Bureau County, Illinois Genealogy

Guide to Bureau 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 Bureau County are kept, see the Bureau County Courthouse page.

Historical Facts
Bureau County is named for Pierre Bureau (Belleau or de Beuro) who established a trading post on the Illinois River.

Description
The county was named for either Michel or Pierre Bureau, French Canadian brothers who ran a trading post from 1776 until the 1780s near where Big Bureau Creek joins the Illinois River. The County Seat is Princeton and was founded 1837. It is located in the North-Central area of the state.

Boundary Changes
Prior to County Formation


 * 1801-1812 - Bureau part of St. Clair County
 * 1812-1821 - Bureau part of Madison County
 * 1821-1823 - Bureau part of Pike County
 * 1823-1825 - Bureau part of Fulton County
 * 1825-1837 - Bureau part of Putnam County
 * 1827-1831 - Some of Bureau part of JoDaviess County

County Formation and After


 * 1837 - Bureau County created from Putnam County
 * 1839 - Bureau gained from Putnam and unorganized area

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

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

Biography
Past and present of Bureau County, Illinois, together with biographical sketches Harrington, George B. (Main Author)

Index to Past and present of Bureau County, Illinois by George B. Harrington

The Biographical record of Bureau, Marshall, Putnam and Stark counties, Illinois

Federal
For 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, Bureau County on page 186.]

Lutheran
aka Evangelical


 * 1872-1883 - Dansk Evangelisk Church, Sheffield, Baptism Index 1872-1883 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1872-1883 - Dansk Evangelisk Church, Sheffield, Marriage Index 1872-1883 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

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 Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at Northern Illinois University - search for Bureau County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki Page


 * 1870-1915 Circuit Court Record, Criminal IRAD-NIU
 * 1872-1950 Court Records IRAD-NIU
 * 1894-1915 County Court Dockets IRAD-NIU
 * 1904-1952 County Court Record, Criminal IRAD-NIU
 * 1930-1956 County Court Information Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1938-1946 County Court Miscellaneous Record IRAD-NIU

Directories
Bureau County directory

The complete name index to The Voters and tax-payers of Bureau County, Illinois, 1877

Names &amp; locations from the Bureau County, Illinois directory

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
Illinois Ancestors

History

 * The Biographical Record of Bureau, Marshall and Putnam Counties, Illinois. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1896. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Harrington, George B. Past and Present of Bureau County, Illinois. Chicago: Pioneer Pub. Co., 1906. Digital version at Ancestry ($); Another Ancestry ($) version; Internet Archive.
 * A Brief History of Bureau County also contains a list of Museums in Bureau County.

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 the Northern Illinois University- search for Bureau County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU Wiki page.

Online Resources


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

Copies of Original Records


 * 1816-1900 Deed Index IRAD-NIU; search for Bureau County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
 * 1856-1878 Swamp Land Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1923-1935 Chattel Mortgage Index IRAD-NIU
 * 1931-1956 Chattel Mortgage Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1949-1959 Chattel Mortgage Entry Books IRAD-NIU

Abstracts


 * 1984 Rockford Map Publishers Land Atlas and Plat Book, Bureau County, Illinois, 1984 (Rockford, Illinois:Rockford Map Publishers, c1984) ;

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
 * Federal Township Plats of Illinois (1804-1891)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Bureau 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 Bureau County.


 * - 9th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company K.
 * - 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies H and I.
 * - 12th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Companies H and I.
 * - 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company L.
 * - 27th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I
 * - 33rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 52nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
 * - 57th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, F, H and K.
 * - 64th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Yates’ Sharpshooters), Company B.
 * - 66th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 88th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 93rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, C, E, H, I and K.
 * - 139th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Companies A, G, and H.
 * - 146th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F and H.
 * - 148th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, E, and K.
 * - 151st Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Companies F, G and H.
 * - 153rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company E.

Naturalization
Online Records
 * 1800-1998 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1837-1923 Naturalization Papers IRAD-NIU; search for Bureau County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

Newspapers and Obituaries
A good collection of obituaries and death notices can be found at Genealogy Trails.

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
 * 1837-1900, 1906-1955 Probate Records IRAD-NIU; search for Bureau County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)

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

Illinois Regional Archives Depositories (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 Bureau 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

Bureau County Historical Society Library and Museum

Societies
Bureau County Genealogical Society PO Box 402 Princeton 61356-0402 website

Bureau County Historical Society 109 Park Ave. W Princeton, Il 61356 Telephone Number: 816-875-2184 E-mail:[mailto:yahoo.cbchmuseum@com yahoo.cbchmuseum@com] Website

Sheffield Historical Society Corner of Cook and Washington Telephone Number: 815-454-2788

Wyanet Historical Society Main Street Wyanet, Illinois Website

Vital Records
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois.

Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Bureau County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Original marriage records are usually kept by the County Clerk from the establishment of the county to the present. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk.

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the Family History Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) - search for Bureau County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

Births

 * Birth Notices and Birth Records Courtesy Genealogytrails.com

Marriages

 * 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


 * 1856–1895 Cass, Mrs. Allan W. Marriages of North Prairie area, beginning with the first recorded minister, 1856-1895 Salt Lake City, Utah: Filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah, 1977.


 * 1837-1854 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index at Illinois State Archives Index


 * Wedding Announcement and Marriage Records Courtesy Genealogytrails.com

Deaths

 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates at Illinois State Archives Index


 * Bureau County, Illinois Obituary and Death Notices Collection Free from GenealogyBuff.com. From various funeral homes in the Princeton, Hall, Spring Valley, Selby, Arispie, Sheffield, Walnut, Wyanet, Ladd and surrounding area.


 * Obituaries and Death Notices Courtesy Genealogytrails.com

Additional Resources
Additional resources for Bureau County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the, the , and the topic pages of the FamilySearch Catalog. Online microfilm are indicated by the camera icon in the catalog entry. Copies of books found in the FamilySearch Catalog may be found in WorldCat catalog and ordered from your local library through interlibrary loan. Explore how to search the FamilySearch Catalog and the Worldcat Online Catalog.

Voter Registration
Illinois Voting Registratiion

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:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties

Websites

 * Bureau County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Illinois Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * 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.\
 * Bureau County IL Genealogy
 * Bureau County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)