Jackson County was created on January 10, 1816 (Laws, 1815/16, p. 62) and was formed from Johnson and Randolph Counties. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Johnson County (1812–1816) , Randolph County (1795–1816) and St. Clair County (1790–1795) .
The County was named for Andrew Jackson, statesman and seventh President of the United States (1829–1837) . His army defeated the British at New Orleans during the War of 1812. As Democratic president (1829–1837) , he opposed the Bank of America and greatly strengthened the presidency. The County Seat is Murphysboro . Prior County Seats was House of Nathan Davis on Big Muddy River (1816–1817) , Brownsville (1817–1843) and Murphysboro—Name changed from Murphys Borough, date unknown (1843–Present) .

NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Jackson County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1840 and Court Records from 1843 and is located at the address above. Phone Number: (618) 687-7300
Jackson County Recorder has Land Records from 1814 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618) 687-7360
Jackson County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1843 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (618) 687-7360
County Treasurer’s responsibilities include the statutory duties required as County Treasurer and as Ex-Officio County Collector of Real Estate Property Taxes and Drainage District Taxes for the entire county.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Court Records by clicking the link below:

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62702-5097. It can take up to 6 weeks to get a vital record from Illinois.
A number of resources are available for individuals doing genealogical research using vital records filed in the state of Illinois. Births and deaths before January 1, 1916 and marriages before January 1, 1962 are recorded only in the office of the county clerk where the event occurred. Most county clerks have indexes to the records that are prior to 1916 that are available for the purpose of genealogical research. These indexes generally provide the name, date and place of occurrence and are located in county courthouses located throughout the state. Although self-service access to the indexes is generally permitted, the law limits physical access to the individual records to the clerk's staff. When you locate a record from the index, it will be necessary for the clerk to pull the record for you once you have paid the appropriate search fee. Please check with the county clerk for fees and policies on reviewing indexes.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Jackson County, Illinois are 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1910, 1920 and 1940.Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Jackson County, Illinois are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.
The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Maps by clicking the link below:
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Military Records by clicking the link below:
There are many churches and cemeteries in Jackson County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Jackson County Tombstone Transcription Project.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below: