DeKalb County, Illinois Family History Research Guide Compiled by EvaAnne Johnson, June 2017 Contents: I. Background Information 2 Brief History 2 Border Changes 3 Places/Localities 3 II. Where should I look for sources? 5 Local Repositories and Research Centers 5 Remote Repositories and Research Centers 6 Regional Historical Organizations 8 Other Area Historic Sites 10 Online Databases and Websites 11 III. Genealogical Sources - Published Resources 12 Published Historical Background Resources 12 Maps and Plat Books 13 County and City Directories 14 Historical Newspapers and Periodicals 14 Family History Periodicals 15 IV. Genealogical Sources - Original Records and Documents 16 Vital Records - Birth Records 16 Vital Records - Marriage Records 16 Vital Records - Death Records 17 Census Records 18 Land Records 18 Probate and Related Records 18 Obituaries 19 Cemeteries and Burial Records 19 Religious Information 20 Naturalization Records 21 Military Records 21 Postcards and Photographs 23 Schools and Universities 23 Miscellaneous items of interest 24 2 DeKalb County, Illinois Family History Research Guide p.​ I. Background Information ​ Brief History DeKalb County, Illinois is located in the Northern part of the state. DeKalb County was created out of Kane County on March 4, 1837. The county was named after Johann de Kalb, a German baron who fought for the colonies during the American Revolution. Sycamore was established as the county seat in 1840. The county seat was briefly located in Coltonville from 1839-1840. There has been no record loss throughout the years at the county courthouse. DeKalb County borders Boone and McHenry Counties to the north, Kane and Kendall Counties to the east, La Salle County to the south, and Lee and Ogle Counties to the west. Before white settlers arrived, members of the Potawatomi tribe lived in the area. Chief Shabbona from this tribe is a well-known figure, who signed numerous treaties on behalf of several native tribes, and was a friend to the newly arrived settlers. European settlers started arriving to the area in 1834. The Railroad first reached the county in the 1850s, running through first the southern part of the county, and by 1875, the northern part of the county had a railroad reaching it as well. The largest waves of settlers arrived during that time. Most residents in the early years were from the Eastern U.S. (especially New England and New York), and later large numbers of immigrants arrived from Germany and Scandinavia, and some from England and Ireland. Because of its very fertile and productive soil, agriculture has always been a central industry in DeKalb County. DeKalb County is credited with being the birthplace of the Farm Bureau movement, beginning with DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association, which became DeKalb County Farm Bureau and DeKalb Ag Research/Monsanto. Sandwich has hosted a large fair at the Sandwich Fairgrounds every year since 1888. Manufacturing is also a dominant industry. Prominent manufacturing companies throughout DeKalb County’s history include Marsh Harvester Company, Sandwich Manufacturing Company, Wurlitzer Piano Company, DeKalb Fence Company, Gurler Brothers Pure Milk, and Illinois Thresher Company. DeKalb was central to the barbed wire manufacturing industry, and several kinds of barbed wire were invented there. Barbed Wire Barons Jacob Haish, Ellwood and Glidden were once pillars of DeKalb County society. Research note: DeKalb may be spelled with or without a space, and can be found as ​ “DeKalb” or “De Kalb” or “de Kalb” in various documents. 3 DeKalb County, Illinois Family History Research Guide p.​ Border Changes ● 1795-1812 - part of St. Clair ​ ​ County ● 1812-1815 - part of Madison ​ County ● 1815-1816 - part of Edwards ​ County ● 1816-1819 - part of Crawford ​ County ● 1819-1821 - part of Clark County ​ ● 1821-1823 - part of Pike County ​ ● 1823-1825 - part of Fulton County ​ ● 1825-1831 - part of Putnam County ​ ● 1831-1835 - part of LaSalle County ​ ● 1836-1837 - part of Kane County ​ ● 1837 - DeKalb County created from Kane County on March 4, 1837. ​ ● (See the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries found on the Newberry Library website ​ ​ to further explore Illinois’ county boundary changes: http://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/) ​ Places/Localities The townships of the county were established and named in 1850. Townships within DeKalb County include: ● Afton Township – Formed from DeKalb Township and Clinton Township on February ​ 18, 1856. Includes the locales of Afton Center, Elva and McGirr. ● Clinton Township – Includes the village of Waterman. ​ ● Cortland Township – First named Richland, then changed to Pampas on November 20, ​ 1850 and to Cortland on February 1, 1865. Includes the town of Cortland and part of the village of Maple Park (most of the village is located in Kane County, Virgil Township). ● DeKalb Township – Name changed from Orange on November 20, 1850. Includes the ​ city of DeKalb. ● Franklin Township – Includes the village of Kirkland and the community of Fairdale. ​ ● Genoa Township – Includes the city of Genoa and the locale of New Lebanon. ​ ● Kingston Township – Includes the village of Kingston. ​ ● Malta Township – Formed as Etna from DeKalb in September, 1856; name changed from ​ Etna in December, 1858. Includes the village of Malta. 