Marshall County Genealogy Records
Marshall County genealogy records are held at the county clerk office in Lacon, a small Illinois River town in north-central Illinois with a county population around 11,000. The clerk maintains birth, death, and marriage records from the late 1800s, along with land and property files that go back to the county's formation in the 1830s. Marshall County is one of the smaller counties in the state, and the courthouse staff tends to be accessible and willing to help with genealogy requests. The IRAD depository for Marshall County is at Illinois State University in Normal, where older county government documents are preserved.
Marshall County Genealogy Quick Facts
Marshall County Clerk Vital Records
The Marshall County Clerk is at 122 N. Prairie St, Lacon, IL 61540. Call (309) 246-6325 for hours and information. This is the main office for birth, death, and marriage records in Marshall County. Birth and death records begin around 1877. Marriage records may go back somewhat earlier. The clerk also manages land records and other county documents stored in the Lacon courthouse.
Genealogy searches are $10 per request. Give the clerk the full name, an approximate date range, and the type of record you want. Staff will check the indexes and let you know what they find. Walk-in visits are the most productive approach. You can sit with the staff and go through several volumes in a day. The courthouse in Lacon is small and not crowded, which makes for a pleasant research experience.
Mail requests are accepted if you cannot visit in person. Include the search details, a $10 check payable to the Marshall County Clerk, and a copy of your photo ID. The Counties Code (55 ILCS 5) names the county clerk as the official custodian of vital records at the county level. Marshall County follows the same procedures as other downstate Illinois counties.
| Office | Marshall County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 122 N. Prairie St Lacon, IL 61540 |
| Phone | (309) 246-6325 |
Marshall County Land and Property Records
Marshall County land records are a solid genealogy resource. Deeds, mortgages, and property transfers are held at the recorder office in the Lacon courthouse. These files go back to the 1830s when Marshall County was formed. For farming families in this part of the Illinois River valley, a land deed might be the earliest document with an ancestor's name.
Property records are public under the Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140). There is no waiting period for land files. You can access deed books from any year without the time restrictions that apply to birth and death records. That makes land records especially useful for tracing families before 1877. If your ancestor owned or farmed land in Marshall County in the 1830s or 1840s, the deed books may have their name.
The Illinois birth certificate ordering page shown above explains how to request statewide birth records from 1916 onward, which complements the local records held at the Marshall County Clerk office.
Marshall County Genealogy at IRAD
The IRAD depository for Marshall County is at Illinois State University in Normal. Call (309) 452-6027 to check hours and ask about Marshall County holdings. IRAD stores older government records transferred from the Lacon courthouse. These can include historical vital records, court files, probate records, naturalization papers, and other county documents. Visiting IRAD is free and you can photograph documents at no cost.
The IRAD holdings database on the Illinois State Archives website lets you search what Marshall County records are stored at the Normal facility. Check the online inventory before driving out. The Local Records Act (50 ILCS 205) created the IRAD network to safeguard county records. Marshall County's oldest government files are preserved at the ISU archive because of this law.
Searching Marshall County Genealogy
Start at the Marshall County Clerk in Lacon for local records. The $10 search fee covers staff time in the indexes. For statewide records from 1916 onward, the Illinois Department of Public Health holds birth and death files. IDPH genealogy requests go by mail and take about 12 weeks. The state fee is $10 per copy.
The Illinois State Archives has free online databases that include Marshall County entries. The statewide marriage index covers 1763 to 1900. Death indexes cover the pre-1916 era and the years 1916 to 1950. Search these free tools from home before making a trip. The Vital Records Act (410 ILCS 535) sets the genealogy release thresholds: birth records after 75 years, death after 20 years, marriage after 50 years.
- Marshall County Clerk: vital records from 1877, land from the 1830s
- Genealogy search fee: $10 per search
- IRAD at Illinois State University, Normal: older county files
- Illinois State Archives: free marriage and death indexes online
- IDPH: statewide birth and death from 1916, $10 by mail
Marshall County sits along the Illinois River in north-central Illinois. Families in this area often had ties to the surrounding counties along the river corridor.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Marshall County along the Illinois River in north-central Illinois. Check these areas if your Marshall County search does not find what you need.