Records that survive
These are the record series from Fulton 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 Western Illinois University in Macomb.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Birth and Death Reporting Accounts1902–1906
- Poor Farm Death Record1909–1953
- Cemetery Record (Farmington)1916–1986
Deeds and land
- Deed Record1817–1860
- School Trustees' Minutes1846–1954
- Taxable Lands Lists1850–1860
- Chattel Mortgage Record1851–1910
- Township Trustees' Miscellaneous Files (Waterford Twp.)1851–1965
- Swamp Land Record1853–1857
- Chattel Mortgage Index1858–1881
- Village Trustees' Minutes (St. David)1885–1961
- Chattel Mortgage Dockets1917–1936
Wills and estates
- Probate Case Files1827–1922
- Probate Case Files Index1827–1963
- Probate Record1827–1933
- Probate Will Record1828–1924
- Probate Case Files, Guardians1837–1922
- Probate Inventory Record1843–1923
- Probate Administrator's Record1859–1924
- Probate Executor's Record1859–1923
- Probate Guardian's Record1859–1926
- Probate Guardian's Report Record1872–1923
- Probate Widow's Relinquishment and Selection Record1894–1934
- Probate Minutes1902–1904
Naturalization
- Naturalization Certificate Card File, Circuit Court1839–1952
- Naturalization Papers, County Court1855–1906
- Naturalization Index Card File, Circuit Court1859–1892
- Naturalization Record Index, Circuit Court1859–1954
- Naturalization Record, Final, Circuit Court1859–1892
- Naturalization Index Card File, County Court1860–1905
- Naturalization Record, County Court1860–1906
- Naturalization Record of Soldiers and Minors, Circuit Court1865–1885
- Naturalization Record, City Court (Canton)1892–1906
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, City Court (Canton)1894–1943
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, Circuit Court1906–1948
- Naturalization Petition Record, Circuit Court1907–1954
- Naturalization Petition Record, City Court (Canton)1907–1947
- Naturalization Certificate Stubs, Circuit Court1908–1947
- and 3 more series in the full listing
Military and pensions
- Militia Roll Record1861–1862
- Military Discharge Certificates1862–1865
Tax records
- Tax Sale and Redemption Record1823–1882
- Tax Sale Record1834–1887
- Assessor's Books1839–1962
- Tax Lists, Delinquent1840–1915
- Collector's Books1843–1958
- Assessor's Books (Canton)1855–1861
- Tax Judgment Record1861–1882
- Special Assessment Books (Canton)1868
- Railroad Tax Books1871–1955
- Tax Assessment Abstracts (Farmers Twp.)1880
- Road Tax Lists (St. David)1899–1900
- Telephone and Telegraph Tax Books1901–1955
- Special Assessment Books (Farmington)1920–1921
- Tax Judgment, Sale, Redemption and Forfeiture Record1933–1940
Court records
- Circuit Court Record, Chancery1824–1923
- Circuit Court Case Files1825–1876
- Board of Supervisors' Minutes1829–1948
- Circuit Court Record, Common Law1835–1926
- Probate Guardian's and Conservator's Case Files Index1837–1991
- County Court Record1849–1917
- Circuit Court Index1852–1914
- Circuit Court Extra-jurisdictional Transcripts1853–1925
- Probate Conservator's Case Files1855–1922
- Justice of the Peace Dockets1858–1961
- Justice's Transcript Record1859–1890
- Circuit Court Record, Criminal1869–1938
- Insanity and Conservator's Record1870–1934
- Circuit Court Case Files, Criminal1871–1924
- and 16 more series in the full listing
Schools
- School Fund Loan Record1843–1861
- School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record1861–1920
- School District Record1865–1951
- School Superintendent's Annual Reports1866–1886
- School Teachers' Institute Record Index1892–1895
- School Teachers' Institute Record1895–1896
- School Pupil Examination Record1897–1917
- School Treasurer's Account Books1912–1915
- School Treasurer's Cash and Loan Record1912–1915
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1914–1957
- School Teachers' Annual Reports1923–1959
- School Election Papers1955–1978
Elections and voters
- Election Papers1948–1972
- Election Papers (Buckheart Twp.)1949–1955
Town and city records
- Town Lot Index1837–1893
- City Council Minutes (Canton)1848–1980
- Township Record (Ellisville Twp.)1850–1909
- Road Papers (Ellisville Twp.)1852–1905
- City Ordinance Record (Canton)1862–1910
- City Council Minutes (Farmington)1865–1967
- Township Supervisor's Miscellaneous Files (Farmers Twp.)1877–1896
- Township Bond Funding Certificates (Farmers Twp.)1879
- Township Bond Record (Farmers Twp.)1879–1896
- Animal Claim Record, Sheep (Farmers Twp.)1881–1898
- Township Treasurer's Account Record (Waterford Twp.)1887–1959
- City Council Minutes (Lewistown)1898–1983
- Village Ordinances (St. David)1900–1965
- Township Auditors' Record (Waterford Twp.)1913–1938
- and 7 more series in the full listing
County government
- County Officials' Registers1835–1891
- Highway Commissioners' Record (Ellisville Twp.)1869–1905
- Highway Commissioners' Account Books (Ellisville Twp.)1903–1914
- County Annual Audit Reports1931–1967
Other records
- County Clerk's Miscellaneous Files1825–1913
- Estray Record1843–1870
- Scale Registers1870
- Railroad Crossing Inspection Record1871–1873
- Almshouse Registers1877–1908
- Physician and Accoucheur Registers1877–1921
- Poor Farm Inmate Registers1887–1955
- County Clerk's Annual Reports1897
- Parole Record1898–1899
- Treasurer's Ledgers1908–1911
- Poor Farm Monthly Reports1909–1955
- Dependent and Delinquent Children Record1917–1934
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
- Fulton 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, Fulton" 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
Later formed partly from Fulton County: Knox County, Peoria County, Schuyler County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1823, 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.