Randolph County was created on October 5, 1795 (By proclamation of Arthur St. Clair, St. Clair Papers, Vol. 2, p. 345.) and was formed from St.
Clair County and Northwest Territory. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: St. Clair County —Northern section of Randolph County (1790–1803) and St. Clair County (1790–1795).
The County was named for Edmund Randolph, a soldier of the Revolution, a lawyer and statesman, member of the Continental Congress, Attorney General and Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State of the United States and Attorney General under Washington. The County Seat is Chester . Prior County Seats was Kaskaskia (1795–1847) and Chester (1847-Present). See also County History for more historical details.
Randolph County has never adopted township form of government. The county has been divided into precincts. Randolph County Precincts include Baldwin, Blair, Bremen, Brewerville, Central, Chester, Coulterville, Ellis Grove, Evansville, Kaskaskia, Palestine, Percy, Prairie du Rocher, Red Bud, Rockwood, Ruma, Sparta, Steeleville, Tilden, Walsh, Wine Hill Precincts
Cities, Towns and Communities include Baldwin, Chester, Coulterville, Ellis Grove, Evansville, Kaskaskia, Percy, Prairie du Rocher, Red Bud, Rockwood, Ruma, Sparta, Steeleville, Tilden
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.randolphco.org/. All departments below at located at the Randolph County Courthouse, #1 Taylor Street, Chester, IL 62233 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Randolph County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1722 and Court Records from 1722 and is located at the address above. Phone Number: (618) 826-5000, ext. 194 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.
Randolph County Recorder has Land Records from 1724 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618)826-5000 Ext 191,
Fax: (618)826-3750,
Email: countyclerk@randolphco.org 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.
Randolph County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1724 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618)826-5000 Ext 191,
Fax: (618)826-3750,
Email: countyclerk@randolphco.org 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 Randolph County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Maps. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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 Randolph County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Randolph 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.
Randolph County's motto "Where Illinois Began" is symbolic of the role this area played in the settlement of our State. Historians often begin their discussions about early Illinois with brief mention of French Jesuit missionary Father (Pere) Jacques Marquette and his 1673 expedition down the Mississippi River with French-Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet. In fact, however, Randolph County's history begins around 8000 B.C. with prehistoric hunters seeking refuge under a rock formation now called the Modoc Rock Shelter. Early Indian tribes were still using this limestone bluff overhang for shelter as late as 1200 A.D. The Marquette & Jolliet expedition likely only set foot briefly on Randolph County soil; but, in 1686, Robert de LaSalle's Lieutenant Henri de Tonti scouted the Illinois Country for possible French trading post locations and visited the area where the Village of Kaskaskia eventually developed following its founding as a Jesuit mission in 1703 by Father Pierre-Gabriel Marest. The French fleur-de-lis flew over the area from the late 1600's until the British accepted control of "New France" at Fort de Chartres following the end of the French & Indian War in 1763. The British Union Jack then flew over the area until the Revolutionary War when Colonel George Rogers Clark and his "Long Knives" captured Kaskaskia and Fort Gage on July 4, 1778. (Prairie du Rocher and Cahokia surrendered soon thereafter) and proclaimed the Illinois Country to be part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Governor Patrick Henry appointed Colonel John Todd as County Lieutenant & Civil Commandant and named Kaskaskia as the seat of civil government. Virginia eventually ceded its frontier holdings to the Continental Congress which, in 1787, established the Northwest Territory with General Arthur St. Clair presiding as Governor at Marietta, Ohio. In 1790, Governor St. Clair proclaimed what is now downstate Illinois to be called St. Clair County with Cahokia sharing a role in civil government with Kaskaskia. On October 5, 1795, roughly the southern half of then St. Clair County became Randolph County with Kaskaskia remaining as the local seat of civil government.
Randolph County took its name from noted Revolutionary War soldier and statesman, U.S. Attorney General Edmund Randolph, a former Governor of Virginia. In 1800 the area became part of the newly-created Indiana Territory with Governor Wm. Henry Harrison presiding at Vincennes. Then, in 1809, the Illinois Territory came into being with Governor Ninian Edwards presiding at Kaskaskia. Illinois was finally admitted to the Union as a sovereign State in 1818 with Shadrach Bond named as Governor and beloved Pierre Menard as Lieutenant Governor. Kaskaskia served as Illinois' first State Capital until 1820 when it was moved to Vandalia on the Kaskaskia River some 90 miles upstream. Kaskaskia continued as the Randolph County seat of government until the Flood of 1844 forced the County Seat to be relocated to Chester (Sparta also sought this designation!). In 1881 the Mississippi River broke through the "Narrows" and took over the Kaskaskia River channel leaving Kaskaskia as an "island" on the Missouri side of the River. By 1901 the last surviving vestiges of Illinois' first State Capital, including the State House Building, had collapsed into the mighty Mississippi. The former Randolph County Courthouse met a kinder fate as it was later dismantled "brick by brick" and rebuilt as a schoolhouse in "new" Kaskaskia near the Church of The Immaculate Conception. But the Indian curse supposedly placed on "old" Kaskaskia followed the relocated Village as it too was all but destroyed by more recent floods. Today, however, through diehard local efforts following the infamous Flood of 1993, visitors to Kaskaskia Island can see a restored Kaskaskia Bell Shrine ("The Liberty Bell of the West") and Church of The Immaculate Conception; and, off in the distance…that old brick schoolhouse!
