Welcome to this History and Genealogy Website for Coles County Presented by Illinois Genealogy Trails part of the Genealogy Trails Group Bookmark our new url! http://genealogytrails.com/ill/coles IN MEMORIAM I'd like to say THANK YOU to Erik Conard for his data contributions to this website over the years, and more importantly, for his words of encouragement to me as I struggled to build this site into something we could both be proud of. He told me many times that, together, we would make this the BEST site for Coles County research. With his help, I think we have succeeded. "Uncle Erik" passed away Monday, October 30, 2006, and I hope his contributed research on this website will help us remember what a Friend to Genealogy he truly was. He will be missed. Many thanks to Heritage Awards for this recent honor and the kind words accompanying it: "We thoroughly enjoyed reviewing your excellent website. Anyone researching in Coles County could certainly find something worthwhile in your wide-ranging collection of records, maps, and stories. Great job!" Your Coles County Host is Kim Torp, and I try to update these pages often, so be sure to check back often to see what new data has been added. Illinois Genealogy Trails is an ALL VOLUNTEER not-for-profit group whose members strive to post as much raw genealogical data online as possible. Within these pages you will find all kinds of "raw data" to help you in researching your family lines. Much of the information has been data I've found in my own research or which has been transcribed and donated to Illinois Genealogy Trails by researchers just like you. We gratefully accept contributions of obituaries, marriage/death/birth/cemetery records, census excerpts or other raw data dealing with Coles County, so anything you have (following all copyright laws), send it to Kim at KimmySueT@aol.com IMPORTANT: I am not a professional researcher!! Kim's family lines can be found on my personal HICKS Family webpage - please email me if you are related. All the rest of any Coles County information I have is presented here on these pages. * I regret that I am unable to perform personal research for you.* SITE MAP OF THIS SITE Maps of Coles County Map of Coles showing 1830-1843 boundaries 1895 Map of Coles List of Towns and their Dates of Creation Location Finder- Locate a cemetery, town, school or church in Coles Submit an Obituary to this Site (or any of our websites) Brief History of the county, including Charleston & Mattoon Transcription of 1905 History Coles County Census Transcriptions Military Data Tax Lists 1843 Delinquent Tax List 1845 Delinquent Tax List 1847 Delinquent Tax List 1849 Delinquent Tax List 1850 Delinquent Tax List 1852 Delinquent Tax List 1871 Delinquent Tax List 1879 Coles County Tax List includes everybody from these townships: HUMBOLT, PLEASANT GROVE, HUTTON, EAST OAKLAND, MORGAN, SEVEN HICKORY TOWNSHIPs 1879 Coles County Tax List is complete! It includes everybody from these townships: NORTH OKAW, LAFAYETTE, PARADISE, ASHMORE TOWNSHIPS, CHARLESTON and MATTOON 1883 Delinquent Tax List Vital Records in Coles County Pre-1900 Marriages Surnames starting with: [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I-J] [K-L] [M] [N-O] [P-Q] [R] [S] [T] [U-V] [W] [Y-Z] (Marriage Notices are included in the Newspaper section under the various newspapers) Deaths Mortality Schedules Death Records 1850 Mortality Index 1860 Mortality Index 1880 Mortality Schedule: Ashmore Charleston Twp Charleston East Oakland Twp Humbolt Hutton Lafayette Twp, Mattoon Twp City of Mattoon - East of R.R. City of Mattoon - West of R.R. Morgan Township Okaw Township Paradise Township Pleasant Grove Seven Hickory Township Death Certificates of MATTOON deaths (these are actual transcriptions of the death certificates, not just an index): A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X-Y-Z Miscellaneous Deaths - From the Illinois Death Index, Death Certificates and researchers Index to Deaths that took place between 1915-1950: A - B - C - D - E - F - G H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - Y - Z Obituaries     Cemetery Transcriptions Epidemics: 1851 Cholera Victims Death Notices: Murder of Settler JOHN MASON   