Researching in Champaign County

Champaign County Research Resources:
The following are research topics and genealogy resources for Champaign County. The links below can be used or the menu options on the left-hand side under the “Research” menu.
Champaign County Research Libraries and Archives:
 
Champaign County Historical Archives
The Champaign County Historical Archives is a department of the Urbana Free Library located on the second floor of the library in Urbana, Illinois. The Archives hours and holiday closures are at: https://urbanafreelibrary.org/about-us/hours. Their collection emphasizes the history and genealogy of Champaign County from its beginning in 1833 to the present. The Archives website is https://urbanafreelibrary.org/local-history/using-the-archives.
 
The Archives has a database called the Local History Online Catalog which is located here. The database contains more than 4,000,000 names that are extracted from Champaign County, Illinois, records located in the Archives. Records found in the Local History Online Catalog can be obtained in-person or ordered from the Archives through the mail or online.
  
Not all records available in the Archives are indexed in Local History Online Catalog. The Archives collection includes books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts, photographs, maps, and oral histories. Read more on the Archives collection on their website here.
 
The Urbana Free Library catalog should be consulted for the exact Archives holdings because there are missing records, but an overview of the Archives collection for genealogy research are:
  • Champaign County Birth Registers, 1878-1900 (microfilm)
  • Champaign County Birth Records, 1878-1918 (book)
  • Champaign County Marriage Records, Pre-1865 (book)
  • Champaign County Marriage Certificates/Licenses, 1833-1915 (microfilm)
  • Champaign County Marriage License Applications, 1878-1975 (microfilm)
  • Champaign County Death Registers and Certificates,1878-1918 (book)
  • Illinois Death Certificates 1916-1945 (microfilm)
  • Champaign County Deeds 1833-1928, Volumes A-Z and Deed Volumes 1-76. Grantee and Grantor Indexes (microfilm)
  • Champaign County Naturalization Records, 1858-1906 (microfilm)
  • Newspapers
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois has many library and archives. A few U of I facilities for genealogy research are:
Main Library
Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801
 
University Archives – The collection includes records, publications, and personal papers documenting the history of the University.
Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 146
Urbana, IL 61801
 
Illinois History and Lincoln Collections (IHLC) – The collection includes books, manuscripts, and other sources documenting the history of Illinois and the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln.
Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 324
Urbana, IL 61801
 
Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML) – The collection includes literature, history, art, theology, philosophy, technology, and the natural sciences manuscripts.
Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 346
Urbana, IL 61801
 
Map Library – The collection includes cartographic materials such as maps, atlases, and Illinois aerial photography flown between 1939 and 2005. It includes more than 625,000 maps and photographs.
Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 418
Urbana, IL 61801
 
History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library (HPNL) – The collection has historical newspapers in print and microfilm.
Main Library
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 246
Urbana, IL 61801
 
 
Questions:
For additional assistance in your research we encourage members to place their research inquiry in the Member Forum (link to Forums menu) and/or attend one of the society's Research Discussion Hours which occur on the third Wednesday of most months, or our SIG in-person member meeting which are held on the third Sunday of most months (link to Meeting/Events menu). Note: If you are a non-member you are welcome to attend the Research Discussion Hour which is open to the public.