DeKalb County was created on March 4, 1837 (Laws, 1837, p. 97) and was formed from Kane County. Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Kane County (1836–1837), LaSalle County (1831–1835), Putnam County (1825–1831), Fulton County (1823–1825), Pike County (1821–1823), Clark County (1819–1821), Crawford County (1816–1819), Edwards County (1815–1816), Madison County (1812–1815) and St. Clair County (1795–1812).
The County was named for Johann de Kalb, a German baron, who served in the Colonies during the Revolution, and was mortally wounded at Camden, South Carolina in 1780. The County Seat is Sycamore . Prior County Seats was Orange—Name later changed to Sycamore (1837–1839), Coltonville (1839–1840) and Sycamore (1840–Present). See also County History for more historical details.
DeKalb County Townships include Afton (Formed from DeKalb
and Clinton on February 18, 1856), Clinton, Cortland (First
named Richland, then changed to Pampas on November 20,
1850 and to Cortland on February 1, 1865), DeKalb (Name
changed from Orange on November 20, 1850), Franklin, Genoa, Kingston, Malta (Formed
as Etna from DeKalb in September, 1856; name changed
from Etna in December, 1858), Mayfield (Name
changed from Liberty on November 20, 1850), Milan (Formed
from Shabbona and Malta on February 23, 1858), Paw
Paw (Formed in March, 1850), Pierce (Formed
from Squaw Grove and Pampas before 1853), Sandwich (Formed
from Somonauk on July 14, 1896), Shabbona, Somonauk, South
Grove (Name changed from Vernon on
November 20, 1850), Squaw Grove, Sycamore, Victor (Formed
from Clinton about 1853)
Cities, Towns and Communities include Cortland, DeKalb, Genoa, Hinckley, Kingston, Kirkland, Lee, Malta, Maple Park - Mostly in Kane County, Illinois, Sandwich, Shabbona, Somonauk, Sycamore, Waterman
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
The Official County website is located at http://www.dekalbcounty.org/. All departments below at located at the DeKalb County Courthouse, Administration Building, 110 E. Sycamore Street, Sycamore, IL 60178 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
DeKalb County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1837 and Court Records from 1838 and is located at 133 West State Street, Sycamore, IL 60178; (815) 895-7138, FAX: (815) 895-7140; Hours: 8:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M., mjosh@dekalbcounty.org The Clerk of the Circuit Court, commonly known as the Circuit Clerk, is the keeper of the files and records of the Circuit Court. The Circuit Clerk works at the direction of Circuit Court, Appellate Court and Supreme Court of Illinois and is mandated to follow and enforce the laws of the State of Illinois. The Circuit Clerk's Office processes all documents in criminal law, chancery, support, probate, adoption, juvenile, drainage, local improvement, mental, small claims, traffic, ordinance violations, prepares appeals to the higher court, issues passports, summons jurors, tax deeds and handles approximately ten million dollars in costs, fines, restitution, investments and support each year. The Office also issues summonses, writs, attachments, subpoenas and all other tasks as mandated by the courts.
DeKalb County Recorder has Land Records from 1838 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (815) 895-7149, FAX: (815) 895-7148, sholmes@dekalbcounty.org The County Recorder of Deeds serves the people of County by receiving, filing and maintaining all records related to real property in our county. These documents range from all types of conveyance deeds, mortgages, releases and assignments, property liens, as well as, assorted federal, state and local liens. The Recorder’s office is responsible for the recordation and storage of plats of subdivision, land surveys and monument records. Many other types of miscellaneous documents are recorded, such as; foreign birth certificates, foreign marriage licenses, and military discharge paperwork to name a few.
DeKalb County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1837 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (815) 895-7149, FAX: (815) 895-7148, sholmes@dekalbcounty.org The County Clerk maintains records and issues certificates of vital statistics (birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates) for the entire County.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Court Records. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Illinois Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Illinois Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62702-5097. It can take up to 6 weeks to get a vital record from Illinois.
A number of resources are available for individuals doing genealogical research using vital records filed in the state of Illinois. Births and deaths before January 1, 1916 and marriages before January 1, 1962 are recorded only in the office of the county clerk where the event occurred. Most county clerks have indexes to the records that are prior to 1916 that are available for the purpose of genealogical research. These indexes generally provide the name, date and place of occurrence and are located in county courthouses located throughout the state. Although self-service access to the indexes is generally permitted, the law limits physical access to the individual records to the clerk's staff. When you locate a record from the index, it will be necessary for the clerk to pull the record for you once you have paid the appropriate search fee. Please check with the county clerk for fees and policies on reviewing indexes.
