The S. W. McKenney & Co. livery stable at Dixon, Il. Circa 1860. Photo courtesy of the Illinois State Historical Library

       Sometimes the only clue we have about where an ancestor was born is a notation we come across in a Family Bible, or a census record which indicates that the place of birth was Illinois, or an old photograph with the name of an Illinois Photographer printed in faded gilt at the bottom; or a story related to us by an elderly family member. 

       So where to begin?  Written Illinois history began in 1673 when Frenchman Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet descended the Mississippi River to the Arkansas River and returned to Lake Michigan by way of the Illinois River.


       In 1784 Virginia relinquished her claim to Illinois, paving the way for territorial organization, and on July 13, 1787, Congress passed the Ordinance of 1787 which provided for the organization of the Northwest Territory, of which Illinois became a part.  In 1790, St. Clair and Knox Counties were organized and in 1795, Randolph County was organized.  Today, there are 102 Counties in Illinois.

       You may have ancestors for whom you have reason to believe Illinois may have been the state in which they were born, married, raised a family, or spent some time on their journey to their ultimate destination.  My name is Karima,  and I am here to assist you with your search.

       The Unknown Illinois County web site does not contain raw information, but rather is provided to introduce you to the various resources you can use in your search for a variety of information, both in Illinois specifically, and many general resources for Illinois research.

       Those who are searching for their ancestors in Illinois are very fortunate because the state of Illinois has very helpful information readily available.  The Illinois State Archives genealogy section, the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD), and the Illinois State Historical Society are all wonderful resources for the searcher.  These departments will be discussed extensively in the following pages.

       Please feel free to contact me if:
 
~You have any suggestions as to other resources which might be included within this resource site.

~ You have information or material you would like to contribute to the site (you will retain full copyright over this information). 

~ You have questions regarding searching for your ancestors in Illinois to which you have not been able to find answers using the resources found here.

~ You find a link that is broken or outdated.
 
       I also recommend that you join the Rootsweb Illinois Mailing List (ILROOTS-L) where you can ask specific questions and gain from the experience, expertise and research of other list members. 

ILROOTS-L Mailing List
ILROOTS-L Archives
IL-HISTORY-L Mailing List
IL-HISTORY-L Archives
Good luck with your search.

Karima