Records that survive
These are the record series from Wayne 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 Eastern Illinois University in Charleston.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Birth Certificates, Delayed (Fairfield)1815–1940
- Marriage Certification Record, Pre-fire1855–1886
- Birth Record Index, Delayed1860–1910
- Birth Record, Delayed1860–1906
- Birth Record1867–1908
- Marriage Record1879–1952
- Marriage Record Index1879–1976
- Death Record1886–1955
- Birth Certificates (Fairfield)1916–1952
- Birth Certificates, Local Registrars (Fairfield)1917–1952
- Vital Records Incoming Correspondence (Fairfield)1929–1946
- Vital Records Corrections (Fairfield)1930–1953
- Burial and Removal Permits (Fairfield)1937–1952
- Cemetery Record (Fairfield)1937–1939
- and 3 more series in the full listing
Deeds and land
- School Land Sale Petitions1836–1854
- School Land Sale Record1837–1854
- Deed Index1851–1898
- School Trustees' Minutes1858–1954
- Chattel Mortgage Record1915–1961
Tax records
- Collector's and Treasurer's Accounts1860–1870
- State Tax Revolving Fund Record1875–1876
- Collector's Books1883–1885
- Tax Lists, Delinquent1884–1901
- Tax Assessment Abstracts1899
Court records
- Coroner's Inquest Record1888–1960
- School Board Minutes (Fairfield)1897–1993
- Circuit Court Record, Criminal1915–1928
- School Board Minutes, Non-high School1917–1941
- Local Improvements Board Minutes (Fairfield)1938–1951
Schools
- School Superintendent's Record1869–1882
- School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record1899–1914
- School Teachers' Institute Record1907–1931
- School Teachers' Daily Registers1926–1968
Town and city records
- City Ordinance Record (Fairfield)1867–1946
- City Council Minutes (Fairfield)1884–1984
Other records
- Physician, Accoucheur, and Dentist Registers1887–1936
- Stallion Registration Record1910–1917
- Blind Relief Application Record1913–1943
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
- Wayne 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, Wayne" 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: Hamilton County (Ohio), Knox County (Ind.)
Later formed partly from Wayne County: Clay County, Fayette County
The Atlas data for Wayne County begins in 1819, later than the 1796 date above, so this is the earliest boundary on file, not its original one.
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1796, 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.