Week 4: Champaign County

I continued my search in Champaign County this week with a visit to the Champaign County Historical Museum. The museum contains a lot of artifacts concerning the history of Champaign County and its people, but, unfortunately, they didn't have any court records in which I might peruse. Regardless, I enjoyed my visit and talking with the staff who keep the museum alive.

Champaign County Historical Museum

Since there were no court records at the historical museum, I called the Champaign County Clerk of Courts to see if I could gain access to their physical minute books instead of going to the library to scan through microfilm. The Clerk of Courts was not in so I left a voicemail and spoke with her the next day. She was very nice, but will be out of town next week, so she will get back in touch with me about meeting up to see their records.
Since I couldn't see the original records, I went back to the library to view the last remaining rolls of microfilm for probate court. I spent 6 hours scanning microfilm and thought I had run out of luck when I found an entry at the bottom of the second-to-last book. The entry was for a man named Francis Rinoe (possibly Rinse), who had appeared in court to enter his name and the names of his entire family!

Minute book record for Francis Rinoe and his family.

The entry reads:
"This day Francis Rinoe a Mulatto man applies for permission to enter of record the names of himself and family. To wit Francis Rinoe and Rachel his wife - David Rinoe - Phellis Rinoe [-] Susan Adams wife of Lewis Adams - Francis Rinoe Junior [-] Joseph [M...] Rinoe - Robert Rinoe - Anna Rinoe - Lewis Rinoe - Rosanna Rinoe - Abraham Rinoe - agreeably to the statute in such case made and [illegible]."
That's all I have for now for Champaign County until I hear back from the Clerk of Courts. I hope you all enjoyed and be sure to come back next week when I explore Clark County.
Thanks, and be good!