Records that survive
These are the record series from Rock Island 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
- Marriage Record1833–1924
- Marriage Record Index1833–1925
- Birth Certificates, Delayed1860–1900
- Birth Record Index, Delayed1860–1978
- Cemetery Record (Moline)1874–1978
- Birth Record1877–1901
- Birth Record Index1877–1907
- Death Record1877–1901
- Death Record Index1877–1921
- Death Record (Moline)1930–1935
- Birth Record (Moline)1931–1935
Deeds and land
- Deed and Mortgage Index1835–1895
- School Trustees' Minutes1836–1973
- Entry Books1837–1841
- Probate Sale Record, Real Estate1850–1888
- School Survey Committee Minutes1946–1948
- Election Papers (Rock Island)1973
Wills and estates
- Probate Case Files1834–1900
- Probate Record1835–1900
- Probate Case Files Index1837–1983
- Probate Will Record1837–1922
- Probate Administrator's and Executor's Record1839–1859
- Probate Administrator's and Guardian's Record1839–1841
- Probate Inventory, Appraisement and Sale Record1849–1865
- Probate Accounts Current Record1850–1880
- Probate Administrator's Record1859–1902
- Probate Claim Dockets1859–1876
- Probate Executor's Record1859–1894
- Probate Guardian's Record1859–1925
- Probate Inventory Record1859–1906
- Probate Sale Record, Personal Property1859–1902
- and 6 more series in the full listing
Naturalization
- Naturalization Record Index, Circuit Court1842–1962
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, Circuit Court1854–1962
- Naturalization Record of Minors, Circuit Court1854–1864
- Naturalization Record, Final, Circuit Court1854–1898
- Naturalization Record, Circuit Court1860–1883
- Naturalization Record of Soldiers and Minors, Circuit Court1865–1899
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, County Court1872–1906
- Naturalization Record Index, County Court1872–1906
- Naturalization Record, County Court1872–1883
- Naturalization Record, Final, County Court1872–1906
- Naturalization Record of Minors, County Court1896–1906
- Naturalization Petition Record, Circuit Court1906–1962
- Naturalization Index Card File1910–1962
- Naturalization Declarations of Intent, City Court (Moline)1915–1944
- and 4 more series in the full listing
Tax records
- Tax Sale Record1845
- Dog Tax Collection Record (Moline)1893–1945
Court records
- Board of Supervisors' Minutes1833–1958
- Circuit Court Record1833–1887
- Circuit Court Case Files, Circuit Court1834–1902
- Circuit Court Record, Chancery1842–1890
- Insanity Proceedings Case Files1853–1947
- Township Meeting Minutes (Cordova Twp.)1857–1962
- Justice of the Peace Dockets1858–1869
- Police Magistrate Dockets, City (Moline)1875–1951
- Coroner's Inquest Files1876–1988
- Board of Health Minutes (Moline)1877–1907
- Police Magistrate Dockets, Civil (Moline)1878–1897
- Board of Supervisors' Minutes Index1882–1934
- Police Magistrate Dockets, Criminal (Moline)1886–1944
- Probate Conservator's Record1893–1920
- and 9 more series in the full listing
Schools
- School Treasurer's Cash Books1850–1954
- School Treasurer's Account Books1871–1933
- School District Record1886–1899
- School Teachers' Institute Fund Account Books1899–1967
- School Final Standings Record, Townships1915–1927
- School Officers' and Teachers' Record1937–1961
- School Superintendent's Statements, County Supervisory Expen1938–1971
- School Fund Distributive Record1959–1990
- School Teachers' Certificate Registers1960–1965
Elections and voters
- Voter Registers (Drury Twp.)1920–1938
- Election Papers (Drury Twp.)1925
- Voter Registers (Andalusia Twp.)1938–1940
- Election Papers (Carbon Cliff)1963–1971
Town and city records
- City Council Minutes (Moline)1857–1983
- City Officials' Lists (Moline)1857–1983
- Township Record (Coal Valley Twp.)1878–1970
- City Contract Files (Moline)1883–1924
- City Bond Ordinance Record (Moline)1892–1964
- Police Blotters (Moline)1894–1948
- Police Duty Logs (Moline)1894–1909
- Police Statistical Record (Moline)1898–1909
- Animal Claim Record, Sheep (Drury Twp.)1899–1921
- Police Call Books, Ambulance and Patrol (Moline)1905–1942
- Police Arrest Calendars (Moline)1906–1916
- Police Blotters, Foreign (Moline)1908–1948
- City Annual Budgets (Moline)1911–1976
- Street Lamp Outage Reports (Moline)1912–1929
- and 16 more series in the full listing
County government
- Highway Commissioners' Record (Coal Valley Twp.)1923–1977
- Village Annual Audit Reports (Port Byron)1962–1971
- Village Annual Audit Reports (Carbon Cliff)1969
Other records
- State Hospital Reports of County Patients1897–1920
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
- Rock Island 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, Rock Island" 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: Jo Daviess County
Check the parent county for earlier records: Jo Daviess County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1831, 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.