Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Description
Jo Daviess 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 northwestern area of the state.

County Courthouse
Jo Daviess County Courthouse 330 N Bench St Galena, IL 61036 Phone: 815-776-0335 Jo Daviess 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.

Populated Places
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:

Biographies

 * 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.

Census Records
 1840 Pensioners
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. Washington, D.C., 1841. ; . Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). See Illinois, Jo Daviess County on page 187.

Church Records
 List of Churches and Church Parishes  Church of the Brethren  Lutheran  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  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
 * FamilySearch Places
 * 1856, 1862, 1871, 1877, 1882 History of the Waddams Grove Church.... Photo reproduction 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.
 * 1879-1927 Confirmation Classes From 1879 to 1927, St. John's Lutheran Church, Elizabeth. Lists names by year.
 * 1859-1932 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.
 * St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Massbach (church history)
 * 1781-1969 U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 at Ancestry ($) — index & images

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 FamilySearch 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. Online Court Indexes and Records
 * 1828-1838 Circuit Court Record 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
 * 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
 * 1838-1853 Circuit Court Execution Dockets 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
 * 1845-1925 Circuit Court Appearance 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 First of 2 films.
 * Jo Daviess County, Illinois Miscellaneous Records First of 7 films.
 * 1897-1904 Circuit Court Witness Fee Books IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
 African Americans
 * African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
 * Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
 * African-American Resources for Illinois

Genealogies
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 &amp; Phoebe Reed, John and Hannah Graham, Thomas and Maria Chatt, the Reed and Lee families, John &amp; 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 &amp; Durham Family History Society Journal, vol.37 no.4, pages 28-30, FamilySearch Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo, vol. 37 no.4

Land and Property Records
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 FamilySearch 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. Online Land Indexes and Records
 * 1825-1901 Deed Index IRAD-NIU
 * 1828-1902 Deed Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1828-1942 Jo Daviess County, Illinois miscellaneous records, 1828-1942.
 * 1829-1902 Deeds 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. Including list of swamp lands, with township maps, estray records and stallion's register.
 * 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.)
 * 1986 Rockford Map Publishers, Land atlas and plat book, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, 1986 (Rockford, Illinois Rockford Map Publishers, c1986.) ;
 * 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 ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence, at Ancestry ($)
 * Jo Daviess County Federal Township Plats

Maps and Gazetteers

 * Maps of Illinois 1788-1940
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Military Records

 * 1860s-1960s at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

 Civil War Regiments. 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.

 World War I
 * Jo Daviess County honor roll : an illustrated historical biographyJo Daviess County Republican Central Committee, 1993 FS Library 977.3343 M2j

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry ($) - index and images

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($) - index
 * Newspaperarchive.com ($) 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.

Poorhouses, Poor Law, etc.
JoDaviess County Almshouse Registers Index, 1846-1938, courtesy: Illinois State Archives

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
 * 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
 * 1829-1875 Index to Estates and Wills 1829 to 1875, courtesy: ILGenWeb
 * 1829-1921 first of 6 films.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Vital Records

 * IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess vital records. See Wiki article How to use IRAD.

Birth

 * 1877-1905 Birth records First of 3 films
 * 1877-1986 Birth index
 * 1918-1986 Delayed births First of 4 films Certified vital records may be obtained from county clerk office.

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry ($) - Index, Incomplete
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1828-1904 Marriage records at ILGenWeb
 * 1828-1904 Vital Statistics and Marriages
 * 1830-1922 Marriage records One of 3 films
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * To 1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($) - Index, Incomplete
 * 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900at Ancestry($) - Index, Incomplete
 * 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
 * Jo Daviess County Illinois marriages From Genealogy Trails. No dates are listed and it is probably incomplete.

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1877-1930 Death records One of 4 films
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives - index; Also at: MyHeritage($)
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage ($) - index
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates
 * 1916-1964 Death certificate index
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index
 * Jo Daviess County, Illinois death index From Genealogy Trails

Archives
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 Jo Daviess 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 Phone: 815-753-1807

FamilySearch Centers

 * Beloit Wisconsin FamilySearch Center
 * Crystal Lake Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Dekalb Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Dubuque Iowa FamilySearch Center
 * Freeport Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Rockford Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Sterling Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Algonquin Area Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Huntley Area Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Lee County Historical and Genealogical Society - an affiliate library

Libraries
Galena Public Library District 601 S. Beach Street Galena, IL 61036 Phone: 815-777-0200 Website

Societies
Galena-Jo Daviess County Historical Society & Museum 211 South Bench Street Galena, IL 61036-2297 Phone: 815-777-9129 Email: [mailto:info@galenahistorymuseum.org info@galenahistorymuseum.org] Website

Websites

 * Jo Daviess County IL Genealogy
 * Jo Daviess ILGenWeb
 * Jo Daviess County, IL Linkpendium
 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.