Records that survive
These are the record series from Washington 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 Record1831–1971
- Marriage Record Index1831–1971
- Birth Record1877–1920
- Birth Record Index1877–1901
- Death Record1877–1971
- Death Record Index1877–1901
Deeds and land
- Village Trustees' Minutes (Radom)1937–1985
Wills and estates
- Probate Administrator's and Executor's Bonds1818–1885
- Probate Case Files1818–1927
- Probate Record1818–1979
- Probate Administrator's and Guardian's Record1853–1858
- Probate Guardian's Record1856–1930
- Probate Executor's Record1862–1905
- Probate Administrator's Record1863–1964
- Probate Will Record1879–1905
Court records
- Probate Guardian's and Conservator's Bonds1842–1884
- Board of Supervisors' Minutes1846–1873
- Insanity and Conservator's Record1879–1905
- Insanity Record1893–1907
Schools
- School District Record1955–1960
Town and city records
- City Council Minutes (Nashville)1869–1965
- City Ordinance Record (Nashville)1878–1916
- Township Record (Nashville Twp.)1883–2003
- Township Supervisor's Account Books (Venedy Twp.)1883–1966
- Township Auditors' Record (Nashville Twp.)1927–1952
- Township Clerk's Record (Nashville Twp.)1951–1991
Other records
- Servitude Record, Indentures1832–1885
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
- Washington 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, Washington" 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: St. Clair County
Check the parent county for earlier records: St. Clair County
Later formed partly from Washington County: Clinton County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1818, 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.