4 DeKalb County, Illinois Family History Research Guide p.​ ● Mayfield Township – Name changed from Liberty on November 20, 1850. Includes the ​ unincorporated locales of Clare, Five Points and Wilkinson. ● Milan Township – Formed from Shabbona Township and Malta Township on February ​ 23, 1858. ● Paw Paw Township – Formed in ​ March, 1850. ● Pierce Township – Formed from ​ Squaw Grove Township and Pampas (Cortland) Township in 1850. ● Sandwich Township – Formed from ​ Somonauk Township on July 14, 1896. Includes the city of Sandwich. ● Shabbona Township – Includes the ​ villages of Lee and Shabbona, and the community of Shabbona Grove. ● Somonauk Township – Includes the ​ village of Somonauk and the locale of Franks. ● South Grove Township – Name ​ changed from Vernon on November 20, 1850. Includes the community of Esmond. ● Squaw Grove Township – Includes ​ the village of Hinckley. ● Sycamore Township – Includes the ​ city of Sycamore, the county seat, and the locale of Charter Grove. ● Victor Township – Formed from ​ Clinton Township in 1850. For a full list of places, communities and locales, visit: http://dekalb.illinoisgenweb.org/places.htm DeKalb County, unknown year. Image from http://dekalb.illinoisgenweb.org/maps.htm ​ 5 DeKalb County, Illinois Family History Research Guide p.​ II. Where should I look for sources? ​ Local Repositories and Research Centers ● Regional History Center and IRAD Depository Northern Illinois Univ., Founders Memorial Library, Rm. 400. DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone: (815) 753-1779 Website: http://library.niu.edu/ulib/content/collections/rhc/index.shtml ​ The NIU IRAD includes birth, marriage, death, naturalization, probate, deeds, and circuit court cases. Most of these records are older than 72 years old. The Regional Collections include original manuscripts and records from individuals, institutions, and organizations from 1800 to the present day. In addition, the Center holds manuscripts, county and local histories, plat books, city directories, maps, broadsides, photographs, oral histories, genealogical journals, and core reference printed materials on the history of Northern Illinois. A searchable ​ database of their collections may be found at http://archon.lib.niu.edu/index.php. ​ ​ A subject index of their holdings may also be found on their website. ● Joiner History Room Sycamore Public Library, 103 E. State St. Sycamore, IL 60178 Phone: (815) 895-7271 // Website: http://www.joinerhistoryroom.org/ ​ Resources include manuscript materials, area histories, plat maps and atlases, cemetery records, genealogy files, newspapers, photographs, obituary files, church histories, school records, poll books, military records, poor farm records, scrapbooks, city directories, and much more. Their website also offers many resources, including a Cornsilk index and an obituary database. See an index of ​ ​ their holdings at http://www.joinerhistoryroom.org/archives-and-subjects.html. ​ ​ ● DeKalb Public Library 309 Oak Street, DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone: (815) 756-9568 // Website: http://dkpl.org ​ ​ Has a Local History Room, which houses local and family histories, DeKalb city directories back to 1899, atlases and plat maps, DeKalb High School yearbooks back to 1924, cemetery records, census data, The Daily Chronicle on microfilm dating back to 1871 and more. Their virtual local history page on their website (http://dkpl.org/virtual-local-history/) includes digitized 1859 Plat Book of the ​ ​ ​ City of DeKalb and a couple oral stories of local WWII veterans. Also provides free access in the library to the online databases Heritage Quest and AncestryLibrary. 6 DeKalb County, Illinois Family History Research Guide p.​ ● DeKalb County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds County Administration Building, 110 E. Sycamore St., Sycamore, IL 60178 Phone: (815) 895-7149 // Email: [email protected] ​ Maintains records of vital records and all records relating to real property in the county. Locate and request digital copies of birth, marriage, death, and naturalization records through their website: http://www.dekalbgenealogy.com/ ​ Account is free; copies of most records are $5 each. Locate land records through their website http://lrs.dekalbrecorder.com/.