Madison County was created on ? and was formed from St.
Clair County. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: St. Clair County (1790–1812).
The County was named for ? . The County Seat is Edwardsville . See also County History for more historical details.
Township Government Adopted on November 2, 1875. Madison County Townships include Alhambra, Alton, Chouteau (Name changed from Gillham February 14, 1876), Collinsville, Edwardsville, Fort Russell, Foster (Name changed from Fosterburg), Godfrey, Granite City (Date of creation unknown, after 1921), Hamel, Helvetia, Jarvis, Leef, Marine, Moro, Nameoki, New Douglas, Olive, Omphghent, Pin Oak, Saline, St. Jacob, Venice, Wood River Townships
Cities, Towns and Communities include Alhambra, Alton, Bethalto, Collinsville, East Alton, Edwardsville, Fairmont City, Glen Carbon, Godfrey, Granite City, Grantfork, Hamel, Hartford, Highland, Livingston, Madison, Marine, Maryville, New Douglas, Pontoon Beach, Rosewood Heights, Roxana, South Roxana, St. Jacob, Troy, Venice, Williamson, Wood River, Worden
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.madison.il.us/. All departments below at located at the Madison County Courthouse, 155 North Main Street, Edwardsville, IL 62025 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Madison County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1813 and Court Records from 1803 and is located at the address above. Suite 120; Telephone: (618) 692-6240 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.
Madison County Recorder has Land Records from 1802 and is located at the Madison County Administration Building, 157 North Main Street–Suite 211,1 Edwardsville, IL 62025; Telephone: (618) 692-8919 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.
Madison County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1813 and is located at the Madison County Administration Building, 157 North Main Street–Suite 109, P.O. Box 218, Edwardsville, IL 62025; Telephone: (618) 692-6290
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 Madison County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Madison 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 Madison County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Madison 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 Madison County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Madison 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 Madison County Maps. Email us with websites containing Madison 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 Madison County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Madison County Military Records by clicking the link below:
U.S. Veterans of Collinsville, Madison Co., IL - This website honors the Collinsville veterans of nine wars who were laid to rest at local cemeteries and abroad. They are the generous contributions of Gene Beals who began researching his own family history and over a period of ten years also researched the veterans who were laid to rest in the Glenwood cemetery and other Collinsville's cemeteries.
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 Madison County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Madison 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 Madison County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Madison County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Illinois Regional Archives Depository, c/o Special Collections, Morris Library – 6632 Southern Illinois University, 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 Madison County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Madison 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.
U.S. Veterans of Collinsville, Madison Co., IL - This website honors the Collinsville veterans of nine wars who were laid to rest at local cemeteries and abroad. They are the generous contributions of Gene Beals who began researching his own family history and over a period of ten years also researched the veterans who were laid to rest in the Glenwood cemetery and other Collinsville’s cemeteries.
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 Madison County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Madison 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.
Madison County was formed before Illinois became a state. At the time of formation, the area was part of the Illinois Territory. In 1812, Madison County encompassed the majority of the state of Illinois. All of Illinois north of the current southern boundary of Madison County between the Mississippi and Wabash Rivers was part of the county.
The size of the county was quickly reduced. In 1814, the formation of Edwards County removed almost half of the area (the eastern part). The final boundary change occured in 1843, when a small portion on the northeast corner of Madison County became part of Bond County.
"CHARACTER OF THE EARLY SETTLERS" In territorial days the inhabitants of the county, almost without exception, were of Southern origin. Strong sectional prejudices existed, especially toward the "Yankee," which appellation was given to every man who hailed from the Northern section of the country east of the Allegheny mountains. Before the year 1817 the only representatives of the New England states, who had visited the county were the vendors of wooden clocks and tin ware, and under these circumstances the pioneers could not, perhaps, well be blamed for their first impressions of the Yankee character. An early resident of this county states that there were three classes of society known in the territory of Illinois: First, the white man, born in a slave state, who arrogated to himself the title of the real Westerner; second, the negro, generally a slave; and third the yankee, from over the Mountains. Traces of this prejudice could be discerned for many years, but among intellingent classes the emigrant from the East soon came to be appreciated for his real worth, and recognized as among the most valuable of citizens of the county. Subsequent to 1817 the county received a large Eastern immigration, in which came individuals whose merits raised them to positions of influence, and who contributed greatly to the prosperity of the county. Especially was this the case of the Marine settlement, at Edwardsville, and later at Alton, whose rapid growth and business prosperity were almost entirely due to Eastern men. The early settlers had great respect for the religious views of others. Although their opinions on theological subjects were very decided and very dissimilar, yet a quarrel on these matters was of rare occurence. The Methodists and the Baptists were the leading denominations. The Methodists camp meetings were numerously attended, and proved influential means of increasing membership of the churches. Although most of the people drank occasionally there were fewer drunkards than might have been expected. The people