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Knox County, Illinois Genealogy

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Guide to Knox County, Illinois ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

County Facts
County seat: Galesburg
Organized: January 13, 1825
Parent County(s): Fulton, Non-County Area 5
Neighboring Counties
Fulton • Henry • Mercer • Peoria • Stark • Warren
See County Maps
Courthouse
Illinois, Knox County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Knox County Illinois.png

Henry Knox

County Information

Description

Knox County was named for Henry Knox, a soldier of the American Revolution who commanded the storming party at Stony Point; Knox was later a Major General and Washington’s Secretary of War.[1] The county is located in the west-central part of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Knox County Courthouse
200 S Cherry St
Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: 309-343-3121
Knox County Courthouse

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

Knox County, Illinois Record Dates

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.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1878 1830 1878 1836 1818 1830 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started 1916. General compliance by 1922.

Record Loss

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

Boundary Changes

  • Parent County(s): Created from Fulton County and Non-County Area 5, on 13 January 13, 1825.
  • 1810 Knox County was part of St. Clair County.
  • 1820 Knox County was part of Madison County.
  • 1825 Knox County was created.
  • 1839 A part of Knox County was taken to create Stark County 2 March 1839.
  • County Seat: Galesburg
  • Illinois Individual County Chronologies - Newberry Library list of all boundary changes by county
  • Illinois Historical Borders - Map at Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; Also at: mapofus.org - animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes

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:[4]

Cities
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places
Townships
Ghost towns


History Timeline

  • 1809 Illinois became a territory. Until that time, the area of Knox County was Indian land.[5]
  • 1809 Knox County land was part of St. Clair County.[6]
  • 1812 September 14, Madison County was created and included what is now Knox County.[7]
  • 1818 Illinois became a state.[8]
  • 1821 January 31, Pike County split from Madison County and took the part with Knox County land.[9]
  • 1823 January 28, Fulton County split from Madison County and included the Knox County land.[10]
  • 1825 January 13, Knox County was created.[11]
  • 1839 March, part of Knox County was taken to create Stark.[12]

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

  • Portrait and Biographical Album of Knox County, Illinois, (Chicago Biographical Pub., 1886). 1108 pages. [3fx48pc BYU Archives].
  • The FamilySearch Library has several other books and films with biographies and indexes to the biographies of people in Knox County.
  • The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Knox County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Knox County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
  • Knox County, Illinois, section of USGenWeb, provides histories, biographies, records, maps, lookups, queries and a connection to the Knox County WorldConnect Database.

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Knox County, Illinois online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online

Knox ILGenWeb

Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Illinois Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1830 274 —
1840 7,060 2476.6%
1850 13,279 88.1%
1860 28,663 115.9%
1870 39,522 37.9%
1880 38,344 −3.0%
1890 38,752 1.1%
1900 43,612 12.5%
1910 46,159 5.8%
1920 46,727 1.2%
1930 51,336 9.9%
1940 52,250 1.8%
1950 54,366 4.0%
1960 61,280 12.7%
1970 61,280 0.0%
1980 61,607 0.5%
1990 56,393 −8.5%
2000 55,836 −1.0%
2010 52,919 −5.2%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Mortality Schedules

Federal

1800 First federal census taken for Illinois. Unfortunately it was lost.
1810 Knox County was part of St. Clair County. Unfortunately the census was lost.
1820 Knox County was part of Madison County.Census exists.
1830 All federal censuses for Illinois were lost.
1840 - 1930 Knox was its own county, and all censuses still exist.[13]

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, Knox County on page 187.

