Form Center

2. Overview

   The Village of Montgomery’s Historic Preservation Commission is offering certificates to descendants of early Montgomery families. 

   CENTURY FAMILY CERTIFICATES
   Century Certificates are available to descendants of residents who settled in Montgomery at least 100 years ago. If you believe your relatives have been in Montgomery before 1925, you may qualify.

   PIONEER FAMILY CERTIFICATES
   The Historic Preservation Commission offers Montgomery Pioneer Certificates to descendants of pioneer Montgomery families. Montgomery was founded in 1835, so "pioneer" settlers are considered to be those people who lived in Montgomery during its first 50 years of settlement, 1835 and 1885.

4. Purpose

   The purpose of this program is to honor descendants of early Montgomery residents, and to collect information on these families and their descendants.

6. Eligibility

   The applicant must be a direct descendant of a person who lived in the Village of Montgomery 100 or more years ago (i.e., currently at any time up to and including the year 1925). 

   Additional qualifications are as follows:

   • Applicants need not to be residents of Montgomery. However, proof of descendancy from the settler through the applicant must be submitted. 
   • The applicant must be a direct descendant of a person who lived in the Village of Montgomery at any time between 1835 to 1885.
   • Applicants must fill out the Application Form and the Lineage Chart to the best of their abilities. If unsure of dates or information, a question mark (?) should be placed in the space. Maiden names should be used where applicable. 
   • You must attached some type of documentation verifying that your ancestor was in Montgomery, Illinois during the required time period. This could include a property record, census, birth certificate, or other record. 
   • Please consider attaching a narrative of how your ancestors arrived in Montgomery. Photos, information on children, or other interesting family stories or information is appreciated.
   • The application and all supporting documentation must be sent to the Historic Preservation Commission, 200 N. River St., Montgomery, IL 60538.
   • A $5.00 charge for each certificate is required to assist in covering the costs.
   • DO NOT send originals of documents or photos.
   • All applications and supporting documentation become the property of the Historical Preservation Commission in order to help preserve the stories of our ancestors and create a permanent records of the early settlers.
   • Applicants may request to have their certificate presented publicly during a Village Board Meeting. If you are interested in this please contact the Historic Preservation directly at hpc@montgomeryil.org. 

   When determining whether or not your ancestor lived in Montgomery, please use the current geographic boundaries of the Village.

8. Certification

   Once the initial application is complete, the applicant may be asked for more information in order to verify that the ancestor lived in Montgomery during the stated time period. The applicant will be certified once all application materials have been received and proof is established.

10. MONTGOMERY FAMILY ANCESTRY PROGRAM APPLICATION
12. Please check which certificate you are applying for*

    1. Centennial certificate
    2. Pioneer certificate
14. First Name*
15. Last Name*
17. Address1*
19. Address2
21. City*
22. State*
23. Zip*
25. Email*
26. Phone*
28. First Name of Ancestor*
29. Last Name of Ancestor*
31. Ancestor Birth Date & Location*
32. Death Date & Location*
34. Ancestor’s spouse’s name
35. Spouse's birth date & location
37. Spouse death date & location
38. Dates these ancestors lived in Montgomery
40. Please describe how you are related to these people. If dates are unknown, simply use estimated dates, such as “about 1870.” *
42. I confirm that the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I understand that this information may be made available in the future to researchers and the general public.
43. Date & Time of Application*
    Date & Time of Application

    Date & Time of Application
Leave This Blank:


45. 1. Receive an email copy of this form.
46. Email address

    This field is not part of the form submission.

47. Submit

* indicates a required field