DeWitt County, Illinois Genealogy

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

Description
The county was named for the seventh Governor of New York State, DeWitt Clinton. The county seat is Clinton and the county was organized on 1839. The County is located in the Central part of the state.

County Courthouse
DeWitt County Building 201 W. Washington St Clinton, IL 61727 Phone: 217-935-775 DeWitt County Courthouse County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Alexander County are kept, see the DeWitt 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:

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

Biographies

 * History of De Witt County, Illinois : with biographical sketches of prominent representative citizens of the county. Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1910. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1, FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2
 * Portrait and biographical album of De Witt and Piatt Counties, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Chapman Brothers Publishing Co, Chicago, IL 1891. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library

Census Records
For information and 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. Blare and Rives Publishing, Washington, D.C., 1841. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library


 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images County on page 186.

Church Records

 * Church records, 1834-1877 : in collection of Genevieve M. Dolle, Joseph A. Roof at FamilySearch Catalog
 * 1873-1885 Texas Christian Church, Texas Township, Baptism Index 1873-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1873-1895 Texas Christian Church, Texas Township, Marriage Index 1873-1895 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.

 List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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.

Online Court Indexes and Records

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

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.
 * 1839-1875 Deed Records IRAD- ISU

Available through the FamilySearch Library and FamilySearch Centers
 * 1868-1913 Deed Records. DeWitt County Recorder Deed records, 1868-1913 at FamilySearch Catalog

Online Land Indexes and Records
 * Beginning 1820 Land Patent Search See Illinois Land and Property for more information about this database.
 * 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
 * Illinois Public Land Purchase Records This record extract includes over 538,000 land sales from the 19th Century. Each entry includes the purchaser's name, purchase date, number of acres, price per acre, and in some cases the purchaser's sex and residence. Available at www.ancestry.com ($)
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * DeWitt County Federal Township Plats
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

Local Histories

 * 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. Blare and Rives Publishing, Washington, D.C., 1841. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library


 * History of De Witt County, Illinois : with biographical sketches of prominent representative citizens of the county. Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, IL 1910. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 1, FamilySearch Digital Library Vol 2
 * Portrait and biographical album of De Witt and Piatt Counties, Ill. : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Chapman Brothers Publishing Co, Chicago, IL 1891. Online at:FamilySearch Digital Library

Maps and Gazetteers

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

Military Records
For information about using Military records see Illinois Military Records

 Revolutionary War Veterans Burials (source: Genealogy Trails Histroy Group)

 Civil War Regiments. Civil War service men from DeWitt 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 Dewitt County.
 * Artillery
 * - 1st Regiment, Illinois Artillery, New Battery K


 * Cavalry
 * - 2nd Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A
 * - 4th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company L


 * Infantry
 * - 20th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
 * - 26th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K
 * - 39th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D and Company I.
 * - 41st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C, Company F, and Company K.
 * - 46th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H
 * - 68th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E
 * - 107th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A, Company B, Company D, Company F, and Company I
 * - 140th Regiment, Illinois, Infantry, Company H
 * - 145th Regiment, Illinois, Infantry, Company G


 * 1865-1939 Military Discharge Record, Civil War. IRAD-ISU
 * 1883 List of Pensioners (Source: Internet Archives)

 World War I
 * 1917-1918 World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 at Ancestry.com ($)

Naturalization and Citizenship
Original naturalization records are held in the office of the County Clerk. See Illinois Naturalization Records for more information about using naturalization records. The following copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Illinois State University (ISU) - search for DeWitt County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU IRAD Wiki page. 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 ($)
 * 1863-1898 Naturalization Records. DeWitt County Clerk
 * 1866-1903 Naturalization Records, County Court. IRAD-ISU

Newspapers

 * 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
 * DeWitt County (Source: Newspaper Abstracts)
 * Newspapers Published in De Witt County (Source: Illinois Newspaper Project)
 * Cataloged Titles (Source: Illinois Newspaper Project)
 * Chronicling America DeWitt County (Source: The Library of Congress)

Obituaries
Illinois Obituary Project DeWitt ILGenWeb

Probate Records
Original estates and wills are held in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. See Illinois Probate Records for more information about using 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; index & images
 * 1839-1950 Probate Listing DeWitt County, by George Wylder.
 * 1850-1898 Wills and Letters. DeWitt County Clerk.
 * Dates Vary United States Wills and Deeds Experimental Search at FamilySearch - incomplete index and images, counties and dates vary

The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through the FamilySearch Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Illinois State University (ISU) - search for DeWitt County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the ISU IRAD Wiki page.
 * 1873-1894 Probate Administrator's Accounts IRAD-ISU

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

Tax Records

 * 1845-1851 Taxable Land Lists. IRAD-ISU
 * 1888-1897 Road Tax Lists, Delinquent IRAD-ISU
 * 1894-1911 Road Tax List. IRAD-ISU

Birth

 * 1860-1950 Birth Records Index, Delayed. IRAD-ISU
 * 1877-1885 DeWitt County Birth Index 1877-1885 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batch.
 * 1877-1905 Birth Records. IRAD-ISU
 * 1877-1906 Birth Records and Index 1871-1930
 * 1877-1959 Birth Records Index. IRAD-ISU
 * 1880-1930 Birth Certificates, Delayed. IRAD-ISU
 * 1924-1958 Cirth Certificates. IRAD-ISU

Marriage

 * 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast ($) — index
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
 * 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 *  1839-1928 DeWitt County Marriage Index 1839-1928 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free. Batches, , , and.
 *  1839-1949 Marriage Record Index. IRAD-ISU
 *  1839-1955 Marriage Record. IRAD-ISU
 *  1876-1935 Marriage License Applications. IRAD-ISU

Death

 * 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
 * 1878-1917 DeWitt County Death Index 1878-1917 in International Genealogical Index at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1878-1917 Death Records. IRAD-ISU Also available through the FamilySearch Library
 * 1878-1962 Death Record Index. IRAD-ISU Also available through the FamilySearch Library
 * 1886-1957 Death Certificates. IRAD-ISU
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1916-1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
 * 1924-1977 DeWitt County Coroner's Inquest Files Index IRAD-ISU
 * 1951-1971 Illinois Death Certificates, 1951–1971 at Illinois State Archives - index

Archives
IRAD is a system of Illinois Regional Archives Depositories managed by the Illinois State Archives, housing 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. Illinois State University houses the records for DeWitt County. Illinois State Universtiy 2016 Warehouse Road Campus Box 1520 Normal, Illinois 61802 Phone: 1-309-452-6027 Illinois Regional Archives Depository System - Local Governmental Records Listings Arranged by County
 * Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Champaign Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Decatur Illinois FamilySearch Center
 * Athens Municipal Library - an affiliate library
 * Champaign County Historical Archives - an affiliate library
 * McLean County Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * Vespasian Warner Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
DeWitt County Genealogical Society PO Box 632 Clinton, Illinois 61717-0632 Phone 217-935-5174 E-mail:[mailto:dewittcgs@yahoo.com dewittcgs@yahoo.com] Website

Websites

 * DeWitt County IL Genealogy
 * DeWitt ILGenWeb
 * DeWitt County, IL Linkpendium
 * Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
 * Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
 * Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
 * Federal Township Plats of Illinois
 * DeWitt County Coroner's Inquest Files Index (1924–1977)
 * – 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.