Randolph County is justly proud of its many historic sites associated with the French Colonial era, the Revolutionary War, early Illinois statehood, the German immigration movement, Mississippi River steamboat days, the coming of the railroads, the Underground Slave Railroad/Civil War era, coal mining in southern Illinois, and such historical "tidbits" as Chester native Elzie Segar creating Popeye in 1929 and Sparta serving as the film location for the 1967 Hollywood movie "In The Heat Of The Night". Combined with numerous scenic and outdoor recreation attractions and amenities,(World Shooting & Recreation Complex Arrived in 2006), these historic sites contribute much toward residents' overall quality of life and provide unlimited small business opportunities for entrepreneurs focused on tourism. Key industries in Randolph County include agriculture & agribusiness, including grain elevator & milling operations; coal mining & stone quarrying; food processing & packaging; foundry castings & fabricated metal products; industrial equipment & process systems; rubber & plastic parts; construction & building material products; transportation & distribution; communications & utilities; retail & wholesale trade; healthcare & related support services; professional & technical services; education & human services; and, governmental units & institutions, including state prison & mental health facilities. The manufacture of "hvac" equipment has disappeared from the local industrial scene, while commercial printing & related graphic services and wearable goods still maintain a limited presence though pale in comparison to past decades.
Though much smaller in area (583 sq. mi.) than when created over 200 years ago, Randolph County's population has grown from 1,225 in 1800 to 33,893 in 2000 with occasional setbacks along the way. The County is represented by a 3-member Commission form of government and has 14 municipalities including Baldwin (village pop. 434); Chester (city pop. 8,378); Coulterville (village pop. 1,230): Ellis Grove (village pop. 381); Evansville (village pop. 724); Kaskaskia (village pop. 9); Percy (village pop. 942); Prairie du Rocher (village pop. 613); Red Bud (city pop. 3,422); Rockwood (village pop. 41); Ruma (village pop. 260); Sparta (city pop. 4,486); Steeleville (village pop. 2,077); and Tilden (village pop. 922). Randolph County is served by seven (7) schools districts (Chester, Coulterville, Prairie du Rocher, Red Bud, Sparta, Steeleville, and Trico), two (2) community college districts (SW IL College and John A. Logan College), three (3) local hospitals (Chester Memorial, Red Bud Regional, and Sparta Community Hospital) and a county wide ambulance and 9-1-1 system. Transportation elements include two (2) community airports (Sparta's "Hunter Field" and Perryville MO), two (2) railroads (Union Pacific and Canadian National/Illinois Central), two (2) navigable rivers with docking facilities (Mississippi and Kaskaskia Rivers), eight (8) two-lane State highways (Rts 3, 4, 13, 150, 153, 154, 155, and 159), and two (2) Mississippi River crossings (Chester Bridge and Ste. Genevieve-Modoc Ferry). Key utility providers include Ameren-IP, Egyptian Electric Co-op, Verizon Communications, Egyptian Telephone Co-op, Harrisonville Telephone Co., Egyptian Water Co. and several municipal operations. Economic development efforts focused on business and industry retention, expansion, attraction, creation and transition ("REACT") are spearheaded by the Randolph County Dept. of Economic Development under the direction of the Randolph County Progress Committee Inc. This countywide organization works in concert with the Kaskaskia Regional Port District (KRPD), Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders Inc., Mid America Workforce Investment Board, Western Egyptian EOC, SW IL RC&D, (Mississippi) Delta Advisory Council/Delta Regional Authority, SW IL Planning Commission & Economic Development District, the Tourism Bureau of SW IL, Randolph County Tourism Committee, five (5) local Chambers of Commerce (Chester, Coulterville, Red Bud, Sparta, and Steeleville), and local communities interested in promoting their industrial parks and building space, tax increment financing "TIF" districts (Chester, Sparta and Steeleville), and ongoing downtown revitalization efforts.
