Welcome to Macon County, IL History and Genealogy Presented by Illinois Genealogy Trails Volunteers Dedicated to Free Genealogy This Site is Available for Adoption Our goal is to help you track your ancestors through time by transcribing genealogical and historical data for the free use of all researchers.  If anyone has any data to add, please contact Nancy Piper We're looking for folks who share our dedication to putting data online and are interested in helping this project be as successful as it can be. If you are interested in joining Genealogy Trails, view our Volunteer Page for further information and then contact Kim. (Enough knowledge to make a basic webpage and a desire to transcribe data is required) We regret that we are unable to perform personal research for folks. All data we come across will be added to this site. We thank you for visiting and hope you'll come back again to view the updates we make to this site. If you would like to be kept informed of our state and county website updates, subscribe to any or all of our mailing lists Illinois has its own mailing list. Macon county derived its name from Hon. Nathaniel Macon, of North Carolina, whose fame, at the time of the formation of the county extended throughout the nation. He was born in Warren County, N. C., in 1757. and died in the same county, June 29th, 1837. He was educated at Princeton, N. J. [ed., College of New Jersey, now Princeton University], and was there at the opening of the War of the Revolution. In 1777 he left college, and served for a short time as a private in a company of volunteers. At the expiration of his term of service, he commenced the study of law, but soon re-enlisted in the army under his brother, John. He continued in the service until peace was declared. He was present at the fall of Charleston. For all his arduous services in the war, he steadily refused compensation, nor would he accept a pension after the government had provided one. Before he left the army he had been elected to the State Senate, in which he served until 1785. When the Constitution of the United States was proposed, he, like Patrick Henry, thought it "squinted too much in the direction of monarchy," and therefore opposed its adoption. He thought the general government proposed was too independent of the States. Mr. Macon was elected to the lower house of Congress in 1791, where he continued to serve until 1815, serving as Speaker from 1801 to 1806. From the lower house he was transferred to the U. S. Senate, in 1816, where he remained until 1828, and was President pro tem. of that body in 1825-7. He was thirty-seven years in Congress, uninterruptedly—the longest continuous service of any one man. Twice during Jefferson's administration he declined the office of Postmaster General. He was a Democrat in politics, and had an earnest conviction in the ability of the people for self-government. Jefferson said he was "the last of the old Romans," and Randolph called him "the wisest man he ever knew." In his temperament he was a stoic, disregarding style and conventionalities, and in all things practiced the strictest economy. [Smith, J. W. (1876). History of Macon County, Illinois, from its organization to 1876. Springfield, Ill: Rokker's Printing] BIRTHS DEATHS MARRIAGES CENSUS BIOGRAPHIES HISTORY  CEMETERIES NEWSPAPER DATA MILITARY Recent Website Updates: November 2008:   Lots of newspaper data from Decatur Newspapers Birth Announcements, Birthday Party News, Anniversaries, Accidents, Reunions, Crime, Traveling, Niantic Gossip, Community News, Political News, Weather News, Miscellaneous C Obituaries:  John Cassell, Mrs. Mary Cassell, Mrs. Olive Kirkman Cassell, Alfred Chandler, Catherine Chanlder, Claude Chandler 1855-56 Death Notices:  Mrs. John L. Adams, August Beck, Rev. Mr. Childs, Son of John Maddock, Gerard Mathews, John D. Nesbitt, Mrs. Sarah B.Walmsley, James Ward, Soloman G. Williard Decatur Local News From 1855 Military News (Found under Military) News from 1856 - Crime, Accidents, Fires, School News, Community News, Business, Real Estate Transactions, Local Gossip 1855-56 Marriages:  Lanuam-Stockton, Rickette-West, Corcoran-Stapleton, Phillips-Elder, Walsht-Doan, Smalley-Hummel, Richard - Koehler, Strasbaugh-Vaughn, Gesbacher-Smith, Lawrence-Dunbar, Miller-Hawkins, Bailey-Brown, Stettes-Toubey, Smith-Hall, Watkins-Whittle, Boltz-Sente, Wilson-Turpin, Lapham-Hammond, Everline-Ricketts, Wood-Ricketts, Kellar-Kammer, Packard- Sawyer, Taylor-Gillispie, Kepner-Herman, Shiplot-Carroll, Encke-Cook, Razer-Dawson, Smallwood-Frederick, Morris-Nicholas, Evans-Flory, Eneman-Williams, Scanlan-Carter, Livingston-Freese, Rogers-Stratton, Body-Turnbold, Stickel-Smith, McKee-Gunnels, Stump-Hatchet Jan-June 1857 Marriage Notices from the Illinois Chronicle: Turpin-McDaniel , Milthrop- Hamshaw, Hempaill-Holly, Devyue-Kinney, Post-Kaufman, Brett-Cox, Campbell-Hosteitler, Race-Wolgamos, Hayes-Montgomery, Hamsher-Knisley, Chandler-Albert, Moffett-Bockway, Mitt-Nichols, Leyby-Lowry Jan-June 1857 Death Notices and Obits:  Nellie Amelia Augustus, Franklin Baker, Mrs. Rachel Bond, Adeline E. Bunn, Mary Jane E. Loy, Andrew McClelland, Elam Rust, Elwood C. Starr 1857 News:  Accidents, Crime,  Fire, Business and Real Estate News Search The State Of Illinois (Or Search All Of the Genealogy Trails Main Pages here) State Selection: AL AK AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY advanced search powered by FreeFind Surrounding Counties * De Witt County - north * Piatt County - northeast * Moultrie County - southeast * Shelby County - south * Christian County - southwest * Sangamon County - west * Logan County - northwest Visit Illinois Genealogy Trails Visit Genealogy Trails ©2008 Genealogy Trails Submitters retain all copyrights to their data!