These indexes are a work in progress and contain the indexing to the most frequently used books found in our library. The intent is to index information found in in the genealogy library of the museum like audited cemetery books, local history books, etc. so that references to acts of god, places, crime, individuals, businesses, schools, organizations or city and county government can be referenced from the master indexes. The index is not necessarily intended to give you the information you need, but does yield data, and will indicate whether the information can be found and the source, if any in our library.

Since the indexes were done in Excel spreadsheet and will change reasonably often, I am leaving them in spreadsheet form. Clicking the links will take you to an online spreadsheet reader.  References to the Marion City Cemetery will link you to the Marion City Cemetery search page.

Keep in mind that first and last names are often written incorrectly so think phonetically.

 

Indexes and their Current Contents

Mortgage Record Books (updated 2/4/2023)

• Mortgage Record Books A through Z and 1 through 48 (1850’s thru the early 1920’s)

Obituaries (updated 10/5/2024)

• WCHS Card Catalog Obituary Collection (Obits collected from local newspapers)
• WCHS Digital Obituaries (Obits taken from County Funeral Homes since January 2015)
• 1879-1945, Obituaries Book One, Williamson County Illinois, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1927-1945, Obituaries Book Two, Williamson County Illinois, by Mary Jo Moore

Local History  (updated 7/8/2023)

• 1876, History of Williamson County, Milo Erwin
• 1905, Souvenir History of Williamson County
• 1939, Pioneer Folks & Places, Barbara Barr Hubbs
• 1989, Sesquicentennial History of Williamson County
• Bloody Williamson, Paul Angle
• 1927, In Bloody Williamson, My Four Year Fight with the KKK, George Galligan & Jack Wilkinson
• 1923, The Herrin Massacre, The Trial, Evidence, Verdict, Chatland Parker
• The Magic City of Egypt, Johnston City, William N. Macfarlane
• Carterville, Cambria & Crainville, A Look Back at our Towns, by Jennifer Spence & Sheri Hunter
• The Story of Carterville: It’s Hundred Years, 1871-1971, by Maranda Cavanas Scoby
• Herrin, The Brief History of an Infamous American City, published 2009 by John Griswold
• Goodspeed History of Williamson County, published 1887, Goodspeed Publishing Company
• Letters from the Past, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1913, Marion-The Opportunity City (Specializing in businesses particularly coal mining)
• 1926 Herrin Lion’s Club Promotional Booklet, highlights business, schools and churches in Marion, Herrin, Carterville and Johnston City
• 1939 Williamson County Centennial Souvenir Program
• 1964 Quasqui-Centennial Souvenir Program
• City of Creal Springs
• Glimpses of the Past, Johnston City, 1894-1945, by Pearl Roberts
• Glimpses of the Past, The Newspaper Articles, Johnston City, 1894-1952, by Pearl Roberts
• Steal Easy, A Memoiric History of Crab Orchard, Illinois, by John M. Brewer, published 1985
• The History of the Village of Crainville
• 1965 Johnston City Homecoming Souvenir Program
• Williamson County Schools, Lee Booth, 1989
• The Herrin Conspiracy, (about the Herrin Massacre, 1922)
• The Personal Memoirs of James W. Turner, published 1920
• Cedar Line Legacy, Betty Rademacher, published 2022
• Maranda, Stories from the girlhood of Maranda Cavanas Scoby, by Jean Jones
• Horse & Buggy Days, a story of Creal Springs by Charles C. Murrah
• The Ku Klux Klan Movement in Williamson County, by Masatomo Ayabe, 2005
• Reflections of our Memories, Memories of Crab Orchard and surrounding area, 1994
• Nicknames & Other Things, a Memoric History of Pittsburg, Illinois, by Marlene Richey, 1995
• Down Memory Lane, Herrin, 1900-1974, Lucille Vick Howell
• Down Memory Lane, Another Stroll, Herrin, 1900-1974, Lucille Vick Howell

Military   (updated 5/30/2018)

• 1917-1918, Williamson County in the World War (WWI), by the Williamson County Historical Society, (Data and photos of WWI vets and period business data)
• 2014, Tribute to Williamson County Heroes,  (All veterans buried in county, includes marker and some personal photos and obits), Harry & Dorothy Boyd
• Williamson County’s Greatest Generation, Harry C. Boyd, Articles from 1939-1945 from the Marion Daily Republican related to county WWII veterans
• Williamson County Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Post Records, transcribed in 2000 by Helen Sutt Lind and Charla Schroeder Murphy
• Soldiers Buried in Williamson County, WCHS
• They Are Not Forgotten, Men of Johnston City, Illinois Who Died in Uniform, Bill Hampsey & Helen Lind, 2008

