Winnebago County Illinois History and Genealogy

Welcome to

Winnebago County, Illinois

Genealogy and History

Welcome to Genealogy Trails Winnebago County, Illinois

My name is Mark Seeberg and as your Winnebago County, Il host I try to post as much data online as possible in order to make it freely available to all. We gratefully accept contributions of raw data such as census information, marriage/birth/death records, obituaries, county histories, biographies, old newspaper items - anything that would help someone build their family tree!

Please email me @ Tlaloc54@aol.com with your contributions - every little bit helps.

I regret that I am unable to do personal research

This site is always updating

WINNEBAGO COUNTY

Established January 16, 1836

Named for the Winnebago Native American tribe who once occupied
that part of northern Illinois.
The Native American word Winnebago translates to "fish eater."

County Seat: Rockford

Surrounding Counties
Boone
Dekalb
Ogle
Stephenson

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TOWNSHIPS/TOWNS/CITIES/POPULATED PLACES:

VIEW TOWNSHIP MAP

EAST

Laona--no incorporation--includes community of Lake Summerset
Shirland--no incorporation--includes unincorporated village of Shirland
Durand--name changed from Howard (circa 1869)--includes village of Durand
Harrison--no incorporation
Pecatonica --named changed from Lysander (date unknown)-- The name Pecatonica can be traced to the Indian word "peeketolika", meaning "crooked river" --includes village of Pecatonica
Burritt--no incorporation
Seward--no incorporation/includes unincorporated town of Seward
Winnebago--name changed from Elida (circa 1869)--includes village of Winnebago

WEST

Rockton--includes village of Rockton and South Beloit
Roscoe--includes village of Roscoe
Owen--no incorporation
Harlem--includes city of Loves Park and Machesney Park and unincorporated town of Argyle
Rockford--includes city of Rockford and village of New Milford
Cherry Valley --includes village of Cherry Valley

The PAPER VILLAGE of WINNEBAGO

THIS WEEK'S LINK OF INTEREST:

Rockford Speedway, Official Site

UPDATES

Some News Concerning the History of the Rockford Speedway --various sources

Don E. Yapp, "Return To Stalag 7-A" --various sources

Shirland Historical News Articles --various sources

Village of Winnebago Historical News Articles --various sources

Roscoe Historical News Articles --various sources

History of Rockford and Winnebago County Schools ---from Past and Present of City of Rockford and Winnebago County Illinois, Charles A Church and H.H. Waldo, 1905 and Sinnissippi Saga, Nelson, C. Hal, 1968

A Haunting in Rolling Green, 1982 --Rockford Register Star

Don Alonzo Spaulding--Illinois Government Field Notes--Vol. 372--courtesy of Donald Sonneson, meanderman@boldnet.net

Metropolitan Holiness Church, The "Holy Jumpers" in Rockford --various sources

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Online Data

CENSUS RECORDS *Winnebago County Residents in the* *1880 Census of Patients* **at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane 1880 Supplemental Census Schedules 15th Census 1930**	*WINNEBAGO COUNTY* ROCKFORD *Rockford 1857 City Register*	MAPS **1835 ILLINOIS/MISSOURI *** *courtesy of Mr. Michael Eaton, Pecatonica Historical Society
Emigrants from Falkoping area, Skaraborg, Sweden - Winnebago County * *courtesy of Annelie Jonsson , Emigrant.se Immigrants from Falkoping, News and Obits	NEWSPAPER GLEANINGS --*includes birth, marriage and death notices, business, farming, gossip, tragedies, weather and historically significant events*	FAMILIES The Wetherell Family * Courtesy of Mrs. Muriel Ellis muriel.ellis@virgin.net The Hersey-Talcott Family courtesy of Marion T.(Mick) Hersey, mick143fely@hotmail.com The Layton and Eleanor Larson Family*
BIRTHS Pre-1855 births 1855-1931 births	DEATHS IN WINNEBAGO *Death index* *1844-1981* *Death Notices*	MARRIAGES Marriages 1836-1956 *Marriage Announcements*
BIOGRAPHIES *Lewis Lemon* *--the only slave in the county*	OBITUARIES	MILITARY DATA
BROTHERS AND SISTERS clubs, fraternal and sororal organizations and other societies	FAITH AND WINNEBAGO COUNTY	CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
BOOKS	SURNAMES *Names submitted by parties researching ancestry*	SCHOOLS
CEMETERIES	INDUSTRY	Winnebago County *Convicts in the Joliet Prison*
"ODD" WINNEBAGO	INVENTION AND INNOVATION	*Death and Marriage notices* from Winn Scrapbook Contributed to Hamburg Historical Society
HISTORIC DISTRICTSAND NEIGHBORHOODS Blackhawk Island Kishwaukee Morristown-- history and news from Morristown		CAMP GRANT *history* *pictures* Camp Grant in the News
Search our Sights!	*Back to the* *Illinois* *Page*	*Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.)*

Helpful Addresses

County Clerk or Recorder Winnebago County Administration Building 404 Elm Street Rockford, IL 61101 Telephone: County Clerk Recorder (815) 987-3050 (815) 987-3100	Circuit Clerk Winnebago County Courthouse 400 West State Street, Room 101 Rockford, IL 61101 Telephone: (815) 987-2510	IRAD Depository Regional History Center Founders Memorial Library Room 400 Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL 60115 Telephone: (815) 753-1807
1. BIRTH, DEATH, MARRIAGES 1878 ON ARE VERY DETAILED COURT HOUSE RECORDS. INDEXES ARE ONLINE. THE AREA LIBRARIES WITH WINNEBAGO CO. B.D.M. MICROFILMS ARE - ROCKFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY 3R FLOOR GENEALOGY ROOM & IDA PUBLIC LIBRARY BELVIDERE HISTORY ROOM & FHCL (L.D.S.) BRANCH LIBRARY 2 BLOCKS NORTH OF 16 PLEX THEATER OFF E. STATE ST. 2. ROCKFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY 3RD FLOOR HISTORY ROOM ALSO HAS MICROFILM COPIES OF ROCKFORD SWEDISH CHURCH RECORDS. SWEDISH - BAPTIST, SWEDISH METHODIST, SWEDISH LUTHERAN, ETC... MANY OF THE FILMS HAVE VERY DETAILED MEMBERSHIP LISTS, GIVING THE TOWN & COUNTY & PROVINCE BORN & MARRIED IN ETC.. & FIRST CHURCH IN U.S. THEY JOINED. SOME CHURCHES HAVE SEVERAL MENBERSHIP LISTS IN THE OLD MICROFILMED CHURCH BOOKS. 3. 20 PERCENT OF ILLINOIS MARRIAGES TOOK PLACE IN WISCONSIN. IT WAS CHEAPER & FASTER TO GET MARRIED THERE. THE ROCK & WALWORTH COUNTY TRANSCRIBED MARRIAGE ENTRIES THRU 1907 GIVE ALL INF. ON MARRIAGE APPLICATION . MARRIAGE DATE & PLACE, TOWN MARRIED IN, TOWN BORN IN, PARENTS NAMES. THESE TWO BOOKS ARE AT ROCKFORD & BELVIDERE PUBLIC LIBRARIES HISTORY ROOMS. THEY ARE FULL OF ILLINOIS MARRIAGE ON EVERY PAGE IN THE TWO BOOKS. *--MARTIN W. JOHNSON - BELVIDERE ILL. HISTORIAN.*
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Don Alonzo Spaulding--Illinois Government Field Notes--Vol. 372--courtesy of Donald Sonneson, meanderman@boldnet.net