Prairie Pioneer Certificates
This project was organized for the Bicentennial, and the first pioneer was certified in 1982. This is now a very popular project with over 4,000 pioneers certified. There are three categories of certificates issued to descendants of pioneers who resided in Illinois:
(1) prior to statehood. (2) 1819-1850. (3) 1851-1880.Documentation proving the pioneer's date of residency in Illinois, along with documentation proving the applicant's lineage to the pioneer, must accompany the application. The fee for each application is $30.00. One certificate is included in the fee. Fees are non-refundable. Full instructions and fee schedule are available on the application form.
View ISGS's current Index of Certified Prairie Pioneers here. Fees (application fees will not be refunded):*The basic fee for each application is $30.00. One certificate and one lapel pin is included in this fee, and will be mailed after eligibility has been verified.
*If additional pioneers in the same bloodline are included and proven on the same application, the fee for each additional certificate will be $10.00.
Additional Certificates: Immediate relatives (parents, siblings, children, or grandchildren) of the applicant who wish to apply at the same time as the original applicant must fill out a separate Lineage Chart which must be included in the same package with the original application. Documentation attached to their forms need only prove their relationship to the original applicant. These applications entitle the additional applicant a certificate for each validated pioneer, with a fee of $10.00 each.
If you have previously honored your ancestor as a Prairie Pioneer, you may purchase a lapel pin for $10 using this order form and mailing a check to the ISGS Office. Click HERE to download the order form.
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