- 1821-1929 Deeds records and indexes FS Library film 1310001 (first of 35 films)
- 1822-1839 Land records FS Library film 1320028 Item 3 (first of 2 films)
- 1831-1877 School land records FS Library film 1722569 items 4–6
- 1866-1915 Estray record FS Library film 1722569 Item 1
- BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Greene 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 Land Purchase Records at Ancestry ($). This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence.
- U.S. General Land Office Records, 1776-2015 at Ancestry ($). 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 Bureau of Land Management.
- Illinois Federal Township Plats, by County
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales at the Illinois State Archives. 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 from 54740 square miles.
- Sheldon, Theodore. Land registration in Illinois. Chicago: Callaghan Co., 1901. Explains the laws regarding land and the land systems used in Illinois. Includes court cases involving land issues. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Abstracts
- Greene County Deeds/Land at USGenWeb Archives.
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
- History of Greene County...Its Past and Present. By Clement L. Capp. Evansville, Indiana : Unigraphic, 1978. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
- History of Greene and Jersey Counties, Illinois. Ann Arbor, Michigan : University Microfilms International - Books on Demand, 1989. Online at: Part 1 - FamilySearch Digital Library, Part 2 - FamilySearch Digital Library.
- All of the Biographies from The History of Greene County, Illinois (1879) published by Donnelley, Gassette & Loyd at My Genealogy Hound.
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- Township Map of 1870 Greene County, Illinois with numerous small settlements. (My Genealogy Hound)
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
- 1860s-1960s Illinois, Military Discharge Records, ca.1862 - ca.1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1861-1862 Militia Roll Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1862-1981 Military Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Civil War
Regiments. Civil War service men from Greene 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 Greene County.
- - 12th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company F.
- - 14th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
- - 59th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- - 61st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, E, and G.
- - 91st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies G, H, I, and K.
- - 122nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
- - 133rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies C and G.
- - 144th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1998 Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-Current Illinois, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and EventsIndex, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1831-Onward Illinois Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Almshouse Records[edit | edit source]
- 1824-1928 Almshouse and Poor Relief Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Criminal and Punishments[edit | edit source]
- 1886-1972 Jail Registers at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Public Records[edit | edit source]
- 1821-1984 Public Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Original probate records are held by the Greene. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. No probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD (UIS). The following copies are available in the FamilySearch Catalog:
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- 1819-1988 Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- 1836-1848 Probate IndexRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records.
- 1836-1917 Probate RecordsRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records.
- 1836-1921 Will Records 1306486–1306488
- 1836-1923 Index to Probate FilesRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records. 1306488 item 3
- 1836-1981 Estate Index FS Library Film 1310079
- 1836-1981 Probate Records FS Library Film 1306488 (first of 14 films) Includes indexes to all records.
- 1845-1915 Will RecordRecord Collection 1834344 Online images. Browse for Greene records.
- 1864-1927 Inventory Records FS Library Film 1310079–1310083
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
- 1834-1963 School Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded since 1877 are kept by the Greene while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health. with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are kept by the County Clerk from 1877 to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
Copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois–Springfield(UIS). Search Greene County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database . For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (UIS).
Explore Greene County vital records found in the FamilySearch Catalog.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1860 to 1972 Index to delayed births FS Library film 1310039
- 1862-1981 Birth Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1877-1981 Birth records Index 1877 to 1981 FS Library film 1310038
- 1877-1901 Birth records FS Library film 1310038–7
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1810-1940 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1821-1860 Greene County marriages in Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860 at Ancestry ($)
- 1821-1981 Marriage Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1821-1981 Marriages with index FS Library films 1310035–1310037
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1851-1900 Greene County marriages in Illinois Marriages 1851 to 1900 at Ancestry ($)
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1877-1981 Death Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1877-1901Death records with indexes FS Library films 1310039–1310040
- 1909-1911 Deaths 1909-1911 at ILGenWeb
- 1916-1947 Deaths and Stillbirths Record Collection 1438856 Online index.
- 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1916-1972 Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1972 at Illinois State Archives - index
- Greene County death links at ILGenWeb
- Greene County Patient Deaths at the Illinois State Hospital at ILGenWeb
- Index to Greene County Illinois Inquest Files at ILGenWeb
- Simpson Funeral Home Records at ILGenWeb
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Greene County. For state-wide facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
The Archives hold many records for Greene County. For information on how to use IRAD see the Wiki article IRAD (UIS).
Illinois Regional Archives Depository
LIB144
University of Illinois at Springfield Region
One University Plaza, MS BRK 140
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407
217-206-6520
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Alton Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Jacksonville Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Litchfield Illinois FamilySearch Center
- St Louis Missouri North FamilySearch Center
- Athens Municipal Library - an affiliate library
- Chatham Area Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Greene County. For state-wide library facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Carrollton Public Library
509 South Main Street
Carrollton, IL 62016-1251
Phone: 217-942-6715
Email: cte@lcls.org
Facebook
Greenfield Public Library
515 Chestnut Street
Greenfield, IL 62044
Phone: 217-368-2613
Website
Roodhouse Public Library
220 West Franklin Street
Roodhouse, IL 62082
Phone: 217-589-5123
White Hall Township Public Library
119 East Sherman Street
White Hall, IL 62092
Phone: 217-374-6014
Fax: 217-374-6554
Email: whtlibrary1922@gmail.com
Website
Holdings include a genealogy file, containing dates of birth, death, and marriages which have appeared in the local newspaper, dating 1869 to present time. The newspapers themselves are on microfilm.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Greene County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Illinois Societies.
Greene County Historical and Genealogical Society
PO Box 137
Carrollton, Illinois 62016
Phone: 217-942-6013
Email: greenecohistsoc@irtc.net
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Greene County ILGenWeb
- Greene County IL Genealogy
- Greene County, IL Linkpendium
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Greene County, Illinois" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_County,_Illinois 04/013/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Greene County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 194-197.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT: Everton Publishers, 2002), 194. (FS Library Collection Ref Book 973 D27e 2002). WorldCat entry.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Greene County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greene_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 6 January 2020.