Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Jo Daviess County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Jo Daviess County, Illinois | |
Map | |
![]() Location in the state of Illinois | |
![]() Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded: | February 17, 1827 |
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County Seat | Galena |
Courthouse | |
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Illinois State Archives | |
Address | Jo Daviess County Courthouse 330 North Bench Street Galena, Illinois 61036 (815) 777-0161 Jo Daviess County Website |
Contents
- 1 County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Boundary Changes
- 4 Record Loss
- 5 Places / Localities
- 6 Records and Resources
- 6.1 Biography
- 6.2 Cemeteries
- 6.3 Census
- 6.4 Church History and Records
- 6.5 Court Records
- 6.6 Ethnic Research
- 6.7 Genealogy
- 6.8 History
- 6.9 Land and Property
- 6.10 Maps
- 6.11 Military
- 6.12 Naturalization
- 6.13 Newspapers and Obituaries
- 6.14 Poorhouse
- 6.15 Probate Records
- 6.16 Repositories
- 6.17 Social Groups Online
- 6.18 Societies
- 6.19 Taxation
- 6.20 Vital Records
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
County Organization
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Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1877 | 1830 | 1877 | 1850 | 1828 | 1830 | 1810 |
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County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Jo Daviess County are kept, see the Jo Daviess County Courthouse page.
Historical Facts
Jo Daviess County is named for Joseph Hamilton Daviess who was a commander during the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Jo Daviess County is located in the Northwest corner of the Illinois border with the Mississippi River and Iowa to the west and Wisconsin to the north.
Description
The county was named for Maj. Joseph Hamilton Daveiss, United States District Attorney for Kentucky, who was killed in 1811 at the Battle of Tippecanoe. The county seat is Galena and the county was organized on 1827. The County is located in the Northwest part of the state.[2]
Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Illinois county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Illinois County Boundary Maps" (1790-1869) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Prior to County Formation
- 1801-1812 - Jo Daviess part of St. Clair County
- 1812-1821 - Jo Daviess part of Madison County
- 1821-1823 - Jo Daviess part of Pike County
- 1823-1825 - Jo Daviess part of Fulton County
- 1825-1827 - Some of Jo Daviess part of Henry County
- 1825-1827 - Some of Jo Daviess part of Putnam County
County Formation and After
- 1827 - Jo Daviess County created from Henry, Mercer, and Putnam Counties
- 1831 - Rock Island created from Jo Daviess; Jo Daviess gained from unorganized area; Henry and Putnam gained from Jo Daviess
- 1836 - Ogle and Winnebago counties created from Jo Daviess; Whiteside County created from Jo Daviess and Henry
- 1837 - Stephenson County created from Jo Daviess and Winnebago
- 1839 - Carroll County created from Jo Daviess
For more information see Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties or Jo Daviess County Fact Sheet (Illinois State Archives). For interactive county boundary maps see Illinois County Boundaries, 1790-Present, Illinois Historical Counties
Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places / Localities
Populated Places
Apple River | Berreman | Council Hill | Dunleith | Elizabeth | Galena | Guilford | Hanover | Menominee | Nora | Pleasant Valley | Rush | Rice | Scales Mound | Stockton | Thompson | Vinegar Hill | Warren | Ward's Grove | Woodbine [3]
Neighboring Counties
- Carroll
- Dubuque County, Iowa
- Grant County, Wisconsin
- Jackson County, Iowa
- Lafayette County, Wisconsin
- Stephenson
Records and Resources
Biography
- The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Jo Daviess County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Jo Daviess County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
Cemeteries
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Census
Historical populations | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1900 | 24,533 | ||
1910 | 22,657 | −7.6% | |
1920 | 21,917 | −3.3% | |
1930 | 20,235 | −7.7% | |
1940 | 19,989 | −1.2% | |
1950 | 21,459 | 7.4% | |
1960 | 21,821 | 1.7% | |
1970 | 21,766 | −0.3% | |
1980 | 23,520 | 8.1% | |
1990 | 21,821 | −7.2% | |
2000 | 22,289 | 2.1% | |
2010 | 22,678 | 1.7% | |
IL Counties 1900-1990 |
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. FHL 973 X2pc 1840; FHL 2321; digital version at Google Books. [See Illinois, Jo Daviess County on page 187.]
Church History and Records
Church records may give birth, death and marriage information. It is usually best to locate church records with a search at a local level such as the city, town, or village.
