Crawford County, Illinois Resources

Addresses | Books | Lookups | Microfilm

Addresses:

Crawford County Courthouse
County Clerk's Office
1 Courthouse Square
P.O. Box 602
Robinson, IL 62454
Phone: 618.546.1212

Crawford County Historical Society
P.O. Box 554
Robinson, IL 62454
Membership: $10/yr. Maintains a museum on the north Lincoln Trail Junior College Campus. Has some files for research, but is mainly a museum.

Crawford County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 120
Robinson, IL 62454
Speakers every month at their meetings, which are held on the second Monday at 7 pm.

Eastern Illinois Regional Archives Depository
Searchable online databases through the Illinois State Archives
Booth Library
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920
Phone: 217.581.6093
Hours: M-F (except state holidays) 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This repository holds:

  • Birth and Death from 1877 to 1915
  • Marriage records from 1817 to 1916
  • A registered copy of any of the above is $2, if certified then $5. IF you for some reason need 5 or more certified copies of the same person, notice I said same person, then the first is $5 and others are $2. IF you need lookups of more than 10 names, they will charge $10 and the price of copy. The dates end at 1915 for the general public. However the library happens to have a copy of the death index from the state starting from 1916 to 1966. More info, including downloadable forms for ordering these records can be obtained from the County Clerk's website.
  • Taxable Land Lists from 1817 to 1851
  • Circuit Court records from 1817 to 1958 from the Clerk of Court's Office.
  • The Depository holds the County Recorder's Office records for:
    - Deeds from 1817 to 1958
    - Military Discharge records from 1919 to 1958
    - Plat Records from 1882 to 1957
    - Swamp Land Records from 1854 to 1867
  • The Sheriffs Office supplied Jail Registers from 1922 to 1960.
  • The County Superintendent of Schools Office provided:
    - School records from 1916 to 1943
    - School Land Sale Records from 1834 to 1852
    - Treasurers Statements from 1834 to 1858
    - Trustees Minutes from 1866 to 1854
  • The Board of County Commissioners Minutes are available from 1816 to 1875.
  • Survey Records from 1850 to 1934 came from the Surveyor's Office.
  • From the Probate Court comes:
    - Appraisement records from 1845 to 1849
    - Estate Inventory records from 1911 to 1958
    - Probate Dockets from 1849 to 1894
    - Probate records from 1849 to 1958
    - Will records from 1818 to 1956
  • The city of Robinson supplied City Ordinance Records from 1887 to 1913.
  • Marriage Licenses can be obtained from Crawford County Courthouse for a cost of $2 per record at P.O. Box 602, Robinson, IL 62454

    • Robinson Public Library
    606 N. Jefferson
    Robinson, IL 62454
    Phone: 618.544.2917
    Hours: M-Th 10 am - 8 pm; Fri 10 am - 5:30 pm; Sat 11 am-5:30 pm
    The library staff do not have the time to do research or lookups. Their collection includes newspapers on microfilm for Crawford and surrounding counties, they are not let out nor are they interlibrary loaned. You may however order newspapers from the IL State Historical Society. One of these is The Robinson Argus. It is a weekly that is one of the oldest continuous newspapers in the state of IL. You can get the current edition delivered out of county for one year for $25. The Argus address is 205 S. Franklin, Robinson, IL 62454. Another paper, the Constitution, is one of the oldest continuous newspapers in the state of IL. It is put out by the Robinson Daily News. They take material out of the Daily and put together the Constitution, with a few other articles, for a weekly. The library has a wonderful genealogy room full of information for researchers.

    Some people feel they need to go to a city in the area where their ancestors lived to do any research. Some go to Palestine. Although many of our early pioneers lived in the Palestine, Hutsonville, Morea, and Flat Rock areas, the research should still be done in Robinson. Hutsonville has a little branch library of the Robinson Library as well as Flat Rock, and Oblong, but there is little if no research material in these places. Palestine has some research material and is willing to help but you will find the same material and a whole lot more at Robinson. If you arrive at Robinson, go to the library first and not the courthouse as the library has a wealth of courthouse records already gleaned by the Genealogy Society. If you feel there is more information to get from Crawford Co. and you run out of time, you may inform librarians Marilyn Manning or Dena Wilson and they will give your request to one of the Genealogical Society members.

