This page lists the most frequently asked questions
on Jackson County research. Hopefully, most or all of your questions can
be answered here. We do not live in Jackson County, but have been to the
Court House and the Historical Societies and do most of our research in Jackson
County.
WHERE DO I FIND BIRTH, MARRIAGE AND DEATH
RECORDS?
The
THE
JACKSON COUNTY COURT HOUSE is online
and can answer these questions for you under their genealogy link. It is
best to go in person, if at all possible. There you will find the old marriage
books and original marriage licenses, land records, and misc. items along
with the birth and death books. HOWEVER, note that not all births and deaths
were recorded, early on.
WHERE DO I FIND WILLS?
From what we've found, the following places have been the most helpful regarding wills. We currently have a list of probates/wills online. The Jackson County Historical Society has some of the wills. They have an index that can be checked. For wills that aren't kept at JCHS, you will have to contact IRAD which is located in Carbondale, IL. For directions to IRAD, please click HERE. It's best to get the BOX NUMBER from JCHS when contacting IRAD. You can place an order by phone or by mail, but again, going in person is best if possible. IRAD has a large amount of records available. A listing can be found through the Secretary of State web site.
WHERE CAN I FIND OLD NEWSPAPERS ON MICROFILM?
The ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY is a wonderful source for Illinois newspapers on microfilm. They grant interlibrary loan to anyone living in the State of Illinois. For requests outside of Illinois call the library to check on their policy at 217-524-7216. They will do a search of what is available for the area you are searching. These can also be purchased, check with the library on cost and availability of the master roll.
Their address is: ILLINOIS STATE HISTORICAL LIBRARY, Old State Capital Building,
Springfield, IL 62701.
WHERE DO I FIND PUBLICATIONS IN JACKSON
COUNTY?
The GENEALOGY SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS and the JACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY are both two good sources for publications, as well as other research material. You can see what is available at the Jackson County Historical Society online. The Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois offers memberships for $20 a year. With that you get a monthly newsletter and a quarterly publication called SAGA OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. Send your name, address and $20 to The Genealogy Society of Southern Illinois c/o John A. Logan College, 700 Logan College Road, Carterville, IL 62918-9599. As of 27 February 1998, Betty Glover is the membership chairperson. Both societies offer many publications on Jackson County, IL.
**The ILLINOIS STATE ARCHIVES offers many records, too many to list them all here, but you will find a listing at their website. Although we are currently trying to put most of the census online, the Archives has census on microfilm and you can request a copy of a page from them. You might also try your local LDS for census records. They also carry many Illinois military records.
We hope this page has helped to answer some of your questions! For help
researching in Illinois, visit the
Illinois Trails Research Help
Page.
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