Genealogy
The Illinois Room has a large collection of genealogy resources for your family history research. Our extensive collection includes census materials, city directories, vital records, periodicals, school yearbooks, cemetery records, volumes of Illinois history including many various county histories, area family histories, military reports, maps, etc.
We have a Genealogy Department staff to assist you with your research. We will be happy to help you begin your family research or help you along with roadblocks you might encounter in your family history research. Call 462-0677 and ask to speak with someone in the Genealogy Department to set up an appointment. There is no charge for this service.
In the Illinois Room we have a computer for your use. The computer has access to our card catalog and our databases to help you with your family history research. We offer Ancestry Library Edition and Heritage Quest Online for you to use. These are fantastic tools for the family history researcher. Come in and try them out.
We offer Genealogy Discussions to help you with your research. Watch for upcoming discussions and guest speakers listed in our newsletter. Plan to attend and you will discover new search techniques and meet others who are searching in your area. For an overview of our collection, see the Illinois Room section.
We appreciate the donation of your family history resources when you are finished with them. They can help someone else discover their family origin in the future. Plan a visit to come in and browse our wonderful, historic collection.
If you are out-of-town, Hayner Public Library will be happy to assist you with your genealogy research. It is our policy to accept requests for research in writing only. Our fee is $5.00 for each person researched; be specific about what you hope to learn from us so we can help you better. Please make your check payable to Hayner Public Library and send it to 401 State Street, Alton, Illinois 62002 when you submit your letter; also include a SASE. We research and respond to requests in the order they are received. Please limit the number of names submitted to two names at a time. We will send you any information we find. Also, please send us your email address in case we have questions about your request.
Some special features of our genealogy collection in the Illinois Room include:
Newspapers
- Alton newspapers from 1836-present
- Alton newspaper index for most years
Census Materials
- Madison County Illinois Federal census Indexes for 1820 through 1930
- Madison County Illinois State census indexes for 1845, and 1855
- Illinois Census Returns for 1810, 1818, 1820
- Census materials from other Illinois counties and other states.
Databases
- ANCESTRY LIBRARY EDITION
- HERITAGEQUEST ONLINE
- FAMILY TREE MAKER – PLUS MANY CDs
- CIVIL WAR CD-ROM (a compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies)
Microfilm
- Alton newspapers 1836-present
- Illinois Census for various counties, but primarily Madison County starting 1820 to 1930.
- American State Papers: Land Grants & Claims (index located in Illinois Room)
- Selected Records of the War Department relating to the Confederate Prisoners of War, 1861-1865
Military Records
- Adjutant General of the State of Illinois: Annual Report 1863-1872
- Alton Military Prison records
- Pension records from various eras
- Civil War CD-ROM (a compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies)
Vital Records
- Alton newspaper listing births, deaths, marriages, probate, etc. with index for most years
- Most Madison County cemetery inventories plus others
- Marriage records
- Madison County Naturalizations and Intentions 1816-1900
…and many more items to assist you with your genealogical research. Visit us and see where your family history research takes you.
Contact Us
The Hayner Public
Library District
Genealogy Department
401 State Street
Alton, IL 62002
genealogy@haynerlibrary.org
Web Links
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