Macoupin County Illinois - Plan A Research Trip To Macoupin County IL

Grandpa was born in Macoupin County IL. He died in Macoupin. Buried with many of his relatives in the same cemetery. He didn't have an education, well, only one day he went. He worked hard. He worked honest. He was a good father. He was strict. He represented a goodly part of the pioneers who arrived in Macoupin County IL.



Weather - Current

If I were planning a first time visit to Macoupin County for research then I would get on the free genealogy maillist where there are answers to specific questions.
How to subscribe to the Macoupin County IL maillist:
http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/maillist.htm

The first part below is for one day of research in Carlinville and an added part below this part for more than one day.

I had written this before and I have been there and done most of it, especially the courthouse several times.

Good luck and if I can head you somewhere else in Macoupin, holler.

I was raised in the village of Nilwood many moons ago.<g>

Jo Ann Gile has gone to Macoupin to do genealogy research. She recalls..

(Write to Linda Kmiecik <tonky@royell.org> about maybe getting the county archives opened for you. It is not staffed and only volunteer help on an occasional Friday.)

Have your list of needs with dates ready. Take a notepad and some small post-it types so you can mark pages you want listed in an index or from a ledger itself.

Go to the courthouse, block east of the square. Magnificent old building. Walk up the long flight of steps n or s of bldg (the n and s doors may be closed to security - you may need to go to security entrance at west ground). If you go in on ground/basement floor, there is an elevator at the south end or walk up.

County Clerk's Office on Main Floor. South end hallway, last office on east side. At least meet Anne Easton. If you need a marriage, old birth cert, that is where it is. If they aren't overwhelmed with "right now" work, they will probably make the copy (?$) right on the spot for you. You can search the ledgers yourself (use the post-its to mark the pages). The indexes/ledgers are right behind Anne's desk. Tell them what you are looking for and they will point you to or drag the ledger down for you. Do most of your own research work of the ledgers and try to stay out of the workers way.

Then off to the Circuit Clerk's Office north of the County Clerk's office same side hallway. Takes more time than the County Clerk's Office especially if you want copies of any probate (estate) (court case) type records. You search the recorded and index ledgers yourself (ledgers are more complicated than in the county clerk's office to find yourself the first time) and if you find something original you want, oh boy, the boxes are at the ceiling and you might stand out in the hallway and holler for some strong person to help you. That isn't too far off because I haven't known them to get the boxes down for you. You probably won't get copies on the spot (prob have to be mailed but can get costs - ?$ a copy) because they are extremely busy with now type court cases and the copies may be many if you find an estate or court squabble by your ancestors. Note: If you have a will you need, it doesn't necessarily have to come out of the boxes where all the original papers are. They have hand copied the old wills in a ledger.

You got deeds you need then off to the Recorder's Office - this office takes more time than the County Clerk's office but less than the Ckt Clerk's office. The old deed index ledgers if they haven't been moved are right up front in the office. Post-its to mark or notepad write down what you want from the ledgers. The copies may/probably not available on the spot.

Not first, but if you have time, take the self-guided tour (pick up your walkman-leave returnable deposit at the Circuit Clerk's office - better get your research done first) - leave some time for the library (time running out, may have to fast forward the walkman, you need to be out of the courthouse by 1 or 2 pm <g>). If you remember when you are outside of the courthouse, look south across the street and the old jail built at the time of the courthouse, abt 1860's, is still there. We called it the "White Rock Hotel" when I lived there and it was in use.

Head back to the square, southeast corner/south side square, look for "Book Shelf" store. Run in, ask, no time to browse, for the Macoupin books. They usually stock the Historical Society Cemetery books, History books, old Atlas, Hicken's Civil War Book, and others for Macoupin. I needed about $100 the first time in the book store, well, maybe a little more.

You are starvin'. Hardees is on the way to the Carlinville Public Library below, going off the square north. Of course, if you want to take the time, McDonalds and Dairy Queen, are in the area. These two, go off the square west, keep on truckin' west thru the light and across RR tracks, you will see the signs. Past Dairy Queen west to the light, turn right and a great Italian restaurant called Nicks is in a strip mall. Nicks have luncheon buffets thru the week. Before you cross the railroad tracks and at the light on the east side of the tracks, turn south to Walmart Supercenter about a mile.

