Boone County, Illinois, Genealogy
Guide to Boone County, Illinois ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
Boone County, Illinois | |
Map | |
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![]() Location of Illinois in the U.S. | |
Facts | |
Founded: | March 4, 1837 |
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County Seat | Belvidere |
Courthouse | |
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD), Illinois State Archives | |
Address | Boone County Courthouse 601 North Main Street Belvidere, Illinois 61008 (815) 544-3103 Boone County website |
Contents
- 1 Boone County Organization
- 2 Historical Facts
- 3 Boundary Changes
- 4 Record Loss
- 5 Places and Localities
- 6 Records and Resources
- 6.1 Bible Records
- 6.2 Biography
- 6.3 Cemeteries
- 6.4 Census
- 6.5 Church History and Records
- 6.6 Court Records
- 6.7 Directories
- 6.8 Ethnic Research
- 6.9 Genealogy
- 6.10 History
- 6.11 Land and Property
- 6.12 Maps
- 6.13 Military History and Records
- 6.14 World War I
- 6.15 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 6.16 Newspapers
- 6.17 Poorhouses
- 6.18 Probate Records
- 6.19 Repositories
- 6.20 Schools
- 6.21 Social Groups Online
- 6.22 Societies
- 6.23 Vital Records
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
Boone County Organization[edit | edit source]
Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
1877 | 1877 | 1877 | 1838 | 1838 | 1840 | 1810 |
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Boone County are kept, see the Boone County Clerk.
Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
Boone County is named for Daniel Boone
Description[edit | edit source]
The county was named for Daniel Boone. The County Seat is Belvidere and was founded 1837. It is located in the North-Central area of the state.
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
Prior to County Formation
- 1801-1812 - Boone part of St. Clair County
- 1812-1815 - Boone part of Madison County
- 1815-1816 - Boone part of Edwards County
- 1816-1819 - Boone part of Crawford County
- 1819-1821 - Boone part of Clark County
- 1821-1823 - Boone part of Pike County
- 1823-1825 - Boone part of Fulton County
- 1825-1831 - Boone part of Putnam County
- 1831-1836 - Boone part of LaSalle County
- 1836-1837 - Boone part of Winnebago County
County Formation and After
- 1837 - Boone created from Winnebago
- 1843 - Boone gained from Winnebago
For more information see Origin and Evolution of Illinois Counties or Boone County Fact Sheet (Illinois State Archives). For interactive county boundary maps see Illinois County Boundaries, 1790-Present, Illinois Historical Counties
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[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places and Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[2]
Cities | ||
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Villages | ||
Unincorporated communities | ||
Census-designated places | ||
Townships | ||
Ghost towns | ||
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Records and Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Family Bibles of the Boyce and Perry families of Boone County are included in an Ancestry database ($).[3]
Biography[edit | edit source]
The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Boone County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Boone County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
Indexes[edit | edit source]
- Boone county, Illinois indexes to records and other information: biographies FHL Fiche 6334308
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
- ComPortOne offers a list of Boone County cemeteries by township, some with links to transcriptions.
- Illinois Cemeteries by county.
Census[edit | edit source]
Historical populations | ||
---|---|---|
Census | Pop. | %± |
1840 | 1,705 | — |
1850 | 7,624 | 347.2% |
1860 | 11,678 | 53.2% |
1870 | 12,942 | 10.8% |
1880 | 11,508 | −11.1% |
1890 | 12,203 | 6.0% |
1900 | 15,791 | 29.4% |
1910 | 15,481 | −2.0% |
1920 | 15,322 | −1.0% |
1930 | 15,078 | −1.6% |
1940 | 15,202 | 0.8% |
1950 | 17,070 | 12.3% |
1960 | 20,326 | 19.1% |
1970 | 25,440 | 25.2% |
1980 | 28,630 | 12.5% |
1990 | 30,806 | 7.6% |
2000 | 41,786 | 35.6% |
2010 | 54,165 | 29.6% |
Source: "Wikipedia.org". |
Federal[edit | edit source]
- 1840 census of Boone County, Illinois FHL Book 977.329 X2w 1840, Index FHL Film 1421993 Item 18
- 1850 federal census of Boone County, Illinois FHL Book 977.329 X2h 1850
- 1860 federal census, Boone County, Illinois FHL Book 977.329 X2w 1860
- 1870 census, Boone Co., Illinois FHL Book 977.329 X2w 1870
- Boone county, Illinois indexes to records and other information: German and French families from the 1870 Boone Co. census FHL Fiche 6334308
- 1880 Boone County census : names, age, state or country born in; parents' nativity, etc. information FHL Fiche 6334314
- Boone County, Illinois census surnames, 1900 FHL Fiche 6334502, Townships split in two groups: Belvidere - Leroy Townships and Leroy - Spring Townships
State[edit | edit source]
- 1855 Boone County Illinois State census index FHL Book 977.329 X22m 1855.
