Johnson County was created on September 14, 1812 (By proclamation, Territorial Record of Illinois, p. 26) and was formed from Randolph County. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Randolph County (1795–1812) and Knox, Northwest Territory (1790–1801).
The County was named for Richard Mentor Johnson, a Colonel of the Kentucky militia, who served in Indian wars and the War of 1812, and reputed to have killed the Indian chief, Tecumseh, at the battle of Thames. Johnson served as Representative in Congress and United States Senator from Kentucky and Vice-President of the United States from 1837 to 1841. The County Seat is Vienna . Prior County Seats was Home of John Bradshaw (1813–1814), Elvira (1814–1818) and Vienna (1818–Present). See also County History for more historical details.
Township Government Adopted on November 8, 1870—Division into townships completed in February, 1873. Discontinued on November 7, 1876. Johnson County’s townships became precincts after the abandonment of township government in 1876. Johnson County Precincts include Belknap, Bloomfield, Burnside, Cache, Elvira, Goreville No. 1, Goreville No. 2, Grantsburg No. 1, Grantsburg No. 2, Lake No. 1, Lake No. 2, Ozark, Simpson, Tunnel Hill, Vienna No. 1, Vienna No. 2, Vienna No. 3 Precinct. Bloomfield, Burnside, Cache, Elvira, Goreville, Grantsburg, Simpson, Tunnel
Hill, Vienna, Johnson
County’s townships became precincts after the abandonment
of township government in 1876.
Cities, Towns and Communities include Belknap, Buncombe, Cypress, Goreville, New Burnside, Simpson, Vienna
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 http://www.co.johnson.in.us/ . All departments below at located at the Johnson County Courthouse, P.O. Box 96, Vienna, IL 62995 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Johnson County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1821 and Court Records from 1827 and is located at the address above. Phone Number: (618)
658-4751 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.
Johnson County Recorder has Land Records from 1809 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618)
658-3611 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.
Johnson County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1835 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618)
658-3611 The County Clerk maintains records and issues certificates of vital statistics (birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates) for the entire County.
Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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.
Click Here to Search Illinois Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62702-5097. It can take up to 6 weeks to get a vital record from Illinois.
A number of resources are available for individuals doing genealogical research using vital records filed in the state of Illinois. Births and deaths before January 1, 1916 and marriages before January 1, 1962 are recorded only in the office of the county clerk where the event occurred. Most county clerks have indexes to the records that are prior to 1916 that are available for the purpose of genealogical research. These indexes generally provide the name, date and place of occurrence and are located in county courthouses located throughout the state. Although self-service access to the indexes is generally permitted, the law limits physical access to the individual records to the clerk's staff. When you locate a record from the index, it will be necessary for the clerk to pull the record for you once you have paid the appropriate search fee. Please check with the county clerk for fees and policies on reviewing indexes.
Birth, Death Certificates:
The Division of Vital Records and Statistics maintains birth, death and marriage records that occur in Illinois from 1916 to the present.
Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $17.00 (long) or
$10.00 (uncertified) per certificate by mail.
Make your check or money order payable to "Illinois Department of Public Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
In Person:
In-person orders can be dropped off for mail out within two business days at the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records office, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays. (Large volume orders may take longer.) PLEASE NOTE: the person requesting the record will be asked to show a valid picture identification card.
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: The Division of Vital Records also maintains an index of marriages & divorces from 1962 to the present. Copies of the marriage & divorce records are available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the marriage license was obtained or divorce was granted. Fees vary.
Cost: $5.00. Make your check or money order payable to "Illinois Department of Public Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Illinois newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Illinois Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Illinois showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Illinois showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.
Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Illinois Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Illinois (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
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 Johnson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
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 Johnson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Below is a list of online resources for Johnson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Illinois obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Illinois newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Illinois.
Click Here to Search Illinois Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
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 Johnson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Johnson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Illinois Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
At one time Johnson County was known as the greatest corn-producing county in the world, its fine quality grain winning more prizes in national contests than any county in the United States. Its soil is made up of glacial drift and in portions is more than 200 feet deep.
In location, Johnson County is one of the group forming the heart of the state, being directly south of and bordering Marion County. It is made up of nine townships, embracing a total area of 322 square miles. The incorporated cities are Franklin, 5,682; Edinburg, 2,209, and Greenwood, 2,377; towns: Whiteland, 419, and Bargersville, 282. The county population, 1890, 19,561; 1900, 20,223; 1910, 20,394; 1920, 20,739; 1930, 21,706.
Franklin is situated twenty miles south of Indianapolis and is served by two railroads. Among its industries are grain elevators, flour, saw, and planing mills, canneries, the manufacture of builders' supplies, galvanized tanks, office desks, porch furniture, underwear, paint, and veneer. Also located in Franklin is the Indiana Masonic Home.