Birth, Death Certificates:
The Division of Vital Records and Statistics maintains birth, death and marriage records that occur in Illinois from 1916 to the present.
Cost: Initial search and one certified copy or certification of the record or No Record Statement is $17.00 (long) or
$10.00 (uncertified) per certificate by mail.
Make your check or money order payable to "Illinois Department of Public Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep check amount for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
In Person:
In-person orders can be dropped off for mail out within two business days at the Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records office, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, on Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays. (Large volume orders may take longer.) PLEASE NOTE: the person requesting the record will be asked to show a valid picture identification card.
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: The Division of Vital Records also maintains an index of marriages & divorces from 1962 to the present. Copies of the marriage & divorce records are available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the marriage license was obtained or divorce was granted. Fees vary.
Cost: $5.00. Make your check or money order payable to "Illinois Department of Public Health". Enclose a business-size self-addressed envelope. The cost of each record includes a ten-year search if the exact date or place of event is not known. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $5.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 6 weeks when ordered by MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Illinois newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Illinois Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Census Records. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Illinois showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Illinois showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Maps. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Illinois Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Military Records. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Illinois (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
The first known tax authorization in Illinois fell under the jurisdiction of the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio. The tax was based on every hundred acres of unimproved uncleared prairie or wood land, divided into three classes based on quality of earth surface and soil. The rates were thirty, twenty, and ten cents, to be paid annually. Property with delinquent taxes was sold at public auction. There do not appear to be any surviving tax records from this territorial period.
Beginning with statehood, tax records form a large part of county archival material. The 1819 laws provided the first taxation process, imposing taxes on land, bank stock owned, slaves and indentured negroes or mulattoes, plus a poor tax. The tax was collected by the county with income divided between the county and state. Taxpayers lists were eliminated in 1824, and in 1825 a county road tax and school taxes were enacted.
Original and microfilmed tax records at Illinois Regional Archives Depositories include taxable land lists, assessors books, railroad tax books, road tax records, and collectors books, the earliest record dated 1817. Other county tax records are located in county seats.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
DeKalb County Historical & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 295, Sycamore, IL 60178
Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Northern Illinois University, c/o Regional History Center, Founders Memorial Library, Room 400, DeKalb, IL 60115; Telephone: (815) 753-1807. Map and Directions. Covers the following counties: Boone, Bureau, Carroll, DeKalb, DuPage, JoDaviess, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. Hours: Monday – Friday, except state holidays 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Illinois State Library, 300 South 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1796; Phone: (217) 785-5600
Illinois
State Historical Library, Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62701 County histories, plat books, census indexes, cemetery indexes, city material,
family and association files, microfilmed newspapers, manuscripts, and photographs
are located beneath the restored old state capitol between 5th and 6th streets
and Washington and Adams streets.
Illinois Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Illinois Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Despite the early Catholic missionaries in Illinois, their church had almost totally disappeared from the state by the time of the American Revolution. Later migration of English-speaking Catholics reestablished the church in the state. In 1850 the largest religious denomination in Illinois was the Methodists. Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Congregationalists followed. Episcopalians had organized in the state in 1835, the Disciples of Christ were in Illinois prior to 1830, and the Lutherans grew in numbers with the German and Scandinavian emigration of the 1840s.
Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Illinois obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Illinois newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Illinois.
Click Here to Search Illinois Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for DeKalb County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing DeKalb County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Illinois Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
DeKalb County was officially formed on March 4, 1837. It had first been formalized as part of Kane County a year earlier. For a long time before that it had been known as the Kishwaukee country - a land of giant trees, fertile soil, abundant game and many native American villages.
The popular thought among many historians is that the first non-red Americans to come to DeKalb County were the troops under the direction of General Winfield Scott in pursuit of Black Hawk in 1832. But within the villages of native Americans in or near what is now Sycamore, Cortland, Kingston, Somonauk, Paw Paw and Shabbona Grove it was not uncommon to find families with surnames such as LeClair, Crouix, Peltier and Caldwell.
Perhaps it should be remembered that at one time those who were not members of the white race were regarded as less than human or at least not worthy of mention in chronicles of history. In the earliest of census reports of DeKalb County there were either a couple of African Americans, or lunatics, since both were lumped into the same category. The African Americans were here as early as the late 1700s as some historians have reluctantly had to admit that indeed it was Jean Baptist Pointe DuSable, and not Hubbard and Kinzie, who first settled in the city now called Chicago. One of Rockford's founding fathers was Lewis Lemons who arrived as a slave and purchased his freedom.
