Welcome to
Clay County, Illinois
Genealogy and History


Welcome to Genealogy Trails


Volunteers working to put free historical data online.

     Our names are Sue Eskew and Gary Phillips and as your Clay County co- hosts we try to post as much data online as possible in order to make it freely available to all. We gratefully accept contributions of raw data such as census information, marriage/birth/death records, obituaries, county histories, biographies, old newspaper items - anything that would help someone build their family tree!!
Feel free to email either of us-- Sue or Gary with your contributions - every little bit helps.

We regret that we are unable to do personal research

      Clay County was formed in 1824 out of portions of Wayne, Crawford, and Fayette counties. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, famous American statesman, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century.  It is located in South Central Illinois.  Some of the towns within this county are: Flora, Xenia, Oskaloosa, Clay City, Iola, Bible Grove and Louisville which is the county seat.  It is bordered by Effingham, Wayne, Marion and Richland Counties and in 2006 had a population of 14,028.     
      The first settler in the county was John McCawley.  He is said to have traveled the Vinsans Trace, as the old Vincennes, St. Louis & Kaskaskia Indian and buffalo path was known in the early days.  The next documented settlers were Philip Devore, Seth Evans and a Mr. Circles.  Mr. Circles' given name is unknown, but he was remembered well by the very early settlers, because of the fact the he put up a horse mill east of Flora, and for some time furnished bread, or the means of grinding their own corn.  Many more settlers arrived--some stayed others moved on further West.  Those who stayed all made their marks on the county, and on the towns within the county.

                                                            



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We are always grateful for any information you would like to submit.  In order to make it easier for you to submit an obituary, a form is supplied below.

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Births

Death Records

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Clay County Politicians
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Surnames

Biographies


Cemeteries

Land Records

Newspaper Gleanings from the Past

Obituaries
and Death Notices

Census Data

Mortality Schedules


Military Data
Clay County Townships
Portraits of the Past



Clay County Lookups
Wills & Probates Bible Records
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Local Info

Clay County Genealogy Society
 P.O. Box 94
Louisville, IL 62858-0094

Flora Carnegie Library 
216 North Main St.   
 Flora, IL 62839-1510
Phone: 618-662-6553

Clay County Courthouse
P.O. Box 160
Louisville, IL 62858
County Clerk Phone:  618-665-3626
   

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