Alexander County, Illinois Genealogical Records Information

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Alexander County History and Information

Alexander County Facts

Alexander County was created on March 4, 1819 (Laws, 1819, p. 113) and was formed from Union County. The County was named for William M. Alexander, an early settler of the county bearing his name and Senator in the second and third General Assemblies of the State. The County Seat is Cairo. Prior County Seats was America (1819–1833), Unity (1833–1845), Thebes (1845–1860), Cairo (1860–Present). See also County History for more historical details.

Counties adjacent to Alexander County are Union County (north), Ballard County, Kentucky (east), Pulaski County (east), Mississippi County, Missouri (south), Scott County, Missouri (west), Cape Girardeau County, Missouri (northwest).

Alexander County has never adopted township form of government. The county has been divided into precincts. Alexander County Precincts include Cache, Cairo, East Cape, Elco, McClure, Miller, Olive Branch, Sandusky, Tamms, Thebes Precinct

Cities, Towns and Communities include Cairo, Miller City, Olive Branch, Tamms, Thebes

The Alexander County Official Government Website
Map of Alexander County and its civil and congressional townships
Alexander County, Illinois History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

There are free downloadable and printable forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms, U.K. Census Extraction Forms, Research Calendar, Ancestral Chart, Research Extract, Correspondence Record , Family Group Sheet , Source Summary Form.

Records at the Alexander County Courthouse

See Also Illinois Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

The Official County website is located at N/A . All departments below at located at the Alexander County Courthouse, 2000 Washington Avenue, Cairo, IL 62914 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.

Alexander County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1819 and Court Records from 1821 and is located at the address above. Phone Number: (618) 734-0107
The Clerk of the Circuit Court, commonly known as the Circuit Clerk, is the keeper of the files and records of the Circuit Court. The Circuit Clerk works at the direction of Circuit Court, Appellate Court and Supreme Court of Illinois and is mandated to follow and enforce the laws of the State of Illinois. The Circuit Clerk's Office processes all documents in criminal law, chancery, support, probate, adoption, juvenile, drainage, local improvement, mental, small claims, traffic, ordinance violations, prepares appeals to the higher court, issues passports, summons jurors, tax deeds and handles approximately ten million dollars in costs, fines, restitution, investments and support each year. The Office also issues summonses, writs, attachments, subpoenas and all other tasks as mandated by the courts.

Alexander County Recorder has Land Records from 1818 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618) 734-7001
The County Recorder of Deeds serves the people of County by receiving, filing and maintaining all records related to real property in our county. These documents range from all types of conveyance deeds, mortgages, releases and assignments, property liens, as well as, assorted federal, state and local liens. The Recorder’s office is responsible for the recordation and storage of plats of subdivision, land surveys and monument records. Many other types of miscellaneous documents are recorded, such as; foreign birth certificates, foreign marriage licenses, and military discharge paperwork to name a few.

Alexander County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1851 and Marriage Records from 1819 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618) 734-7000
The County Clerk maintains records and issues certificates of vital statistics (birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates) for the entire County.

Click Here to Search Illinois Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records! - Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

Below is a list of online resources for Alexander County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Alexander County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Alexander County, Illinois Court Books at Amazon.com
Illinois Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Alexander County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

The first known tax authorization in Illinois fell under the jurisdiction of the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio. The tax was based on every hundred acres of unimproved uncleared prairie or wood land, divided into three classes based on quality of earth surface and soil. The rates were thirty, twenty, and ten cents, to be paid annually. Property with delinquent taxes was sold at public auction. There do not appear to be any surviving tax records from this territorial period.

Beginning with statehood, tax records form a large part of county archival material. The 1819 laws provided the first taxation process, imposing taxes on land, bank stock owned, slaves and indentured negroes or mulattoes, plus a poor tax. The tax was collected by the county with income divided between the county and state. Taxpayers lists were eliminated in 1824, and in 1825 a county road tax and school taxes were enacted.

Original and microfilmed tax records at Illinois Regional Archives Depositories include taxable land lists, assessors books, railroad tax books, road tax records, and collectors books, the earliest record dated 1817. Other county tax records are located in county seats.