Newspapers (updated 12/23/2019)

• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 1, 1922-24, Before & After Herrin Massacre
• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 1A & 1B, 1922, Herrin Massacre
• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 2 & 3, The First & Second Herrin Massacre Trials
• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 4A & 4B, 1923-24, Ku Klux Klan
• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 5 & 6, 1924-26, Klan, Glenn Young, Charles Birger
• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 7 & 8, 1927-28, Charles Birger & Trial
• Paisley’s Scrapbook Volume 9, 1928-29, Birger, Boswell, Ritter
• 1856-78, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1879-81, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1881-87, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1888-93, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1894-95, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1896-98, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1899-1900, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1901-04, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1905-09, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1910-12, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1913, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1914, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1915, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1916, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1917, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1918, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1919, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1920, Events in Egypt, Helen Lind, (Marion, Herrin, Carterville news extracts)
• 1927-29 Hatch, Match & Dispatch Vol. 1, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1930-32 Hatch, Match & Dispatch Vol. 2, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1933-34 Hatch Match & Dispatch Vol. 3, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1935-36 Hatch, Match & Dispatch Vol. 4, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1936-38 Hatch, Match & Dispatch Vol. 5, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1938-39 Hatch, Match & Dispatch Vol. 6, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1939-40 Hatch, Match & Dispatch Vol. 7, Johnston City Progress, by Margie Garr
• 1920 Bits of News Vol. 1, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1921 Bits of News Vol. 2, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1922 Bits of News Vol. 3, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1923 Bits of News Vol. 4, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1924 Bits of News Vol. 5, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1925 Bits of News Vol. 6, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1926 Bits of News Vol. 7, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1927 Bits of News Vol. 8, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1928 Bits of News Vol. 9, Marion Daily Republican, by Mary Jo Moore
• Glances at Life, by Homer Butler
• 1924-1937 Johnston City Progress Clippings (Primarily marriage related)

Misc. County Records  (updated 9/16/2024)

• Naturalization Petitions and Records, Williamson County, Volumes 1 to 8, Billie J. Burke& Jean Jones
• Delayed Births, Prior to 1917, Volumes 1 to 6, Williamson County, Billie J. Burke, Dolores Thetford and Jean Jones
• Williamson County Marriages, 1839-1865, Volume 1, by Gay Hoffard & Joyce Smith
• Williamson County Marriages, 1866-1877, Volume 2, by Gay Hoffard & Joyce Smith
• Williamson County Marriages, 1878-1888, Volume 3, by Gay Hoffard & Joyce Smith
• Williamson County Marriages, 1889-1896, Volume 4, by Hoffard, Smith, Murphy & Lind
• Williamson County Marriages, 1897-1902, Volume 5, by Charla Murphy and Helen Lind
• W.C. Illinois Death Records, Volume 1, 1877-1886, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• W.C. Illinois Death Records, Volume 2, 1885-1903, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• W.C. Guardian Book A, 1860-73 by Mary Jo Moore
• W.C. Coroner’s Inquest Vol 1, 1900-1904, Mary Jo Moore
• W.C. Coroner’s Inquest Vol 2, 1889-99, Mary Jo Moore
• Williamson County Commissioner’s Order Book A, 1839-48, Charla Murphy & Helen S. Lind
• Williamson County Will Book A, 1847-72, Charla Murphy
• Williamson County Will Book B, 1867-97, Mary Jo Moore
• Williamson County Miscellaneous Court Records, 1840-1903, by Mary Jo Moore
• Pioneer Daughters of Williamson County Applications, 1935-39 connections to early county settlers
• Pittsburg Justice of the Peace Docket Book 1, 1912-1931 and Chattel Mortgages, 1917-1924
• Pittsburg Justice of the Peace Docket Book 2, 1925-1935 and Chattel Mortgages, 1925-1936
• Pittsburg Miscellaneous Justice of the Peace Documents, 1927-1934
• 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880 Mortality Schedules
• 1917-18 Woman’s Committee of National Defense, Illinois Division, registration cards
• 1894-1970’s Williamson County Coal Mine Fatalities taken from Illinois Coal Reports
• 1898-1990 St. Paul’s U.C.C. Church Records, Johnston City
• 1840-1873 Circuit Clerk’s Probate Book C
• 1849-1860 County Clerk’s Administrator’s Book A
• 1868 Williamson County Tax Assessor’s Book
• 1877-79 WC Birth Records, Vol 1, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1879-81 WC Birth Records, Vol 2, by Mary Jo Moore
• 1877-1883 WC Birth Record Book One, by Dorothy Boyd
• 1923-24 WC Birth Record Book 15 (Partial)
• 1891 Grassy Township, T10 R1 Tax List
• 1891 Southern Township, T10 R2 Tax List
• 1894 Blairsville Township, T8 R1 Tax List
• 1894 Herrin Township, T8 R2 Tax List
• 1894 Southern Township, T10 R2 Tax List
• Deeds, Mortgages, Chattels Book 1, 1840’s to around 1902
• Deeds, Mortgages, Chattels Book 2, 1840’s to around 1902
• Original Land Grants, 1824-1870, Murphy, Moore & Burke, 1997
• Scanned Original Land Grants, (list of actual velum/parchment grant records in WCHS library)
• Land Grant Certificates (Copies of land grant records in the WCHS library)

