Macon County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Macon 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
Description
Macon County was named for Nathaniel Macon, who served as a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. Macon later served as Senator from North Carolina until his resignation in 1828. The county was organized on January 19, 1829 and its seat is Decatur.[1] Macon County is located in the central part of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Macon County Courthouse
253 E Wood St
Decatur, IL 62526
Phone: 217-425-7098
Macon County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Macon County are kept, see the Macon County Courthouse page.
Macon 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1850 | 1829 | 1877 | 1829 | 1827 | 1831 | 1810 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
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History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
- 1878-1898 Agricultural and Animal Bounty Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Cemeteries
Census Records
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1830 | 1,122 | — |
| 1840 | 3,039 | 170.9% |
| 1850 | 3,988 | 31.2% |
| 1860 | 13,738 | 244.5% |
| 1870 | 26,481 | 92.8% |
| 1880 | 30,665 | 15.8% |
| 1890 | 38,083 | 24.2% |
| 1900 | 44,003 | 15.5% |
| 1910 | 54,186 | 23.1% |
| 1920 | 65,175 | 20.3% |
| 1930 | 81,731 | 25.4% |
| 1940 | 84,693 | 3.6% |
| 1950 | 98,853 | 16.7% |
| 1960 | 118,257 | 19.6% |
| 1970 | 125,010 | 5.7% |
| 1980 | 131,375 | 5.1% |
| 1990 | 117,206 | −10.8% |
| 2000 | 114,706 | −2.1% |
| 2010 | 110,768 | −3.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church Records
Church records may give birth, death and marriage information as well as indictate family relationships. See Illinois Church Records for more ideas about how to use church records in your research. Many libraries (WorldCat) and the FamilySearch Library hold abstracts of church records for Macon County. Learn more about how to search WorldCat and the FamilySearch Catalog.
- Macon County, IL, Churches Index. Courtesy of ILGenWeb.
- Early Church History for Macon County, Illinois Courtesy Genealogytrails.com. Includes Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Church of God, Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal, United Brethren and Universalist Churches.
- Forney, Christian Henry History of the Churches of God in the United States of North America (Board of Directors of the Publishing House and book rooms of the Churches of God, 1914.) Available for viewing at Google Books.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Macon County are kept, see the Macon County Courthouse page.
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
- 1829-1952 Circuit Court Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1831-1838 Hauffe, Jean Parks Abstracts of Macon County, Illinois Circuit Court records, book A, 1831- 1838 WorldCat 901305; FS Library Book 977.358 P2m
- 1831-1848 Court record, Vol. A-B FS Library Film 985764
- 1857-1919 Justice of the Peace Dockets at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1872-1934 County Court Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1900-1972 Coroner's Inquest Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- Macon County Jail, 1930 Index of Prisoners at Blacksheep Ancestors
Directories
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
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
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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 online, through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the University of Illinois at Springfield - search for Macon County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the UIS IRAD Wiki page.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
- 1829-1948 Mortgage and Deed Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1830-1874 Original entry FS Library film 989021, item 1
- 1830-1887 Deeds records FS Library film 985772 (first of 63 films)
- 1830-1893 Land records index FS Library film 985765–71
- BLM GLO Records. Search original land patents for Macon County from the Government Land Office (GLO) or Eastern States Office. Some searches include images of the original warrants. All search results include the patent details needed for requesting copies of the land entry files at the National Archives.The GLO is the custodian of millions of land title documents. The General Land Office Automated Records Project is responsible for making these important documents available to the public.
- Illinois Federal Township Plats at Illinois Digital Archives - images; by County
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales at the Illinois State Archives - index; by purchaser's name and by legal description; Also at Ancestry ($).
- 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, Hathi Trust.
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- 1788-1940 Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
- 1844-1987 Military and Burial Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1862-1965 Illinois, Military Discharge Records, ca.1862 - ca.1965 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1879-2007 Illinois, Macon County, Decatur Public Library Collections, 1879-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Civil War
Regiments. Civil War service men from Macon 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 Macon County.
- - 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company I.
- - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Companies A and B.
- - 8th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A and B.
- - 21st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
- - 41st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A and E.
- - 63rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
- - 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 115th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- - 116th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, G, I, and K.
- - 145th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 150th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company I.
- - 152nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company K.
World War II
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1998 Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1853-1956 Naturalization Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current Illinois, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and EventsIndex, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Current
The website of the Decatur Herald Review provides free access to birth and death notices published in the newspaper since 1997.
