DeKalb County, Illinois
Genealogy, History & Facts

County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links

DeKalb County, Illinois Facts

When was DeKalb County, IL Created?
DeKalb County was established on March 4, 1837.

What is the County Seat of DeKalb County, IL?
The County Seat is located in Sycamore (prior county seats was Orange from 1837-1839, Coltonville from 1839-1840) also, the county government website is www.dekalbcounty.org .

What counties are adjacent to DeKalb County, IL?
Bordering Counties are  Boone County, McHenry County, Kane County, Kendall County, LaSalle County, Lee County, Ogle County, Winnebago County

DeKalb County, IL Vital Records

Where can find DeKalb County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
DeKalb County vital records can be found at the Illinois Department of Public Health has copies of birth, marriage, divorce and death records. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in Illinois for current fees and application process.

You can search online for DeKalb County Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. You can also Order Electronically Online or can download an application for Illinois Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications to mail.

• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• Social Security Death Index
• Order Hard Copies of Vital Records
• USGenweb Archives Illinois Marriage Project
• Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922
• Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915
• Illinois Marriage Records, 1860 – 1905
• Illinois County Marriages, 1810-1934
• Cook County, Illinois, Marriage and Death Indexes, 1833-1889
• Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871-1920
• Illinois Marriages, 1851-1900
• Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900
• Illinois Marriages, 1790-1860
• Illinois Marriages to 1850
• Cook County Deaths, 1878-1922
• Illinois Death Certificates, 1916–1950
• Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths Index, 1916-1947
• Illinois, Deaths and Stillbirths, 1916-1947

DeKalb County, IL Census Records

What DeKalb County, IL census records are available?
There are many types of census records for DeKalb County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

DeKalb Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. DeKalb Co. Industry and Agriculture can be obtained for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. DeKalb Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. One can find free online and printable census forms to help you with your research. See Also Illinois Census Records Research Guide

• Search The U.S. Federal Census Collection
• DeKalb County, IL Census Records
• DeKalb County, IL Census QuickFacts

DeKalb County, IL Courthouse and Government Records

DeKalb County Courthouse

What genealogical records can I find in the DeKalb County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of DeKalb County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in Illinois courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless Illinois residents.

The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the DeKalb County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also Illinois Corthouse Records Research Guide.

• DeKalb County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
  • Address: 133 West State Street, Sycamore, IL 60178
• DeKalb County Clerk & Recorder of Deeds
  • Address:County Administration Building, 110 E. Sycamore St., Sycamore, IL 60178
  • Phone: (815) 895-7149
  • Marriage Records: 1837
  • Birth & Death Records: 1877
  • Land Records: 1838
• DeKalb County Clerk of the Circuit Court,
  • Phone: (815) 895-7138
  • Probate Records: 1837
  • Court Records: 1838
• The county archives of the state of Illinois
• BLM Land Records

DeKalb County, IL Societies and Family History Resources

What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for DeKalb County, IL?
A list of DeKalb County Historical  and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide Illinois Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.

• DeKalb County Historical & Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 295, Sycamore, IL 60178
• Northern Illinois University (NIU), Illinois Regional Archives Depository, c/o Regional History Center, Founders Memorial Library, Rm. 400, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115; 815-753-1807
• Ellwood House & Museum, 509 N. First Street, DeKalb, IL 60115
• Joseph F. Glidden Homestead & Historical Center, 921 W. Lincoln Hwy., DeKalb, IL 60115 Phone 815-756-7904
• Gurler Heritage Association, 205 Pine Street, DeKalb, IL 60115
• Kirkland Historical Society, Located in the Kirkland Public Library, 513 W. Main Street, Kirkland, IL 60146 815-522-6260
• Kishwaukee Valley Heritage Society, 622 W. Park Ave., Genoa, IL 60135 815-784-5559
• Malta Historical and Genealogy Society, 127 North Third Street, P. O. Box 171, Malta, IL 60150
• Midwest Museum of Natural History, 425 West State Street, Sycamore, IL 60178; 815-895-9777 Toll Free: 866-895-MMNH
• North Grove School Association, 26745 Brickville Road, Sycamore, IL 60178
• Marie Louise Olmstead Museum, South Depot Street, Somonauk, IL 60552 815-498-2417
• Regional History Center, Founders Memorial Library, Room 400, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115; 815-753-1779
• Sandwich Historical Society & Stone Mill Museum, Sandwich Park District Building Latham and Arnold Street Sandwich, Illinois 60548; Direct Queries to: Joan Hardikopf, 815-786-2513 or Pat Clapper, 815-786-8141; Meetings 7:00 pm on the 4th Thursday each month
• Sycamore Historical Society & Museum, 308 West State Street, PO Box 502 Sycamore, IL. 60178 815-895-5762
• Waterman Area Heritage Society, 180 West Lincoln Street , Waterman, IL. 60556 815-264-3461
• Illinois State Archives, Norton Building, Capitol Complex, Springfield, IL 62756; (217) 782-4682
• National Archives – Great Lakes Region (Chicago), 7358 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, Illinois 60629-5898; 773-948-9001
•  Illinois State Historical Society 210 1/2 S. Sixth, Springfield, IL 62701-1503; Phone: (217)525-2781
• Illinois State Library, 300 South 2nd Street, Springfield, IL 62701-1796; Phone: (217) 785-5600
• Illinois State Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 10195, Springfield, IL 62791; Phone: (217) 789-1968