    Division of Vital Records - for birth/death records after 1916
    State Dept. of Public Health
    605 West Jefferson St.
    Springfield, IL 62702
    Phone: 217.782.6553
    Fax: 217.523.2648

    LDS Family History Center
    1940 N. Old Hwy 41
    Vincennes, Indiana
    Phone: 812.882.4022
    Hours: T, Th 9 am -1 pm, 4:30 pm -8:30 pm; TempleReady by appointment.
    Closed: 1.5 weeks over Christmas & New Years.

    Other sites of interest in the county:

    Oblong Oil Field Museum
    Has large oil field machinery dating from the early 1900s, as well as pictures and miscellaneous items pertaining to the county's rich oil history.

    Hutsonville Historical Society
    10953 E. 1825th Ave.
    Hutsonville, IL 62433-2005
    Maintains a cluster of original log cabins built in the county.

    Fife Opera House
    Built in the early 1900s, it had a theatre on the second floor and many theatre troops came to entertain the residents in Palestine.

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    Books:

    Cemetery indices for Honey Creek, Hutsonville, Lamotte, Licking Martin, Montgomery, Oblong, Prairie, Robinson and Southwest Townships are available from the Crawford County Historical Society, c/o Sue Jones, 9485 N. 600th St. Robinson, IL 62454. Costs vary, so check the Lookups page and scroll down the list to find the costs of each index.

    Illinois 1820 Census Index, Lowell Volkel, Available from Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe for $18. A transcription of this census can be found on this site.

    Illinois 1830 Census Index, James & Maryan Gill. Available from Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe for $8. The index to this census can be viewed on this page of our site.

    Illinois 1840 Census Index, Maxine Wormer. Available from Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe for $12.

    Illinois 1850 Mortality Schedule with Index, Vol. 1, Lowell Volkel. Available from Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe for $12.

    Crawford County, Illinois 1850 Federal Census, Crawford County Genealogical Society. Available at the Robinson Public Library. You can view a transcription of this file at: this Rootsweb site.

    Crawford County, Illinois 1860 Federal Census, Lowell Volkel. Available from Ye Olde Genealogie Shoppe for $12.

    1900 Census Index of Crawford County, Illinois. Available from the Crawford County Genealogical Society for $7.50.

    History of Crawford County, Vol. 1, Crawford County, Historical Society, 1980. Available from the Crawford County Historical Society, c/o Sue Jones, 9485 N. 600th St. Robinson, IL 62454. Cost is $45 plus $5 s/h. Vol. 1 is 385 pp. and contains biographies.

    History of Crawford County, Vol. 2, Crawford County, Historical Society, 1980. Available from the Crawford County Historical Society, c/o Sue Jones, 9485 N. 600th St. Robinson, IL 62454. Cost is $40 plus $5 s/h. Vol. 1 is 354 pp. and contains townships, churches, schools, etc.

    History of Clark and Crawford Counties, William Henry Perrin, 1883, over 800 pp. Available from the Hutsonville Historical Society, c/o Scarlett Williamson, 10953 E. 1825th Ave., Hutsonville, IL 62433-2005. Cost is $45 plus $7 s/h. The index is $15 plus $3 s/h. Make checks payable to Hutsonville Historical Society.

    Hutson Family History, Carolyn Colliflower. This book contains a collection of correspondence from Hutsons since 1967 as collected by the compiler. Available from the Hutsonville Historical Society, c/o Scarlett Williamson, 10953 E. 1825th Ave., Hutsonville, IL 62433-2005. Cost is $26 plus $7 s/h. The index is $15 plus $3 s/h. Make checks payable to Hutsonville Historical Society.

