History of the Society

HOURS
Tuesday: 5 PM to 7 PM
Wednesday: 10 AM to 1 PM
Thursday: 1 PM to 3 PM
Saturday: 9 AM to 12 Noon

Tours of the society or jail are always welcome. Group tours, please call in advance.

The organization was established as a historical society in 1962 and then was incorporated in 1968 under the ILLINOIS Not for Profit Corporation Act as the Shelby County Historical Society for the purpose to discover and collect any material to help establish or illustrate the history of the area, to preserve and make accessible this material to all who wish to examine or study it, to cooperated with the state (Archives, Historical Library) and State Historical Society as is felt significant state-wide. The Charter was amended in 1970 to change to the Shelby County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Facilities to carry out these purposes were first provided by the Shelbyville Public Library until December of 1977 when Dick and Sue Hankins made the old W.O. Finks home at 303 North Morgan available to the Society if the Society paid the taxes for rent. Due to this, the next ten years the Society has grown by leaps and bounds until the facility has reached its limits. In October 1987, the County Correctional Service moved to a new county jail and the next month the Society moved into the old jail. Items of historical value have been donated by Shelby County families for younger generations to view.

About the Society

The Society’s library serves many public organizations and individuals free of charge (donations are accepted) besides the paid membership, who received our Shelby County Ancestors quarterly. Organizations with whom we work are the Shelby County Courthouse officials (Society stores county tax records), Corps of Engineers, Chamber of Commerce, churches, schools, businesses, banks, Cub and Boy Scouts groups, DAR and CAR.

Individuals are usually researching family history and genealogy. Many college students prepare thesis’s and term papers, high school students do state history projects, elementary students prepare for essays sponsored by patriotic such as DAR, American Legion, etc.

Our main facility is an operational library for storing materials. Also included are twenty-five file cabinet drawers for news clippings, family history files, etc. and smaller 5 x 8 file drawers which contain obituary files. The library facilities requirement to dispense this material are to have tables, microfilm reader, a copy machine, microfiche reader and other office equipment.

CONTACT
151 S. Washington St.
P.O. Box 286
Shelbyville, IL 62565
(217) 774-2260
shelbycounty@consolidated.net

The Society has operational expenses for housing utilities, some repairs to the building, yard and indoor care, equipment (purchase, repairs and rentals), insurance, etc. which are mainly taken care of by memberships and donations. Additional expenses are incurred as we publish new publications. Publications are done in the way of reprinting of old histories, atlases, indexes, researching and publishing Courthouse records such as marriage and probate records for State Libraries and State Archives, and for sale at our office. We usually finance these projects through donations and by selling of the publications.

Elected Officers

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President
Barbara Thomas

Vice President
Roger Miller

Secretary
Bev Fleming

Treasurer
Donna Lupton

4 Years
Seth Moeller

3 Years
Ed Boedecker

2 Years
Julie Elbert

1 Year
Joe Woodall

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The regular meeting is the second Wednesday of every month at 7 pm in the Society’s Headquarters and is always an open meeting.

Membership

The Society maintains a membership of over 300 including nationwide individual memberships exchange or paid membership with national libraries (Latter Day Saints, American Genealogical Lending Library, Library of Congress and National DAR Library), State (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Kentucky) libraries, and counties surrounding Shelby County that provide the same type of information as we do and Shelby County Public and School Libraries.

Annual (Single)

• $20.00

Husband & Wife

• $25.00

Life (Single)

• $200.00

Life (Husband & Wife)

• $250.00

Publication List

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1850 U.S. Census for Shelby County

