RANDOLPH COUNTY, IL HISTORY AND LOOKUP
Table of Contents
- In-Print County History Books
- Free Public Domain County History Books
- Related Books
- Concise County History
- Comments & Suggestion
In-Print County History Books
These titles are currently in print and selected for their relevance to local and county history. Click anywhere on the book listing below, each listing links directly to the book’s purchase page.
Book Title TBD
This book is still being located or processed. Details will be added once available.
Free County History Books
This section features a curated collection of county history books sourced from public domain archives. Each book provides valuable insights into local history and heritage. Click anywhere on the book listing below, each listing links directly to the book’s public domain resource.
The History of Randolph County, Illinois by E.J. Montague, (1948) – 156 Pages
This concise history outlines the development of Randolph County. It highlights key events, community growth, and local institutions. The book provides a mid-20th-century perspective on the county’s past.
Combined History of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties Illinois by J. L. Mcdonough & Co., (1883) – 574 Pages
This volume presents a combined history of three counties in Illinois. It covers settlement, development, and significant events in each region. The work also includes biographical sketches of residents.
Related Books
This section highlights additional county and local history titles that complement the main collection. These books are selected for their relevance, historical value, and research usefulness. Click anywhere on the book listing below, and each listing links directly to the corresponding resource or purchase page.
Book Title TBD
This book is still being located or processed. Details will be added once available.
Randolph County, Illinois: A Genealogical Overview
Located in southwestern Illinois along the Mississippi River, Randolph County holds a uniquely significant place in the state’s history. As the first county organized in the territory that would become Illinois, it served as the cradle of state government, with its original county seat, Kaskaskia, being Illinois’s first state capital. Its history is a deep and compelling story of Native American heritage, French colonial settlement, and its role as the “mother of counties” for much of southern Illinois.
I. County Formation and Evolution
Understanding Randolph County’s formation as the original county in Illinois and its role as a parent to numerous other counties is fundamental for locating the correct records for ancestors in the region.
- 1795: County Formed: Randolph County was established on October 5, 1795, by proclamation of Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory.
- Parent County: It was created from the southern part of St. Clair County. Together, St. Clair and Randolph were the first two counties organized in the Illinois Country. Records for the area prior to 1795 would be located in St. Clair County records.
- Subsequent County Formations: Randolph County originally encompassed roughly one-third of the present state of Illinois. It is a “mother county” to many others, and its territory was used to form all or parts of Johnson, Gallatin, Jackson, Franklin, Perry, White, Monroe, Washington, and Union counties, among others. Researchers must be vigilant about these boundary changes.
- Name Origin: The county was named for Edmund Randolph, a Governor of Virginia, U.S. Attorney General, and Secretary of State under George Washington. Virginia had ceded this territory to the United States.
- County Seat History: The first county seat was the historically vital French town of Kaskaskia. After devastating floods and a change in the course of the Mississippi River that turned Kaskaskia into an island, the county seat was moved to Chester in 1847, where it remains today.
II. Settlement and Early History
- Early Inhabitants: The region was for centuries home to people of the Mississippian culture. By the time of European contact, it was the homeland of the Illiniwek Confederacy, particularly the Kaskaskia and Tamaroa tribes, who established villages along the river.
- Colonial Settlement and Economy: French-Canadian explorers, missionaries, and farmers began settling the area in the early 1700s, establishing towns like Kaskaskia (c. 1703) and Prairie du Rocher (c. 1722). This created a unique French Creole culture focused on farming, fur trading, and river commerce. The area was transferred to the British after 1763 and was famously captured for the Americans by George Rogers Clark during the Revolutionary War. After the war, American pioneers, largely from southern states like Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, began to settle the region, shifting the economy further toward agriculture.
III. Genealogical Records and Resources
This section provides practical information for locating ancestral records specific to Randolph County.
- Courthouse: Randolph County Courthouse: Located at 1 Taylor Street, Chester, IL 62233. The County Clerk’s office is the primary repository for county records including marriage licenses from 1795, and birth and death records prior to 1916. The Circuit Court Clerk holds probate (wills and estates) and court records. Land records (deeds) are held by the Randolph County Recorder, also at the courthouse.
- Vital Records:
- Birth and Death Records: Statewide registration in Illinois began on January 1, 1916. Records from that date forward are held by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records. For records prior to 1916, researchers should check with the Randolph County Clerk, though availability and completeness can vary greatly.
- Marriage Records: Marriage records from 1795 to the present are held by the Randolph County Clerk. These are often the most complete early records available.
- Libraries with Genealogy Collections:
- Randolph County Historical Society: Located in Chester, this is a crucial resource for local history, family files, and specific Randolph County materials.
- Chester Public Library: The library has a local history collection with valuable resources for genealogical research.
- Illinois State Archives: (Located in Springfield) This is an essential resource for Illinois genealogy. It holds microfilm copies of many county records, state census records, military records, and the comprehensive Illinois Statewide Marriage Index.
- Kaskaskia Manuscripts: For early French colonial ancestors, these transcribed and translated documents are an invaluable and unique resource, often found at major research libraries and the Illinois State Archives.
- Bordering Jurisdictions:
- Monroe County, IL
- St. Clair County, IL
- Washington County, IL
- Perry County, IL
- Jackson County, IL
- Perry County, MO
- Ste. Genevieve County, MO