Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy

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

County Organization
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.

Historical Facts


Jo Daviess County is named for Joseph Hamilton Daviess who was a commander during the Battle of Tippecanoe.

Jo Daviess County is located in the Northwest corner of the Illinois border with the Mississippi River and Iowa to the west and Wisconsin to the north.

Description
The 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 Northwest part of the state.

Boundary Changes
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 


 * 1801-1812 - Jo Daviess part of St. Clair County
 * 1812-1821 - Jo Daviess part of Madison County
 * 1821-1823 - Jo Daviess part of Pike County
 * 1823-1825 - Jo Daviess part of Fulton County
 * 1825-1827 - Some of Jo Daviess part of Henry County
 * 1825-1827 - Some of Jo Daviess part of Putnam County

County Formation and After 


 * 1827 - Jo Daviess County created from Henry, Mercer, and Putnam Counties
 * 1831 - Rock Island created from Jo Daviess; Jo Daviess gained from unorganized area; Henry and Putnam gained from Jo Daviess
 * 1836 - Ogle and Winnebago counties created from Jo Daviess; Whiteside County created from Jo Daviess and Henry
 * 1837 - Stephenson County created from Jo Daviess and Winnebago
 * 1839 - Carroll County created from Jo Daviess

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

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Biography

 * 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.

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, Jo Daviess County on page 187.]

Church History and Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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.


 * USGenWeb has links for Jo Daviess County church histories and records, including:


 * St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Massbach (church history)
 * First Presbyterian Church, Galena (list of members and church history)

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.

Lutheran


 * Confirmation Classes From 1879 to 1927, St. John's Lutheran Church, Elizabeth. Lists names by year.
 * 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.

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

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 Family History 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.

Copies of Original Records


 * 1845-1925 Circuit Court Appearance - 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
 * 1838-1853 Circuit Court Execution 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
 * 1828-1838 Circuit Court Record - IRAD-NIU Search for Jo Daviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1897-1904 Circuit Court Witness Fee Books - 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
 * 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.

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

Genealogy
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, Family History Library Ref. 942.8 B2jo, vol. 37 no.4

Land and Property
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 Jo Daviess County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of Original Records


 * 1825-1901 Deed Index IRAD-NIU
 * 1828-1902 Deed Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1828-1942 Jo Daviess County, Illinois miscellaneous records, 1828-1942. {{FHL|839379|item|disp=FHL Film 2132379
 * 1829-1902 Deeds {{FHL|510166|item|disp=FHL Film 1579645 Items 1-3}} 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. {{FHL|511820|item|disp=FHL Film 1602733 item 5 – 1602734}} Including list of swamp lands, with township maps, estray records and stallion's register.

Abstracts


 * 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.) {{FHL|264082|item|disp=FHL film 1421855 item 5}}
 * 1986 Rockford Map Publishers, Land atlas and plat book, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, 1986 (Rockford, Illinois : Rockford Map Publishers, c1986.) {{WorldCat|14271456|disp=Other Libraries}}; {{FHL|560593|item|disp=FHL Book 977.3343 E7j}}

Online Resources


 * 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.com ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Jo Daviess County Federal Township Plats

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Civil War
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.

Naturalization
Online Records
 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers and Obituaries
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.

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:

Neighboring Counties

 * Carroll
 * Dubuque County, Iowa
 * Grant County, Wisconsin
 * Jackson County, Iowa
 * Lafayette County, Wisconsin
 * Stephenson

Poorhouse
JoDaviess County Almshouse Registers Index, 1846-1938, courtesy: Illinois State Archives

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1819 - 1988 at FamilySearch.org — images

An unspecified number of Jo Daviess County probate records are available in.

An Index to Estates and Wills 1829 to 1875 are available online, courtesy: ILGenWeb


 * 1829-1921 Will Records first of 6 films.

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.

Family History Center
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. The following center serves Jo Daviess County:


 * Dubuque Iowa Family History Center 685 Fremont Ave. Dubuque, Iowa 52001-0233 Telephone: (563) 583-6851

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 JoDaviess 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
Although there are other public libraries in Jo Daviess County, the Galena Public Library District's Alfred Mueller Historical Collections Room provides collections of particular interest to genealogists.


 * Galena Public Library District 601 S. Beach Street Galena, IL 61036 Telephone: (815) 777-0200

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

The county clerk maintains the following records:


 * Births- 1877 to present
 * Marriages-1830 to present
 * Deaths-1877 to present

Birth

 * 1870-1988 Index - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1939 - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1986 Birth index
 * 1877-1905 Birth records First of 3 films
 * 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 $
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810–1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 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
 * 1830-1922 Marriage records One of 3 films
 * 1828-1904 Marriage records, courtesy: ILGenWeb
 * 1876-1988 Index - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1833-1922 - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * To-1850 Illinois Marriages to 1850 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1851-1900 Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 1790-1860 Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860 at Ancestry–($);Index, INCOMPLETE
 * 22 July 1828-1904 Vital Statistics and Marriages
 * Jo Daviess County Illinois marriages From Genealogy Trails. No dates are listed and it is probably incomplete.
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1877-1930 Death records One of 4 films
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1916-1964 Index IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1877-1930 - IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1916-1924 Death certificates IRAD-NIU Search for JoDaviess records. How to use IRAD
 * 1916-1964 Death certificate index
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates
 * Jo Daviess County, Illinois death index From Genealogy Trails

Websites

 * Jo Daviess County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Jo Daviess County IL Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
 * Jo Daviess County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)