LaSalle County, Illinois Genealogy

United States  Illinois  La Salle County

County Organization
LaSalle 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 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

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of LaSalle County boundary changes.

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

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.]

Church History and Records
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.


 * IL GenWeb's list of LaSalle County Illinois Churches provides mailing addresses and phone numbers.

Methodist


 * Little Indian Creek Wesleyan Methodist Church. Church Records &amp; History, 1843-1877. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994 from original manuscripts at the Northern Illinois Conference, United Methodist Church, Evanston, Illinois. The Little Indian Creek church was probably in northern La Salle County. Includes references to the Ophir Weslyan Methodist Church assumed to be in Ophir Township, La Salle County, Illinois. Includes church history, 1843–1875; baptisms, 1865-1868; members, 1855-1872; minutes, 1865-1876; and member-related records in loose papers, 1857-1877.
 * La Salle Mission, Methodist Episcopal Church. Membership &amp; Baptism Records, 1859-1878. Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1994 from original manuscripts at the Northern Illinois Conference, United Methodist Church, Evanston, Illinois. Text in Swedish, Norwegian &amp; English. Includes Leland, Mission Township, Otter Creek, Dayton, Norway, and the streams of Indian Creek and Otter Creek. Much earlier dates of birth are listed.

Court Records

 * 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.)
 * 1840-1900 Naturalization Records for both Circuit and County Courts IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1836-1963 County Court Records IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1859-1871 Chancery Court Records IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

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

Land and Property

 * 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 ($)


 * LaSalle County Federal Township Plats


 * 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.

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.


 * - 1st Regiment, Illinois Light Artillery, Battery C.
 * - 4th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry ::- Company A (Also Known as Grant's Escort) ::- Company B (Also Known as Carrnichael's Cavalry Company), and Company I.
 * - 6th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company B.
 * - 7th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry ::- Company C (Also known as Morgan's Escort, Palmer's Escort, Smith's Escort).
 * - 20th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
 * - 23rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D, F, and H.
 * - 24th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
 * - 26th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 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.
 * - 147th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies C and H.
 * - 156th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.

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

Probate Records

 * 1831-1900 Probate Records IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)


 * 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 Centers
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 centers serve LaSalle County:


 * Morris Illinois Family History Center 1414 Dupont Ave. Morris, Illinois 60450 Telephone: (815) 941-4214


 * Ottawa Illinois Family History Center 1377 Adams Street Ottawa, Illinois Telephone: (815) 431-0186

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 LaSalle 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
The following LaSalle County libraries have collections of particular interest to genealogists.


 * Lasalle Public Library 305 Marquette Lasalle, IL 61301 Telephone:(815) 223-2341 Their Genealogy and Local History collection includes city directories, local and state histories, yearbooks, LaSalle newspapers, maps, and more.


 * Oglesby Public Library District 111 S. Woodland Ave. Oglesby, Illinois 61348 Telephone: (815) 883-3619 The library has local history books.


 * Peru Public Library 1409 11Th St. Peru, IL 61354 Telephone: (815) 223-0229 Their Local History and Genealogy collection includes yearbooks, city directories, maps, and books of local interest.


 * Reddick Public Library District 1010 Canal St. Ottawa, IL 61350 Telephone: (815) 434-0509 Their Illinois Room offers photos and documents related to Ottawa and LaSalle County.


 * Robert W. Rowe Public Library District 120 E. Si Johnson Avenue P.O. Box 358 Sheridan, IL 60551 Telephone: (815) 496-2031 The library is developing a local history collection of historical maps, obituaries, and other items.


 * Utica Public Library District Mill &amp; Grove Streets Utica, IL 61373 Telephone: (815) 667-4509 Join with their history club to categorize photographs and memorabilia related to the Utica area.

LaSalle County Historical Society Museum Library
Staff-assisted research is available in their collections of military records and histories, biographies, and Illinois Michigan Canal books.


 * LaSalle County Historical Society Museum Canal and Mill Streets P.O. Box 278 Utica, IL 61373 Telephone: (815) 667-4861

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.

Birth Records

 * 1843-1890 Index to Delayed Birth Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1843-1890 Delayed Birth Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1877-1890 Birth Record Index IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1877-1890 Birth Records and Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Marriage Records

 * 1831-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index at Illinois State Archives; Index
 * 1831-1916 Marriage Records and Licenses IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1831-1915 Marriage Record Index IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Death Records

 * 1877-1940 Death Certificate Index IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1877-1916 Death Record and Certificates IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1910-1915 Death Certificates, Coroner's IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1916-1941 Death Certificates, Stillbirths IRAD-NIU; search for LaSalle County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 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)