Stephenson County, Illinois

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Revision as of 17:51, 3 August 2011

Stephenson County, Illinois
Map
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded:	March 4, 1837
County Seat	Freeport
Courthouse
Address	15 North Galena Avenue Freeport, IL 61032 815-235-8289
Website: www.co.stephenson.il.us
Named for: Benjamin Stephenson

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United States Illinois Stephenson County

Stephenson County Organization

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Stephenson County are kept, see the Stephenson County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts

Parent County

• 1837--Stephenson County was created 4 March 1837 from Jo Daviess and Winnebago Counties.  County seat:  Freeport ^[1]

Boundary Changes

Record Loss

Places / Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

• Carroll
• Green County, Wisconsin
• Jo Daviess
• Lafayette County, Wisconsin
• Ogle
• Winnebago

Records and Resources

African American

The following have information concerning African American research.

• African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
• Illinois State Archives pamphlet on African American Research describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
• African-American Resources for Illinois

Cemeteries

Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.

• Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried.  Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.

• Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in Stephenson County and links to the  information for the individuals buried there.

• Stephenson Co. IL USGenWeb Tombstone Project usually gives the names of the deceased in alphabetical order by last name with birth and death dates plus any remarks. 

• Illinois Cemeteries by county.

• The Family History Library Catalog lists some records of cemeteries in Stephenson County.  Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.

• ePodunk list of Stephenson County cemeteries gives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.

Census

Church

Court

Land

• 1800s-Present - Use the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Patent Index to obtain original federal land transfer records including homestead, military warrants, and cash entry patents. These records help a research establish location and lead to National Archives' records which may include genealogical information. Earlier land transfer records are housed at the National Archives.

• 1800s-Present - Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales from Illinois State Archives also provides an index to federal land sales.

• Family Maps of Stephenson County, Illinois (2008) plats the land of many nineteenth-century Stephenson County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index. FHL Book 977.333 E7b

Local Histories

Maps

Military

• Civil War
  Civil War service men from Stephenson County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Stephenson County.

- 71st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.

- 90th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.

- 92nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, F and G.

- 93rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D and G.

Newspapers

• Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Freeport City newspapers from the late 1800's and early 1900's that covered local news on Stephenson County residents as well as residents from surrounding counties. The Rock Island Public Library provides free access to this resource at its library.
  

Probate

• 1848-1859, 1864-1865, 1868-1879 Miscellaneous Probate Records IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Repositories

County Courthouse

County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Stephenson County are kept, see the Stephenson County Courthouse page.

Family History Library

Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

Public Libraries

Social Groups Online

Societies

Taxation

Vital Records

Birth Records

• 1855-1903 Birth Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
• 1940-1976 Delayed Birth Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Marriage Records

• 1837-1925 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index at Illinois State Archives; Index
• 1837-1926 Marriage Licenses IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Death Records

• 1878-1913 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives; Index
• 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates at Illinois State Archives; Index
• 1878-1954 Death Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
• 1878-1915 Death Certificates, Stillbirths IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Web Sites

• Family History Library Catalog
•  Stephenson County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

References

1. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).