Embedded Files
Whether you’re beginning your family history or searching for a long-lost ancestor, the Shelby County Historical & Genealogical Society offers resources and assistance to help you explore your connection to Shelby County.
Research Library & Collections
Research Library & Collections
Family & Genealogy
Family & Genealogy
Family histories, surname files, obituaries, cemetery records, and other resources for tracing Shelby County families.
Communities & Local History
Communities & Local History
County and local histories, city directories, church records, school records, and materials documenting Shelby County communities.
Maps, Military & Special Collections
Maps, Military & Special Collections
Historic maps, military records, specialized indexes, and other resources covering particular people, places, and events.
Photographs & Newspapers
Photographs & Newspapers
Historic photographs, newspaper collections, clippings, and other materials that help put faces and stories with the names in the records.
Research Services
Research Services
Can’t visit in person? Our volunteers assist researchers with Shelby County genealogy and local history questions. We can help locate cemetery information, obituaries, family and community records, historic photographs, and other materials in our collections. When available, we can also provide copies of records and documents.
Whether you have one name and a date or a family mystery you’ve been chasing for years, we’ll do our best to help you find the next clue.
Submit a Research Request
Submit a Research Request
Looking for an ancestor, obituary, cemetery record, photograph, local history information, or something else connected to Shelby County? Send us what you know, and our volunteers will see what we can find in our collections. The more information you can provide—names, dates, locations, family relationships, and other details—the better we can focus the search.
Research and reproduction fees may vary depending on the request. Please contact us for information about any applicable fees. Donations in support of our research library and services are always appreciated.
Local Records & Resources
Local Records & Resources
Our collections include a wide variety of Shelby County records and research materials that can help uncover the details of a family or community’s past.
Vital record indexes
Cemetery records & transcriptions
Obituaries & newspapers
Church records
School records
Military information
Land & property resources
Family histories
Other local indexes & research materials
Not sure whether we have what you need? Contact us and we’ll be happy to check our collections.
Research Mysteries Solved
Research Mysteries Solved
Sometimes a single record can unlock a family mystery. Our volunteers have helped researchers locate long-lost ancestors, discover burial places, identify people in old photographs, connect family branches, and uncover stories that had been forgotten for generations.
Every research question is different—and sometimes the smallest clue leads to an unexpected discovery.
Additional Genealogy Resources
Additional Genealogy Resources
These trusted resources may also be helpful as you continue your family history research.
These trusted resources may also be helpful as you continue your family history research.
Illinois State Archives – Genealogical Research
National Archives – Resources for Genealogists
Illinois State Genealogical Society
Your Story Matters
Your Story Matters
Every family has a story waiting to be discovered.
Whether your ancestors lived in Shelby County for generations or only passed through briefly, we invite you to explore their story with us.
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