Births (Now with over 1300 names!) Surnames A-C Surnames D-F Surnames G-K Surnames L-R Surnames S-Z Church Records Records of the Church of Christ of The Wiley Brick Church Records of the Loxa Presbyterian Church Brooks Family Records from the Hebron Church History of the UNION CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1904-1971 Court Records Petitions & Probates: Swinford, Wiley Will of Judge A.M. Peterson Will of Charles A. Ward Public Notice Notices of Settlement, Administrators, Executor, Tax Sales, Sheriff Sales, etc Mattoon Court of Common Pleas Index, 1869–1873: Sorted by Defendant or by Plaintiff Government Offices: List of County Officers prior to 1905: Circuit Clerks, Sheriffs, County Judges, County Clerks, Treasurers, Coroners, Surveyors, States Attorney, School Commissioners, State Senators, Representatives Families of Coles County Biography Index The letters of Sarah Law to John K. Nay Ancestry of SAWYER and OZEE family, as told in a family letter "New" Lincoln History as told by Clarence W. Bell in 1930 before a special commission Births, Marriages, Deaths from the Charles JONES Family Bible Births, Marriages, Deaths from the Abel Taylor Trower ARMSTRONG Family Bible Births, Marriages, Deaths from the Richard CORBIN Family Bible Births, Marriages, Death from the DOTY Family Bible Births, Marriages, Deaths from the THRALL Family Bible Births, Marriages, Deaths of the THRELKELD, WILLIAMS, JONES Families as told in a letter from W.D. Jones to his son Claude. Includes interesting early pioneer history of Mattoon. List of Letters waiting for pick-up at the Charleston Post Office from 1841, 1843, 1845 & 1846,1848, 1851, 1853, 1864 Daniel B. POWERS Family History DRAKE Family History by Michael E. Drake (offsite link) Autograph Book of Mary HOPPER Autograph Book of Alice Smith Dawson Patent Letter for Andrew J. Craig Floral cards from Alice Dawson's funeral Early Pioneer Days of David Faulkner BAILEY Family History Newspaper article on Levi Doty WILLIAM JEFFRIES Letter of 1862 Land & Early Settler Data Coles County Land Patents: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y Z Newspaper Article on 'WHISKEY' and a few of the early settlers. Newspaper article on the formation of the Coles County "Old Settlers' Society" Some Early Settler Land Plats of Ashmore Township Some Early Land Purchases Early Settlers of Coles County as printed in the History of Coles County, 1905 Newspaper Stories Charleston Daily Courier Mattoon Journal-Gazette Oakland Messenger The Plain Dealer Political News Stories Newton Press (Jasper County) News Items on Coles County Residents The Cumberland Democrat - Cumberland County. News Items on Coles County Residents Items from other county newspapers concerning Coles residents 1908 Graduating Class of Charleston High School List and Condition of Patients in the Eastern Illinois Insane Hospital in July 1908 Miscellaneous Data Register of Coles County Physicians and Midwives from 1877-1884 Joliet, IL Prison Convict Register - Coles County Prisoners - This is a link to our main pages, so click "back" to return here. Reader Contribution Page (pictures, specific Coles county family info) Reader Contribution Page (page 2) Reader Contribution Page (page 3) Read Contribution Page (page 4) Postcards from Coles County Friendship Quilt - done by members of the Merry Mixers Club of Dorans, IL - c. 1930 Class Photos Unknown Photos 1904 Charleston Graduating Class Paradise Plains School and teacher Edna Manis Poorman School - 1908 Class picture Ames School - 1907 and Teacher Miss M Haliday Fraternal Organizations History of the Mason's Wabash Lodge No. 179, Etna, IL The 50 Year Anniversary Booklet. [c. 1904] History of the Mason's Wabash Lodge No. 179, Etna, IL The 100 Year Anniversary Booklet. [c. 1955] History of the Mason's Mattoon Lodge No. 260, Mattoon, IL The 100th Anniversary Booklet [1958] History of the Mason's Charleston Lodge No. 35, Charleston, IL. The 150th Anniversary Booklet [1995] 1928 Membership List of the I.O.O.F. (Odd Fellows') Old Folks Home This is a link to our Main Pages, so hit "back" to return here. 1929 History of the Sally Lincoln Chapter of the D.A.R. Research Help FAQ's and Comments Page Researching