Church Records

Online Records

  • Doubet, Mildred Cadwell, Church Records, Victoria, Knox County, Illinois: Copied from the Original Churches [sic] Records, (Galesburg, Ill.: Knox County Genealogical Society, 1992). Libraries with book (World Cat).
  • First Presbyterian Church (Knoxville, Ill.), Membership and Baptism Records of FIrst Presbyterian Church, Knoxville, Knox County, Illinois, 1835 to 1900: Copied from Original Church Records, (Williamsfield, Ill.: Spoon River Chapter NSDAR, 1983). Libraries with book (World Cat).
  • Knox County Church Records on USGenWeb Archives Illinois has digital images of Presbyterian records.
  • Early Churches of Knox County, IL lists the early churches with short histories including when each started.
  • The Churches section of the Knox County, Illinois Genealogy and History site has pictures of the churches usually with brief histories.
  • Ontario Congregational Church, Ontario Township, Knox County, Ill., Ontario Congregational Church, Ontario Township, Knox County, Illinois. Centennial Celebration, 1848-1948, (n.p., 1948). Libraries with book (World Cat).

From Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County, the section on churches, starting on page 672, has short histories of the churches in Knox County as of 1899:

Baptist
-First Baptist Church, organized January 15, 1848
-Cherry Street Church, split from First Baptist in 1857; reunited November 9, 1864
-Second Baptist Church (African), organized in the fall of 1865
-Swedish Baptist Church, organized November 1888
Catholic
-St. Patrick's Church, started in 1857
Christian Church, organized April 11, 1872
Christian Scientist, meetings in Carr Hall
Congregational
-Old First Church, started about when Galesburg was founded; reunited January 1, 1895 with the First Congregational Church
-First Congregational Church, organized November 9, 1855
-Knox Street Church, organized August 1894
-East Main Street Church, organized August 8, 1894 as the Union Congregational Church of Galesburg; adopted name of East Main Street Church September 1895
-Central Church, organized January 1, 1895 by the reunion of the First and First Congregational Churches
Episcopal
-St. John's Church, organized in 1889 with about 250 members of the First Luthern Church of Gales burg
-Grace Church, organized spring of 1858
Lutheran
-Zion Lutheran, members started in first Lutheran Church, then went to St. John's Episcopal Church, then formed the Zion Lutheran Church
-German Lutheran Church, organized 1864
Methodist Episcopal
-First Methodist Episcopal, formed in 1847
-African Methodist Episcopal, edifice erected in 1876
-Swedish Methodist Episcopal, organized in 1851
-Swedish Mission, organized in August 1868 by members of the Lutheran Church
Presbyterian
-First Presbyterian Church - See Old First Church under Congregational
-Second Presbyterian Church, organized May 29, 1851; merged with Presbyterian Church March 1, 1870
-Presbyterian Church, organized December 30, 1894; merged with Second Presbyterian Church March 1, 1870
-Presbyterian Church of Galesburg, formed by union of the last two churches March 1, 1870
Salvation Army, in Galesburg
Universalist, organized in January 1855
Volunteers of America, organized in early part of 1896, when there was a split in the Salvation Army
Galesburg Mission Sunday School, founded in 1858 by members of the Presbyterian and Congregational churches

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.

Online Court Indexes and Records
The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Knox County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

African Americans

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

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 through online sources, the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Knox County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

  • Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and Knox County. (Chicago: Munsell Pub. Co., 1899), includes many short biographies and descriptions of places in alphabetical order. The Knox County section begins on page 665. Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($), USGenNet.
  • History Book Index on Knox County has indexes to several Knox County histories with links to the appropriate book if digitized.
  • Perry, Albert J. History of Knox County, Illinois: Its Cities, Towns and People. (Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1912). Online at: Internet Archive, Ancestry ($).
  • Knox County, Illinois, the Honor Roll, 1917-1918-1919. (Galesburg, Ill.: Wagoner Print. Co., 1920). Online at: Ancestry ($).

Maps and Gazetteers

Mercer CountyHenry CountyStark CountyPeoria CountyFulton CountyWarren CountyIL KNOX.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Civil War
Regiments. Civil War service men from Knox 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 Knox County.

