Kane County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois  Kane County

County Organization
Kane County's civil records start the following years:

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

Historical Facts


Kane County is named for Elias Kent Kane who helped draft the Illinois constitution and was the first Secretary of State.

Parent County

 * 1836--Kane County was created 16 January 1836 from LaSalle County. County seat:  Geneva
 * The Illinois General Assembly, established the borders of Kane County January 16, 1836, as: "...Commencing at the northeast corner of Township No. 42 north, Range No. 8 east of the third principal maridian and running thence south to the southeast corner of Township No. 37, in the range aforesaid; thence west to the southeast corner of Township No. 37, Range No 2 east of the third principal meridian; thence nort with the range line between 2 and 3 to the northern boundary line of Township No. 42; thence east along said line to the place of beginning, shall constitute a county to be called Kane." Commemorative, Biographical

Boundary Changes

 * 1837 -- Kane County lost the area that is now DeKalb county.
 * 1841 - Kane County lost the southern 3 townships to Kendall County.

See an interactive map of Kane County boundary changes.

Record Loss
1890 -- Courthouse destroyed by fire, March 13, 1890. The records of the recorder's office, the county clerk, and the circuit clerk were locked in fire-proof vaults and were not damaged.

Townships
Aurora | Batavia | Big Rock | Blackberry | Burlington | Campton | Dundee | Elgin | Geneva | Hampshire | Kaneville | Plato | Rutland | St. Charles | Sugar Grove | Virgil

Cities and Towns
Algonquin (partly in McHenry county | Aurora (partly in DuPage, Kendall and Will counties) | Barrington Hills | Bartlett (mostly in DuPage and Cook counties) | Batavia (partly in DuPage county) | Big Rock | Burlington | Campton Hills | Carpentersville | East Dundee | Elburn | Elgin (partly in Cook county) | Geneva | Gilberts | Hampshire | Hoffman Estates (mostly in Cook county) | Huntley (partly in McHenry county) | Kaneville | Lily Lake | Maple Park (partly in DeKalb county) | Montgomery (partly in Kendall county) | North Aurora | Pingree Grove | St Charles | Sleepy Hollow | South Elgin | Sugar Grove | Virgil | Wayne (partly in DuPage county) | West Dundee

Communities
Allens Corners | La Fox | Mooseheart | Plato Center | Starks | Wasco

Neighboring Counties

 * Cook
 * DeKalb
 * DuPage
 * Kendall
 * McHenry
 * Will

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


 * The Kane County Genealogy Society has created a Master Every Name Index to nearly 800,000 entries compiled from nearly 250 Kane County resources including cemetery inscriptions from over fifty local cemeteries.
 * 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 Kane County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.
 * Kane 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 of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.
 * ePodunk list of Kane 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.

State

 * 1865 State Census was indexed by the Kane County Genealogical Society.
 * The census index was published in The Index to the Kane County, Illinois, 1865 State Census. Geneva, IL: 2000.
 * The index is available in the Master Every Name Index located at the Kane County Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkcgs/mast_name_index.html

1840 Pensioners

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. ; ; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Kane County on page 187.]

Church Records
LDS Ward and Branch Records


 * Aurora
 * Batavia

Court Records

 * Abstractions from the Valley chronicle and the St. Charles chronicle, 1895-1899 (some court records)
 * 1836-1870 Circuit Court Case Files Index, 1836–1870 at Illinois State Archives
 * 1836-1870 Circuit Court Case Files IRAD-NIU Search for Kane County How to use IRAD The Kane County Circuit Court Case Files include chancery, criminal and common law proceedings. Documents include summonses, affidavits of witnesses, subpoenas, bonds, receipts, depositions, declarations, decrees and orders of the court, jury and witness lists, indictments, warrents, writs of habeas corpus, verdicts, dismissals and transcripts of coroner's inquests (from the Illinois State Archives web site)
 * 1881-1884 County Court Dockets IRAD-NIU Search for Kane County How to use IRAD


 * Aurora
 * 1857-1906 Aurora: Court of Common Pleas Case Files IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD


 * Elgin
 * 1857-1917 Elgin: Court of Common Pleas Case Files IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1854-1926 Elgin: City Council Proceedings Files IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD

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

History
There are 5 county histories in 6 volumes.


