Kelsey Berryhill
LIS 590GEL
Assignment 4: Locality Guide
Locality Guide for Genealogical/Local History Research in Rock Island
County
History
Rock Island County was formed on February 9, 1831 by the Illinois General Assembly, and was
originally the southwestern corner of Jo Daviess County. In 1833, the early pioneers of the area
approved of a county government and held the first county election on July 5th of that year. In
1856, a petition was submitted to the County Board requesting the formation of townships within
the county, which is the same form of government in practice today. The county seat is Rock
Island. Prior county seats include Farmhamsburg (1833-1835) and Stephenson (1835-1841, name
changed to Rock Island in 1841). The three largest cities in the county are Moline, Rock Island,
and East Moline, with other surrounding cities and villages making the population in 2010
147,546 residents. The county borders the Mississippi River and neighboring counties include
Henry, Mercer, and Whiteside on the Illinois side, with Scott, Clinton, Muscatine, and Louisa
Counties being nearby on the Iowa side.
1870 Township Map of Rock Island County (Source)
Rock Island County was named after “Rock Island” located in the middle of the Mississippi
River, later named to Arsenal Island, which is now the home of the Rock Island Arsenal. The
Rock Island Arsenal was a former prisoner of war camp during the Civil War and has since been
government weapons manufacturing plant. The county also has a history of railroads, bridge
building, and agriculture.
Modern Day Township Map of Rock Island County (Source)
Repositories
The main repository for genealogical sources within Rock Island County is the governmental
offices within the Rock Island County and the Rock Island Historical Society.
Rock Island County Government Offices
The Rock Island County government offices the County Clerk office (birth, marriage, and death
records), the County Recorder Office (land records), and Circuit Clerk’s Office (probate
records). All are located in downtown Rock Island. There is metered parking on the street,
several restaurants and entertainment venues within walking distance, as well as a Holiday Inn.
Rock Island County Clerk
Rock Island County Office Building
1504 3rd Ave.
Third Floor
Rock Island, Illinois
309-558-3569
http://www.rockislandcounty.org/CountyClerk/Home/
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Birth records are available from 1877 to present, and for more information on obtaining them
please go to their website: http://www.rockislandcounty.org/BirthRecords/.
Marriage records are available from 1834 to present, and for more information please go to their
website: http://www.rockislandcounty.org/MarriageRecords/. (Some marriage records for Rock
Island county are available online via FamilySearch with the originals on microfilm at the county
courthouse.)
Death records are available from 1878 to present and for more information please go to their
website: http://www.rockislandcounty.org/DeathRecords/.
Recorder’s Office
Rock Island County Courthouse
210 15th St.
Second Floor
Rock Island, IL
309-558-3360
http://www.rockislandcounty.org/Recorder.aspx?id=36107
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Information may be obtained by phone, in-person, or mail. Only certain types of information are
available via telephone, which includes filing of corporation papers in Rock Island County and
the filing of soldier’s discharge papers. All other information must be obtained via in person or
mail. For mail inquiries, please include $2.00 for each copy requested.
Circuit Clerk
Rock Island County Courthouse
210 15th St.
Third Floor
Rock Island, IL
309-786-3029
http://www.rockislandcounty.org/CircuitClerk/Home/
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Circuit Clerk is responsible for maintaining a record of all traffic, civil, and criminal cases
filed and herd within the county, and is responsible for recording filed documents and making a
record of all court proceedings. These records include court records and probate records.
Rock Island County Historical Society
822 11th Ave
Moline, IL 61265
309-764-8590
http://www.richs.cc/Page/index.aspx
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Admission Charge: $5 per adult/couple
The Rock Island County Historical Society (RICHS) is a key resource for genealogy and local
history researchers. Beginning in 1905, the Society was originally seen as a “Boys Club” for
those only living in Rock Island and Moline. Today, RICHS has over 10,000 photographs, 6,000
books, 40,000 vertical files, and 600 reels of microfilm. Located near downtown Moline, there
are several restaurants and hotels nearby.
