Genealogy - Finding Your Roots In Montgomery County

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It is impossible to list all the information to be had in the Jackson-Walker Room at Litchfield Carnegie Public Library. Within its small area is contained the county's largest collection of genealogical material, a world of information. But most visitors to the room are looking for specific information on a specific subject--either facts about our state, county, city, or most often, information on family histories. Searching out family histories has become a favorite pursuit in recent years, and there are clubs and societies everywhere whose members exchange information. It's easy to get caught up in the search, especially when a long ago ancestor turns out to be someone of some importance in the history of the area. Also, reading about the lives of the settlers of our area gives a feeling of how they spent their days, and what their hopes were for their future. The Civil War touched the lives of many of the families of our area. There are a number of books covering that era, and they tell how our Litchfield and county men figured in that event. A large book published in 1891 entitled "Personal War Sketches" contains handwritten accounts of the men who served in the Civil War from this county. The book was the official record of the S.B.Phillips Post #379 of Litchfield. One of the most thorough of the library's collections is that of the late Walter Sanders. The cataloging of cemeteries and burial grounds of the area has made it possible for almost any grave to be located. Many family history researchers use these records for that purpose. The list of information available is almost endless. There are war records from the Civil War through the most recent armed conflicts; Church records, ship passenger lists, plat books and atlases beginning in 1874, and transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society from 1899 to recent issues; rural directories which include names, acreage, whether owned or leased, and if leased, who the owner was. There are Litchfield High School yearbooks, the first in 1908, and many family histories have been donated to the library. There are even scrapbooks containing obituaries of local people. Local newspapers have been micro-filmed, beginning with the weekly Litchfield Journal in 1857. A viewer is available and the microfilm can be viewed and copies made at a small cost. Although none of the material is allowed to be taken out of the room, there is a copy machine and much of the information can be copied. There is an excellent collection of material in Hillsboro Public Library as well. School and town records, copies of local papers on microfilm and reference books. There are a great many resources for the experienced geneaolgist or the beginner. Other museums around the county also have extensive collections. Witt Community Library, for example, has many of the records and yearbooks from Witt School. Montgomery County Clerk, of course, has birth, marriage and death records and the treasurer keeps old tax records, all in the Historic Courthouse. Click here to go to a Genealogical & Cemetery Info for Montgomery County