DeWitt County, Illinois Genealogy

United States Illinois DeWitt County

County Organization
DeWitt 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 DeWitt County are kept, see the DeWitt County Courthouse page

Historical Facts
DeWitt County, like Clinton County, is named for who was the Governor of New York and chief promoter of the Erie Canal.

Boundary Changes

 * 1 March 1839: DeWitt County was created from Macon and McLean


 * Interactive map of DeWitt County boundary changes.

Biography
History of DeWitt County, Illinois. Pioneer Publishing Company, 1910 another filming 934982 items 2-3

History of DeWitt County, Illinois. 1882. item 2 also a FHL Book 977.3585 H2b

Portrait and Biographical Album of DeWitt and Piatt Counties, Illinois. 1891. item 3 also a FHL Book 977.3 D3de

Cemeteries
Find A Grave, list of cemeteries. Additional information can be found at local level (city, township, etc.)


 * witt.htm DeWitt 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.


 * Cemeteries of DeWitt County Illinois
 * DeWitt County, Illinois, Cemetery Inscriptions.
 * DeWitt County, Illinois Cemetery Instriptions. Decatur Genealogical Society. also book 977.3585 V3d Volume 1-5
 * Family Cemetery Records of DeWitt County, Illinois
 * Honor Roll, DeWitt County, State of Illinois. Illoinis Veterans' Commission.
 * DeWitt County, Illinois Cemetery Inscriptions.
 * Memorial Park Cemetery Records.
 * Death and Tombstone Records From Illinois.

Census
For information and tips on accessing census records online, see Illinois Census.

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, DeWitt County on page 186.]

Church Records
Church Records, 1834-1877 : in collection of Genevieve M. Dolle. Joseph A. Roof

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

 * Portrait and Biographical Album of DeWitt and Piatt Counties, Illinois. Chicago: Chapman Brothers Publishing Company, 1891. For DeWitt County portion only DeWitt Co. ILGenWeb

Land and Property
Copies of original records are available:


 * 1839-1875 Deed Records IRAD- ISU

Available through the Family History Library and Family History Centers

1868-1913 Deed records. DeWitt County Recorder

Maps

 * Cemetary Maps of DeWitt County

Revolutionary War
Veterans Burials(source: Genealogy Trails Histroy Group)

Civil War
Civil War service men from DeWitt 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 Dewitt County.


 * Artillery


 * - 1st Regiment, Illinois Artillery, New Battery K


 * Cavalry


 * - 2nd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A


 * - 4th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company L


 * Infantry


 * -20th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E


 * - 26th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K


 * - 39th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D and Company I.
 * - 41st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C, Company F, and Company K.


 * - 46th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H


 * - 68th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E


 * - 107th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A, Company B, Company D, Company F, and Company I


 * - 140th Regiment, Illinois, Infantry, Company H


 * - 145th Regiment, Illinois, Infantry, Company G


 * 1865-1939 Military Discharge Record, Civil War. IRAD-ISU

1883 List of Pensioners(Source: Internet Archives)

World War I
World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918DeWitt County (Source: Ancestry)

World War II
Casualties World War II- DeWitt County, Illinois (Source: Access Genealogy)

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1866-1903 Naturalization Records, County Court. IRAD-ISU
 * Available throught the Family History Library

1863-1898 Naturalization Records. DeWitt County Clerk

Newspapers
DeWitt County (Source: Newspaper Abstracts)

Newspapers Published in De Witt County (Source: Illinois Newspaper Project)

Cataloged Titles (Source: Illinois Newspaper Project)

Chronicling America DeWitt County (Source: The Library of Congress)

Obituaries
Illinois Obituary Project (Source: USGenWeb Illinois Archives)

Probate Records

 * 1873-1894 Probate Administrator's Accounts IRAD-ISU

Available through the Family History Librar and Centers

1839-1950 Probate Listing DeWitt County, by George Wylder.

1850-1898 Wills and Letters. DeWitt County Clerk.

1862-1923 Records of Wills. DeWitt County Probate Court.

1866-1900 Adminstrative Records. DeWitt County Probate Court.

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 DeWitt County are kept, see the DeWitt County Courthouse page.


 * Family History Center

Find a FamilySearch Center


 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

Illinois State Universtiy 2016 Warehouse Road Campus Box 1520 Normal, Illinois 61802 Phone: 1-309-452-6027

Illinois Regional Archives Depository System - Local Governmental Records Listings Arranged by County


 * Public Libraries

This library has extensive DeWitt County only extractions of many census. They have marriage index. They publish a quarterly Journal with extracts about people from old newspapers that include births, marriages and funerals. The also include little family notices about who was visiting who and who was at weddings and other family news items.

Societies
DeWitt County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 632 Clinton, Illinois 61717-0632 dewittcgs@yahoo.com

Taxation

 * 1845-1851 Taxable Land Lists. IRAD-ISU
 * 1888-1897 Road Tax Lists, Delinquent IRAD-ISU
 * 1894-1911 Road Tax List. IRAD-ISU

Vital Records
DeWitt County Clerk P.O. Box 439 Clinton,IL 61727-0439 1-217- 935-2119

Births

 * 1877-1905 Birth Records. IRAD-ISU
 * 1880-1930 Birth Certificates, Delayed. IRAD-ISU
 * 1924-1958 Cirth Certificates. IRAD-ISU
 * 1860-1950 Birth Records Index, Delayed. IRAD-ISU
 * 1877-1959 Birth Records Index. IRAD-ISU

Available through the Family History Library

1877-1906 Birth Records and Index 1871-1930

Marriages

 * 1839-1955 Marriage Record. IRAD-ISU
 * 1876-1935 Marriage License Applications. IRAD-ISU
 * 1839-1949 Marriage Record Index. IRAD-ISU

Available through the Family History Library

1839-1928 Marriage Records and Index 1839-1901.

Deaths

 * 1878-1917 Death Records. IRAD-ISU Also available through the Family History Library
 * 1886-1957 Death Certificates. IRAD-ISU
 * 1878-1962 Death Record Index. IRAD-ISU Also available trhough the Family History Library

1924-1977 DeWitt County Coroner's Inquest Files IndexIRAD-ISU

Websites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * DeWitt County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)

Databases Pertinent to DeWitt County  Local Governmental Records Database Name Index to Illinois Local Governments Illinois Statewide Marriage Index Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950 Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database Federal Township Plats of Illinois DeWitt County Coroner's Inquest Files Index (1924–1977)