The city is best known as the home of Franklin College, which was chartered in 1835 under the name of the Indiana Baptist manual Labor Institute. It was organized at a meeting of Baptists in Indianapolis, held in the First Baptist Church, June 5, 1834. Instructions began in the summer of 1837, and the school was opened in a wooden building costing $350. While the industrial element was prominent, literary and philosophical interests, which were in mind from the beginning, soon predominated, and in 1845 the institution was chartered under the name of Franklin College. In the beginning, only male students were received. In 1842 a department for young ladies was established and the college has continued on a co-educational basis ever since. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the students volunteered practically in a body and the school was closed. Because of financial difficulties, a stock company took over the school in 1872 and continued in charge until 1908, when the college was reorganizes. In 1913, the college completed the largest financial campaign in its history, raising $250,000 as an additional endowment fund. A large part of this amount was given by the General Education Board of New York City, being the third appropriation, which that board had made to Franklin College. It has been admitted to the Carnegie Foundation, which is a marked recognition of its standard of scholarship.
There are a number of memorials in the County Seat. On the grounds of the courthouse are two memorials to those serving in the Civil War-a monument to the soldiers and a fountain to the soldiers and sailors. Also on the grounds are three bronze tablets in memory of the heroes of the Spanish-American War. In the City Park is a memorial to the pioneers, Hugh Williams and his wife Artemisia. The Alexander Hamilton chapter of the D. A. R. has placed a boulder with bronze plate in memory of the soldiers of the Revolutionary War. The World War men are remembered with two small markers: one, a bronze tablet to the Gold Star men, is at Franklin College; the other, in form of two bronze tablets, is at the entrance to the Masonic Home.
An interesting marker is found at Hopewell Manse. It is a stone, containing a copper box, at the entrance of the house, and in it is contained the names, letters, and messages of four young men who left Hopewell in 1857 to establish churches in Kansas. This was placed by three members of the original party.
In Greenwood is the Polk Memorial Community House, presented to the Community by James T. and Laura Burdick Polk in 1919.
The man most important to the history of Johnson County was George King, for it was he who led the movement for the new county, procured the site on which Franklin stands, and donated the necessary land to the county.
Johnson County had thirty-one manufacturing establishments, according to the federal census figures of 1935. A total of 1,569 wage earners were employed on pay rolls totaling $1,152,581. Total value of manufactured products was $7,301,812.
The county had 1,994 farms averaging 96.1 acres each. The value of these was $13,491,217. A total of 73,266 head of livestock was reported.
Total county tax valuation for the year of 1936 was $25,987,610.
1849 Johnson County Retrospect
Based on "Indiana Gazetteer," published by E. Chamberlain
click and zoom to Our Neighbors MapJohnson County, named in honor of the Hon. John Johnson, one of the first judges of the Supreme Court of the State, was organized in 1823. It is bounded on the north by Marion, east by Shelby, south by Bartholomew and Brown, and west by Morgan, being twenty miles from north to south, and sixteen from east to west. It is divided into eight townships, viz: Franklin, Blue River, Nineveh, Hensley, Union, White River, Pleasant and Clark. The population in 1830 was 4,130, in 1840 9,352, and at this time [1849] 11,000. The southwest corner of the county is quite hilly, the south and southeast pleasantly undulating, the other parts of it mostly level; but there is no barren land, and with drainage, every acre, not covered by the streams, may be cultivated to advantage. The soil is generally a rich, black loam, mixed with sand, the timber of a good quality. The agricultural improvements within the first five years are very creditable to the people of the county. The following articles were exported in 1848, viz: 142,000 bushels of corn, 310,000 bushels of wheat, 20,000 do. Oats, 9691 hogs, 600 cattle, 149 mules, 161,000 pounds of bacon, and barley, corn meal, flax seed, tow linen, etc., to the value of $3,3000, making the whole exports about $320,000.
There are in the county thirty-one stores, six groceries, ten warehouses, seven gristmills, eleven sawmills, six of them propelled by water, five carding machines, 155 mechanics, five lawyers, twenty-one physicians, twenty-nine preachers, twenty-two churches, mostly belonging to the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. There are 680 acres of land belonging to the United States; the balance is subject to taxation.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a flourishing town, containing about 100 houses and 490 inhabitants, situated in the southeast corner of Johnson County, on the east bank of Blue River, and where the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad crosses that stream, and the Shelbyville Branch Railroad comes in. William Hunt, W. R. Hensley, John Adams, Israel Watts, Lewis Bishop and Alexander Thompson settled Edinburgh in 1821. It is thirty miles southeast of Indianapolis, ten from Franklin, fifty-six northwest of Madison, and sixteen southwest of Shelbyville. The health of the place was not good for many years after its first settlement, but at present there is not much complaint in this respect, and Edinburgh, from the great fertility of the country around it, and from the water power in the vicinity, has now become a very important point.
Franklin
Franklin, the County Seat of Johnson County, is situated on the north side of Young's Creek, just above its junction with Hurricane, near the center of the county, on the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, sixty-six miles northwest of Madison and twenty southeast of Indianapolis. It was laid out in 1822, and the first settlers were Samuel Herriott, George King, John Smiley and W. G. Springer. Franklin is the site of Franklin College, a flourishing institution under the control of the Baptists; it has four good churches, one for each of the denominations of the Old and New School Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists; it has a fine building erected for a County Seminary, and about 250 houses, and a population of 1,750. A plank road is now in progress from Franklin to the bluffs of White River, which will probably be extended to Mooresville.
