Spotlight on Kane County, Illinois

 Kane County is located in northern Illinois.  It one of the “Collar counties”, on the western edge of the Chicago metropolitan area.   Kane County was formed in 1836 from LaSalle County.  It was named for Elias Kane, a United States Senator from Illinois and the first Secretary of State for Illinois.

Birth and death records have been kept since 1878.  Marriage records date to the founding of the county.  Land and Probate Records also begin in 1836.  Many of the earlier vital and probate records have been digitized and are available at FamilySearch.org.  There were 2 courthouse fires, one in 1843 and one in 1890 which destroyed a small number of records each time.

The county courthouse is located in the county seat of Geneva and vital records may be obtained at https://www.kanecountyclerk.org/VitalRecords/Pages/Genealogy.aspx .  Some records may also be located at the IRAD at Northern Illinois University.  There, in addition to vital records, one might find jail records and naturalization records.

The Kane County Genealogical Society may be found at http://www.kcgsillinois.org/.  In addition, the Elgin Genealogical Society is a good resource.  They are at www.elginroots.com. The Gail Borden Library in Elgin has a good collection of area publications and microfilm.  They can be found at https://gailborden.info/research/genealogy.  

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (September 2021).   

Tip: My ancestor may have been divorced. How can I find out?

Divorce was more common in the past than we might think. There may be a family story of a divorce, or it may have been noted in an official record, such as a “D” for marital status on the census, or noted on a death certificate.  Marriage records may indicate if the bride or groom had been previously married.  Newspapers might carry a notice of the divorce proceedings or note it in an obituary.

Depending on the law at the time of the divorce, the divorce may have been granted by a federal, state, county, or even town jurisdiction.  Thus, the records may be in any of those locations.  A good place to start would be “Where to Write for Vital Records” at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/.

Just like Gretna Greens existed for quickie marriages, there were also “Divorce Mills” where one could go for a quickie divorce.  Thus, people may have gone to a neighboring county or state to expedite the process.

Many divorce records are online at sites like FamilySearch.org and ancestry.com.  Early records may be abstracted in published court records.

Divorce records can be a wealth of information with clues to the wife’s maiden name, date and location of the marriage, names and birthdates of children, as well as the details of their relationship. 

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (September 2021).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.

Spotlight on Madison County, Illinois

 Madison County is located in southwest Illinois.  It lies along the Mississippi River and compirises part of the greater St. Louis metropolitan area.  Madison County was formed in 1812 from portions of Randolph and St. Clair Counties.  It was named for our fourth U.S. President James Madison and originally contained most of present-day Illinois as well as Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and part of Minnesota, in other words, a large portion of the Northwest Territory.  By 1843 it had been reduced to its current size.

Birth and death records have been kept since 1878.  Marriage records date to the founding of the county, while some Probate files and Land Records are even earlier.  Many of these records have been digitized and are available at FamilySearch.org. 

The county courthouse is located in the county seat of Edwardsville and vital records may be obtained at https://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/county_clerk/vital_records/genealogy_research.php .  Some records may also be located at the IRAD at Southern Illinois University.  There, in addition to vital records, probate records and land records, one might find poor farm records and naturalization records.

The Madison County Genealogical Society may be found at http://sites.rootsweb.com/~ilmadcgs/index.html.  In addition, the Hayner Public Library in Alton contains books and records related to early Madison County. They may be found at https://www.haynerlibrary.org/genealogy-local-history/about-genealogy-local-history. 

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (August 2021).   

Tip: Can Church Records Help with my Family History?

 Q. Can Church Records help with my family history?

A. The answer is of course, Yes.  Church records can often be used as a substitute for governmental vital records.  The most common church records used in genealogy are those for baptisms, marriages, and burials.  Other church records can help pinpoint our ancestor in a time and place, such as membership lists and confirmation records.

