I saw Carl Lentz' entry in the Macoupin guest book and thought I might resend the research guide to the list as well as to Carl. He states he may be going to Macoupin for research and didn't know if he might be familiar with Carlinville or not. How to subscribe to the Macoupin County ILGenWeb maillist: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/maillist.htm Mon Jan 3 20:15:01 2000 Name: Carl F. Lentz E-mail: clentz@swbell.net From: Rosenberg Texas Comments: We are searching for the Lentz/Lenz/Lance etc. family. My grandfather's family (LENZ) lived in Carlinville from ca 1860 'til ca 1878. We think they are listed as "Lance" in the 1860 census. My aunt "Lina" (probably Carolina) attended a luthern church in Carlinville. She was given a "Kirchen Gefangbuch" by a Carl Loehr at her confirmation in 1873. Grandfather's wife died and he married a Mary Krause either in Carlinville or in Germany. I anticipate visiting Carlinville in the near future to search public and church records for more information. Other Macoupin county names of interest are: ROSS, SEBERS, MARCKO. I believe some of your names are still familiar in the area. If remembering right, a teacher named Lentz, a druggist Loehr and a real estate person Marko (note no c). The first part below is for one day of research in Carlinville and an added part below this part for more than one day. I had written this before and I have been there and done most of it especially the courthouse several times. Good luck and if I can head you somewhere else in Macoupin, holler. I was raised in the village of Nilwood many moons ago.<g> Gloria ------------ One day of research in Carlinville any week day. Have your list of needs with dates ready. Take a notepad and some small post-it types so you can mark pages you want listed in an index or from a ledger itself. Go to the courthouse, block east of the square. Magnificent old building. Walk up the long flight of steps n or s of bldg or go in a bottom floor doorway in what I would call basement and walk up or take elevator to main floor (maybe called second floor - maybe someone can correct me on the elevator buttons). County Clerk's Office on Main Floor. South end hallway, last office on east side. At least meet Anne Easton. If you need a marriage, old birth cert, that is where it is. If they aren't overwhelmed with "right now" work, they will probably make the copy ($7) right on the spot for you. You can search the ledgers yourself (use the post-its to mark the pages). The indexes/ledgers are right behind Anne's desk. Tell them what you are looking for and they will point you to or drag the ledger down for you. Do most of your own research work of the ledgers and try to stay out of the workers way. Then off to the Circuit Clerk's Office north of the County Clerk's office same side hallway. Takes more time than the County Clerk's Office especially if you want copies of any probate (estate) (court case) type records. You search the recorded and index ledgers yourself (ledgers are more complicated than in the county clerk's office to find yourself the first time) and if you find something original you want, oh boy, the boxes are at the ceiling and you might stand out in the hallway and holler for some strong person to help you. That isn't too far off because I haven't known them to get the boxes down for you. You prob won't get copies on the spot (prob have to be mailed but can get costs - $1 a copy) because they are extremely busy with now type court cases and the copies may be many if you find an estate or court squabble by your ancestors. Note: If you have a will you need, it doesn't necessarily have to come out of the boxes where all the original papers are. They have hand copied the old wills in a ledger. You got deeds you need then off to the Recorder's Office - this office takes more time than the County Clerk's office but less than the Ckt Clerk's office. The old deed index ledgers if they haven't been moved are right up front in the office. Post-its to mark or notepad write down what you want from the ledgers. The copies may/prob not available on the spot. Not first, but if you have time, take the self-guided tour (pick up your walkman-leave returnable deposit at the County Clerk's office - better get your research done first) - leave some time for the library (time running out, may have to fast forward the walkman, you need to be out of the courthouse by 1 or 2 pm <g>). If you remember when you are outside of the courthouse, look south across the street and the old jail built at the time of the courthouse, abt 1860's, is still there. We called it the White Rock Hotel when I lived there and it was in use. Head back to the square, southeast corner/south side square, look for "Book Shelf" store. Run in, ask, no time to browse, for the Macoupin