    Newlin Family History, Angie I. Newlin, 1965, reprinted 1995 by Hutsonville Historical Society. OUT OF PRINT as of 15 Jan 2001. Please notify Scarlett Williamson of the Hutsonville Historical Society, if you are interested in future reprints. 10953 E. 1825th Ave., Hutsonville, IL 62433-2005. Cost is $45 plus $7 s/h. The index is $15 plus $3 s/h. Make checks payable to Hutsonville Historical Society.

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    Lookups

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    Microfilm:

    Unofficial listing of some records available on microfilm through the LDS Family History Library. (Note: Due to possibility of error in transcription, please verify the title and number of the film before ordering.)

    Birth Records from 1878-1981

    • Index to A-K 1878-1981 - LDS Film #1310115
    • Index to L-Z 1878-1981; Book 1 (1878-1886) - LDS Film #1310116
    • Book 2 (1886-1902) - LDS Film #1310117

    Census Records

    • 1830 Federal Census Index - LDS FHL #823889, Items 2-3 (also online here)
    • 1840 Federal Census Index - (also online here)
    • 1850 Federal Census - LDS FHL #7677 - (also online here)
    • 1855 State Census - LDS FHL #976181
    • 1860 Federal Census - LDS FHL #803171 (images available here; index here)
    • 1865 State Census - LDS FHL #972750
    • 1870 Federal Census (2nd filming) - LDS FHL #545713; 1st filming - LDS FHL #295414
    • 1880 Federal Census - LDS FHL #1254183 (also searchable on the FamilySearch.org site here)
    • 1900 Federal Census - LDS FHL #1240295
    • 1910 Federal Census - LDS FHL #1374296
    • 1920 Federal Census - LDS FHL #1820364
    • 1930 Federal Census - LDS FHL #2340244

    County Histories

    • Combined history of Edwards, Lawrence and Wabash counties, Illinois; LDS Film #0924407 Item 2
    • Lawrence County, Illinois sesquincentennial, 1818-1968; LDS Film #0874276 Item 8
    • Lawrenceville, Lawrence County, Illinois, sesquicentennial, 1821-1971; LDS Film #0874276 Item 11

    Death Records from 1877-1981

    • Index A-Te 1877-1981 - LDS Film #1310119
    • Index Te-Z 1877-1981; Death records 1877-1906 - LDS Film #1310120 Items 1-2
    • 1860, 1870, 1880 Federal Census Mortality Schedules - LDS Fiche #6048135, Fiches 1-2

    Land Records from 1816-1939

    • Book A General Deed Index 1816-1859 - LDS FHL #1310120, Item 3
    • Book B Deed Index Grantee/Grantor (1859-1866); Book C Deed Index Grantee/Grantor (1867-1879) - LDS FHL #1310121
    • Book D Deed Index Grantee/Grantor (1878-1892); Deed Book A (1817-1829) - LDS FHL #1310122
    • Book B (1829-1836); Book C (1835-1840); Book D (1840-1846) - LDS FHL #1310123
    • Book D cont'd (1840-1846); Book E (1846-1850) - LDS FHL #1310124
    • Book E cont'd (1846-1850); Book F (1850-1851); Book G (1851-1853) - LDS FHL #1310125
    • Book G cont'd (1851-1853); Book H (1853-1854); Book I (1854-1855) - LDS FHL #1310126
    • Book I cont'd (1854-1855); Book J (1855-1857); Book K (1857-1858) - LDS FHL #1310127
    • Book K cont'd (1857-1858); Book L (1858-1859); Book M (1859-1861) - LDS FHL #1310128
    • Book M cont'd (1859-1861); Book N (1861-1862); Book O (1863-1864) - LDS FHL #1310129
    • Book P (1864-1865); Book Q (1865-1867); Book R (1865-1867) - LDS FHL #1310130
    • Book R cont'd (1865-1867); Book S (1867-1869); Book T (1867-1870) - LDS FHL #1310131
    • Book T cont'd (1867-1870); Book U (1869-1871); Book V (1870-1872) - LDS FHL #1310132
    • Book V cont'd (1870-1872); Book W (1871-1873); Book X (1872-1874) - LDS FHL #1310133
    • Book X cont'd (1872-1874); Book Y (1873-1875); Book Z (1874-1877) - LDS FHL #1310134
    • Book Z cont'd (1874-1877); Book 27 (1875-1878); Book 28 (1877-1879) - LDS FHL #1310135
    • Book 28 cont'd (1877-1879); Book 29 (1877-1905) - LDS FHL #1310136
    • Book 30 (1878-1881); Book 31 (1879-1880); Book 32 (1879-1907) - LDS FHL #1310136
    • Book 32 cont'd (1879-1907); Book 33 (1880-1882); Book 34 (1880-1885) - LDS FHL #1310137
    • Book 35 (1881-1883); Book 36 (1882-1939); Book 37 (1882-1883) - LDS FHL #1310137
    • Book 37 cont'd (1882-1883); Book 38 missing; Book 39 (1883-1884); Books 40-42 missing; Book 43 (1884-1886) - LDS FHL #1310140
    • Book 43 cont'd (1884-1886) - LDS FHL #1310322