• $15.00
  

1860 U.S. Census for Shelby County

• $20.00
  

1870 U.S. Census for Shelby County (2 volumes)
Ash Grove through Pickaway Townships

• $20.00

Prairie through Windsor Townships

• $20.00
  

1880 U.S. Census for Shelby County (2 volumes)
Ash Grove through Prairie Townships

• $20.00

Richland through Windsor Townships

• $20.00
  

1900 U.S. Census for Shelby County (3 volumes)
All 3 volumes

• $55.00

Ash Grove through Moweaqua Townships

• $20.00

Oconee through Rural Townships

• $20.00

Shelbyville through Windsor Townships

• $20.00
  

1910 U.S. Census for Shelby County (3 volumes)
All 3 volumes        

• $55.00

Ash Grove through Moweaqua Townships

• $20.00

Oconee through Ridge Townships

• $20.00

Rose through Windsor Townships

• $20.00
  

1920 U.S. Census for Shelby County (3 volumes)
All 3 volumes

• $70.00

Ash Grove through Moweaqua Townships

• $25.00

Oconee through Rural Townships

• $25.00

Shelbyville through Windsor Townships

• $25.00
  

1930 U.S. Census for Shelby County (3 volumes)
All 3 volumes

• $70.00

Ash Grove through Moweaqua Townships

• $25.00

Oconee through Rural Townships

• $25.00

Shelbyville through Windsor Townships

• $25.00
  

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MARRIAGES

Shelby County Marriages: 1827 – 1854

• $8.00

Shelby County Marriages 1854 – 1871

• $12.00

Shelby County Marriages 1871 – 1878

• $8.00

Shelby County Marriages 1878 – 1888

• $8.00
  

Shelby County Marriages 1888 – 1898

• $8.00

Shelby County Marriages 1898 – 1906

• $12.00

Shelby County Marriages 1906 – 1913

• $8.00

Shelby County Marriages 1913 – 1916

• $8.00
  

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BIRTH RECORDS

Delayed Birth Records: 1848-1877

• 48 pages
• $5.00

Book 1 Birth Records: 1877-1882

• 243 pages
• $31.00

Book 2 Birth Records: 1882-1895

• 348 pages
• $35.00

Book 3 Birth Records: 1895-1903

• 154 pages
• $20.00
  

Book 4 Birth Records: 1903-1905

• 117 pages
• $15.00

Book 5 Birth Records: Aug 1904 - July 1906

• 48 pages
• $5.00

Book 6 Birth Recods: Feb 1907 - Feb 1908

• 28 pages
• $3.00
  

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PROBATES

Shelby County Probate Journal: 1, 1839 – 1849

• $7.00

Shelby County Probate Journal: 2, Part 1 1845 – 1850

• Pgs 1-214
• $ 4.00

Shelby County Probate Journal: 2, Part 2 1845 – 1850

• Pgs 215-535
• $6.00

Shelby County Probate Journal: 3 - 9, 1850 – 1869

• $9.00

Probate Book A  1854 – 1856

• 11 pages
• $  2.00

Probate Book B  1856 – 1860

• 47 pages
• $  5.00

Probate Book C  1860 – 1863

• 43 pages
• $  5.00

Probate Book D  1863 – 1866

• 39 pages
• $  5.00

Probate Book E  1866 – 1868

• 44 pages
• $  5.00
  

Probate Book F  1868 – 1870

• 28 pages
• $  3.00

Probate Book G  1870 – 1871

• 26 pages
• $  3.00

Probate Book H  1871 – 1872

• 28 pages
• $  3.00

Probate Book I  1872 – 1874

• 35 pages
• $  4.00

Probate Book J 1874 – 1876

• 40 pages
• $  5.00

Probate Book K  1876 – 1877

• 44 pages
• $  5.00

Probate Book L  1877 – 1879

• 25 pages
• $  3.00

Probate Book M  1880 – 1881

• 56 pages
• $  6.00
  

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HISTORIES

A Journey through the Historic Homes And Buildings of Shelbyville Illinois

• $12.00

About the County  Newspaper Article by Tammy Wilson

• $20.00

Abraham Lincoln in Shelby County

• $10.00

The Honorable Judge Anthony Thornton

• $10.00

Here & There in Shelby County

• $15.00

Lincoln Court Cases of Shelby County

• $12.00
  

The Men Behind the Painting

• $20.00

Middlesworth

• $15.00

Shelbyville Past and Present

• $25.00

Shelbyville Today (1914)

• $10.00

Westervelt

• $20.00

Years of Conquest

• $20.00
  

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CEMETERY BOOKS

Bilyeu Cemetery, Moweaqua, Christian County

• $  2.00

Branchside Cemetery, Moultrie County

• $  6.00

Cutler Cemetery – History & Inscriptions updated

• $18.00

Findlay Cemetery – First printing 1986 by Lois Cruitt

• $12.00

Findlay Cemetery – Updated since 1986  including obits

• $25.00

Glenwood Cemetery reproduced from 1976 by Kate Lloyd (NEW)

• $20.00

Glenwood Cemetery-Blyman Addition

• $  8.00

Glenwood Cemetery-Bluff, Lakeside and Lookout Additions

• $12.00

Glenwood Cemetery-Section B

• $12.00

Glenwood Cemetery burial books. Genealogical material extracted quite helpful as those burials without stones would be listed
Book 1 April 30, 1907 – May 24, 1925

• 40 pages
• $  8.00

Book 2 1925 – 1947

• 40 pages
• $  8.00

Book 3 1947 – 1992

• 97 pages
• $27.00

Book 4 1993 – 2000

• 22 pages
• $  8.00

Book 5 2001 – 2010

• 31 pages
• $  8.00

Grace Cemetery, Strasburg

• $10.00

Greenwood Cemetery, Assumption, Christian County

• $  7.00

Hubbartt Cemetery, Holland Township updated

• $  7.00

I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Moweaqua updated

• $10.00
  

Jordan Cemetery, Shelbyville Township updated

• $  6.00
  

Mound Cemetery, Pana, Illinois, Christian County

• $25.00

Neoga Memorial Cemetery, Cumberland County

• $10.00

Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Lakewood Township updated

• $  6.00

Pleasant View Cemetery, Assumption, Christian County

• $  7.00

Red Bank, Mt. Olive Cemeteries in Shelby County and
Buchanan Cemetery in Fayette County (separate indexes)

• $15.00

Rentfro Cemetery, Banner Township, Effingham County

• $  6.00

Robinson Creek Cemetery, Rose Township updated

• $  7.00

Selby Cemetery – updated – new inscriptions

• $  8.00

Shelby County Cemetery Locations – Maps

• $12.00

St. Mary’s Cemetery, Assumption, Christian County

• $  7.00

St. Michael Cemetery, Sigel updated

• $  7.00

St. Patrick Cemetery, Trowbridge

• $  4.00

St. Paul Cemetery, Strasburg updated

• $  7.00

Stewardson Cemetery, Stewardson update

• $10.00

Swedish Lutheran Cemetery, Big Springs Township updated

• $  4.00

Tower Hill Cemetery, Tower Hill updated

• $10.00

Traughber Cemetery, read 1985

• $  4.00

West Side Cemetery, Moweaqua updated

• $  7.00

Windsor Cemetery, updated

• $20.00

Zion Cemetery, Cumberland County

• $  4.00

Add $3.00 if ordering by mail