Records that survive
These are the record series from Monroe 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 Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Record1816–1916
- Marriage Record Index1816–1877
- Birth Certificates1868–1915
- Birth Record1877–1915
- Death Record1877–1915
Deeds and land
- Deed Index1816–1963
- Deed Record1816–1963
- Swamp Land Record1854–1870
- School Trustees' Minutes1859–1960
- School Trustees' and Treasurer's Annual Reports1950–1953
Wills and estates
- Probate Case Files1819–1887
- Probate Record Index1845–1894
Naturalization
- Naturalization Papers, Circuit Court1854–1906
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, Circuit Court1860–1900
- Naturalization Petition Record, Circuit Court1860–1896
- Naturalization Papers, County Court1865–1906
- Naturalization Record, County Court1865–1903
- Naturalization Record, Final, Circuit Court1898–1900
- Naturalization Record of Minors, County Court1899–1902
- Naturalization Record, Final, County Court1899–1906
Military and pensions
- School Teachers' Pension Fund Record1915–1922
- Mother's Pension Order Record1933–1941
- Blind Pension Orders1939–1944
Court records
- County Order Record1870–1912
- County Order Registers1870–1890
- School Board Minutes, Non-high School1917–1934
- School Board Minutes1920–1933
Schools
- School Superintendent's Account Record1836–1940
- School Treasurer's Cash Books1847–1949
- School Fund Loan Record1850–1924
- School Notes and Bonds Record1850–1905
- School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record1861–1930
- School District Record1862–1951
- School Treasurer's General Record1864–1920
- School Treasurer's Account Books1867–1954
- School Superintendent's Annual Reports1877–1961
- School Teachers' Annual Reports1877–1938
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1877–1960
- School Fund Examination Record1880–1913
- School Teachers' Institute Fund Record1883–1951
- School Teachers' Library Loan Record1899–1913
- and 14 more series in the full listing
Other records
- Road District Record1888–1984
- Stallion Registration Record1910–1917
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
- Monroe 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, Monroe" 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: Randolph County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Randolph County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1816, 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.