Edgar County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Edgar County, Illinois
Map
Map of Illinois highlighting Edgar County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the U.S. highlighting Illinois
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded: January 3, 1823
County Seat Paris
Courthouse
IL-edgar-courthouse.jpg
Address Edgar County Courthouse
115 W. Court Street
Paris, Illinois 61944
(217) 466-7433
Edgar County Website


County Organization[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[1]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1823 1877 1823 1823 1827 1827 1810
*Statewide registration for births and deaths started 1916. General compliance by 1922.

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

Historical Facts[edit | edit source]

The county received its name from the John Edgar who was involved in politics as a Justice of the Peace, Judge and delegate to the Legislature. He was believed to be the wealthiest man in Illinois. 

Description[edit | edit source]

The county was named for Irishman John Edgar who was an officer in the Royal Navy who switched sides during the Revolutionary War rather than fight the colonists. He became a pioneer merchant, politician and land speculator in early Illinois. The county seat is Paris and the county was organized on 1823. [2]The County is located in the East-Central area of the state.[3]

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

  • 3 January 1823: Edgar County was created from Clark County. [4]


Record Loss[edit | edit source]

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

Records and Resources[edit | edit source]

Biography[edit | edit source]

The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Edgar County edition.  This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Edgar County residents.  See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Cemeteries of Edgar, Illinois online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Illinois Cemeteries for more information

Census[edit | edit source]

For information and tips on using and accessing online census records, see Illinois Census.

Federal[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1830 4,071 —
1840 8,225 102.0%
1850 10,692 30.0%
1860 16,925 58.3%
1870 21,450 26.7%
1880 25,499 18.9%
1890 26,787 5.1%
1900 28,273 5.5%
1910 27,336 −3.3%
1920 25,769 −5.7%
1930 24,966 −3.1%
1940 24,430 −2.1%
1950 23,407 −4.2%
1960 22,550 −3.7%
1970 21,591 −4.3%
1980 21,725 0.6%
1990 19,595 −9.8%
2000 19,704 0.6%
2010 18,576 −5.7%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1840 Pensioners[edit | edit source]

  • A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Edgar County on page 186.]

Church[edit | edit source]

Copies of Original records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records[edit | edit source]

Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]

African American[edit | edit source]

The following have information concerning African American research.

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

History[edit | edit source]

  • The <a href="Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois">Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois</a> has a Edgar County edition.  This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Edgar County residents.  See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Land and Property[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 through online sources, the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Edgar County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of Original Records

Abstracts

  • Ogle, George A. Standard atlas of Edgar County, Illinois: including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county; patrons directory (Evansville, Indiana:Unigraphic, 1974.) FHL Book 977.369 E3a; Other Libraries
  • Compiled and published by the American Atlas Co., Plat book of Edgar County, Illinois (Evansville, Indiana:Unigraphic, 1974.) FHL Book 977.369 E3a; Other Libraries
  • 1987 Edgar County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1987 (Rockford, Illinois:Rockford Map Publishers, c1987.) FHL Book 977.369 E7a; Other Libraries

Online Resources

Maps[edit | edit source]

Champaign CountyVermilion CountyDouglas CountyColes CountyClark CountyVigo CountyVermillion CountyIL EDGAR.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Military[edit | edit source]

The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has an Edgar County edition.  This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Edgar County residents.  See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Civil War[edit | edit source]

Civil War service men from Edgar 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 Edgar County.

- 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A.
- 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company E.
- 21st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- 25th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
- 29th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
- 34th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
- 54th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F and K.
- 59th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and H.
- 62nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
- 64th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Yates’ Sharpshooters), Company H.
- 66th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- 70th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- 79th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, C, D and H.
- 130th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- 135th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
- 150th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company C.
- 14th Regiment, Missouri Infantry (Union), Company E
- Engineer Regiment of the West, Missouri Volunteers (Union), Company B
- Engineer Regiment of the West, Missouri Volunteers (Union), Company H

  • Parkinson, Scott, Edgar County Illinois in the Civil War, 1861-1865 (1988). (Thesis [M.A.]-- Eastern Illinois University, 1988). View online at Internet Archives. (accessed 2 Jun 2010)

Naturalization[edit | edit source]

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

The following copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library.

Online Records

Newspapers and Obituaries[edit | edit source]

USGenWeb, Edgar County, Illinois Obituaries

Places and Localities[edit | edit source]

Populates 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:[5]

Cities
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Townships

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Online Probate Indexes and 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.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library.

