We are honored to provide valuable services to the citizens of Bureau County. Our services vary from issuing birth certificates and other vital records to maintaining voter registration records. We process accounts payable, record all land transactions, compute the tax extensions for districts, and maintain county board minutes. We are the County Recorder, County Board secretary and we issue Marriage licenses.
We pride ourselves in giving efficient and attentive service to all who visit our door. The County Clerk's staff has over 100 years of combined service to this office. Kami has served as County Clerk since July of 1996.
Come in for a visit or preview our office through these pages... we look forward to seeing you!
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By adoption of an ordinance on April 18, 1885, a donation of $11,862.67 made to the City of Princeton by the last will of Nehemiah Matson, for the purpose of establishing a free public library, was accepted by the city council, in trust. In February 27, 1886, the first Board of Directors of Matson Public Library was confirmed by the city council and the library opened its doors.
After a lengthy process, it was decided that the first library was to be located in the building at what is now 529 South Main Street in Princeton, IL. 94 years later, a city-wide referendum was passed to allow construction to begin on a new, 28,000 square foot facility at 698 East Peru Street. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held in August 2007 when the new facility was given to the people of Princeton.
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The Bureau County Genealogical Society, founded in 1990 and located at 629 S. Main in Princeton, has a great collection of different resources.
- Cemeteries
- Maps
- Death Information
- Marriage and Divorce
- Newspapers
- Census
- Histories and Biographies
- Church and Bible Records
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The Bureau County Historical Society, located at 109 Park Avenue West in the county seat of Princeton, Illinois, operates three museum buildings and a research library.
The hours of the Historical Society are 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.
Information in our research library includes:
- Birth, wedding, anniversary files, family histories, and military histories of Bureau County residents
- Local history books
- The H.W. Immke Photography Collection
- Artifact Collections
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Princeton is an active city located two hours west of Chicago on Interstate 80. We have much to offer with many activities and seasonal festivals. Our two down-towns retail districts offer a step back in time with a variety of specialty shops and businesses.
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The Clerk of the Circuit Court is the keeper of all court documents that include, but not limited to, divorce records, wills and naturalization papers.
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You will find a plethora of information at this web address, on vital records within the State of Illinois.
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The city of Spring Valley has maintained a library and reading room since 1893. While it has had many incarnations, it was dedicated to the memory of the late State Representative Richard A. Mautino, on January 4, 1992.
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Our staff will do research using our library and copy information for individuals requesting our service. Our fees are reasonable and all money collected goes to maintain and preserve Sheffield history.
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The Bureau County Gen Web site is part of the Illinois Gen Web and the US Gen Web. These sites were developed to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state in the United States. Volunteers at the county level are responsible for providing this information. Learn more about Gen Web at the State and National level:
Illinois Gen Web
US Gen Web
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Don't see your organization listed?
Contact the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office to add your Historical Society or Genealogical Society to the list.