J. Nick Perrin Collection

J. Nick Perrin was a lawyer, judge, and Illinois history enthusiast who founded the St. Clair County Historical Society in 1905. He was a prolific collector of records and artifacts related to early Illinois, and collected records from the Circuit Court, Justices of the Peace, and Court of Common Pleas. His collection includes marriage records, servitude and emancipation records, circuit court proceedings and records recorded by early French settlers. Upon Perrin’s death in 1940, the St. Clair County Historical Society transferred ownership of the collection to the Illinois State Archives for permanent safekeeping.