Difference between revisions of "Stephenson County, Illinois Genealogy"
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Latest revision as of 15:24, 20 January 2021
Guide to Stephenson County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Stephenson County, Illinois | |
| Map | |
| |
 Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded: | March 4, 1837 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Freeport |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Stephenson County Courthouse 15 North Galena Avenue Freeport, Illinois 61032 (815) 235-8289 Stephenson County Website |
Contents
- 1 Stephenson County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Parent County
- 4 Boundary Changes
- 5 Record Loss
- 6 Places / Localities
- 7 Records and Resources
- 7.1 Biography
- 7.2 Cemeteries
- 7.3 Census
- 7.4 Church History and Records
- 7.5 Court Records
- 7.6 Ethnic Research
- 7.7 Genealogy
- 7.8 History
- 7.9 Land and Property
- 7.10 Maps
- 7.11 Military
- 7.12 Naturalization
- 7.13 Newspapers and Obituaries
- 7.14 Probate Records
- 7.15 Repositories
- 7.16 Social Groups Online
- 7.17 Societies
- 7.18 Taxation
- 7.19 Vital Records
- 8 Websites
- 9 References
Stephenson County Organization[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1878 | 1837 | 1878 | 1894 | 1837 | 1894 | 1810 |
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[edit | edit source]
Stephenson county is named for Colonel Benjamin Stephenson, who served as a colonel in the War of 1812 in the Illinois Militia. He also served as adjutant general of the territory in 1813.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
- 1837--Stephenson County was created 4 March 1837 from Jo Daviess and Winnebago Counties. County seat: Freeport [2]
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Colonel Benjamin Stephenson, an official of the Illinois Territory. The county seat is Freeport and the county was organized on 1837. The County is located in the Northwest area of the state.[3]
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.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
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:[4]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
|
||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Records and Resources[edit | edit source]
Biography[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
The following web sites have additional information on Stephenson county cemeteries.
- 1850-2007 - Illinois, Stephenson County, Cedarville Cemetery Record, 1850-2007 at FamilySearch — index
- 1854-1983 - Illinois, Stephenson County, Lena Park Cemetery Transcriptions, 1854-1983 at FamilySearch — index
- Genealogy Trails offers links to databases of burials for several Stephenson County cemeteries.
- ComPortOne provides a list of Stephenson County cemeteries and provides links for additional information for some cemeteries.
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 2,800 | — |
| 1850 | 11,666 | 316.6% |
| 1860 | 25,112 | 115.3% |
| 1870 | 30,608 | 21.9% |
| 1880 | 31,963 | 4.4% |
| 1890 | 31,338 | −2.0% |
| 1900 | 34,933 | 11.5% |
| 1910 | 36,821 | 5.4% |
| 1920 | 37,743 | 2.5% |
| 1930 | 40,064 | 6.1% |
| 1940 | 40,646 | 1.5% |
| 1950 | 41,595 | 2.3% |
| 1960 | 46,207 | 11.1% |
| 1970 | 48,861 | 5.7% |
| 1980 | 49,536 | 1.4% |
| 1990 | 48,052 | −3.0% |
| 2000 | 48,979 | 1.9% |
| 2010 | 47,711 | −2.6% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church History and 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.
- Genealogy Trails' site for Stephenson County has a list of many churches with links to photos and other information.
- USGenWeb offers a list of churches in Stephenson County.
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
Methodist
- 1853–1971 Basswood United Methodist Church–includes membership records, baptisms, marriages, and death records for Richland, Lena, Jewells Prairies, and Rusch (or Rush) Creek of the Galena District. FHL film 1928182 Item 6
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 copies of original records may be accessed through the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at Northern Illinois University - search for Stephenson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.
- 1893-1907 Insanity Dockets IRAD-NIU
Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
The following have information concerning African American research.
- African American Genealogy (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
American Indian[edit | edit source]
Indians of Stephenson County, Illionis. by Mary X. Barrett. FHL book 970.1 B275t. WorldCat
The Illinois and Indiana Indians. by Hiram Williams Beckwith. FHL book 970.1 B389i WorldCat
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
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, through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at Northern Illinois University - search for Stephenson 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.
- 1800s-Present - Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales from Illinois State Archives also provides an index to federal land sales.
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
- Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
Abstracts
- 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
Copies of Original Records
Additional Resources
Additional resources for Stephenson County land and property may be found online in the FamilySearch Catalog and FamilySearch Catalog–maps. 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.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
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.
- - 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
- - 14th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company I.
- - 15th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
- - 26th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and H
- - 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.
- - 142nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F.
- - 146th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 147th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers and Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 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 Records[edit | edit source]
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
Miscellaneous Probate Records:
- 1848-1859
- 1864-1865
- 1868-1879
IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
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 Stephenson County are kept, see the Stephenson County Courthouse page.
Family History Center[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 Affiliate Libraries
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 Stephenson 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 Stephenson County libraries have collections of specific interest to genealogists.
- Freeport Public Library
100 East Douglas Street
Freeport, IL 61032
Telephone: (815) 233-3000
The Frances Woodhouse History Room offers resources for Stephenson County and the town of Freeport.
Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
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 Stephenson 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 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 Stephenson County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
General Online Resources[edit | edit source]
Birth Records[edit | edit source]
- 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[edit | edit source]
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
- 1810-1934 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1837-1926 Marriage Licenses IRAD-NIU; search for Stephenson County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
Death Records[edit | edit source]
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1850,1860,1870,1880 U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 at Ancestry ($) These include the deaths occurring twelve months before the census was taken.
- 1878-1913 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives; Index
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950 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.)
Additional Resources[edit | edit source]
Additional resources for Stephenson County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Stephenson – Vital Records, and the Illinois, Stephenson – 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[edit | edit source]
- Stephenson County ILGenWeb
- Stephenson County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Stephenson County IL Genealogy
- Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- FamilySearch Catalog
- Stephenson County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Stephenson 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.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Stephenson County," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenson_County,_Illinois 04/20/2017.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Stephenson County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephenson_County%2C_Illinois, accessed 12 March 2020.