Certainly after the massacre of Black Hawk's band of Sac at Bad Axe Wisconsin in 1832, DeKalb County and northwest Illinois received a lot of attention in the eastern press. Reports of rich, tillable soil grabbed the attention of farmers in the east who were longing to have their own farms. In the Spring of 1835 all the remaining Potawatomi, except Shabbona's village, were gathered at the Paw Paw Grove Rendezvous and forced to march at gun-point to Jacksonville where they joined other Potawatomi in the Trail of Death march to Council Bluffs, Iowa. After this removal settlers began pouring in.
The old Galena Trail which ran through Genoa was, in part, also once known as Mound Builders Trail - reflecting a time when the Mississippian culture was dominant in the area. The Illini, Kickapoo, the Sac, Fox, Potawatomi, Ottawa, Chippewa and Winnebagos all at one time treasured this area for its abundance of game and ease for corn growing.
The French colonialists once thought so much of this area they deemed it New France. Their first glowing reports of this area appear in the 1630s. Not long after they found themselves in competition for fur trade with the British and eventually lost the competition and the French and Indian War of 1763. No sooner had the British established a monopoly in the fur trade with area tribes than did the competition begin with the Americans. And war soon followed.
A treaty of peace ending the American Revolution, signed by Britain and America on September 3, 1783, ceded all previously held British territories to the new American government, except existing British forts throughout the northwestern territories, including northern Illinois. After the Revolutionary War the American government sought to improve relations with the Potawatomi, Sac and Winnebago of this area in hopes of weaning their loyalty to Britain. The Indian Affairs Ordinance of August 7, 1786 banned white settlers, except those with diplomatic credentials or official business with the tribes, from entering or trading in the Indian country. This effort was undermined by John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company who had by 1808 established an extensive trading network with the tribes of this area - and had introduced whiskey as a form of currency.
The American Fur Company maps identify the villages in the Kishwaukee country that became DeKalb County as early as 1809. These villages were identified as trading centers so it is likely that white traders indeed were in DeKalb County. With the population boom of Galena in the 1820s there were many travelers coming through what is now Genoa and Kingston via the Galena Trail.
The DeKalb County Courthouse stands as a silent witness to 93 years of the county's history. It is not the original courthouse. It is the third generation, "born" in 1905 at a price of around $100,000. Somewhere within the four fluted columns, in the walls made of Bedford buffed stone, lies a testimony of the fortitude of Sycamore's founding fathers.
Not everyone thought it a good idea for the courthouse to be located in Sycamore. There were numerous efforts to have the courthouse, and the designation as DeKalb County's seat, placed in other communities. Some have called these efforts "skullduggery," but the verdict handed down in history reflects that Sycamore is the county seat and home of one of the grand courthouses in the country.
If Dr. Henry Madden had had his way, the courthouse would sit in Brush Point, which was just a little northwest of Sycamore (then called Orange). Rufus Colton thought Coltonville was the ideal location for the county seat. Rufus thought he had the inside track. After all he was the Circuit Clerk and court sessions were held at his residence.
The county had just been formed in 1837 and the title of county seat was coveted. Rufus went so far as to hold an election to determine the site of the county seat ó without bothering to notify anyone who was not a resident of Coltonville. This maneuver was cancelled by an act of the Illinois Assembly and finally Sycamore was chosen as the county seat. Perhaps Madden and Colton were right to put so much effort into gaining the title of county seat for their communities. Brush Point and Coltonville did not last long after the decision was made in favor of Sycamore.
A log structure, serving as the courthouse, was erected in 1839. For 11 years this two story building, located across State Street from the present courthouse, kept an increasingly busy schedule. By 1850 the county had grown substantially and the need for a new courthouse was evident. E.P. Young, Kimball Dow and J. C. Kellogg were appointed to contract for the new building at a cost not to exceed $6,000. An addition to the second courthouse was constructed in 1863, and it served the county well up to the turn of the century.
The present courthouse was built amidst controversy as another attempt was made to wrestle the title of county seat away from Sycamore. Two wealthy industrialists from DeKalb, Jacob Haish and Isaac Ellwood, pledged $20,000 each to help defray the costs of building a new courthouse, to be built in DeKalb. Residents of Sycamore collectively raised $70,000 to keep the courthouse in town. Despite legal fights and escalating pledges (Jacob Haish once pledged $103,000 of his own money) the county seat remained in Sycamore and the present courthouse was constructed.