of those days had a great reverence for the law. The worst characters professed to be law-abiding citizens. No man claimed, that, if he did not like the law, he had the right to set it a defiance. It is claimed that the early pioneers were more moral and free from crime than people of a later day. Thefts were of rare occurrence, and forgery, perjury, and similar crimes were seldom perpetrated. But while the higher cromes were rarely committed the lesser violations of the law were not infrequent. Assault and battery was the most common breach of the statutes. there was much sensitiveness as to personal and moral standing, and any one who considered his honor or respectability impugned would fight in a moment his assailant. On holidays and at elections and musters, boisterous and quarrelsome conduct, induced by the use of intoxicating liquors, was often witnessed. Fort Russell was a place of frequent rendezvous in early times, and riotous scenes often occurred there. It was stated by one of the earliest residents of the county (Mr. S. P. Gilham) that for some years after the first settlement of the county he seldom hear of any greater crime than getting drunk, or fighting. The first punishment of crime he recollected took place in 1819, when a negro was found guilty of stealing some coffee from a boat on the Mississippi rive, and whipped. When the population began to multifly and courts were established, men began to break the law, and were often punished by whipping at the post and confinement in the stocks. The Sabbath was often employed in hunting, fishing, getting up stock, hunting bees, shooting at marks, and horse and foot-racing. It was however, a custom to cease from ordinary labor, except from necessity, on that day, and when a farmer cut his harvest on Sunday public opinin condemned it more severely than present. There was no dancing and but little drinking on the Sabbath. In many localities there were no religious meetings. The aged people generally remained at home, and read the Bible and other books. All kinds of gaming were common. Card-playing was sustained by the best classes. At the sessions of the courts judge and lawyer would frequently spend the night together playing cards for money, though the statutes rigidly forbade such a practice. Horse-racing was one of the most popular amusements. The quarter races were the most common, and at these the most chicanery and juggling were practiced. Gov. John Reynolds speaks of having attended a horse-race, which drew crowds of people, on the 4th of July, 1087, in the American Bottom near the residence of Samuel Judy. The most celebrated and famous horse race in Illinois, in early times, was run in the upper end of the Horse-prairie, in Randolph county, in the spring of the year 1803. The two horses which ran the race were of the same size. The race was three miles and repeat, for a wager of five hundred dollars. The bye-bets and all must have amounted to a thousand dollars and more, in those days considered a very large sum. In 1806 Robert Pulliam, if Illinois, and a Mr. Musick of Missouri, made a bet of two hundred dollars on a race between two quarter horses, of a quarter of a mile, to be run on the ice in the Mississippi river, a short distance above St. Louis. The race came off, and was run without injury to either the horses or riders. Foot-racing, jumping, or wrestling were much practiced. Bets of some magnitude were made on foot-races as well as horse-races. Gov. Reynolds, in his youth, was one of the best in a foot-race, and won many wagers in Randolph county, previous to the removal of the family to Madison. He ran his last race while absent from this county attending school in Tennessee. Shooting-matches occurred frequently. these were generally held on Saturdays, and during the summer, as often as once a week. A beef was usually the prize. A keg of whiskey was usually carried to these shooting-matches, on horseback, and sometimes a violin made its appearance, and the crowd danced for hours. The early pioneers were exceedingly friendly and sociable. A new-comer was given a hearty welcome. The houses were in general small and poor, but the hospitality of the occupants knew no bounds. A visitor at a house toward evening could scarcely get away so much was he importuned to stay over night, which, if he did, he was always treated to the best the house afforded, and never allowed to pay for his entertainment. Orchards and melon patches were looked on as common property, and the man who would charge for apples, or melons, would be denounced for his meanness the whole county over. No charge was ever made for assisting a neighbor at house-raisings, log-rollings, or harvesting. The women were brave and self-reliant, and it was no unusual thing for them to practice with the rifle. They were often left alone, and it was well that they should know the best means of defiance. One of the pioneers of the county (John L. Ferguson) was accustomed to say that his mother could shoot a deer, or an Indian just as well as his father could, and thought no more of it. the widow Carlock, in the Marine settlement, was also one who had the reputation of being able to use her rifle, with equal skill to any man, in shooting game, or despatching an Indian, as the case required."
An 1819 publication, called "Geographical Sketches on the Western Country," designed for emigrants and settlers includes a description of the towns of Milton, Alton and Edwardsville:
"About Twenty-five miles from the mouth of the Illinois on the east bank of the Mississippi and twenty-five miles above St. Louis is situated Alton. The town lies west of Edwardsville ten miles, and was located in 1816. Nearly one hundred decent houses are already erected. The spirit of enterprise displayed by the settlers who are mostly from the Eastern States, and the natural advantages attached to the place point out this town as a stand where small capitals in trade may be properly invested."
"Two miles from Alton at a place called Wallace's Mill, on Wood Creek, which empties into the Mississippi, is the little town of Milton on the route by Edwardsville to Vincennes."
"The place contains about fifty houses and though it seems to flourish is considered an unhealthy situation. The Creek here drives both a saw and a grist mill each of which do great business."
"Edwardsville is the seat of Justice for Madison County. It lies eight miles east of Milton and twenty miles north-east from St. Louis. It is a flourishing town, containing sixty to seventy houses-Court House, Jail, Public House, Bank, Printing Office, which issues a weekly newspaper and a United States Land Office, of which Col. Stevens is the Register. As this County embraces all the lands above east of the Mississippi and all the bounty lands in Illinois, all soldiers patents and grants of Illinois Bounty land are recorded here. In the vicinity of this town is a society of Methodists."
