The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is July 2024)
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Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.
Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:
- FamilySearch – Institution and School Records
- Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records
- Researching Ancestors in Asylums
What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?
- Poorhouse
- Poor Farm
- Orphanage
- Orphan Train
- Mental Hospital
- Workhouse
- Almshouse
- Institutional School
- Sanitarium
- Asylums
- Correctional institutions
Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.
Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
Illinois Free Online Institutional Records
- Adams County Alms House, Applications and Statements for Record, 1860-1960
- Adams County, Adams County Courthouse Prison 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Adams County, Adams County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Adams County, Almshouse Register Index (1873–1898)
- Adams County, House of Correction Record, 1883-1928
- Adams County, Insanity Proceedings, 1883-1933
- Boone County, Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Brown County, Almshouse Registers Index (1882–1963)
- Bureau County, 1880 Insane Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Carroll County, 1880 Schedule of Insane Persons
- Carroll County, 1910, 1920, 1930 Census of Caroline Mark Home for Elderly Women
- Carroll County, Carroll County Farm AKA County Poor House
- Champaign County, Champaign County Prison 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Chicago, Catholic Church. Angel Guardian Orphanage, Baptisms, Confirmations & Deaths, 1880-1916
- Christian County, Christian County Almshouse Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
- Clark County, 1880 Schedules of Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Classes
- Clark County, Clark County Poor House 1910 Census
- Clark County, Clark County Poor House 1920 Census
- Clark County, Clark County Poor House 1930 Census
- Clark County, Poor Farm 1910 Federal Census
- Clark County, Poor Farm 1920 Federal Census
- Clark County, Poor Farm 1930 Federal Census
- Clinton County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Coles County, 1880 Census Coles County Alms House
- Coles County, 1880 Insane Inhabitants in the Illinois Southern Hospital for the Insane
- Coles County, Almshouse Census Records
- Coles County, Coles County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Coles County, I.O.O.F. Old Folks Home
- Coles County, Insane Inhabitants in the County of Coles, State of Illinois – June, 1880
- Cook County, 1880 Census of Poor House
- Cook County, 1880 Cook County Residents in the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Cook County, 1910 Census for Angel Guardian Orphan Asylum
- Cook County, Index to Joliet Prisoners
- Crawford County, Crawford County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Crawford County, Residents in the Illinois Soldiers & Sailors Home and Illinois Soldiers’ Widows Home
- Dekalb County, Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- DuPage County, Benet Academy Cemetery AKA Saint Joseph’s Orphanage Cemetery
- DuPage County, DuPage County Poor Farm Cemetery
- DuPage County, Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Edgar County, Children’s Home 1897 Listings
- Edgar County, Children’s Home 1898 Listings
- Edgar County, Children’s Home 1899 Listings
- Effingham County, Effingham County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Franklin County, County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Franklin County, Poor Farm Census: 1870 – 1880 – 1881
- Fulton County, Almshouse Death Register 1909-1949
- Fulton County, Almshouse Register 1877-1955
- Fulton County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Almshouse Cemetery
- Gallatin County, Omaha Poor Farm Cemetery
- Grundy County, 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Hamilton County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Hamilton County, Poor Farm, Alms House Records
- Henry County, Hillcrest Home Cemetery AKA County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Henry County, Lutheran Home for Children & Farm School, 1930 Census
- Henry County, Swedish Orphan Home – 1880 Census
- Illinois, Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home Residents (1887–1916)
- Illinois, Index to Joliet Prisoners from Wyoming Territory
- Illinois, Orphan Train Children
- Illinois, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918
- Iroquois County, Green Acres County Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Evergreen County Farm Cemetery
- Iroquois County, Poor Farm Death Records 1879-1880
- Jackson County, Jackson County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Jasper County, 1880 Federal Census Schedule D for Pauper and Indigent Inhabitants
- Jasper County, Jasper County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Jasper County, Poor Farm Inhabitants 1880
- Jefferson County, Jefferson County Jail 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Jo Daviess County, County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Jo Daviess County, Poor House Register 1846-1941
- Jo Daviess County, Residents in 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- JoDaviess County, Almshouse Registers Index (1846–1938)
- Johnson County, Johnson County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Kane County, 1855 Census of Deaf & Dumb, Blind & Insane in Kane
- Kane County, 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Kane County, 1880 Census of the Kane County Poor House and the Rutland Poor House
- Kane County, 1880 Census Supplemental Schedules for the Defective, Dependent and Delinquent Classes in Institutions and at Home
- Kane County, Hillside Cemetery AKA Elgin State Hospital Cemetery
- Kane County, State Training School for Girls Cemetery
- Kankakee County, Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients
- Kankakee County, State Hospital Cemetery
- Kankakee County, State of Illinois Veterans Home Cemetery AKA Manteno State Hospital Cemetery
- Kendall County, Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Knox County, Knox County Alms House Cemetery
- La Salle County, LaSalle County Pauper Cemetery AKA LaSalle Asylum Cemetery
- Lake County, 1880 Census Residents at the Northern Illinois Hospital for the Insane
- Lake County, Lake County Poor Farm Cemetery