Tips for First Time and Out of Town Users: For first time and out of town researchers, the
Society encourages users to call them beforehand to discuss research questions and ways their
collection can help so volunteers can help prepare for a visit. In the library, researchers may
bring a laptop, loose notebook paper, and pencils. Pens, cameras, scanners, food, drinks, and
large bags are not allowed in the research room (there are lockers at the entrance for all
backpacks and purses).
Types of Resources: The RICHS includes many types of resources for both in-house and online
use. These include:
 12,000+ books on regional history and genealogy
o Includes yearbooks, obituaries, birth/marriage/death indexes, city directories,
family histories, and cemetery, business, city, village, and county histories.
 300+ archival collections
o Access to the archival database. Archival collections can be viewed during normal
business hours and photocopies made be only made by staff.
 The Upper Mississippi Valley Digital Image Archive Project (searchable:
http://www.umvphotoarchive.org/cdm/about and more information available here)
o Coordinates with Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Putnam Museum and
Davenport Public Library (Davenport, IA), and Musser Public Library
(Muscatine, IA)
 Newspapers, 1857 to Present
o Includes: Erie Review, Milan Independent, Port Byron Globe, Reynolds Press,
Rock Island Argus, Rock Island Daily Union, Moline Van Gazette, and several
other papers for limited years
o Access to the newspaper database. Copies can be requested for $2.00 each.
 Vertical files
o Indexed by township including people, families, business, organizations, and
historical subjects and is the largest collection at the Society
o Access to the Vertical File Database.
 City directories and county census records
 Plat maps
 Postcards
 Photographs
o Access to the Photograph Database. To request a copy of a photograph, please
contact the Society and copies for personal use may be purchased for $15 per
photo. Patrons are not allowed in the photograph room, and staff may only make
copies.
 Family History Collections
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Mayflower Descendant Collection
Art, artifacts, video, and audio history
Posters and Broadside Collection
Civil War Database
o Listing of all known Civil War soldiers buried in Rock Island County cemeteries
and are listed on the Rock Island County Civil War Monument at the Rock Island
County Courthouse. The database lists the soldiers’ ID, regiment and company,
rank, date of death, and cemetery of burial. Copies can be requested for $5.00
each.
Hauberg Database
o An index of the people John H. Hauberg interviewed from 1914 – 1942 who were
all pioneers/descendants of the pioneers of Rock Island County
Obituaries Index
o The Obituaries Index has approximately 63.000 newspaper obituaries on file and
is an ongoing project within the Society (currently not complete). For copies,
please send the Society $5.00 per copy.
Newsletter Database
o Copies of the Society’s newsletter since it’s inception in 1966. Copies of articles
may be requested for $2.00 each.
The Rock Island County Illinois Genealogical Society Holdings
o The library specific to the Genealogical Society has a library of over 2,000 books,
maps, publications, etc. A full listing/catalog can be found on their website.
Research Requests: Before requesting research, the patron must fill out the research form
(available on their website, or here). Research is $15 per hour and most requests take about two
hours ($30). Postage and copies are not included in this fee. With the results, RICHS will also
include recommendations for further research. The answers are then stored in the Society’s
vertical files, and answers take about 2-4 weeks.
Before the Society’s volunteers begin research, must fill out the research form with as much
information as possible about the query including names, exact dates, places, and other
information the patron has found. A $5 obituary fee is charged per obituary when the exact day,
month, and year is known or book/page number is found in their obituary database.
Types of Research Includes:
 Obituary with exact date known
 Obituary (Date Unknown)
 Historical
 General Genealogy
 Specific Genealogy
Requests can be sent to:
Rock Island County Historical Society
ATTN: Research Request
822 11th Ave
Moline, IL 61265
Other Libraries and Archives in the Area
Rock Island County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 3912
Rock Island, IL 61204
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilbgsrim/index.html
ricigs@speedconnect.com
The Rock Island County Genealogical Society has monthly meetings, as well as conferences,
presentations, and classes throughout the year pertaining to genealogy and local history research.