books. They usually stock the Cemetery books, History books, old Atlas, Hicken's Civil War Book, and others for Macoupin. I needed about $100 the first time in the book store, well, maybe a little more. You are starvin'. Easiest for me to say, is on the way to the Library below, going off the square north about a block or two look east/right, Jubelt's Bakery and Restaurant would be the quickest. Of course, if you want to take the time, Hardees, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, are in the area. Need Walmart, off the square west, keep on truckin' across RR tracks, then abt an eighth to quarter mile look to right/north. Out by Walmart in a little strip type mall is a good pizza/italian place called Nicks. Off the square north a few blocks watching on west side of road for the library (Mon.-Thu. 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Fri. - Sat. 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.). In order first, Genealogy room, first run thru the file cabinets for any file with your family surname - use the post-its. Gotta page number of an original census sheet for Macoupin you just gotta have, ck the microfilm holdings for census and other types of resources, oh, area newpapers for obits (hopefully, you have experience from the LDS FHC threading the microfilm reader/copier.). Then the shelves, grab the books you need copies from, use the post-its marking on post-its the page numbers. Ck the time. Take the stack of material with post-its to desk for copying if you aren't allowed to do the copying yourself. Oh, forgot, if you find a lot of stuff to copy you want, better have an extra $100 or so with you for that purpose. If that had been my first time for one day, I could have easily spent that and more for copies, etc, especially with the $7 per cert and $1 each page. Hopefully, you will have a husband or 2nd party with you that you can kinda boss around. Like, "look in that ledger/book for ?" and "make me a copy of this." Take you a month to go thru all the goodies when you return home. There are other places in Carlinville to see and do but for one day of research the above is what I would advise if you have a list of research which needs to be done. Maybe some others can throw some different suggestions out for your day of research in Carlinville. For area touring, visit Carlinville Community Chamber of Commerce site at: http://www.carlinville.com and Town-Square at: http://www.town-square.net/ Gloria ------------- MORE THAN ONE DAY If I had more than one day for research in Carlinville, I would include: I would make sure I covered the first set of places in Carlinville I mentioned previously in an email. If I have another day or two or three, I could slow down a bit and might manage to get back a second time to a place I wanted more out of and get some touring, sightseeing in. I would add going to the Staunton Library, located south out of Carlinville, Rt 4, about 20 miles. Our Genealogical Society's research materials such as surname files, history and cemetery books, quarterlies are in the George and Santina Sawyer Genealogy Room, Staunton Public Library, 306 West Main, Staunton, IL 62088. The hours are: Mon-Thurs: 10 am - 7 pm; Fri & Sat: 10 am - 5 pm. The phone there is 618-635-3852 Our Historical Society Museum -go north off Carlinville square to Hardees at the light, turn west on Nicholas cross RR tracks, immediately across RR go north on Oak St to Breckenridge St, then west on Breckenridge look right/north. His Soc has research materials including many many old school pics, family histories, etc upstairs. The old home being used as the museum is beautiful with many antiques and artifacts. Arrange for the 10-2 hr opening on Wed. Spring and Fall festivals have super homecooked food, crafts, antique farm equip, and tours. If research time needed and trying to attend a festival, you may have to plan 3 or 4 days in Macoupin. Won't be quiet to research during festival time. Cemeteries - if you should want to visit any cemeteries in the county, many of us on the ILMACOUP list could direct you to a specific cem. Libraries in Girard, Virden, Brighton, Bunker Hill, Gillespie, Mt Olive, Benld have some materials for there own areas which may not be in all the other libraries but I think by just looking that Carlinville has maybe the most or Staunton. http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/m_lbrary.htm Gloria ------------------ Gloria Frazier ILGenWeb Western Regional Coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/western.htm Macoupin County ILGenWeb County Coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmacoup/macoupin.htm Temporary Rock Island County ILGenWeb County Coordinator http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilrockis/index.html FRAZIER-L maillist