Exhibitor Profile-St. Clair County Genealogical Society

Booth #219

St. Clair County is located in Southwestern Illinois, across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. It is Illinois’ oldest county, established in 1790. Its heritage lies in the French, French-Canadian, and English settlements existing in the 1600s and 1700s; and in the German, Irish, and English immigrants who arrived in the 1800s.

St. Clair County Genealogical Society (SCCGS) has more than 400 members. Monthly lecture meetings are open to the public. In the last few years, SCCGS has hosted two one-day Summer Seminars and a book fair.

The Society’s website at http://www.stclair-ilgs.com, has 600+ free webpages of data and indexes for the public. A surname search function ties into that data as well as the Society’s quarterlies and 30+ special publications such as church and cemetery records. The research committee provides specific photocopies from quarterlies, bio sketches, obits from databases, etc., referenced from the website.  The Member section includes some exclusive databases, member surname index, member-contributed index for 400 family-focused obituaries, and a classroom “Learn” section which supplements the Society’s research guide.

The SCCGS archives are located at the Belleville Public Library’s main branch. It includes 1000+ rolls of microfilm including probate records (1770s – 1964); church record abstracts, registers, baptisms and other records from 1600s to 20th century; newspapers; city directories. Collections include newspapers and newspaper indexes; CDs on census, immigration and vital statistics; plus numerous books purchased by the library’s archivist with funds donated by SCCGS.

Exhibitor Profile-St. Clair County Genealogical Society