Records that survive
These are the record series from Iroquois 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
- Birth Certificate Index, Delayed1853–1962
- Birth Certificates, Delayed1853–1915
- Marriage Record1866–1904
- Marriage Record Index1866–1935
- Birth Record Index1869–1915
- Birth Record, Delayed1872–1900
- Death Record1877–1901
- Birth Record1878–1901
Deeds and land
- Chattel Mortgages1930–1968
- Liens, Mechanics'1932–1967
Naturalization
- Naturalization Dockets, County Court1876–1903
Court records
- Local Improvements Board Minutes (Watseka)1909–1912
Schools
- School District Annual Audit Reports1949
Elections and voters
- Election Papers1972–1976
Town and city records
- City Council Minutes (Watseka)1863–1999
- City Ordinance Record (Watseka)1901–1910
County government
- County Annual Audit Reports1959–1968
Other records
- Drainage District Treasurer's Annual Reports1956–1971
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
- Iroquois 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, Iroquois" 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; attached to Vermilion County for courts until it organized
Later formed partly from Iroquois County: Kankakee County, Will County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1833, 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.