- USGenWeb has links for Jo Daviess County church histories and records, including:
- St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Massbach (church history)
- First Presbyterian Church, Galena (list of members and church history)
Church of the Brethren
- 1856, 1862, 1871, 1877, 1882 History of the Waddams Grove Church.... Photoreproduction of original published: Elgin, Ill.: Brethren Pub. House, 1910. Includes a list of members from Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties, Illinois, and nearby Wisconsin counties. FHL book 977.333/W1 K2h
Lutheran
- Confirmation Classes From 1879 to 1927, St. John's Lutheran Church, Elizabeth. Lists names by year.
- Zink, Joel K. The Indexed Marriage Records of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Massbach, Illinois: Record Books 1–3: 1859–1932. Alexis, Illinois: J.K. Zink, 2008. Available at some libraries
Churches in 1878
Galena The Methodist Church
The First Presbyterian Church
Episcopal Church
The Free German Evangelical Protestant Church
St Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
First German Presbyterian Church
St Mary's German Catholic Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
German Methodish Church
The First Baptist Church
The South Presbyterian Church of Galena
[4]
Apple River Methodist
Catholic
Presbyterian
Berreman United Brethren Church
Council Hill
Derinda The Albright Evangelical Church
The First German Lutheran Church
The Second German Lutheran Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church
Dunleith Catholic
Congregational
Presbyterian
Elizabeth Methodist
Presbyterian
Guilford Baptist
Methodist
Hanover The Methodist Episcopal Church
The Presbyterian Church
The United Presbyterian Church
Menominee Catholic
Nora The Nora Methodist Church
Wesleyan Methodist Church
The German Baptist Church
Pleasant Valley Catholic
Methodist
Presbyterian
Winebrenarian
Age-to-Come Adventist Denominations
Rice Methodist Episcopal
Rush
Scales Mound Catholic
The Methodist Church
The German Presbyterian Church
Stockton Stockton Centre Church
Thompson The Salem Methodist Episcopal Church
The German Presbyterian Church
Vinegar Hill Catholic
Methodist Episcopal
Ward's Grove Methodist
Free Will Baptist Church
Warren Methodist
The Free Will Baptist Church
The Presbyterian Church
Woodbine The German Methodist Church [5]
Court Records
Original court records are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Court Records for more information about using court records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at Northern Illinois University - search for Jo Daviess County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of Original Records
- 1845-1925 Circuit Court Appearance - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1829-1840 Circuit Court Dockets - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1838-1853 Circuit Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1837-1953 Circuit Court Fee Books - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1838-1851 Circuit Court Judgement Dockets - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1828-1838 Circuit Court Record - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1897-1904 Circuit Court Witness Fee Books - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1845-1850 County Court Appearance Dockets - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1845-1853 County Court Execution Dockets - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1853-1883Applications and Proof of Pre-emption Purchases of Railroad Land, Civil War Discharges, and other Records, 1853-1883 FHL Film 1602733 item 5 First of 2 films.
- Jo Daviess County, Illinois Miscellaneous Records FHL Film 2132379 First of 7 films.
Ethnic Research
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
Genealogy
Handcock, Nora I. Allenheads Lead Miners in America. History with the names of Miners that went to America in 1849, on the ship The Guy Mannering. Picture of the ship included. Many headed for Galena, or Rockford Illinois, Jamestown, San Francisco, Irish Hollow, one family moving on to Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. Names of Miners, Samuel and Maria Vickers, Jacob Nattrass, Joseph & Phoebe Reed, John and Hannah Graham, Thomas and Maria Chatt, the Reed and Lee families, John & Ann (followed later) Hewitson, Thomas Foster, George Philipson, William Dawson, Thomas Noble, Jacob Peart, Henry Bell, Andrew Muir, John and Ann Lee, John Stevenson. Dates 1832-1870 and is found in the Northumberland & Durham Family History Society Journal, vol.37 no.4, pages 28-30, Family History Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo, vol. 37 no.4
History
Land and Property
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online, through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at Northern Illinois University - search for Jo Daviess County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.
Copies of Original Records
- 1825-1901 Deed Index IRAD-NIU
- 1828-1902 Deed Record IRAD-NIU
- 1828-1942 Jo Daviess County, Illinois miscellaneous records, 1828-1942. {{FHL|839379|item|disp=FHL Film 2132379
- 1829-1902 Deeds FHL Film 1579645 Items 1-3 First of 46 films
- 1852-1855 Swamp Land Record IRAD-NIU
- 1853-1883 Applications and proof of preemption purchases of railroad land, Civil War discharges, and other records, 1853-1883. FHL Film 1602733 item 5 – 1602734 Including list of swamp lands, with township maps, estray records and stallion's register.
