Spotlight on Pike County, Illinois

Pike County is in Western Central Illinois along the Mississippi River.  It was formed in 1821 from Madison county and has been the current size since 1823. 

Birth and death records have been kept since 1877.  Marriage records and land records date to the formation of the county.  Probate Records also date from 1821.  Many of these early records can be found online at FamilySearch.org.

The County Clerk’s office holds the vital and land records.  The Circuit Clerk’s office has probate records.  The Courthouse is located at 121 E. Washington, Pittsfield, IL 62363.  Birth, marriage and death records can be ordered online at https://www.officialrecordsonline.com/Select/Index.html?state=IL&county=PIKE#/

Some records are at the IRAD depository at Western Illinois University. In addition to early vital records, there are also school teacher registers and jail registers.

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (May 2020).  

Tip - How do I find where and when my ancestor died?

 Q. How do I find where and when my ancestor died?

A. Most counties in Illinois started recording deaths in the 1870’s.  This was a public health mandate by the state although it took a few years for compliance to reach 100%. 

A good place to start are the databases at the Illinois State Archives - https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases/home.html .  There are 2 databases that can be searched separately – one is for deaths prior to 1916, the other for deaths between 1916-1950.  There are some counties and dates that are not included in this database however.

Copies of many death registers can be found at the Illinois Regional Archive Depository (IRAD) for that area.  Early death registers can be found online at Family Search for many counties as well. 

Copies of Death Certificates can be obtained from the Illinois State Archives – an easy way to do this is through the ISGS Death Certificate Look Up service at https://ilgensoc.org/cpage.php?pt=122

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (May 2020).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.