Obituaries
- 1831-Onward Illinois Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
- 1879-2007 Illinois, Macon County, Decatur Public Library Collections of Obituaries, 1879-2007 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
Other Records
Almshouse Records
- 1863-1926 Asylum and Insanity Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1919-1942 Mother's Pension Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Criminal and Punishments
- 1899-1909 Court Criminal Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Public Records
- 1829-1973 Public Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Voting Records
- 1894-1934 Voter Registers at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Periodicals
Probate Records
Original probate records are usually held by the Macon. Probate records include wills, inventories, settlements, and guardianship records. Copies of probate records are held at IRAD. Explore how to search IRAD–UIS.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
- 1819-1988 Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- 1830-1962 Probate Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1830-1972 Estate Files Index FS Library film 983279
- 1830-1885 Estate Files FS Library films 983280, first of 113 films
- 1847-1916 Will Records FS Library films 983273–983278
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Abstracted probate records and indexes for Macon County may also be explored through a subject search of the FamilySearch Catalog, and WorldCat.
School Records
- 1858-1912 School Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — 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
- 1827-1893 Tax Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Vital Records
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded since 1877 are kept by the Macon 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 1829 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 Macon County records in the Local Governmental Records Holdings Database . For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD–UIS Wiki page.
Explore MaconCounty vital records found in the FamilySearch Catalog. Other libraries(at WorldCat) also hold copies of abstracted Macon County vital records. (How to explore WorldCat).
Birth
- 1850-1917 Birth Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1850-1922 Birth Records Index FS Library Film 983929
- 1877-1917 Birth record IRAD-UIS, search for Macon County records. FS Library Film 983929 (first of 7 films)
Marriage
- 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1810-1940 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1829-1850 Illinois Marriages 1790 to 1860 at Ancestry ($). The source of this collection is films in the FamilySearch Library's collection
- 1829-1918 Marriage Records IRAD-UIS, search for Macon County records. FS Library Film 983125 (first of 4 films)
- 1829-1930 Marriage Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1829-1930 Marriage records index IRAD-UIS, search for Macon County records. FS Library Film 983123–983124
- 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages 1851 to 1900 at Ancestry ($). The source of this collection is films in the FamilySearch Library's collection
- 1883-1884, 1889 Marriage License Applications IRAD-UIS, search for Macon County records. FS Library Film 983129
Death
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1844-1987 Soldiers and Sailors Burial Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1877-1918 Death Records. Available at UIS IRAD Region, search for Macon county. FS Library Films 983936 (first of 4 films)
- 1877-1922 Death Records and Index at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1877-1922 Death Records Index. Available at UIS IRAD Region, search for Macon county. FS Library Film 983936
- 1878-1902 Death Record, Stillbirths IRAD-UIS, search for Macon County records. FS Library Film 272971 item 1
- 1879-2007 Macon County, Illinois, U.S., Decatur Public Library Obituaries at Ancestry — index, images ($)
- 1900-1972 Coroner's Inquest Records at IRAD-UIS - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- Pre-1916 Pre–1916 Statewide Death Index at IRAD.
- 1916–1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1916-1972 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1972 - index
Divorce
- Macon County Divorce Index from newspaper abstracts at ILGenWeb.
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Macon 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.
The University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS) houses the records for Macon 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
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
- Champaign Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Decatur Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Springfield Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Athens Municipal Library - an affiliate library
- Champaign County Historical Archives - an affiliate library
- McLean County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
- Vespasian Warner Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Macon County. For state-wide library facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Barclay Public Library
220 S. Main St.
P.O. Box 349
Warrensburg, IL 62573
Phone: 217-672-3621
Website
- Wide variety of genealogy and local history resources. They are also digitizing their collection, which can be accessed online and in the library.
Decatur Public Library
130 N. Franklin St.
Decatur, IL 62523
Phone: 217-424-2900
- Shilling Local History Room has newspapers, obituary index, cemetery listings, local directories.
- Wiki article describing the online collection is found at: Website
Maroa Public Library
305 E. Garfield Street
Maroa, IL 61756
Phone: 217-794-5111
Prairie Post Online Obituary Index
Website
Museums
Macon County History Museum and Prairie Village
5580 North Fork Road
Decatur, IL 62521
Phone: 217-422-4919
Email: info@mchsdecatur.org
Website
Societies
Listed below are societies in Macon County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Illinois Societies.
Decatur Genealogical Society and Library
PO Box 1548
1255 W. South Side Drive
Decatur, IL 62525-1548
Phone: 217-429-0135
Email: DecaturGenSoc@att.net
Website
Websites
- Macon County IL Genealogy
- Macon ILGenWeb
- Macon 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
References
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Macon, Illinois Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ill/macon/ accessed 2/24/2025.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Macon County, Illinois" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macon_County,_Illinois 04/17/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Macon 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FSC Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Macon County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macon_County,_Illinois, accessedMarch 2020.