Funeral Home Records (updated 3/28/2020)

• Frick Funeral Home, Marion, 1931-1940
• Ozment Funeral Home, Vol 1, Books 1-3, Marion, 1914-25
• Ozment Funeral Home, Vol 2, Books 4-7, Marion, 1925-45
• Ozment-Mitchell Funeral Home, Vol 3, Books 8-10, Marion, 1945-56
• Ozment-Mitchell Funeral Home, Vol 4, Books 11-13, Marion, 1956-1962
• Hill Funeral Home, Carterville, 1928-1959, by Billie J. Burke & Jean L. Jones
• Cocke, Cosby Funeral Home, Creal Springs, Six Volumes, 1940’s to 1984
• Hunter Funeral Home, Carterville, 1914-15 & 1919-27, by Billie J. Burke & Jean L. Jones
• Riggin Funeral Home, Carterville, Vol 1-7, 1930-75, by Billie J. & Jack L. Burke
• Storme Funeral Home, Carterville, Vol 1, 1920-29, by Martha Mulkin
• Storme Funeral Home, Herrin, Vol 1, 1914-20, by Martha Mulkin
• Storme Funeral Home, Herrin, Vol 2, Book 1 & 2, 1920-1959, by WCHS
• Hathaway Funeral Home, Johnston City, Vol 1, 1912-22, by Helen Sutt Lind
• Hathaway Funeral Home, Johnston City, Vol 2, 1922-31, by Helen Sutt Lind
• Hathaway Funeral Home, Johnston City, Vol 3, 1932-40, by Helen Sutt Lind
• Wildridge Funeral Home, Johnston City, Vol 4, 1924-1944, by Helen Sutt Lind
• Cosby Funeral Home, Creal Springs, Books 1 & 2, 1962-2000

Cemetery Audits  (updated 6/1/2023)

• San Carlo Cemetery, Harry & Dorothy Boyd, Sandy Pender & Helen Sutt Lind
• Three Cemeteries of Rock Creek, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Barham Connection, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Cemetery Inscriptions Volumes 1 through 5, Helen Sutt Lind
• Cocke Cemetery, Ursula Richey
• Crab Orchard Lake National Wildlife Refuge, SAGA Quarterly
• Davis Prairie Cemetery, Those Buried, 2015 Audit
• Fountain Cemetery Society, Lillian Hudgens
• Freedom & Fountain Cemeteries, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Gone To Be an Angel Volume I & II, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Herrin City Cemetery, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Herrin Cemetery Unmarked Graves, 2022, Charla Murphy
• Hillcrest Cemetery (Carterville)
• Hurricane Cemetery, Jo Ann Hatfield & Helen Lind
• Lakecreek-Hartwell Cemetery, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Lakeview Cemetery, Johnston City, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Marion City Cemetery (as of January 2017)
• Masonic & Lithuanian Cemeteries, Johnston City, Helen Sutt Lind
• Mt. Pleasant Cemeteries, Helen Davis, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Nannie Gray Parks Cemetery Records
• No. 8 Cemetery & Families, McClellan
• Oakwood Cemetery, Carterville
• Off the Beaten Path, Volumes 1 & 2, Helen Sutt Lind
• Pleasant Grove Cemetery, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Shiloh & Davis Prairie Cemeteries, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Shiloh Christian Church Cemetery, S of Marion, Ella Abney
• Stotlar-Herrin Cemetery, Jack L. Odum
• Those Left Behind in Crab Orchard NWR, Helen Sutt Lind
• Those in God’s Green Acres, Volume 1, Helen Sutt Lind
• Those in God’s Green Acres, Volume 2, Helen Sutt Lind
• Williamson County Cemetery Trust
• Wolf Creek/Palestine/Gentry Cemeteries, Charla Murphy & Helen Lind
• Worley Cemetery, Bailey G. William