LaSalle County, Illinois Genealogy

United States  Illinois  La Salle County

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

Historical Facts


LaSalle County was named for the french explorer, Robert de LaSalle. He was responsible for the first European settlements in the area.

Parent County

 * 1831--La Salle County was created 15 January 1831 from Putnam and Vermilion Counties. County seat: Ottawa

Populated Places
The Fox River Colony, in La Salle County, was a gathering place for early Norwegians. []

It was also an area of the first Norwegian converts to Mormonism in the early 1840s. 

Neighboring Counties

 * Bureau
 * DeKalb
 * Grundy
 * Kendall
 * Lee
 * Livingston
 * Marshall
 * Putnam
 * Woodford

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

Cemeteries
Illinois cemetery records often identify birth, death, relationship, and military information, as well as religious affiliation.


 * Find A Grave can be searched by the name of a person or family to find where a person is buried. Usually gives birth and death dates often with a picture of the tombstone.  May give obituaries, names of family members and links to their information in Find A Grave.


 * Find A Grave also gives a list of cemeteries in LaSalle County and links to the information for the individuals buried there.


 * LaSalle 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.


 * The Family History Library Catalog lists . Some of the books or others may be on Google Books or available at public libraries.


 * ePodunk list of LaSalle County cemeteriesgives the names of the cemeteries in the county with a link to more information such as address, phone number, and web site.


 * TheLa Salle County Genealogical Guild has an online index to local burials.

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, LaSalle County on page 187.]

Court

 * 1831-1870 Circuit Court Records IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1843-1875 Chancery Court Records IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Land

 * 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.


 * Family Maps of LaSalle County, Illinois (2008) plats the land of many nineteenth-century LaSalle County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index.

Military

 * Civil War Civil War service men from LaSalle 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 LaSalle County.


 * - 37th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 39th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
 * - 44th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 53rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, F, I and K.
 * - 55th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies G and I.
 * - 57th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 58th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 64th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Yates’ Sharpshooters), Company A.
 * - 88th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 90th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.

Newspapers
The La Salle County Genealogy Guild has online indexes to obituaries and holds original copies of early newspapers on microfilm.

Probate
An unspecified number of LaSalle County probate records are available in.

The La Salle County Genealogy Guild has online indexes to Probate Records and holds the original probate files.

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

Family History Library
Family History Center

1377 Adams Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois, United States Phone: 815-431-0186 Hours: M 11am-3pm; T-W 6pm-9pm; W 11am-3pm

Societies
La Salle County Genealogy Guild 115 West Glover Street Ottawa, Illinois 61350 Phone: 815-433-5261 Hours: M, S 9am - 4pm Other days by Appointment

The LaSalle County Genealogy Genealogical Guild has posted online indexes to county marriages (by both bride and groom), death certificates, obituaries, probate records, and burials. Onsite they hold original probate files, microfilm of early newspapers, and many other resources.

Vital Records

 * The La Salle County Genealogy Guild has online indexes to marriage records (by both bride and groom) and death certificates.

Marriage Records

 * 1831-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index at Illinois State Archives; Index

Death Records

 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates at Illinois State Archives; Index

Web Sites

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