Boone County, Illinois, Genealogy

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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
Boundary map of Boone County, Illinois
Map of the U.S. highlighting Illinois
Location of Illinois in the U.S.
Facts
Founded: March 4, 1837
County Seat Belvidere
Courthouse
Boone County Courthouse.gif
Photo courtesy Illinois Regional Archives Depository, Illinois State Archives
Address Boone County Courthouse
601 North Main Street
Belvidere, Illinois 61008
(815) 544-3103
Boone County website


Boone County Organization[edit | edit source]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[1]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1877 1877 1877 1838 1838 1840 1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths started 1916. General compliance by 1922.

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]

Unfinished portrait of Daniel Boone by Chester Harding 1820.jpg

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

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
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]

Cemeteries of Boone, Illinois online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
TombstoneTranscriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Illinois Cemeteries for more information

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]

State[edit | edit source]

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.

  • 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

  • 1843-1909 Circuit Court Records IRAD-NIU
  • 1842-1849 Circuit Court Execution Dockets IRAD-NIU
  • 1843-1853 Circuit Court Fee Books IRAD-NIU
  • 1850-1909 Circuit Court Dockets IRAD-NIU
  • 1859-1900 Circuit Court Execution Docket Index IRAD-NIU
  • 1877-1893 Circuit Court Judgment Docket Index IRAD-NIU

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.

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]


  • 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.


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

Maps[edit | edit source]

Rock CountyWalworth CountyWinnebago CountyMcHenry CountyKane CountyDeKalb CountyOgle CountyIL BOONE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


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

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

Poorhouses[edit | edit source]

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Online 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.

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 and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

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]


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.

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]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Boone County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boone_County,_Illinois, Last accessed 14 October 2019.
  3. ↑ 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 ($).

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