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
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.
- USGenWeb's links to Boone County church histories and records.
- Johnson, Martin Wm. Boone County, Illinois Indexes to Records and Other Information. FHL fiche 6334308
- Johnson, Martin Wm. 1839-1947 Boone Co., IL Church Histories & Directories. Belvidere, Ill.: M.W. Johnson, 198-?. Includes information on the Presbyterian, First Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, and Trinity Church congregations. Available at some libraries.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
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 Boone County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU IRAD Wiki page.
Copies or Original Records
Abstracts
- 1861–1865 Johnson, Martin William and Boone County (Illinois). County Court. Boone County, Illinois Civil War book, 1861-1865: lists of eligible males between 18 & 45, enlistments, draft orders, discharges, etc. [FHL]
Directories[edit | edit source]
Ethnic Research[edit | edit source]
African American[edit | edit source]
The following have information concerning African American research.
- African American Genealogy (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[edit | edit source]
Genealogical resources for Boone County families can be found at Ida Public Library in Belvidere, IL. Their Local History & Genealogy collection includes newspapers, yearbooks, city directories, maps, vital records indexes, and records of cemeteries, churches, military and censuses.
Mailing Lists[edit | edit source]
Message Boards[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
- Every Name Index to The Past and Present of Boone County, Illinois. Every Name Index compiled by Cathy L. O'Connor, 2011, original text by H. F. Kent & Co., 1877, reproduction by Unigraphic, Inc., 1979. EveryNameIndex.com
- The Past and Present of Boone County, Illinois: containing a history of the county, its cities, towns &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, general and local statistics, history of the Northwest, history of Illinois, constitution of the United States, map of Boone County, miscellaneous matters, etc., etc.. Chicago: H.F. Kett & Co., 1877. Digital version at Ancestry ($); Internet Archive.
- Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Boone County. Chicago: Munsell Pub. Co., 1909. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.
The following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed online, through the Family History Library or the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Northern Illinois University- search for Boone County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the NIU Wiki page.
Copies of Original Records
- Boone county, Illinois indexes to records and other information: land and property records FHL Fiche 6334308
- 1837-1977 Deed Records IRAD-NIU
- 1837-1977 Deed Index IRAD-NIU
Online Resources
- 1800s-Present - Use the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Patent Index to obtain original federal land transfer records including homestead, military warrants, and cash entry patents. These records help a research establish location and lead to National Archives' records which may include genealogical information. Earlier land transfer records are housed at the National Archives.
- 1800s-Present - Illinois State Archives also provides an index to federal land sales.
- Records of Illinois Land Sales for Boone County, Illinois is available online, courtesy: Genealogy Trails.
- 1796–1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry.com ($)
- 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 ($)
- Records of Illinois Land Sales for Boone County, Illinois Courtesy Genealogytrails.com
- Boone County Federal Township Plats
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- Johnson, Martin Wm. Boone County, Illinois Indexes to Records and Other Information. Fiche 6334308
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
War of 1812[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Civil War service men from Boone 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 Boone County.
- - 9th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company I.
- - 15th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company B.
- - 37th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
- - 39th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company I.
- - 45th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company F.
- - 65th Regiment, Illinois Infantry (Scotch Regiment), Company E.
- - 95th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies B, G, and K.
- - 142nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
- - 153rd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (1 year, 1865), Companies A and B.
- - 13th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company C
- - 15th Regiment, Wisconsin Infantry, Company A
- Genealogy Trails - Boone County Civil War Soldiers (accessed 31 May 2011) Lists Civil War soldiers from Boone County along with their regiments and residences.
- Boone County, Illinois Civil War book, 1861-1865: lists of eligible males between 18 and 45, enlistments, draft orders, discharges, etc. Kept at Boone County Courthouse FHL Book 977.329 M2j, fiche 6100941, with unrelated genealogical materials FHL Fiche 6334323
- 1861–1865 Johnson, Martin William and Boone County (Illinois). County Court. Boone County, Illinois Civil War book, 1861-1865: lists of eligible males between 18 and 45, enlistmewww.familysearch.org/search/catalog/shownts, draft orders, discharges, etc. FHL fiche 6100941 and book 977.329 M2j
- Johnson, Martin William Boone County, Illinois land purchases by veterans with military land bounty warrants, 1839-1853
World War I[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- Boone county, Illinois indexes to records and other information: naturalizations FHL Fiche 6334308
Online Records
- 1800-1998 - Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — index and images
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Poorhouses[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1772 - 1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1819 - 1988 Illinois Probate Records 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.
