Genealogy Resources
The Genealogy Division at the Mercer County Historical Society was organized in 1979 and has accumulated a large collection of Mercer County material for research purposes. If you need research assistance, please fill out the research request form.
Please refer to our list of fees.
Here is a listing of some of what we have to offer:
Cemetery Records
-DAR volumes covering cemeteries surveyed in the 1960s
-cemetery card files
-indexes providing names of those in the DAR volumes and card files
-cemetery indexes listing burial places
Census reports
-hard copies of the U.S. census 1840 - 1900
-microfilm of the U.S. census 1910 - 1920
-microfilm of the Illinois state census 1855 and 1865
Death information
-Information extracted from death certificates issued December 1877 - 1915
-DAR books with some handwritten wills
-index to courthouse probate records 1835-1940
-Obituary indexes 1857 - 2022
Directories/Maps/Plats
- We have a variety of directories, maps, and plats showing landowners, farmers, breeders, business firms, residents, schools, churches, etc. from 1864 to 2016. (there are gaps missing in the collection)
Family Histories
-Click to view our list of donated family histories
Marriage information
-courthouse records listing marriages 1835 - 1925
Military
-We have information on Mercer County residents for:
War of 1812
Civil War
Vietnam
World War I
World War II
Newspapers on microfilm
-Aledo Democrat 1880-1927
-Aledo Weekly Record 1857-1885
-Alexis Argus 1917-1962
-Keithsburg News 1906-1968
-Matherville News 1918-1922
-New Boston (misc. titles)
-Reynolds Press 1897-1899
-Seaton Independent 1912-1968
-Sherrard Bulletin 1903-1950
-Times Record 1891-2014
(there are gaps missing in the collection)
Tax Lists
-Names of landowners, purchasers, delinquent tax owners 1823 -1858
(there are gaps missing in the collection)
Towns & Villages
-Information on businesses, churches, schools, etc.
Yearbooks
-We have a large yearbook collection (there are gaps missing)
Aledo Roosevelt Military Academy
Alexis Seaton
Joy Sherrard
Keithsburg Viola
Little York Westmer
New Boston William & Vashti College
New Windsor Winola
Reynolds