Winnebago County, Illinois Genealogy

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

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

Historical Facts
Winnebago County is named for the Winnebago Indians who once inhabited that part of Illinois

Parent County

 * 1836--Winnebago County was created 16 January 1836 from Jo Daviess County. County seat:  Rockford

Description
The county was named for the Winnebago Native American tribe who once occupied that part of northern Illinois. The Native American word Winnebago translates to "fish eater." The county seat is Rockford and the county was organized on January 16, 1836. The County is located in the North central area 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.

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

Neighboring Counties

 * Boone
 * DeKalb
 * Green County, Wisconsin
 * Ogle
 * Rock County, Wisconsin
 * Stephenson

Biographies

 * The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Winnebago County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Winnebago County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.

Cemeteries
The following web site has additional information on Winnebago county cemeteries.


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

Church 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.

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 Winnebago County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.

Copies of original records


 * 1837-1863 Circuit Court Judgment DocketsIRAD-NIU
 * 1838-1891 Circuit Court Record, Chancery IRAD-NIU
 * 1838-1895 Circuit Court Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1854-1958 County Court Records and Case Files IRAD-NIU
 * 1854-1859 County Court Record, Chancery IRAD-NIU
 * 1857–1900 Chancery divorce records
 * 1858-1897 Circuit Court Default Judgment Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1860-1884 Circuit Court Dockets IRAD-NIU
 * 1883-1922 Circuit Court Record, Criminal IRAD-NIU
 * 1887-1895 County Court Dockets IRAD-NIU
 * 1893-1922 Insanity Dockets IRAD-NIU
 * 1893-1942 Insanity Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1914-1921 Feeble-Minded Dockets IRAD-NIU
 * 1918-1949 Feeble-Minded Record IRAD-NIU

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

Local Histories

 * Carr, Edson Irving, The History of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, 1820 to 1898, (Rockton, IL: Herald Office Print, 1898). Digital Version at Internet Archives; ;

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 Winnebago County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD – Northern Illinois University/NIU IRAD 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 ($)


 * Winnebago County Federal Township Plats

Copies of original records


 * 1836–1883 Deed records
 * 1836-1891 Deed Records IRAD-NIU
 * 1845-1918 Mortgage Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1845-1968 Entry Books IRAD-NIU
 * 1855-1917 Chattel Mortgage Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1887-1919 Chattel Mortgage Extensions IRAD-NIU
 * 1911'1922 Chattel Mortgage Sale Bill Record IRAD-NIU
 * 1915-1961 Farm Name Registers IRAD-NIU

Abstracts


 * Family Maps of Winnebago County, Illinois (2007) plats the land of many nineteenth-century Winnebago County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index.

Additional Resources

Additional resources for Winnebago County land and property may be found online in the and. 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.

Maps

 * Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)

Civil War
Civil War service men from Winnebago 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 Winnebago County.


 * - 8th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Companies L and M.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company D.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (3 months, 1861), Company D.
 * - 11th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company D.
 * - 12th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company A.
 * - 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company M.
 * - 15th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 17th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company K.
 * - 44th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company G.
 * - 45th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies F and G.
 * - 52nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
 * - 55th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
 * - 65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment), Company K.
 * - 90th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 132nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company K.
 * - 141st Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company E.
 * - 146th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B and C.
 * - 147th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company A.
 * - 153rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Company G.

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 Winnebago County. The Rock Island Public Library provides free access to this database at its library.

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

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.

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

Copies of original records


 * 1854-1922 Probate Records IRAD-NIU
 * 1863–1880 Probate records
 * 1866–1919 Probate will records
 * 1870–1920 Widow's relinquishment and selection records [there is 1 record for 1921]

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


 * Rockford Illinois Family History Center 324 University Dr. Rockford, Illinois 61107 Telephone: (815) 332-7782

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 Winnebago 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
Rockford Public Library 215 N. Wyman St. Rockford, IL 61101 Telephone: (815) 965-6731 Their Local History Room includes materials for Winnebago county as well as neighboring counties.

Societies
Winnebago/Boone Counties Genealogical Society PO Box 10166 Rockford 61131-0166 Website

Kishwaukee Genealogists PO Box 5503 Rockford, IL 61125 Website

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

Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Winnebago County Clerk while those recorded after 1916 are kept by the Illinois Department of Public Health with a copy to the County Clerk. Original divorce records are generally in the office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Winnebago County uses an outside service to fulfill internet requests for copies of birth, marriage and death records. For more information, see the Winnebago County Clerk's web page for information on Ordering Copies.

See the on-line Genealogy Indexes of Winnebago County records:


 * Birth Records from 1855
 * Death Records from 1844
 * Marriage Records (alphabetical by bride's name)from1836
 * Marriage Records (alphabetical by groom's name) from 1836

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 Winnebago County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.

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

Birth Records
Copies of Original Birth Records


 * 1882–1896 Birth Certificates
 * 1882-1905 Birth Certificates IRAD-NIU

Marriage Records
Copies of original Marriage Records


 * 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
 * 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1836–1867 Marriage licenses
 * 1836-1902 Marriage Licenses IRAD-NIU

Death Records
Copies of original Death Records


 * 1876-1943 Death certificates
 * 1877-1919 Death Certificates IRAD-NIU
 * Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916
 * 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1950
 * 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1850,1860,1870,1880 U. S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules, 1850-1885 at Ancestry ($) These include the deaths occurring twelve months before the census was taken.

Divorce

 * 1857–1900 Divorce records

Additional Resources
Additional resources for Winnebago County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the, 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.

Websites

 * Winnebago County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Winnebago County IL 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.
 * Winnebago County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)
 * Winnebago County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History(Linkpendium)