Difference between revisions of "Kane County, Illinois Genealogy"

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*[http://www.genealogyinc.com/illinois/kane-county/ Kane County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy]
 
*[http://www.genealogyinc.com/illinois/kane-county/ Kane County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy]
 
*[http://ldsgenealogy.com/IL/Kane-County.htm Kane County IL Genealogy]
 
*[http://ldsgenealogy.com/IL/Kane-County.htm Kane County IL Genealogy]
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*[https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104195621376697101310 Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+]
 
 
*[https://www.facebook.com/groups/196017143782491/ Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook]
 
*[https://www.facebook.com/groups/196017143782491/ Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook]
 
*[https://kane.illinoisgenweb.org/ Kane County, ILGenWeb] - free genealogical resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project
 
*[https://kane.illinoisgenweb.org/ Kane County, ILGenWeb] - free genealogical resources; part of the national USGenWeb Project

Revision as of 13:17, 27 November 2020

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

Kane County, Illinois
Map
Map of Illinois highlighting Kane County
Location in the state of Illinois, United States Genealogy
Map of the U.S. highlighting Illinois
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded: January 16, 1836
County Seat Geneva
Courthouse
Kane County Courthouse.gif
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Illinois State Archives
Address Kane County Courthouse
719 South Batavia Avenue
Geneva, Illinois 60134
(630)232-5950
Kane County Website


County Organization[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[1]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1878 1836 1878 1836 1836 1836 1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths started 1916. General compliance by 1922.

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[edit | edit source]

Elias Kent Kane.jpg

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

  • 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."
  • ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kane 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.

    • Commemorative, Biographical

    Description[edit | edit source]

    The county was named for United States Senator from Illinois, and the first Secretary of State of Illinois. The county seat is Geneva and the county was organized on January 16, 1836. The County is located in the North central part of the state.[1]

    Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

    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

    County Formation and After

    For more information see Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties or Kane County Fact Sheet (Illinois State Archives). For interactive county boundary maps see Illinois County Boundaries, 1790-Present, Illinois Historical Counties

    Record Loss[edit | edit source]

    1843 Some courthouse records were lost or damaged by fire in 1843.
    1890 A fire destroyed 5,000 court files on 13 March.

    For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:


    Places / Localities[edit | edit source]

    Populated Places[edit | edit source]

    For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[2]

    Cities
    Villages
    Unincorporated communities
    Census-designated places
    Townships


    Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]

    Records and Resources[edit | edit source]

    Biography[edit | edit source]

    • The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Kane County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Kane County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

    Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

    Cemeteries of Kane, 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 Kane County Genealogical Society's Master Every Name Index includes cemetery inscriptions from over fifty local cemeteries.

    Census[edit | edit source]

    Historical populations
    Census Pop. %±
    1840 6,501 —
    1850 16,703 156.9%
    1860 30,062 80.0%
    1870 39,091 30.0%
    1880 44,939 15.0%
    1890 65,061 44.8%
    1900 78,792 21.1%
    1910 91,862 16.6%
    1920 99,499 8.3%
    1930 125,327 26.0%
    1940 130,206 3.9%
    1950 150,388 15.5%
    1960 208,246 38.5%
    1970 251,005 20.5%
    1980 278,405 10.9%
    1990 317,471 14.0%
    2000 404,119 27.3%
    2010 515,269 27.5%
    Source: "Wikipedia.org".

    Federal [edit | edit source]

    State[edit | edit source]

    • 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. Every Name Index
    1840 Pensioners[edit | edit source]
    • 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, Kane County on page 187.]

    Church Records[edit | edit source]

    List of Churches and Church Parishes

    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.


    Catholic

    Catholic Church records may be located with the Diocese of Rockford, Chancery Office, P.O. Box 7044, Rockford, IL 61126, Phone: (815) 962-3709, Fax: (815) 968-2824.

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

    • 1936–1948 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aurora Branch (Illinois). Record of Members, 1936–1942; Annual Genealogical Report, Form E, 1937–1948. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1951. The Aurora Branch included members living in Cook, DeKalb and Kane Counties, Illinois. FHL film 7693
    • 1936–1948 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Batavia Branch (Illinois). Record of Members, 1936–1948; Annual Genealogical Report, Form E, 1937–1948. Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1951. The Batavia Branch, which was discontinued in 1957, included members living in Cook, DuPage, and Kane Counties, Illinois. FHL film 7695

    Court Records[edit | edit source]

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

    Copies of Original Records

    • 1836-1870 Circuit Court Case Files Index, 1836–1870 at Illinois State Archives
    • 1836-1870 Circuit Court Case Files IRAD-NIUThe 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

    Abstracts

    Aurora

    Elgin

    Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]

    African American[edit | edit source]

    The following have information concerning African American research.

    History[edit | edit source]

    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 & 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 & II by R. Waite Joslyn & 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. Every name index

    Land and Property[edit | edit source]

    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 or through the Family History Library.