in Coles County: What to expect while researching in Coles county, an account of my own personal experiences while researching there and a list of what records are available from the courthouse and their fees. Note: This webpage does not reflect the opinions of any Coles County Government, Library, Genealogical or Historical Society employees/workers. Illinois Genealogy Trails is not affiliated with any of those organizations. Researchers Surname List Volunteer Look-ups Coles County Genealogical Links Coles Records Available at the IRAD View Archived Queries dated from August 2002 - September 8, 2004 Contributors' Email Address Page - Check your email address to ensure that it is correct! My Hicks Family Website (WV-->KY-->IL) Awards Page Illinois Genealogy Trails Links Illinois Genealogy Trails - Visit our main Illinois History & Genealogy Website Visit our main Genealogy Trails State Website Illinois Genealogy Trails MILITARY PAGE RW Soldiers buried in Illinois, RW pensioners, War of 1812 with history, rosters and letters, CW pensioners and pensions and more! Illinois Genealogy Trails STATE DATA Epidemics, Illinois Prisoner Register, Historic Material, 1818 Delegates to the Kaskaskia Convention, Early Laws, Old Handwriting and more! Illinois Genealogy Trails CENSUS PAGE Statewide and County Level Census Illinois Genealogy Trails EVENTS PAGE 1892 Deaths from La Grip, The Flu of 1918 and much more! My Illinois Genealogy Trails Jasper Co. Website Surrounding Counties: [Shelby County] - [Moultrie County] - [Clark County] [Cumberland County] - [Crawford County] [Edgar County] - [Richland County*] - [Douglas County*] *These county websites are available for adoption. Contact Kim Search this site powered by FreeFind Site searchWeb search This Coles County website was updated on 12 April 2008 There were 11,328 visitors from 10/98 to 3/00. THIS WEBSITE IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY COLES COUNTY GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LIBRARY, GENEALOGICAL OR HISTORICAL SOCIETY. Need Help? Just getting started with your Illinois research? Don't know which office holds what records? Want to know what else to look for when you can't find a birth record? Head to our Illinois Genealogy Trails Help Page for some good tips to get you going.... Mailing List To be notified of updates to this Coles County website and our other Illinois Genealogy Trails county websites, subscribe to the Illinois Genealogy Trails Mailing List Message from the Webmaster Please understand that, while I do have a genealogical connection to Coles County, I am not a resident there. I do not have records or data with which I could supply you information about your ancestors. Further, I cannot do research on your behalf. My "job" as an unpaid County Host volunteer, is to update this web site with new information as often as time permits. Copyright © Kim Torp 1998-2006 All Rights Reserved This website and its contents in the format presented, except where otherwise noted on the page, are copyrighted by Kimberly Torp and may not be copied, altered, converted nor uploaded to any electronic system or BBS, nor linked from any "pay-for-view" site, linked in such a manner as to appear to be part of another site including "frame" capturing, nor included in any software collection or print collection of any type without the express written permission of the author of this site. Information is furnished for the free use of researchers who are interested for the purpose of researching their family histories and genealogies. However, copying & pasting the information presented here onto another website is prohibited! This website is considered to be a compilation of facts, and is therefore covered under current copyright laws. While every effort has been made to provide accurate information, there is no warranty of any kind regarding the accuracy of any information found on this or any other genealogy website presented by this author. It is the responsibility of the interested party to research and document the information located on this or any other website. Links to other sites should be considered referrals only and should not necessarily be taken as endorsements.