Lois and others, I'm wondering what County records exist from before November 1886, when the Wayne County Courthouse was burned. <sigh> I would think those records would clarify what isn't easy to see from static land records. I'd love to learn that some legal papers were stored away from the ravages of that courthouse fire! << NWNW Section 8 3s 8e dated Oct 13, 1848 and filed Feb 3, 1849 Book 54 Page 252. >> From what source is the above quote? Does anyone know if the County Assessor, plat maps or other land office records are available for years before 1850? What about tax records? I know how to access the online IL State databases, BLM, etc., for original land patents, but I haven't had much time to devote to this as yet, and as you can likely tell, I'm pretty green at this research. Where can I find land purchases from original settler to next person, and thereafter? Point me in the right direction, please. I have to track a family (Jacob RISTER) who were there from about 1828-1847. Dates which seem to follow some of the earliest, and precede the most helpful surviving records. I will see what area church and newspaper records survive and hope to cull what I can. The best solid clue I have to go on relating directly to Wayne County is the land patent record, so I am drawn to this thread to see what follows. I have yet to order Civil War records which may confirm a Fairfield connection to my Wisconsin based soldier from Wayne County, IL. The WI obit/death notices of these folks only say Wayne with no specified town. I have to take the land patent, legal geo-coordinates and translate them to English, so I can find their home. I hope to find Bland's and other publications helpful. I'm really praying for any help at all! I was going to reply with a possible long shot connection to my RISTER family and the WILSON Lois mentioned, but found that our connection, a Wayne Co. born Lucinda Rister married John Wilson, (b.1827) of Posey County, Indiana. More of a long shot, even though Posey County is the southwestern most county in Indiana, southeast of Wayne on the border next to Gallatin & White Counties, IL. Ah well.... I wish you all much luck with your quest! This area seems to be quite a challenge to research, but I'm sure it will be rewarding. I'll gladly post any connections or data I find which might be useful to other list members. I'll gratefully appreciate any help and guidance. Thanks & Happy Hunting, Kin - [email protected] yahoo .com RISTER & possibly PARISH / PARRISH == In a message dated 1/20/02 4:29:19 AM, [email protected] writes: << Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 16:42:38 EST From: [email protected] Subject: [ILWAYNE-L] Asa Haynes-Hunsinger-Atterberry-Wilson ....<snip>.... Do you know if the Wayne County Clerk has the deeds and wills? I think that either Charles W. Atteberry or his wife Susan (Hunsinger) Atteberry or some of their family may have inherited this land from Asa Haynes. Question for List: Is anyone researching the Asa Haynes family? If so do you know of a connection between the Atterberry, Wilson, Hunsinger, and Haynes lines? >>

Dear KinDetective & others, I researched in Wayne County for the first time this past summer. I thought I'd died and gone to genealogical heaven. The courthouse employees were very helpful. Some of this information is not even listed in lists of courthouse holdings. I thought I had searched everything pre-fire that I could get my hands on, but here is what I found: There is a Circuit Court Index Book 1, from 1800-1880 and the court record packets. The earliest ones are singed and in very poor condition. They need to be microfilmed or preserved in some way soon! But I was able to look through them for whomever. There is also a Book 2 which indexes from 1880-1916 and corresponding records. There is a Will Index from 1861-1950. I don't know if the early wills exist because I none of my known ancestors left a will in that county. I found a Grantor Index book for land records for 1851-1858. Only the grantors (sellers) are indexed. The index book lists almost everything except money paid and other details that don't fit the columns, so it is almost as good as the deeds themselves. Also, look at the later deeds. I had hired a researcher to search my surnames in the indexes. One really important one was mispelled so it was missed when she searched the indexes for me but I found it when I went to look at the original deed for the husband. The husband's deed was dated 1867 but filed in 1909 when he died. A deed for his wife was filed on the page before. It was dated 1858!!! I had the husband's deed for many years but did not know of this deed until my trip this past summer. The grantor index book may hold the key to the wife's purchase of land as she had been previously married and her first husband died before 1857 but I need to search the grantees--unindexed. Aaargh! There maybe other earlier records in the courthouse. I only had 3 days in the Wayne County area and lots of places to visit and search so I did not acquaint myself with every record available in the courthouse, but I was surprised by the amount of early records. Most of this is not microfilmed or extracted by the lovely Wayne County genealogists who have published records like the cemetery records or Wayne County Press info. You have to go in person or hire a researcher. Good luck & happy hunting! Liz Cameron researching Forendo Durham & William C. Clark of Wayne County, Illinois, & their descendants [email protected] wrote: > Lois and others, > I'm wondering what County records exist from before November 1886, when the > Wayne County Courthouse was burned. <sigh> I would think those records would > clarify what isn't easy to see from static land records. > I'd love to learn that some legal papers were stored away from the ravages of > that courthouse fire! > > << NWNW Section 8 3s 8e dated Oct 13, 1848 and filed Feb 3, 1849 Book 54 > Page 252. >> > > >From what source is the above quote? > Does anyone know if the County Assessor, plat maps or other land office > records are available for years before 1850? What about tax records? I know > how to access the online IL State databases, BLM, etc., for original land > patents, but I haven't had much time to devote to this as yet, and as you can > likely tell, I'm pretty green at this research. Where can I find land > purchases from original settler to next person, and thereafter? > Point me in the right direction, please. > > I have to track a family (Jacob RISTER) who were there from about > 1828-1847. Dates which seem to follow some of the earliest, and precede the > most helpful surviving records. I will see what area church and newspaper > records survive and hope to cull what I can. The best solid clue I have to > go on relating directly to Wayne County is the land patent record, so I am > drawn to this thread to see what follows. > I have yet to order Civil War records which may confirm a Fairfield > connection to my Wisconsin based soldier from Wayne County, IL. The WI > obit/death notices of these folks only say Wayne with no specified town. I > have to take the land patent, legal geo-coordinates and translate them to > English, so I can find their home. > I hope to find Bland's and other publications helpful. I'm really praying > for any help at all! > > I was going to reply with a possible long shot connection to my RISTER > family and the WILSON Lois mentioned, but found that our connection, a Wayne > Co. born Lucinda Rister married John Wilson, (b.1827) of Posey County, > Indiana. More of a long shot, even though Posey County is the southwestern > most county in Indiana, southeast of Wayne on the border next to Gallatin & > White Counties, IL. Ah well.... > > I wish you all much luck with your quest! This area seems to be quite a > challenge to research, but I'm sure it will be rewarding. I'll gladly post > any connections or data I find which might be useful to other list members. > I'll gratefully appreciate any help and guidance. > > Thanks & Happy Hunting, > Kin - [email protected] yahoo .com > RISTER & possibly PARISH / PARRISH > > > > > == > In a message dated 1/20/02 4:29:19 AM, [email protected] writes: > > << Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 16:42:38 EST > From: [email protected] > Subject: [ILWAYNE-L] Asa Haynes-Hunsinger-Atterberry-Wilson > > .....<snip>.... Do you know if the Wayne County Clerk has the deeds and > wills? I think that either Charles W. Atteberry or his wife Susan (Hunsinger) > Atteberry or some of their family may have inherited this land from Asa > Haynes. > Question for List: > Is anyone researching the Asa Haynes family? If so do you know of a > connection between the Atterberry, Wilson, Hunsinger, and Haynes lines? >> > > > > > ==== ILWAYNE Mailing List ==== > Any questions/problems regarding the Wayne County, Illinois list, > contact the listowner, Dianna Williams mailto:[email protected] > Visit the Wayne County, Illinois Genealogy web site at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilwayne/ > > >