Founded on October 15th, 1981, the McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society (MCIGS) was created by local family-history researchers who wanted to preserve McHenry County records, share proven research methods, and help others connect the dots in their own family stories.
In the early 1980s, MCIGS formalized its community mission as a nonprofit organization and, by July 1983, was recognized as tax-exempt. A major early milestone was the launch of the Society’s flagship publication, the McHenry County, Illinois “Connection Quarterly,” beginning with Volume 1, Number 1 (Jan–Mar 1983). For decades, the Quarterly captured original research, local record abstracts, transcriptions, and member contributions—building a durable paper trail for future researchers.
As genealogy moved into the digital era, MCIGS expanded its indexing and education efforts while preserving its back-catalog. The Society later discontinued publication of the Connection Quarterly (1983–2016) and began digitizing past issues to make them accessible to members online—ensuring the work of earlier researchers remains usable and discoverable today.
MCIGS continues to serve researchers locally and nationwide through educational programming, record sets, and signature initiatives. These include the Early Settler Certificate program (recognizing direct-line ancestors who settled in McHenry County between 1834 and 1880) and community outreach such as student scholarships supporting the next generation of historians, preservationists, and genealogy-minded learners.
Key Milestones & Dates
• 15 Oct 1981 — MCIGS leadership begins with its first recorded president (Roberta Smith, 1981–1984), reflecting the Society’s founding era.
• July 1983 — Recognized as a tax-exempt nonprofit (501(c)(3)).
• Jan–Mar 1983 — Connection Quarterly begins publication (Vol. 1, No. 1).
• 1981–1991 — “10th Anniversary Index (1981–1991)” created for Connection Quarterly materials.
• 1992–2001 — “Every Name Index” produced for Connection Quarterly issues.
• 1983–2016 — Connection Quarterly published; later discontinued and digitization of back issues begins.
• 2020–present — Scholarship program documented with prior winners (2020, 2021, 2023).
• 2022 — Early Settler list noted as current “as of 2022” on the Society website.