This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/xg.2ADI/2845 Message Board Post: Can anyone tell me what kind of records are at the Illinois State Archives in Springfield? Can one get death certificate copies for deaths prior to 1900 and after 1900? Would they have marriage certificates for the same time perod? Also, I am curious about the Illinois State Historical Library. What kind of research records are there? Thank you in advance.

I'll try to answer your questions: Q #1 - Can anyone tell me what kind of records are at the Illinois State Archives in Springfield? A #1 - Illinois State census enumerations (original & film) Civil War Militia Census enumerations indexed census records (state & federal) indexed county history books Rev. War pension applications WWI Draft Registrations (film - IL only) Immigration/Naturalization indices (film) IL Laws, Executive Records - indexed by surname mentioned Muster & Descriptive Rolls - Mexican, Civil, Spanish-American, etc.. IL Roll of Honor (includes burial locations & most death dates for soldiers buried in IL up through WWI) Statewide IL death certificates issued 1916-1947 (with only a few missing) Statewide IL stillbirth certificates issued 1916-1947 (with a couple of years missing) Q #2. Can one get death certificate copies for deaths prior to 1900 and after 1900? A #2 - Statewide IL death certificates issued 1916-1947 (with only a few missing) Statewide IL stillbirth certificates issued 1916-1947 (with a couple of years missing) SOME LDS microfilms for pre-1916 deaths - (usually 1877-1915) - for the counties included in the listing on this page of my website: http://www.mollx.com/IL%20County%20records%20on%20microfilm.htm ONE of the counties - Champaign - for which the Archives has LDS microfilmed death certs, includes up through 1949 -- but for the most part, death certs issued after 1947 will only be available through either the appropriate county clerk's office, or through IL Dept of Public Health. Most of the county clerks in Illinois did not begin recording deaths until mid-1877 (Cook Co is one exception - -but the Great Fire of Oct 1871 destroyed all pre-1871 records). Q #3 - Would they have marriage certificates for the same time perod? A #3 - The Archives maintains the statewide pre-1900 IL Marriage Index - but the ONLY marriage licenses/certificates/records they MIGHT have in their holdings, would be for the same counties listed on the same above-referenced page of my website. http://www.mollx.com/IL%20County%20records%20on%20microfilm.htm If unavailable on film at the Archives, the other resources for marriage licenses/records would either be one of the IL Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD's) - of which there are 6 in the state of IL - - -OR the appropriate Co Clerk's office, in the county where the marriage occurred. Q #4 - >Also, I am curious about the Illinois State Historical Library. What kind of research records are there? A #4 - The IL State Historical Library holdings were transferred to the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum not quite 2 years ago. They have state- and nation-wide history books (a minimum of 5-8 books for each Illinois county) in their Reading Room. In the 2nd-floor Microfilm dept, they have over 5,000 newspaper titles, spanning all 102 Illinois counties, on over 90,000 microfilm rolls. Earliest newspaper on film in their holdings is, I believe, from Edwardsville IL, 1813. (before IL statehood). The A/V dept has photographs -- - thousands... including Civil War units & soldiers, identified & indexed whenever/wherever possible. The Manuscript dept has massive collections of letters, artwork, G.A.R. membership rolls & minutes... Other than the above... I've only "brushed the surface" of the Springfield research holdings. :) Molly Kennedy P O Box 5785 Springfield, IL 62705 www.mollx.com Genealogy - Confusing the dead, and annoying the living. >Message Board Post: > >Can anyone tell me what kind of records are at the Illinois State Archives >in Springfield? Can one get death certificate copies for deaths prior to >1900 and after 1900? Would they have marriage certificates for the same >time perod? > >Also, I am curious about the Illinois State Historical Library. What kind >of research records are there? > >Thank you in advance. >