    Marriage Records from 1878-1937

    • Indexes, male and female 1817-1981; Book A (1817-1850; Book B (1850-1858) - LDS Film #1310115
    • Book B (cont'd) (1858-1874); Book C (1874-1911); Marriage Register Book 1 (1878-1901) - LDS Film #1310116
    • Marriage Register (Feb. 1817 - Jan 1851) - LDS FHL #874276 Item 10
    • Some Early Crawford County, Illinois Marriages: 1843-1859 by Roberta Lee Lent - LDS FHL #823846, Item 1

    Military Records

    • Honor Roll, Crawford County, State of Illinois - LDS FHL #824064, Item 3

    Newspaper Records

    • Crawford County, Illinois Newspaper Genealogical Information, comp. by Imogene Bailey - LDS FHL #874275, Items 1-2
    • Scrapbook of Robinson, Illinois Newpaper Clippings - LDS FHL #874276, Item 1

    Probate Records from 1859-1929

    • Probate ledger 1851-1866 (refers to following probate records) - LDS FHL #1310355, Item 2
    • Probate records 1845-1855 - LDS FHL #1310337, Items 2-3
    • Probate records 1855-1862 - LDS FHL #1310338
    • Probate records 1862-1866 - LDS FHL #1310339
    • Probate records 1866-1871 - LDS FHL #1310340
    • Probate records 1871-1873 - LDS FHL #1310341
    • Probate records 1873-1876 - LDS FHL #1310342
    • Probate records 1876-1879 - LDS FHL #1310343
    • Probate records 1879-1882 - LDS FHL #1310344
    • Probate records 1882-1887 - LDS FHL #1310345
    • Probate records 1887-1892 - LDS FHL #1310346
    • Probate records 1892-1895 - LDS FHL #1310347
    • Probate records 1895-1899 - LDS FHL #1310348
    • Probate records 1899-1904 - LDS FHL #1310349
    • Probate records 1902-1905 - LDS FHL #1310350
    • Probate records 1905-1908 - LDS FHL #1310351
    • Probate records 1908-1912 - LDS FHL #1310352
    • Probate records 1912-1916 - LDS FHL #1310353
    • Probate records 1917-1921 - LDS FHL #1310354
    • Probate records 1921-1923 - LDS FHL #1310355, Item 1

    Will Records from 1818-1923

    • Book 1 (1818-1848); Book 2 (1850-1887); Book 3 (1887-1905); Book 4 to pg. 190 (1897-1923) - LDS FHL #1310336
    • Book 4 (cont'd from pg. 190) 1897-1923 - LDS FHL #1310337, Item 1
    • Record of Wills, Book 2 (1850-1887) - LDS FHL #874276, Item 13

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