Indexes


Copies of Original Records

Abstracts

  • Hammond, Barbara L. Hammond, Echos [i.e. Echoes] from the past, vol. 1 : estate packets [drawers] 1-23, Edgar County, Illinois (Paris, Illinois:Tresearch,c2002) FHL Book 977.369 P2h; Other Libraries

Repositories[edit | edit source]

County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

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

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • Family History 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 family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

There are over 4500 Family History Centers worldwide which serve as branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Volunteers provide research assistance to help patrons identify their ancestors. Some microfilm may be available at various family history centers. Locate your nearest Family History Center at the FamilySearch website. Call ahead to verify operating hours.  All are welcome.

The following centers are accessible to residents of Edgar County, Illinois:

Champaign Illinois Family History Center 
604 W Windsor Rd
Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
Phone: 217-352-8063
Hours: Thur-Sat 9:30-12:30pm; Thur 7pm-9pm; or by appt

Danville Illinois Family History Center
1941 N Bowman Ave
Danville, Vermilion, Illinois
Phone: 217-446-5887
Hours: Sat 9:30am-2pm

Terre Haute Indiana Family History Center
1845 N 6 1/2 St
Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana
Phone: 812-234-0269
Hours: Tue 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Closed: Mondays after 6:00 p.m., all major holidays, inclement weather, whenever Vigo schools are on delays or early dismissals.
Attention: The Center is also available by appointment.

Please note: Addresses posted are not mailing addresses. Due to limited staff, Family History Centers are unable to respond to mail inquiries.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)[edit | edit source]

The Illinois State Archives administers a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD) to manage the archival records of local governments.  Local governments which have transferred records to the regional depositories include counties, townships, municipalities, and school districts. The records of Edgar County come under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) regional depository.

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
Booth Library
Eastern Illinois University (EIU)
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920
Telephone: (217) 581-6093

Hours: Monday – Friday, except state holidays
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Note: The depository is staffed by graduate student interns. Because of class scheduling conflicts, hours may vary somewhat from the published schedule. Researchers are urged to call before planning a visit.

Libraries[edit | edit source]

Chrisman Public Library
108 North Illinois Street, Chrisman, IL 61924-1001
(217) 269-3011

Edgar County Genealogy Library
408 N Main St
Paris, IL 61944-1549
(217) 463-4209

Kansas Community Memorial Library
107 N Front St
Kansas, IL 61933
(217) 948-5484

Paris Carnegie Public Library
207 S. Main St
Paris IL 61944
(217) 463-3950

Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]

Societies[edit | edit source]

Taxation[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.


Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Edgar 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 Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Eastern Illinois University (EIU) - search for Edgar County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the EIU IRAD Wiki page.

Births[edit | edit source]

Copies of Original Records

Marriages[edit | edit source]

Copies of Original Records

Abstracts

  • 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
  • 1823-1914 Cary, Linda Perkinson Edgar County, Illinois marriages (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Genealogical Society, 1988-1998.) FHL Book 977.369 V22e v. 1–8
  • 1870-1874 Stephens, Edythe Edgar County, Illinois, marriages January 1870 thru March 1874 (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978.) FHL Film 1036193 item 1
  • 1823-1866 Selby, Robert E. and Phyllis J. Selby Edgar County, Illinois marriage records, 1823-1866 (Kokomo, Indiana:Selby Publishing and Printing, c1981.) FHL Book 977.369 V2se; Other Libraries
  • 1874-1877 Powell, Waunita, Arthur A. Hand, and A. Joyce Brown Edgar County, Illinois marriages, April 1874-1877 (Paris, Illinois:Edgar County Illinois Genealogical Society, 1986.) FHL Book 977.369 V2p; Other Libraries
  • Sargent, Samuel S. Genealogies of families of Coles County, Illinois, and miscellaneous cemetery, marriage, and probate records (Salt Lake City, Utah:Genealogical Society of Utah, 1948.) Includes miscellaneous marriage records. FHL Film 7699
  • Wheeler, Gertrude Genealogical records of Illinois, marriage record, cemetery records, probate court records, will, and family histories : from Edgar, Peoria, Tazewell, and Vermilion Counties (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1973.) FHL Film 924006 item 10

Online Resources

Deaths[edit | edit source]

Copies of Original Records

Abstracts

Online Resources

Websites[edit | edit source]

Databases pertinent to Edgar County

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Edgar County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL 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.
  2. ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Edgar County, Illinois Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ill/edgar/ accessed 04/12/2017.
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Edgar County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_County,_Illinois 04/012/2017.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.; Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002 WorldCat 50140092, FHL Book 973 D27e 2002
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Edgar County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 2 January 2020.

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