 * The Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois. Chicago: LeBaron and Company, 1878.
 * Commemorative, Biographical and Historical Record of Kane County, Illinois. Chicago: Beers, Leggett &amp; Co., 1888.
 * Biographical Record of Kane County, Illinois. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1898.
 * Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kane County edited by Newton Bateman, et.al. Chicago: Munsell Publishing Company, 1904
 * History of Kane County, Illinois. Volumes I &amp; II by R. Waite Joslyn &amp; Frank W. Joslyn. Chicago:

The Pioneer Publishing Company, 1908.The indexes for all 5 Kane County histories (6 volumes) are part of the Master Every Name Index located at the Kane County Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkcgs/mast_name_index.html

Land and Property

 * Family maps of Kane County, Illinois with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads and more
 * Kane County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1986
 * Abstractions from the Valley chronicle and the St. Charles chronicle, 1895-1899 (some land records)
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales at Illinois State Archives
 * 1804–1894 Federal Township Plats of Illinois at Illinois State Archives

Military

 * Civil War Civil War service men from Kane 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 Kane County.


 * - 36th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, F and K.
 * - 42nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 52nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, D, H, I and K.
 * - 55th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, G, and I.
 * - 89th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies E and K.

Naturalization
Naturalization facts for Kane County, Illinois:


 * 4 courts processed naturalizations in Kane County: the Aurora Court, the Kane County Court, the Elgin Court and the Kane County Circuit Court.
 * 1965 - all records were moved to the Kane County Circuit Court.
 * 162 volumes of records exist at the Kane County Circuit Court
 * 1853 – earliest record
 * 1954 – latest record
 * 40,000+ Declarations and Final Papers were processed
 * 2000 pages of extracted information were developed by the Kane County Genealogical when they indexed the naturalizations for the Kane County Circuit Court in the 1980s.
 * 4 indexes were developed: Applicant index, Spouse index, Child index and Witness index
 * All indexes are available in the Master Every Name Index located at the Kane County Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkcgs/mast_name_index.html

Naturalization Records


 * Naturalization records, 1858-1954 
 * 1840-1950 Illinois, Northern District Naturalization Index, 1840-1950
 * 1872-1906 Naturalization Declarations of Intent IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1872-1906 Naturalization Dockets IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1904-1906 Naturalization Record of Minors IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1873-1896 Naturalization Record of Soldiers and Minors IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1872-1906 Naturalization Record, Final IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD

Newspaper
An on-line index of Elgin area newspaper articles from the Courier News &amp; Daily Herald is available on the Gail Borden Library website.


 * [1999] Fox Valley Obituary Index–Obituaries reported in the Aurora Beacon–News

Probate
Probate Facts for Kane County, Illinois:


 * In 1993 the Kane County Circuit Court microfilmed the Probate and Guardianship packets and gave the original packets to 12 county historical societies.
 * The Circuit Court retained a copy of the microfilm.
 * 36,000 Probate and Guardianship packets were distributed.
 * Dates started in the late 1830s and included some as late as the 1970s.
 * Index to Kane County, Illinois, Probate and Guardianship Records Located in Local Historical Societies was published in 2003 by the Kane County Genealogical Society and can be found in genealogical library collections.
 * The index is part of the Master Every Name Index located at the Kane County Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkcgs/mast_name_index.html

Probate Records


 * Index to Kane County, Illinois probate and guardianship records located in local historical societies 
 * 1819-1970  at FamilySearch.org
 * 1837-1922 Miscellaneous probate records, 1837-1922 
 * 1850-1946 Probate Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1854-1869 Probate Executor's Record Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1854-1874 Probate Administrator's Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1855-1869 Probate Guardian's Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1865-1872 Probate Administrator's Petition Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1869-1946 Probate Appraisement Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1870-1946 Probate Administrator's and Executor's Reports IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1861-1946 Probate Inventory Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1866-1946 Probate Will Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1917-1927 Probate Fee Books IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD


 * Elgin

The Elgin Genealogical Society has created a Probate Records Index online. The Elgin Historical Society has the probate papters and you may send a query to them at the Elgin Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1418, Elgin, Illinois 60121-1418. Please check the Research Assistance Policy before sending a query.

Public

 * 1893-1899 Insanity Dockets IRAD-NIU Search for Kane County How to use IRAD
 * 1948-1974 Jail Registers IRAD-NIU Search for Kane County How to use IRAD
 * 1968-1974 Jail Visitor Registers IRAD-NIU Search for Kane County How to use IRAD
 * 1869-1922 School Trustees' Minutes IRAD-NIU Search for Kane County How to use IRAD

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

Public Libraries
Gail Borden Public Library–200 N. Grove Ave., Elgin, Illinois 60120. Phone 847-742-2411. Geneva Public Library–127 James Street, Geneva, Illinois 60134-2277. Voice 630-232-0780.

