Genealogy

The library is a great place to start or continue to research your family’s history!

The Smithton Public Library District offers a variety of resources to help you, including:

  • Church Records of St. John’s United Church of Christ, 1870-1986
  • Comprehensive Index to Old Cemeteries of St. Louis County, Volumes 1-5
  • Freeburg Tribune Births, Engagements, Weddings, Anniversaries, and Obituaries, 1990-1999
  • Handbook for Genealogists, REF 929.9 HAN
  • Higgins, Phillips, Carr, Wilderman family file
  • A History of St. John the Baptist Parish Church, 1850-1980
  • A History of the Smithton Turner Society, 1867-1992
  • Illinois State Director of Members and Ancestor of the Daughters of the American Revolution, 1957
  • Memories of Smithton, 1850-1950
  • People Named Smith by H. Allen Smith
  • Smith, Benjamin J. Family History notebook
  • A Smithton History, 1850-2000
  • St. Clair County Marriage Records, 1845-1869
  • Prairie Du Long and Smithton Township Cemeteries, St. Clair County, IL
    • Includes 3200 burials from 31 cemeteries in Smithton Township and Prairie du Long Township from 1815-2016.

Free websites to aid your research:

The library will happily host copies of your family genealogy research in order to make it available to other researchers. Please see the Library Director if you would like to deposit records with us.

Smithton Roots @ Your Library

Ever wanted to learn more about your family history? There are many websites and resources available to you today to help you with your research, many of which are available to you through your library!

The Smithton Public Library offers an annual Genealogy class, called Smithton Roots – a program for adults, at all levels of experience, to learn more about these resources. Topics covered:

  • Internet-based resources
  • Genealogy computer programs
  • Library print resources
  • Lineage Societies (Daughters/Sons of the American Revolution, the Mayflower Society, etc.)
  • Local Historical Societies
  • Other sources of primary documents

This program is offered annually, in the fall.  If you are interested in learning about your family history and would like to be contacted when we offer another program, please call the library.

Participation is limited to 10 people and library computers will be reserved for program participants during this time. If you have a personal laptop computer with Wi-Fi capability, you are encouraged to bring it.