Their library holdings are available at the Rock Island County Historical Society.
Rock Island Public Library, Main Branch
401 19th St.
Rock Island, IL
309-732-7323
http://rockislandlibrary.org/
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m., Friday, Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00p.m.
Genealogical Holdings:
 City Directories (1855-Present) on microfilm
 Rock Island Argus (1855 – Present) on microfilm
 Limited obituary index for the Rock Island Argus
 Plat Maps
 Biographical Files
 Postcard Collection
 Rock Island High School Yearbooks
 Books by Local Authors
Moline Public Library
3210 41st St.
Moline, IL
309-524-2440
http://www.molinelibrary.com/genealogy.html
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., Sunday
1:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.
The majority of the Moline Public Library’s genealogy and local history resources have been
transferred to the Rock Island County Historical Society, however they still have some holdings
all on microfilm. These include:
 Federal Census for Rock Island County 1840-1929 (does not include 1890)
 Moline Riverside Cemetery Records to February 1985
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Moline Newspapers (including the Moline Dispatch)
City Directories 1855-1976 (1905-present in book format with some issues missing)
Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center, Davenport Public Library
321 Main St.
Davenport, IA 52801
563-326-7902
http://www.davenportlibrary.com/genealogy-and-history/
Hours: Monday 12:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday 9:00-5:30 p.m.
The Davenport Public Library located across the Mississippi River via the Centennial Bridge is
another valuable resource. Although mainly focusing on Davenport and Scott County, Iowa, they
have significant collections about Rock Island County as well.
Thomas Tredwell Library
Augustana College
639 38th St.
Rock Island, IL 61201
309-794-7206
www.augustana.edu/x36242.xml
Hours: Monday – Thursday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Partial holdings include college history, yearbooks, photographs and postcards of the area, and
other memorabilia.
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
Denkmann Memorial Hall
3520 7th Ave
Rock Island, IL 61201
(309) 794-7204
http://www.augustana.edu/general-information/swenson-center-/about-us
Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:30 pm
A national archives and research institute providing resources for the study of Swedish
immigrants to North America. Holdings include periodicals, photographs, and other archival
materials.
Rock Island Arsenal Historical Society
Rock Island Arsenal Museum
1 Rock Island Arsenal
Building 60
Rock Island, IL 61299
563-355-2823
www.arsenalhistoricalsociety.org/index.html
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 12:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
Visitors must use the Rock Island gate, and visitors over the age of 16 require a photo I.D. to
gain access to Arsenal Island. Holdings include history of Arsenal Island.
Other Libraries, Archives, and Genealogical Societies
Illinois State Archives
Margaret Cross Norton Bldg
Capitol Complex
400 E. Spring St.
Springfield, IL 62756
217-782-4682
www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Illinois State Genealogical Society
Illinois State Archives, 2nd Floor
Margaret Cross Norton Building
Capitol Complex
400 E. Spring St.
Springfield, IL 62756
217-789-1969
www.ilgensoc.org
Hours: Monday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Please call ahead)
Illinois State Library
Gwendolyn Brooks Building
300 S. Second St.
Springfield, IL 62701
217-785-5600
www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/library/home
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository
Western Illinois University
University Library
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455
309-298-2716
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m.
http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/IRAD/home.html
(Includes circuit court records, naturalization records, probate records, and others on microfilm.)
Allen County Public Library
The Genealogy Center
900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
260-421-1225
www.genealogycenter.org
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Sunday
12:00 p.m.-5:00p.m.
Mid-Continent Public Library
Midwest Genealogy Center
3440 S. Lee’s Summit Rd.
Independence, MO 64055
816-252-7228
www.mymcpl.org/genealogy
Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m.5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m.-5:00p.m.
Extant Records
Birth Records
Location
Rock Island County Clerk
Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (housed
at WIU)
Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
Materials Available
1877-1915 Birth Records (Microfilm)
1916-Present
1860–1978 Birth Record Index (delayed),
Accession No: 2/0171/05
1860–1900 Birth Certificates (delayed)
Accession No: 2/0171/08
1877-1901 Birth Records, Accession No:
2/0171/07
1931-1935 Birth Records (Moline): Accession
No: 2/02/13/01
1875-1978 Births, Stillbirths, and Established
or Delayed Births. (Microfilm of originals
from Rock Island County Clerk). Microfilm
No: 1428684-1428689.