Below is a list of online resources for Alexander County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Alexander County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Alexander County, Illinois Tax Books at Amazon.com

Alexander County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Illinois Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Alexander County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Alexander County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Cairo Public Library, 1609 Washington Avenue, Cairo IL 62914; Phone 618-734-1840
Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Southern Illinois University, c/o Special Collections, Morris Library – 6632 , Carbondale, IL 62901-6632; Telephone: (618) 453-3040. Map and Directions. Covers the following counties: Alexander, Clinton, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Clair, Saline, Union, Washington, White and Williamson.
Hours: Monday – Friday, except state holidays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mail requests should be sent to the address above. However, the depository is located on McLafferty Road one-third mile south of its intersection with Chautauqua Street — not in Morris Library. Visitors unfamiliar with Carbondale may wish to call the depository for directions.
Local Illinois Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
National Archives - Great Lakes Region(Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001; E-mail: chicago.archives@nara.gov (Maintains retired records from Federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.)
General Information Leaflet
Illinois State Archives, Norton Building, Capitol Complex, Springfield, IL 62756; TELEPHONE: (217) 782-4682, Fax: (217) 524-3930; HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Illinois State Historical Society, 210 1/2 S. Sixth, Springfield, IL 62701-1503; Phone: (217)525-2781, Fax: (217)525-2783, [EMAIL]
Illinois State Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 10195, Springfield, IL 62791; Phone: (217) 789-1968, [EMAIL]
Illinois State Library, 300 South 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1796; Phone: (217) 785-5600
Illinois State Historical Library, Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62701
County histories, plat books, census indexes, cemetery indexes, city material, family and association files, microfilmed newspapers, manuscripts, and photographs are located beneath the restored old state capitol between 5th and 6th streets and Washington and Adams streets.
Illinois Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Illinois Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Alexander County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search Illinois Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Alexander County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Alexander County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Despite the early Catholic missionaries in Illinois, their church had almost totally disappeared from the state by the time of the American Revolution. Later migration of English-speaking Catholics reestablished the church in the state. In 1850 the largest religious denomination in Illinois was the Methodists. Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Congregationalists followed. Episcopalians had organized in the state in 1835, the Disciples of Christ were in Illinois prior to 1830, and the Lutherans grew in numbers with the German and Scandinavian emigration of the 1840s.

The Genealogical Society of Utah and the Daughters of the American Revolution have compiled cemetery records for the state of Illinois. Soldiers' Burial Places in State of Illinois for Wars 1774-1898 is available on thirty-one reels of microfilm from the FHL. Local genealogical societies may have information and possible printed records of cemeteries in their locale.

Below is a list of online resources for Alexander County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Alexander County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

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When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Alexander County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Alexander County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

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Sites on USGenweb: [ Alexander County ] [ Illinois ] [ Main Page ]
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Alexander County, Illinois Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

In 1816 the settlement of Trinty was established just below the mouth of the Cache River. America was laid out in 1818 by James Riddle, Henry Bechtle and Thomas Sloo and Stephen and Henry Rector. William M. Alexander was an agent and physician of great eminence. The county is named after Dr. Alexander. Dr. Alexander represented Pope County in the Legislature from 1820-1822 and Alexander County from 1922-24 when he was Speaker of the House.

The legislative act under which Alexander County was created was entitled, "An act forming the detached part of Union County into a separate county" and was approved March 4, 1819. America became the first county seat. It was located on the Ohio River and was laid out in 1818. The county seat was removed to near the center of the county in 1833 to a place called Unity, where it remained until the county was divided and Pulaski County was formed. Unity was the second county seat from 1833-1845. Thebes was county seat from 1846-1859 and Cairo from 1859 to the present. The court house in Cairo was completed in 1865. --Source: Excerpts from HISTORY OF ALEXANDER, UNION AND PULASKI COUNTIES, Edited by William Henry Perrin, Chicago: O. L. Baskin and Company, Historical Publisher, 183 Lake Street, 1883.

Alexander County, the extreme southern county of the State, being bounded on the west by the Mississippi, and south and east by the Ohio and Cache Rivers. Its area is about 230 square miles and its population in 1890 was 16, 563. The first American settlers were Tennesseeans named Bird, who occupied the delta and gave it the name of Bird's Point, which at the date of the Civil War (1861-65), had been transferred to the Missouri shore opposite the mouth of the Ohio. Other early settlers were Clark, Kennedy and Philips (at Mounds), Conyer and Terrel (at America), and Humphreys (near Caledonia). In 1818 Shadrach Bond (afterwards Governor), John G. Comyges and others entered a claim for 1800 acres in the central and northern part of the county, and incorporated the "City and Bank of Cairo." In 1818 (on Comyges' death) the land reverted to the Government; but in 1835 Sidney Breese, David J. Baker and Miles A. Gilbert re-entered the forfeited bank tract and the title thereto became vested in the "Cairo City and Canal Company," which was chartered in 1837, and by purchase, extended its holdings to 10,000 acres. The county was organized in 1819; the first county-seat being America, which was incorporated in 1820. Population 1900, 19,384.

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