Illinois State Genealogical Society
2026 Annual Fall Conference
 
 
The Illinois State Genealogical Society, along with our host, the St. Clair County Genealogical Society, are excited to announce our annual Fall Conference will be held on October 24, 2026, at the Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville, Illinois. 
 
This year's theme is "Illinois 250: History in the American Bottom." This conference will focus on the deep and diverse history of southern Illinois. We are expecting approximately 100 dedicated family historians and researchers to attend. The full-day conference on Saturday, October 24, will feature three tracks of lectures from a variety of speakers, focusing on immigrant communities and ethnic heritage in southern Illinois, migration patterns, and military history, as well as a tech-focused AI worshop.
 
 
 

 
 
 
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Illinois State Archives
 
Welcome to the Illinois State Genealogical Society! As part of our mission, we aim to make archives, libraries, and other repositories easier to access and use throughout the state. Please enjoy the self-paced slide show on the Illinois State Archives to learn more about this facility and see a brief sample of what we do. Thank you for visiting the ISGS website.
Click HERE to view the slide show.
 
 
Library of Congress Illinois Genealogy Resources
 
At their 2025 conference, The Fox Valley Genealogical Society (FVGS) debuted a special video created by the librarians at the Library of Congress' History & Genealogy Section and American Folklife Center. This 33-minute video highlights Illinois genealogy resoures available through the Library of Congress. FVGS has made the video available to the public – click HERE to view the video. Thank you FVGS for sharing this wonderful presentation!
 
 

Update to the ISGS Lineage Certificate Programs
 
Prairie Patriot logo ISGS is proud to announce Prairie Patriot Certificates have been issued for:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • Certificate #454 –  O'HALORAN, Edward, Civil War, Co. B 90th IL Infantry, Jo Daviess County
 
 
 
 
 

 Prairie Pioneer logo
ISGS Lineage Certificate Programs
 
ISGS is proud to announce Prairie Pioneer Certificates have been issued for:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • DECOUNTER, Peter Frederick  – Cert. #4088 – 1828 – Schuyler County
 
 
 
 
 

Visiting the ALPLM
  • Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library – research is by appointment only.
  • Operating days/hours:  Monday thru Friday, 9am - 4:30pm.
  • Appointments can be made by contacting the Reference Desk at: (217) 524-6358 or via email at alplm.reference@illinois.gov
  • Additional information can be found on their website – click HERE.