Records that survive
These are the record series from Pope 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 Licenses1813–1915
- Marriage Record1816–1944
- Marriage Record Index1816–1960
- Birth Certificate Index1862–1952
- Birth Certificates, Delayed1862–1916
- Birth Certificates1877–1915
- Death Record1877–1915
- Death Record Index1877–1909
- Death Record, Stillbirths1883–1915
Deeds and land
- Taxable Lands Lists1825–1865
- School Land Sale Record1835–1857
- School Trustees' Minutes1838–1954
- School Trustees' Annual Reports1859–1924
Wills and estates
- Probate Will Record1861–1916
Naturalization
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, Circuit Court1820–1821
- Naturalization Record, Circuit Court1864–1894
- Naturalization Record of Soldiers and Minors, Circuit Court1868–1886
- Naturalization Record, County Court1888–1898
Military and pensions
- Militia Roll Record1861–1865
- School Teachers' Pension and Retirement Fund Record1915–1921
Tax records
- Road Tax Lists1826–1827
- Assessor's Books1836–1838
Court records
- Circuit Court Dockets1818–1851
- Circuit Court Miscellaneous Record1821–1859
- Justice of the Peace Dockets1900–1909
- School Board Minutes1953–1958
- Regional Planning Commission Minutes1971–2004
Schools
- School Fund Distributive Record1835–1865
- School Fund Loan Record1835–1954
- School Fund Examination Record1838–1907
- School Treasurer's Record1842–1865
- School Treasurer's Account Books1865–1951
- School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record1867–1956
- School District Record1869–1958
- School Pupil Registers1870–1871
- School Teachers' Institute Record1877–1965
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1879–1958
- School Bond Registers1880–1919
- School Treasurer's Cash Books1882–1954
- School Teachers' Examination Fee Books1886–1917
- School Teachers' Employment Record1890–1929
- and 10 more series in the full listing
Elections and voters
- Election Papers1826–1876
Other records
- Territorial Bargain and Sale Record1816–1819
- Civil War Quartermaster Reports1864–1878
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
- Find Pope County's official website
We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the county clerk, the recorder of deeds and the clerk of the circuit court.
- 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, Pope" 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: Gallatin County, Johnson County
Check the parent counties for earlier records: Gallatin County, Johnson County
Later formed partly from Pope County: Hardin County, Massac 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.