Where can I connect with other DeKalb County, IL Researchers through message boards and forums?

• Illinois Genealogy Community (plus.google.com)
• Illinois State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
• DeKalb County, Illinois Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in DeKalb County
• DeKalb County, Illinois Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)

What other genealogical resources are available in DeKalb County, IL?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to DeKalb County. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some require a cost. This is simply a collection that has been gathered or submitted. I do not recommend or promote one genealogy site over another.

DeKalb Co. IL Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers

• See Also Map of Illinois Links and Information
• DeKalb Co. D.O.T. Map
• Map of DeKalb County and its civil and congressional townships
• DeKalb Federal Township Plats of Illinois (1804-1891) (landplats.ilsos.net)
• 1892 DeKalb Co., IL Railroad Map (usgwarchives.net)
• 1895 DeKalb County Map (livgenmi.com)

DeKalb Co. IL Books, Newspapers & Publications

• Illinois Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
• Illinois historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
• Historical Newspapers from Illinois (1808 – 1922) (genealogybank.com) Quickly identify names and keywords and phrases in over 450 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and also other items published in over 2,800 historical U.S. newspapers. Unique articles and other content added each and every month!
• DeKalb County, Illinois Books (amazon.com)
• Search Illinois Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)

DeKalb Co. IL Court, Probate Land and Tax Records

• The Voters and tax-payers of De Kalb County, Illinois : containing, also, a biographical directory of its tax-payers and voters  (search.ancestry.com)

DeKalb Co. IL Cemeteries & Church Records

• DeKalb Co., Illinois Graves (findagrave.com)
• DeKalb County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
• DeKalb Co., Illinois Cemeteries (Internment.net)
• DeKalb Co., Illinois Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
• DeKalb County, Illinois Church Books (amazon.com)

DeKalb Co. IL Family Websites, Pictures & Histories

• Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
• DeKalb County, Illinois Biographical Dictionary  (search.ancestry.com)
• Index to names in twenty-six volumes of Illinois records  (search.ancestry.com)
• The Illinois Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)

DeKalb Co. IL General and History Websites

• See Also State History for Illinois
• DeKalb County, Illinois Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
• DeKalb County Fact Sheet (cyberdriveillinois.com)
• Portrait and biographical album of DeKalb County, Illinois : containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of promin  (search.ancestry.com)
• History of DeKalb County, Illinois  (search.ancestry.com)
• History of the Somonauk United Presbyterian Church near Sandwich, De Kalb County, Illinois : with ancestral lines of the early  (search.ancestry.com)
• DeKalb County, Illinois Wiki (familysearch.org)
• DeKalb Co. IL Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
• Family History Library (familysearch.org)
• DeKalb County, Illinois (linkpendium.com)
• Cyndi’s List – United States – Illinois – Counties – DeKalb (cyndislist.com)
• DeKalb County Illinois (genealogytrails.com)
• DeKalb Co. ILGenweb (ilgenweb.net)
• DeKalb County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
• DeKalb Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)

DeKalb Co. IL Military Records

• Illinois Military Records Research Guide
• Illinois Military Records (fold3.com) gives easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents belonging to the Illinois both males and females that served. Suitable for DeKalb County genealogists, researchers, historians plus much more.