The first place to start is by determining the church that your ancestor attended.  This may be a religious denomination still maintained by family members.  Some churches were attended by specific immigrant groups.  Sometimes the denomination was determined by which church was nearby and easily accessible.  County or Family histories may tell the religion of your ancestor.  The governmental marriage record may list the minister who performed the ceremony, or your ancestor may be buried in a church graveyard.  An obituary may provide a clue to the church they attended as well.

Once you think you know the church they attended, there are several options to finding the records.  If the church is still in existence, you can contact them directly.  There may be a regional or national office for that denomination where the records have been stored.  Some records, or transcriptions, may be at the local genealogical library or historical society.  Some church records may be online at a site such as FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com, or found through an internet search.

Although locating church records for your ancestor may be challenging, it is often worth the effort. 

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (July 2021).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.

Spotlight on Pope County, Illinois

Pope County is located in southern Illinois.  While it is the second-least populous county in Illinois, it is also one of the oldest.  The county seat of Golconda began as a ferry stop in 1798 while still part of the Northwest Territory.  Pope county itself was formed in 1816 from portions of Gallatin and Johnson counties. It was named for Nathaniel Pope, an early Illinois politician. 

Birth and death records have been kept since 1877.  Marriage records, Probate files and Land Records date to the founding of the county in 1816.  Many of these records have been digitized and are available at FamilySearch.org. 

The courthouse is located in the county seat of Golconda and their address is P.O. Box 216, Golconda, IL  62938 .  Some vital records may also be found at the IRAD depository at Southern Illinois University. Other county records housed at the IRAD are naturalization and school board records.

 

There are some records online at the Pope County GenWeb site - https://pope.illinoisgenweb.org/index.htm.  The Genealogical Society of Southern Illinois at www.ilgssi.org  also has records from Pope County.

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (May 2021).   

Tip: How can I find my ancestor who was an orphan?

Records of orphanages can be difficult to locate.  As many were private institutions, their records may not have survived.  Local genealogical and historical societies may have some of those records. If you know the general location of the orphanage, there is a listing of those in Illinois at http://www.formerchildrenshomes.org.uk/illinois.html.  On the Census, the orphans may have been listed as “orphans” or “inmates” which helps locate these homes.

If your ancestor was born after the 1880’s, when most counties were recording births, AND they were adopted, it may be possible to obtain their original birth certificate through the Illinois Department of Public Health at  https://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/birth-death-other-records/adoption

If your ancestor came to Illinois on an Orphan Train, there are a few additional resources to check.  Between 1854 and 1919, over 100,000 children came from New York city and were sent west for adoption and hopefully, a better life. The National Orphan Train Depot Museum has a lot of information on these children.  Their website is https://orphantraindepot.org .  ISGS also has reprints of the book “Children of Orphan Trains from NY to IL and Beyond” for sale on website at www.ilgensoc.org.   

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Note: This was originally published in the "Tips from the Genealogy Committee" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (May 2021).  While these tips were written for those researching Illinois ancestors, many of the principles can be applied to other locations.

Spotlight on Carroll County, Illinois

Carroll County is located in northwest Illinois.  It was formed in 1839 from Jo Daviess county. It was named for Charles Carroll, a Marylander who signed the Declaration of Independence.  Although Mr. Carroll never set foot in Illinois, many of the county’s early settlers were from Maryland.  The county itself remains fairly rural and they boast of only one stoplight in the entire county.

Birth and death records have been kept since 1877.  Marriage records, Probate files and Land Records date to the founding of the county.  Unfortunately, few records are accessible on FamilySearch.  There are some early vital records online at  https://carroll.illinoisgenweb.org, along with some obituaries and cemetery information.

The courthouse is located in the county seat of Mt. Carroll and their website is  https://www.carroll-county.net/clerkrecorder.  Some vital records may also be found at the IRAD depository at Northern Illinois University. Other county records housed at the IRAD are land, probate, and naturalizations records.

The Carroll County Genealogical Society has some church records online as well as records of naturalizations, and county poor farm records. They may be reached at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~haliotis/index2.html.

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Note: This was originally published in the "County Spotlight" column in the Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter (March 2021).