    Abstracts

    • Family maps of Kane County, Illinois with homesteads, roads, waterways, towns, cemeteries, railroads and more FHL book 977.323 E7b
    • Kane County (Illinois) land atlas and plat book, 1986 FHL book 977.323 E7k
    • Abstractions from the Valley chronicle and the St. Charles chronicle, 1895-1899 (some land records)FHL film 1674468 Item 35

    Online Resources

    Maps[edit | edit source]

    McHenry CountyCook CountyDuPage CountyWill CountyKendall CountyDeKalb CountyIL KANE.PNG
    Click a neighboring county
    for more resources


    Military[edit | edit source]

    Civil War[edit | edit source]

    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.

    - 7th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company A.
    - 7th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
    - 8th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies A, B, and I.
    - 13th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company H.
    - 13th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
    - 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies G, H, I, and K.
    - 16th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company H.
    - 17th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company B.
    - 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.
    - 105th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
    - 124th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and H.
    - 127th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C, E, and I.
    - 132nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
    - 141st Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies A, B, C, D, G, I and K.
    - 153rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company C.
    - 156th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and F.

    Grand Army of the Republic; Veteran Post 49; Elgin, Illinois; Member Roster with links to obituaries at www.elginroots.com/v4/GAR/index.html.

    Naturalization[edit | edit source]

    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 Kane County Genealogical SocietyEvery Name Index

    Naturalization Records

    Online Records

    Newspaper[edit | edit source]

    An on-line index of Elgin area newspaper articles from the Courier News & Daily Herald is available on the Gail Borden Library website. This index includes information pulled for the historical papers as well as current.

    Probate[edit | edit source]

    Online Probate Records


    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.  Every Name Index

    Probate Records

    Elgin

    The Elgin Genealogical Society has created a Probate Records Index online. The Elgin Historical Society has the probate papers 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[edit | edit source]

    Repositories[edit | edit source]

    County Courthouse[edit | edit source]

    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.

    Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

    Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
    FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

    Local Centers and Libraries
    Introduction to 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.

    Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Kane County. The following centers are located in surrounding counties. Their wiki pages may supply hours and other information.

    Naperville Illinois Family History Center
    1320 Ridgeland Road
    Naperville, Illinois
    Telephone:(630) 505-0233
    Westchester Illinois Family History Center
    1550 S Haase Road
    Westchester,Illinois
    Telephone: (708) 409-8412
    Schaumburg Illinois Family History Center
    1320 W. Schaumburg Road
    Schaumburg, Illinois 60194
    Telephone: (847) 885-4130
    Dekalb Illinois Family History Center
    675 Fox Avenue
    Sycamore, Illinois 60178
    Telephone: (815) 895–0702

    Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)[edit | edit source]

    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 Kane 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[edit | edit source]

    The following Kane County libraries have collections of specific interest to genealogists.

    Aurora Public Library 
    1 E. Benton St.
    Aurora, Illinois 60505 
    (630) 264-4100

    Ella Johnson Memorial Public Library District

    109 S. State St.
    Hampshire, IL 60140
    (847) 683-4490

    Familysearch.org has a wiki page for this library.


    Gail Borden Public Library District
    270 N. Grove Ave.
    Elgin, Illinois 60120
    (847) 742-2411

    Their genealogy collection concentrates on Elgin and Kane County, Illinois, but contains materials for other localities. The collection includes microfilm of the early Elgin Death Records and a card file to vital records information contained in the Watch Word. The Watch Word was a coporate newsletter published by the Elgin Watch Factory.  The Vital Records Surname (i.e., last name) search provides a way to find obituaries, birth notices, and marriage announcements listed in Elgin newspapers.

    Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]

    Societies[edit | edit source]

    Elgin Area Historical Society
    360 Park St.
    Elgin, Illinois 60120
    Telephone Number: 847-742-4248
    Website


    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.

    Elgin Genealogical Society
    PO Box 1418
    Elgin, IL 60121-1418
    Website

    The Elgin Genealogical Society was formed in 1972, and has been working since then to assist their members and the genealogical community with their research.  The society currently is working to index all the back issues of Elgin area newspaper, in cooperation with the Gail Borden Public Library.

    The website contains the following databases:


    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[edit | edit source]

    • 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. Every Name Index

    Vital Records[edit | edit source]

    See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.

    • 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[edit | edit source]

    • 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.

    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[edit | edit source]

    Marriage[edit | edit source]


    Online Resources

    Divorce[edit | edit source]

    Death[edit | edit source]

    Online Resources

    Aurora
    Elgin

    Websites[edit | edit source]

    References[edit | edit source]

    1. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Jersey County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kane_County,_Illinois 04/17/2017.
    2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kane County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kane_County,_Illinois#Communities, accessed 18 March 2020.

    This website requires a paid subscription for full access.

    Retrieved from "https://www-a3.familysearch.org/wiki/en/index.php?title=Kane_County,_Illinois_Genealogy&oldid=4154528"