Records that survive
These are the record series from Ford 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 Illinois State University in Normal.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Record1859–1927
- Marriage Record Index1859–1983
- Birth Record1878–1901
- Birth Record Index1878–1909
- Death Record1878–1901
- Death Record Index1878–1915
Deeds and land
- Taxable Lands Lists1833–1876
- Chattel Mortgage Index1860–1941
- Deed Record1885–1890
- Chattel Mortgage Extensions1888–1897
- Village Trustees' Minutes (Piper City)1888–1974
- Chattel Mortgage Record1938–1952
- School Trustees' and Treasurer's Annual Reports1949–1970
- School Land Commissioners' Audit Reports1956–1970
Tax records
- Assessor's Books1857–1872
Court records
- School District Reapportionment, Circuit Court Opinion1954
Schools
- School Board Nomination Petitions1946–1947
- School District Reapportionment Files1946–1959
- School Election Papers1946–1948
- School District Annual Audit Reports1947–1970
Elections and voters
- Election Papers1936–1978
- Election Papers (Patton Twp.)1950–1971
Town and city records
- City Annual Audit Reports (Gibson City)1973–1977
County government
- County Annual Audit Reports1928–1956
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
- Ford 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, Ford" 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: Land not yet in any county
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1859, 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.