Marriage Records
Location
Rock Island County Clerk
Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (housed
at WIU)
Materials Available
1834-Present Marriage Records
1763-1900 Online Database
1833-1924 Marriage License Records.
Accession No: 2/0171/02
1833-1925 Marriage Register Index. Accession
Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
FamilySearch Online
No. 2/0171/01
1833-1900 Index of Rock Island County,
Illinois Marriages. Part I and Part III digitized
online. Call Number: 977.3393 V22r. Also
available on microfilm.
1833-1924 Marriage Registers; 1834-1925
Index to Marriage Registers. (Microfilm of
originals from Rock Island County Clerk.)
Microfilm No. 1428578-1428582
1810-1934 Searchable online index for Illinois
County Marriages
Death Records
Location
Rock Island County Clerk
Illinois Department of Public Health
Illinois Statewide Death Index
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (housed
at WIU)
Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
Materials Available
1878-1915 Death Records
1916-Present
1916-1950 Online database listing death
certificates filed with the Illinois Department
of Health.
1877-1901 Death Records. Accession No.
2/0171/04
1877-1921 Indexes to Certificates of Death.
Accession No. 2/0171/04
1930-1935 Death Records (Moline). Accession
No. 2/0171/02
1877-1921 Index to Deaths (Microfilms of
originals from Rock Island County
Courthouse.) Microfilm No. 1428583-1428584
Probate Records
Location
Rock Island Probate Case Files Index
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (housed
at WIU) – Selected items
Materials Available
1834-1899 Online database providing name of
estate, year of filing, type of case, and name
filed under.
1834-1900 Probate case files. Accession No.
2/0112/19
1837-1983 Probate case files index. Accession
No. 2/0109/09
1837-1922 Probate Will Record. Accession
No. 2/0044/07
FamilySearch Online
Land and Property Records
Location
Rock Island County Recorder’s Office
Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (housed
at WIU)
1859-1906 Inventory Report Record.
Accession No. 2/0112/15.
1819-1988 Illinois, Probate Records. Online
collection of probate records including wills,
indexes, and other documents. View for Rock
Island County.
Materials Available
Mid-1800’s-Present Includes documents
relating to property, land ownership, and
deeds. Can also search land records.
1835-1912 Deed Records and Indexes, Rock
Island County, Illinois. (Microfilms of
originals in Rock Island County Courthouse.)
69 microfilm reels.
1834-1959 Estate Case Files.
(Microreproduction of original packets from
Western Illinois University.) 161 microfilm
reels. Nearly complete for years 1834-1899.
1835-1895 Deed and Mortgage Index.
Accession No. 2/0213/23.
Court Records
Location
Rock Island County Circuit Clerk
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (housed
at WIU)
Additional Resources
Materials Available
Responsible for keeping record of all traffic,
civil, and criminal cases. Online search.
1833-1887 Circuit Court Record. Accession
No. 2/0044/04.
1834-1902 Circuit Court Case Files. Accession
No. 2/0181/01
1842-1890 Circuit Court Record, Chancery
Accession No. 2/0044/01
1853-1947 Insanity Proceedings Case File.
Accession No. 2/0062/01.
1916-1951 Feeble-Minded Case Files.
Accession No. 2/0062/02.
