Whiteside County, Illinois Genealogy

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United States
Illinois
Whiteside County

Guide to Whiteside County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

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Whiteside County, Illinois
Map
Map of Illinois highlighting Whiteside County
Location in the state of Illinois
Map of the U.S. highlighting Illinois
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded: January 16, 1836
County Seat Morrison
Courthouse
Whiteside County Courthouse.gif
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Illinois State Archives
Address Whiteside County Courthouse
200 E. Knox Street
Morrison, IL 61270-2698
(815) 772-5189
Whiteside County Website


Whiteside County Organization

Whiteside County's civil records start the following years:

                                     Beginning Dates for Whiteside County Records
Birth Marriage Death Census Land Probate
1877
 1857
 1877
 1840
 1838
 1839

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

Historical Facts

Samuel Whiteside

Whiteside County is named for Samuel Whiteside who was a commander in the War of 1812, a Colonel of the Territorial militia, and Brigadier General during the Black Hawk War. He also served in politics and helped select the site for the State Capitol. [1]

Parent County

  • 1836--Whiteside County was created 16 January 1836 from Jo Daviess and Henry Counties.  County seat:  Morrison [2]

Description

The county was named for General Samuel Whiteside, an Illinois officer in the War of 1812 and Black Hawk War. The county seat is Morrison and the county was organized on 1836. The County is located in the North West area of the state.[3]

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.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places / Localities

Populated Places

Neighboring Counties

Resources

Biography

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Whiteside, Illinois online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Illinois Cemeteries for more information

The following web sites have additional information on Whiteside county cemeteries.

  • Genealogy Trails has a complete list of local cemeteries organized both by name and township.

Census

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
190034,710
—
191034,507−0.6%
192036,1744.8%
193039,0197.9%
194043,33811.1%
195049,33613.8%
196059,88721.4%
197062,8775.0%
198065,9704.9%
199060,186−8.8%
200060,6530.8%
201058,498−3.6%
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, Whiteside County on page 188.]

Church 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.

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 Whiteside County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of original records

Ethnic Research

African American

The following have information concerning African American research.

Genealogy

History

Local Histories

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 Whiteside County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD – Northern Illinois University|NIU IRAD Wiki page.

Online Resources

  • 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.
  • 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 ($)

Copies of original records

Maps

Ilwhiteside.jpg

Military

Civil War

Civil War service men from Whiteside 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 Whiteside County.

- 8th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C.
- 13th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and G.
- 34th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, and K.
- 52nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- 93rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- 140th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies A, B, and D.
- 147th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and G.
- 156th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.

Naturalization

Newspapers and Obituaries

  • The Digital Archives of the Sterling Public Library has published more than 65,000 digital newspaper pages online for a number of local newspapers including Daily Gazette (2007), Evening Gazette (1887-1892), The Great Northwestern Fair (1884), Republican and Gazette (1861), Sauk Valley Sunday (2007), Sterling Daily Gazette (1917-1951), Sterling Evening Gazette (1894-1906), Sterling Gazette (1866-2007), Sterling Republican Gazette (1861-1865), Sterling Standard (1872-1928), The Sterling Times (1854), and Telegraph (2007).
  • The Sterling Public Library has published an index to the Sterling Daily Gazette that includes "births, engagements, marriages, marriage licesnse, birthdays, wedding anniversaries, divorces, obituaries, retirements, and individual accomplishments."

Probate Records

Online Probate Records


Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using probate 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 the Northern Illinois University (NIU) - search for Whiteside County records. For information on how to use IRAD see theNIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of original records

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 Whiteside County are kept, see the Whiteside 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 Whiteside County:

Sterling Illinois Family History Center
2709 N 16th Avenue
Sterling, Illinois 61081
Telephone: (815) 625-1229

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 Whiteside 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

Albany Public Library District
201 South Main
Albany, IL 61230
Telephone: (309) 887-4193
Erie Public Library
802 8th Ave.
Erie, Illinois 61250
Telephone: (309)659-2707
Henry C. Adams Memorial Library
209 West Third Street
Prophetstown, IL 61277
Telephone: (815) 537-5462
Odell Public Library
307 South Madison Street
Morrison, IL 61270
Telephone: (815) 998-2012
Rock Falls Public Library District
1007 Seventh Avenue
Rock Falls, IL 61071
Telephone: (815) 626-3958
Schmaling Memorial Public Library District
501 Tenth Avenue
501 10th Ave.
PO Box 125
Fulton, IL 61252
Telephone: (815) 589-2045
Sterling Public Library
102 West Third Street
Sterling, IL 61081
Telephone: (815) 625-1370

Social Groups Online

Societies

Whiteside County Genealogists
PO Box 145
Sterling 61081

Morrison Historical Society
229 E. Main St
PO Box 1
Morrison IL 61270

Prophetstown Area Historical Society
320 Washington St
Prophetstown IL 61277
Telephone Number: 815-537-2224
E-mail:jag1939@thewisp.net

Tampico Area Historical Society - Museum
Family History Library/Research Center
119 Main St.
PO Box 154
Tampico, IL 61283
E-mail:tampicohistoricalsociety@gmail.com
President Joan Johnson
Telephone Number: 815-438-7581
E-mail:garyjoan@thewisp.net
Family History Coordinator, Denise McLoughlin
Telephone Number: 815-590-2143
Website

Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society
1005 E. Third Street
PO Box 65
Sterling, IL 61081
Telephone Number: 815-622-6215

Tri-Township Heritage House
306 Lime St
Albany IL 61230

Taxation

Vital Records

See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Whiteside County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. The website of the Whiteside County Clerk explains how to order birth, marriage, and death records.


The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) - search for Whiteside County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Birth Records

Marriage Records

Death Records

Copies of original Death Records

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Whiteside County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Whiteside – Vital Records, and the Illinois, Whiteside – Vital Records - newspapers topic pages of the FamilySearch Catalog . Online microfilm are indicated by the camera icon in the catalog entry. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Websites

References

  1. ↑ Samuel Whiteside www.wikipedia.org
  2. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  3. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Whiteside County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteside_County,_Illinois 04/21/2017.
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