Records that survive
These are the record series from Cumberland County held by the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) system, with the earliest and latest years. A span can include gaps. They include county, township and city records. This county's are held at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
Deeds and land
- School Trustees' Minutes1868–1954
- Surveyor's Files1880–1881
Court records
- Justice of the Peace Dockets1857–1955
Schools
- School District Record1887–1948
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1891–1959
- School Teachers' Permanent Record1923–1926
- School Classification Reports, Closing1943–1948
- School Classification Reports, Preliminary1944–1949
- School Faculty Record1949
Town and city records
- Township Record (Cottonwood Twp.)1861–1934
- Estray Record (Cottonwood Twp.)1862–1912
- Road Record (Cottonwood Twp.)1864–1890
County government
- Highway Commissioners' Record (Cottonwood Twp.)1872–1920
Other records
- Treasurer's Annual Reports1947–1954
Search the IRAD database for this county
Source: Illinois State Archives, Local Government Records Database (choose the county to see every series and its accession number). Contact the depository before you visit. Illinois began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1916.
Where to find the records
- Cumberland County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk, the recorder of deeds and the clerk of the circuit court, and any online record search the county offers.
- The county clerk
Births, deaths and marriages registered in the county.
- The recorder of deeds
Deeds, mortgages and other land records (in some counties the county clerk is also the recorder).
- The clerk of the circuit court
Probate (wills and estates), divorces and civil and criminal cases.
- The Illinois State Archives
In Springfield, with older county records at its regional depositories (IRAD) on university campuses.
- Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) systemfree
The State Archives' regional depositories, which hold older county, township and city records; search its Local Government Records Database by county.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Illinois, Cumberland" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Coles County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Coles County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1843, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Illinois began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1916; counties kept registers earlier, often from 1877 or 1878. The Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, from the State Archives, covers many marriages from 1763 to 1900.