Periodicals
Catholic Messenger
 (1941 – Present) on microfilm at the Richardson Sloane Special Collections Center at the
Davenport Public Library
Moline Dispatch
 (Mid-1880s – Present) on microfilm at the Moline Public Library (previously known as
The Daily Dispatch until 1974)
Quad City Times
 (March 1975 – Present) on microfilm at the Richardson Sloane Special Collections
Center at the Davenport Public Library
River City Reader
 (November 1994-Present) on microfilm at the Richardson Sloane Special Collections
Center at the Davenport Public Library
Rock Island County Historical Society’s newspaper database (1857-Present)
 Includes: Erie Review, Milan Independent, Port Byron Globe, Reynolds Press, Rock
Island Argus, Rock Island Daily Union, Moline Van Gazette, and several other papers for
limited years
Rock Island Argus
 (1855 – Present) on microfilm at the Rock Island Public Library (limited obituary
indexing is also available)
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
 The Swenson Center at Augustana College has an extensive listing of Swedish-American
newspapers from around the country, including those circulating in Moline-Rock Island
County, Illinois. (Moline papers date back to 1876.)
Online Access, Partial List
www.Ancestry.com
Ancestry.com is one of the most popular genealogical research sites available which includes
access to census records and users can build their own family tree. However, ancestry.com is a
subscription-based site, but does have a 14-day trial subscription. Also, many public libraries
have access to the site if the user is on-site (the Rock Island Public Library is such a site).
www.Familysearch.org
Familysearch.org is run by the Church of Latter Day Saints and is free for users to access. Types
of records include census records, draft cards, birth, marriage, and death records, and others,
however, some tools are transcriptions of records and not the records themselves. FamilySearch
has a genealogy wiki page for Rock Island county that contains a lot of valuable information for
researchers.
HeritageQuest
http://www.ancestryheritagequest.com/hqa
Another subscription based database for genealogy and local history researchers, it delivers
many essential historical sources for resources. Many public libraries have access to this via the
user’s library card number. Types of records include census records, city directories, 1890
Veterans Schedule, and more.
Find A Grave
http://www.findagrave.com/index.html
Find A Grave is an invaluable resource for looking up cemetery information. Cemeteries in Rock
Island County can be found here and there is also a helpful search function if the user knows
specific information.
Early Illinois Climate Records, Fort Armstrong, 1821-1836
http://www.isws.illinois.edu/atmos/statecli/Forts/forts.htm
During Fort Armstrong’s tenure on what is now Arsenal Island, the army kept a record of
temperature and weather patterns each day at specific times. This information is now all scanned
and available online.
Funeral Memorial Card Listing (Rock Island County Historical Society)
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilbgsrim/online-resources/funeral-memorial-cards.pdf
Several funeral homes in the Quad City area save memorial cards for RICHS. Information is
entered alphabetically into a spreadsheet for researcher access, and the originals are kept at the
Rock Island County Historical Society.
Published Books, Partial List
Early Rock Island. William A. Meese. Desaulniers & Co., Moline, IL. 1905. Via Google Books.
Historic Rock Island County: History of the Settlement of Rock Island County from the Earliest
Known Period to the Present Time. Kramer & Co., Rock Island, IL. 1914. Via Internet Archive.
Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois Vol 1 and 2. Edited by Newton Bateman, LLD and Paul
Selby A.M. Munsell Punlishing Company, Chicago IL. 1914
Volume One. Volume Two. (via Internet Archive)
Images of America: Rock Island – All American City. David R. Collins, BJ Elsner, Rich J.
Johnson, and Bessie J. Pierce. Arcadia Publishing, Chicago, IL. 1999.
Past and Present of Rock Island County, IL. Containing History of the County – Its Cities,
Towns, &c., A Biographical Directory of its Citizens, War Record of its Volunteers in the Late
Rebellion, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, General and Local Statistics, Map of
Rock Island County, History of Illinois, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters,
Etc. Etc. H.F. Kett & Co., Chicago, IL. 1877. Via Hathi Trust.
Rebels at Rock Island: The Story of a Civil War Prison. Benton McAdams. Northern Illinois
University Press, DeKalb, IL. 2000.
Rock Island Confederate Prison Deaths. Compiled by Clifford W. Stephens. Blackhawk
Genealogical Society, Rock Island, IL. 1973. Find it via Worldcat.
Swedes in Moline, Illinois: 1847-2002. Lily Setterdahl. Universal Publishers, Parkland, FL.
2003. Find it via WorldCat.