Abstracts
- 1893 North West Publishing Company, Plat book of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, 1893 (Salt Lake City, Utah:Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1988.) FHL film 1421855 item 5
- 1986 Rockford Map Publishers, Land atlas and plat book, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, 1986 (Rockford, Illinois : Rockford Map Publishers, c1986.) Other Libraries; FHL Book 977.3343 E7j
Online Resources
- Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
- Jo Daviess County Federal Township Plats
Maps
Military
Civil War
Civil War service men from Jo Daviess 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 Jo Daviess County.
- - 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- - 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company F.
- - 15th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 17th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company F.
- - 19th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
- - 21st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and H.
- - 45th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D and E.
- - 90th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
- - 96th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, E, F, H, I, and K.
- - 118th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
- - 136th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company I.
- - 140th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
- - 142nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies B and E.
- - 153rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company D.
Naturalization
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers and Obituaries
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 residents from Jo Daviess County. The Rock Island Public Library provides free access to this database at its library.
Poorhouse
JoDaviess County Almshouse Registers Index, 1846-1938, courtesy: Illinois State Archives
Probate Records
Online Probate Records
- 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1819 - 1988 Illinois Probate Records 1819-1988 at FamilySearch.org — images
An unspecified number of Jo Daviess County probate records are available in Illinois, Probate Records, 1819-1970.
An Index to Estates and Wills 1829 to 1875 are available online, courtesy: ILGenWeb
- 1829-1921 Will Records FHL Film 1602721 item 2 first of 6 films.
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 Jo Daviess County are kept, see the Jo Daviess County Courthouse page.
Family History Center
Family history centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes. See family history center for more information. Search the online FHC directory for a nearby family history center. Family History Centers (FHCs) are branches of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah (United States) and are located all over the world. Their goal is to provide resources to assist you in the research and study of your genealogy.
You may search your address for a center near you on the FamilySearch site. The following center serves Jo Daviess County:
- Dubuque Iowa Family History Center
685 Fremont Ave.
Dubuque, Iowa 52001-0233
Telephone: (563) 583-6851
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
The Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (IRAD), managed by the Illinois State Archives, houses the archival records of local Illinois counties, townships, municipalities and school districts. The seven Regional Depositories are housed on state university campuses scattered throughout Illinois.
The Northern Illinois University (IRAD-NIU) holds the records for JoDaviess County. Learn more about finding and using their records.
- Illinois Regional Archives Depository
c/o Regional History Center
Founders Memorial Library, Room 400
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
Telephone: (815) 753-1807
Public Libraries
Although there are other public libraries in Jo Daviess County, the Galena Public Library District's Alfred Mueller Historical Collections Room provides collections of particular interest to genealogists.
- Galena Public Library District
601 S. Beach Street
Galena, IL 61036
Telephone: (815) 777-0200
Social Groups Online
Societies
Taxation
Vital Records
See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.
The county clerk maintains the following records:
- Births- 1877 to present
- Marriages-1830 to present
- Deaths-1877 to present
Birth
- 1870-1988 Index - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1877-1939 - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1877-1986 Birth index FHL Film 1602663
- 1877-1905 Birth records FHL Film 1602663 First of 3 films
- 1918-1986 Delayed births FHL Film 1602654 First of 4 films
Certified vital records may be obtained from county clerk office.
Marriage
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
- 1810–1934 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1855-1865, 1874-1885- Hemingway, Cheryl. Jo Daviess Co., IL Marriage Records Index. Volume B: 1855-1865, Volume E: 1874-1885. Available online.
- 1878-1988 Marriage index FHL Film 1602649 items 3-5
- 1830-1922 Marriage records FHL Film 1602650 One of 3 films
- 1828-1904 Marriage records, courtesy: ILGenWeb
- 1876-1988 Index - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1833-1922 - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
- 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
- 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
- 22 July 1828-1904 Vital Statistics and Marriages
- Jo Daviess County Illinois marriages From Genealogy Trails. No dates are listed and it is probably incomplete.
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Death
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1877-1930 Death records FHL Film 1602649 One of 4 films
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
- 1916-1964 Index - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1877-1930 - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1916-1924 Death certificates - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
- 1916-1964 Death certificate index FHL Film 1602652
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates
- Jo Daviess County, Illinois death index From Genealogy Trails
Websites
- Jo Daviess County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Jo Daviess County IL Genealogy
- Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Jo Daviess County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 194-197.
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ill/jodaviess/ accessed 04/17/2017.
- ↑ The History of Jo Daviess County Illinois. (Chicago: H F Kett and Company, Times Building, 1878).
- ↑ The History of Jo Daviess County Illinois. (Chicago: H F Kett and Company, Time Building, 1878), pp 498-508.
- ↑ The History of Jo Daviess County Illinois. (Chicago: H F Ketts and Company, Times Building, 1878), pp 547-611.