Off the square north a few blocks watching on west side of road for the library (Mon.-Thu. 2:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Fri. - Sat. 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.). In order first, Genealogy room, (I think you will have to do your own research) first run thru the file cabinets for any file with your family surname - use the post-its. Gotta page number of an original census sheet for Macoupin you just gotta have, ck the microfilm holdings for census and other types of resources, oh, area newpapers for obits (hopefully, you have experience from the LDS FHC threading the microfilm reader/copier.). Carlinville Library have all the old Carlinville newspapers on microfilm. Check out the card file cabinet for obituaries in the genealogy room. Then the shelves in the genealogy room, grab the books you need copies from, use the post-its marking on post-its the page numbers. Out on the library shelves are the published surname compiled books. Ck the time. Take the stack of material with post-its to copier. Rhonda Coulter writes, "I was there last fall. They had a copy machine available for public use. It was 10 cents a copy and they didn't charge me for mistakes. :)" Tom Bunt added, "The library has two copying machines; one in the genealogy room and one in the main area. The one in the main area makes color as well as b/w. The color copies are very inexpensive; $1.80 for a BIG colored copy. I've found this handy for making copies of old (or new) photographs, plat book pages that are colored, and other colored maps. It makes especially good copies of old black and white pictures."
http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/m_lbrary.htm

Oh, forgot, if you find a lot of stuff to copy you want, better have an extra $100 or so with you for that purpose. If that had been my first time for one day, I could have easily spent that and more for copies, etc, especially with the fee per cert in the county clerk's office and ?$ each page in the circuit clerk's office.

Hopefully, you will have a spouse or 2nd party with you that you can kinda boss around. Like, "look in that ledger/book for ?" and "make me a copy of this."

Take you a month to go thru all the goodies when you return home.

There are other places in Carlinville to see and do but for one day of research the above is what I would advise if you have a list of research which needs to be done. Maybe some others can throw some different suggestions out for your day of research in Carlinville.

For area touring and,
visit Carlinville Chamber of Commerce site at:
http://carlinvillechamber.com/
http://carlinvillechamber.com/local_information.html
Carlinville Online:
http://www.carlinvilleonline.com/
Townships and Towns:
http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/township/m_towns.html
Libraries:
http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/m_lbrary.html
Vitals:
http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/m_vital.html

If I had more than one day for research in Carlinville, I would include:

First, I would make sure I covered the first set of places in Carlinville I mentioned for the one day trip.

If I have another day or two or three, I could slow down a bit and might manage to get back a second time to a place I wanted more out of and get some touring, sightseeing in.

I would add going to the Staunton Library, located south out of Carlinville, Rt 4, about 20 miles. Our Genealogical Society's research materials such as surname files, history and cemetery books, quarterlies are in the George and Santina Sawyer Genealogy Room, Staunton Public Library, 306 West Main, Staunton, IL 62088. The hours are: Mon-Thurs: 10 am - 7 pm; Fri & Sat: 10 am - 5 pm. The phone there is 618-635-3852

Our Historical Society Museum -go north off Carlinville square to Hardees at the light, turn west on Nicholas cross RR tracks, immediately across RR go north on Oak St to Breckenridge St, then west on Breckenridge look right/north. His Soc has research materials including many many old school pics, family histories, etc upstairs. The old home being used as the museum is beautiful with many antiques and artifacts. Arrange for the 10-2 hr opening on Wed. Spring and Fall festivals have super homecooked food, crafts, antique farm equip, and tours. If research time needed and trying to attend a festival, you may have to plan 3 or 4 days in Macoupin. Won't be quiet to research during festival time.

Cemeteries - if you should want to visit any cemeteries in the county, many of us on the ILMACOUP maillist could direct you to a specific cem. I have 911 map listing road names and numbers.

Libraries in Girard, Virden, Brighton (Brighton also has a small museum), Bunker Hill, Gillespie, Mt Olive, Benld have some materials for there own areas which may not be in all the other libraries but I think by just looking that Carlinville has maybe the most or Staunton.
http://www.macoupinctygenealogy.org/m_lbrary.htm

----------------------------------------


Jo Ann Gile has gone to Macoupin to do genealogy research. She recalls..

"Yes, Gloria, it is everything you say it is and more. I have been there twice and plan to go back.

As I walked up those many steps to enter the Courthouse I tried to feel the emotions my great grandfather felt as a small boy who was entering the courthouse with his many older siblings to face the judge to receive his inheritance that his much beloved grandfather had left them. The grandfather had remembered his grandchildren and granted to them the share that his much loved first child would of received if she had not died when my grandfather was 5 years old.

I visited the cemeteries and could feel the sorrow the family members felt as they layed my grandparents to rest. Everywhere I went I felt the presence of their struggles, love and sorrow and knew for sure these people had really lived and were not just names on a census or cemetery reading. Yes we need to revisit sites that instill in us the realism that these people were once just like us and like them we will be someday.

I would encourage anyone to go visit Carlinville and live the experience for yourself.

Love you Macoupin people.

Jo Ann"



Home