- 1st Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company D.
- 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies D and K.
- 10th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
- 11th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C.
- 14th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A.
- 17th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and E.
- 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and H.
- 42nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
- 45th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
- 51st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C.
- 55th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
- 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- 59th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
- 64th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Yates’ Sharpshooters), Company D.
- 66th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- 72nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
- 77th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
- 83rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E, G, I and K.
- 84th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- 86th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- 89th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- 102nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, D, F, H, and I.
- 132nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company G.
- 137th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
- 138th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies B and E.
- 139th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company D.
- 148th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.

Naturalization and Citizenship

Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records.

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Almshouse Records

Public Records

Voting Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate records.

Online Probate Indexes and 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 Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Knox County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.


School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Vital Records

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Knox 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 usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Western Illinois University (WIU) - search for Knox County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the WIU IRAD Wiki page.

Birth

  • 1858-1972 Birth Records and Index at IRAD-WIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
  • 1877-1900 Knox County (Illinois). Clerk of the County Court, Birth and Delayed Birth Records, 1877-1900. Microfilm copy of original records located at the Knox County courthouse, Galesburg, Illinois. On 13 FS Library films starting with 1412074. Includes indexes.

Marriage

Books and Microfilms

  • Knox County Genealogical Society (Galesburg, Illinois),Index to Marriage Records, Knox County, Illinois, (Galesburg, Illinois Knox County Genealogical Society (Illinois), [198-?]-1990), copied from original record books in Knox County courthouse, Galesburg, Illinois by members of Knox County Genealogical Society, Contents: v. 1. 1830-1878 -- v. 2. 1879-1904. FS Catalog book 977.349 V22m, other libraries (WorldCat)
  • Knox County (Illinois). Clerk of the County Court, Knox County, Illinois Marriage Certificates, 1830-1922. Microfilm copy of original records located at the Knox County courthouse, Galesburg, Illinois. 46 FS Library films starting with film 1404969

Death

Books and Microfilms

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Knox County. For state-wide facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.

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. Western Illinois University houses the records for Knox County.

FamilySearch Centers

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

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Knox County. For state-wide library facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.

Galesburg Public Library
40 East Simmons Street
Galesburg, Illinois 61401
Telephone: 309-343-6118
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 9AM-8PM, Fri. 9AM-5PM, closed Sun.
Website

The Galesburg Public Library has a fine collection of local and state histories, censuses, city directories, cemetery records, county plat books, maps, newspapers, journals, yearbooks, and photographs that reflect the history and heritage of Galesburg. and the surrounding area. The collection includes many rare books and original manuscripts. The Library also houses the records of the Knox County Genealogical Society.

Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312-943-9090
Website

The Newberry Library has many records for Knox County, as well as other Illinois counties, Illinois, other states and other countries.

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Knox County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Illinois Societies.

Galesburg Historical Society
PO Box 1564
534 North Broad Street
Galesburg, IL 61401<br[> Phone 309-299-4551
Email:galesburghistoricalsociety@yahoo.com
Website

Knox County Genealogical Society
PO Box 13
Galesburg, IL 61402-0013
Email:knox.co.genie@gmail.com
Website

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Knox, Illinois Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ill/knox/ accessed 04/17/2017.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Knox County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knox_County,_Illinois 04/17/2017.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Knox 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.
  4. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Knox County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knox_County,_Illinois, accessed 19 March 2020.
  5. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920, (Baltimore:Genealogical Publishing Co., 1987), p. 100.
  6. ↑ Thorndale, p. 100.
  7. ↑ The Handy Book for Genealogists, Ninth ed., (Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1999), p. 112.
  8. ↑ Handy Book for Genealogists, p. 103.
  9. ↑ Handy Book for Genealogists, p. 113.
  10. ↑ Handy Book for Genealogists, p. 110.
  11. ↑ Handy Book for Genealogists, p. 111.
  12. ↑ Handy Book for Genealogists, p. 113.
  13. ↑ William Thorndale and William Dollarhide. Map Guide to the U.s. Federal Censuses, 1790-1920. (Gnealogical Publishing Co.: Baltimore, c1987), p. 99-105.
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