- LaSalle County, LaSalle County Pauper Cemetery AKA LaSalle Asylum Cemetery
- Lawrence County, Lawrence County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Lee County, 1880 Census Residents at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Lee County, Dixon Developmental Center Cemetery AKA Dixon State Hospital Cemetery or Dixon State School Cemetery
- Lee County, Lee County Poor Farm Cemetery AKA Lee County Infirmary Cemetery
- Livingston County, 1880 Supplemental Index – Prisoners
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners A-B
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners C-D
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners E-G
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners H-J
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners K-L
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners M-O
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners P-R
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners S
- Livingston County, Illinois State Reformatory, 1930 Index of Prisoners T-Z
- Livingston County, Livingston County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Livingston County,1880 Supplemental Index – Poor House
- Logan County, Development Center Cemetery AKA Lincoln State School Cemetery
- Logan County, Logan County Home Cemetery AKA Logan County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Logan County, Odd Fellow’s Orphans’ Home
- Macon County Poor Farm, Deaths and Burials
- Macon County, Macon County Jail 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Madison County, Alton Mental Health Center Cemetery AKA Alton State Hospital Cemetery
- Madison County, List of Convicts in the Illinois State Prison Who Were Pardoned, Died or Escaped from 1 January 1855 – to 31 December 1856
- Madison County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Marion County, Marion County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Marshall County, Marshall County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Massac County, Massac County Poor Farm Cemetery
- McHenry County, Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- McLean County, 1870 Census of the Soldiers Orphan Home
- McLean County, 1880 Supplemental Schedule – Poor House Inhabitants
- McLean County, 1880 Supplemental Schedule – Prisoners
- Mercer County, Almshouse Register Index (1859–1948)
- Monmouth, Warren County Home Records, 1860 to 1928
- Morgan County, 1880 Census for the Jacksonville School for the Deaf and Dumb
- Morgan County, 1880 Census Illinois Institution for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb
- Morgan County, Jacksonville Deaf & Dumb Institution 1870 Census
- Morgan County, Jacksonville Deaf & Dumb Institution 1880 Census
- Morgan County, Morgan County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Morgan County, Poor Farm Records Index (1850–1932)
- Niles, Catholic Church. St. Hedwig Orphanage, Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Confirmations, 1911-1932
- Ogle County, 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Ogle County, Almshouse Register Index (1878–1933)
- Peoria County, AlmsHouse Register 1891
- Peoria County, Peoria State Hospital Cemetery AKA Bartonville State Asylum Cemetery
- Perry County, Perry County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Piatt County, Piatt County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Pike County, PoorHouse Cemetery and Census Records
- Pulaski County, County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Putnam County, Probate and Insanity Records, 1832-1943
- Randolph County, Southern Illinois Penitentiary 1880 Census
- Richland County, 1880 Ilinois Southern Hospital for the Insane
- Richland County, Poor Farm Cemetery
- Rock Island County, State Hospital Cemetery AKA Resthaven Cemetery
- Saint Clair, Saint Clair County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Sangamon County, Sangamon County Home Cemetery
- Sangamon County, Springfield City Prison 1930 Index of Prisoners
- Schuyler County, Insanity Cases, 1867-1920
- Scott County, Scott County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Shelby County, Shelby County Almshouse Cemetery AKA Shelby County Poor Farm Cemetery
- St. Clair County, St. John’s Orphanage 1930 U.S. Census
- Stark County, Almshouse Register Index (1868–1941)
- Stephenson County, Residents at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Tazewell County, County Farm Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
- Union County, Anna State Hospital Cemetery
- Union County, Female Patients in the Anna State Hospital – 1880 Census
- Union County, Union County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Vermillion County, County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Wabash County, Potter’s Field Cemetery AKA Poor Farm Cemetery
- Warren County Prison Record, 1869-1926
- Washington County, Poor Farm Cemetery and Death Records
- Washington County, Residents as Patients at Anna State Mental Hospital
- Wayne County, Wayne County Poor Farm Cemetery
- White County, Poor House Records
- White County, White County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Whiteside County, 1880 Census Residents at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Whiteside County, Mount Carmel Orphanage Census Records
- Whiteside County, Poor House Register, 1871-1905
- Will County, 1880 Census – Will County Residents in the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Will County, 1900 Census for Soldiers’ Widows Home
- Will County, Convicts in the Illinois State Prison 1857
- Will County, Convicts in the Illinois State Prison Pardoned, Died or Escaped from 1 January 1855 to December 1856
- Will County, Index to Joliet Prisoners by County
- Will County, Joliet Prison Convict Registers Alphabetical Index
- Will County, Old Joliet Prison Cemetery AKA Monkey Hill Cemetery
- Will County, Poor House
- Will County, Stateville Prison Cemetery AKA Illinois State Prison Cemetery
- Williamson County, Williamson County Poor Farm Cemetery
- Winnebago County, 1880 Census of Winnebago County Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane
- Winnebago County, Pauper and Indigent Inhabitants in Institutions, Poor Houses or Asylums or Boarded at Public Expense
June 1880 - Woodford County, Almshouse Registers
- Woodford County, Almshouse Registers Index (1868–1957)
- Woodford County, Residents of the Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!