Do you have any early Illinois settlers in your family? You have the opportunity to honor them with a Prairie Pioneer Certificate!
The ISGS Prairie Pioneer lineage certificate program was organized for the U.S. Bicentennial, and the first pioneer was certified in 1982. Since then, ISGS has certified over 3,000 Prairie Pioneers and counting!
There are three categories of Prairie Pioneer Certificates:
- Prior to Statehood- This includes any ancestors that settled in the territory that later became Illinois, up to the year 1818.
- 1819-1850- Early Illinois settlement
- 1851-1880- Later Illinois settlement up to 1880
Any direct ancestor who settled in any part of Illinois may qualify for a Prairie Pioneer certificate! This includes ancestors that settled in early Chicago or the surrounding area too!
CLICK HERE to review the Prairie Pioneer application. Applicants are required to provide documentation proving the pioneer's date of residency in Illinois, along with proof of lineage.
Reach out to the ISGS Prairie Pioneer Chair, Kim Nagy, with any questions- isgsprairiepioneer@ilgensoc.org.
© 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society
Comments