- 1839–1962 Johnson, Martin William. Index to Boone Co., Illinois probate, guardian, executor, conservator, proof of heirship, inheritance proof, administrator, files, 1839-1962. Belvidere, IL : M.W. Johnson, [1989?]. At other Libraries(WorldCat) FHL film 1597510 Item 7, and fiche 6334320
Repositories[edit | edit source]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository.
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Introduction to 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.
Currently there are no Family History Centers located directly in Boone County. The following centers are located in surrounding counties. Their wiki pages may supply hours and other information.
- Rockford Illinois Family History Center
324 University Dr.
Rockford, Illinois 61107
Telephone: (815) 332-7782
- Beloit Wisconsin Family History Center
2535 Austin Place
Beloit, Wisconsin 53511
Telephone: (608) 362-4646
- Dekalb Illinois Family History Center
675 Fox Avenue
Sycamore, Illinois 60178
Telephone: (815) 895–0702
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)[edit | edit source]
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 Boone 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[edit | edit source]
The following Boone County libraries have collections of specific interest to genealogists:
- Ida Public Library
320 N. State St.
Belvidere, Illinois 61008-3299
Telephone: (815) 544-3838
The library's Local History & Genealogy collection includes newspapers, yearbooks, city directories, maps, vital records, land deeds, and records of cemeteries, churches, military and censuses.
- North Suburban Library District
6340 N. Second St.
Loves Park, Illinois 61111
Telephone: (815) 633-4247
Their Local History collection includes materials of local families, churches and businesses.
Schools[edit | edit source]
- Boone county, Illinois indexes to records and other information: North Belvidere High School FHL Fiche 6334308
Social Groups Online[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Winnebago and Boone Counties Genealogical Society
PO Box 10166
Loves Park, IL 61131-0166
FACEBOOK
Boone County Historical Museum
311 Whitney Blvd.
Belvidere, IL 61008
Telephone Number: 815-544-8391
Fax: 815-547-1691
Website
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
See Illinois Vital Records for more information about Vital records in Illinois. See also How to order Illinois Vital Records or order electronically online.
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Boone 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 website of the Boone County Clerk Recorder explains how to order birth, marriage, and death records.
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 Boone County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1877–1909 Birth indexes FHL fiche 6075794
- 1877-1907 Birth Records IRAD-NIU; search for Boone County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
- 1877-1925 Birth Record Index IRAD-NIU; search for Boone County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
- 1916-1976 Birth Certificate Index IRAD-NIU; search for Boone County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
County Illinois Delayed Births, courtesy: Family History Archives
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- 1587-1959 - Illinois, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index at Illinois State Archives; Index
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — index
- 1810–1934 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1934 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1838-1931 Marriage Records and Licenses IRAD-NIU; search for Boone County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
- 1977-1974 Marriage Record Index IRAD-NIU; search for Boone County Records. (Learn more about IRAD.)
- 1838–1932 Marriage records FHL film 1914102 (first of 18 films)
- 1877–1974 Marriage register index FHL film 1914102 (first of 2 films)
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- The mortality schedule for Boone County, Illinois and Winnebago County, Illinois, 1850 to 1880 FHL Book 977.3 V2wh, film 1440537 Item 22 The actual time frame of deaths are full one year before each census.
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — index, some images
- 1916-1950 Database of Illinois Death Certificates.
- 1977-1952 Death Records and Certificates IRAD-NIU
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — index and images
- 1877-1915, 1918-1974 Death Record Index IRAD-NIU
- 1877–1976 Register of deaths index FHL film 1914100
- 1877–1944 Register of deaths [has one record for 1976] FHL film 1914095
- 1910–1914 death indexes FHL fiche 6075794
Additional Resources[edit | edit source]
Additional resources for Boone County births, marriages and deaths may be found in the Illinois, Boone – Vital Records, the Illinois, Boone – Vital Records - indexes, and the Illinois, Boone – Vital Records - newspapers 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[edit | edit source]
- Boone County, IL History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Boone County IL Genealogy
- 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.
- Boone County, Illinois Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- EveryNameIndex.com Free online genealogy indexes for those big old county histories.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Boone County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 194-197.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Boone County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boone_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 14 October 2019.
- ↑ Illinois Miscellaneous Genealogical Records: From Counties, Bond, Boone, Calhoun, Cook, Crawford, Du Page, Johnson, Knox, Lake, Will, Pope: Kentucky county, Mercer: Missouri county, Ralls. Evanston, Ill.: Illinois Society, D.A.R., 1946. Digital version at Ancestry ($).