Societies
Elgin Area Historical Society 360 Park St. Elgin, Illinois 60120 Phone: 847-742-4248

The Elgin Area Historical Museum is a genealogical gem for those with Elgin, Illinois roots. There you will find original probate and divorce records for Kane County, Elgin Township, some Elgin mortuary records, a vertical file of surnames researched by the Elgin Genealogical Society, Elgin histories, business directories, phone books, memoirs and more. The museum is also strong in Elgin Watch holdings and general Elgin history.

Kane County Genealogy Society has created a Master Name Index with 800,000 names of people in the following records of Kane County.


 * Kane County Naturalization, Marriage, Guardianship, and Probate records
 * All 5 county histories dating from 1878 to 1908
 * Census records, including the 1840, 1850, 1860 federal censuses and the 1865 Illinois state census
 * Cemetery inscriptions from over 50 county cemeteries
 * Community and organization histories
 * Kane County Gazeteers and church histories
 * School, bible and funeral home records

The query fee for these records is $15 per hour. This fee will cover a search for a husband and his wife (including her maiden name). An additional fee of $1.50 will be added for postage. Send your request to: KCGS P.O. Box 504 Geneva, IL 60134 Attention: Computer Search

Taxation

 * Kane County, Illinois 1848 Personal Property Tax List transcribed by Joseph Kearns. Kane County Genealogical Society, 1984.
 * The index is available in the Master Every Name Index located at the Kane County Genealogical Society. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilkcgs/mast_name_index.html

Vital Records
Kane County vital records for genealogical purposes are provided by the County Clerk. They are defined as follows:


 * Birth records over 75 years
 * Marriage records over 50 years
 * Death certificate records of more than 20 years

Fill out the Vital Record Certified Copy Request form and send the application to: Kane County Clerk, Attn: Vital Records, 719 S Batavia Ave, Bldg B, Geneva, Illinois 60134. Remember to include the cost of the record:


 * Birth--$11 and $4 for each additional copy
 * Marriage--$11 and $4 for each additional copy
 * Death--$13 and $6 for each additional copy

Birth

 * 1877-1915 Birth index -
 * 1855-1900 Births -
 * 1877-1916 Kane County, Illinois birth index cards, 1877-1916
 * 1895-1899 Abstractions from the Valley chronicle and the St. Charles chronicle, 1895-1899
 * 1855-1900 Birth Certificates IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1891-1897 Birth Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1915 Birth Record Index IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD

Marriage

 * To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1836-1925 Marriage registers, 1836-1925; marriage certificates/licenses, 1836-1923; uncertified marriage certificates/licenses, 1887-1896, 1899 (only 1); marriage affidavits, 1836-1902; indexes, 1836-1923
 * 1836-1925 Marriage record index, Kane County, Illinois
 * 1895-1899 Abstractions from the Valley chronicle and the St. Charles chronicle, 1895-1899
 * 1810-1934  at FamilySearch.org
 * 1836-1902 Marriage License Affidavits IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1836-1923 Marriage Licenses IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1836-1925 Marriage Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1836-1923 Marriage Record Index IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD

The following abstracts are available:


 * 1815–1900 Illiniois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 (1836–1922 for Kane County)

Death

 * 1877-1919 Death certificates and indexes, 1877-1919
 * 1895-1899 Abstractions from the Valley chronicle and the St. Charles chronicle, 1895-1899
 * 1916-1947  at FamilySearch.org
 * 1877-1915 Death Certificates IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1919 Death Record Index IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD

The following abstracts are available:


 * Pre–1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre–1916 (Oct. 1877–Dec. 1915 for Kane County)
 * 1916–1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950


 * Aurora 
 * 1895-1901 Aurora: Death Certificates IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD
 * 1859-1891 Aurora: Death Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD


 * Elgin 
 * 1837-1949 Elgin: Death, Burial and Removal Permit Record IRAD-NIU Search for Kane records How to use IRAD

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Elgin Genealogical Societyis a great gateway to sites to aid researches to this area.
 * Kane County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Kane County Genealogical Society covers records from the whole county.
 * Kane County Genealogical Society covers records from the whole county.