Kendall County, Illinois Genealogy
Guide to Kendall County, Illinois ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
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County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Kendall County was named for Amos Kendall, a newspaper editor who later became an important advisor to President Andrew Jackson. He also became U.S. Postmaster in 1835. The county was organized in 1841 and its seat is Yorkville. Kendall County is located in the northeastern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Kendall County Courthouse
807 W. John St
Yorkville, IL 60560
Phone: 630-553-4208
Kendall County Courthouse
County records are most often kept at the County Courthouse or another local repository. For further information about where the records for Kendall County are kept, see the Kendall County Courthouse page.
Kendall County, Illinois Record Dates[edit | edit source]
Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1877 | 1841 | 1877 | 1841 | 1841 | 1847 | 1810 |
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
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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:[5]
| Cities | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
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| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline[edit | edit source]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible Records[edit | edit source]
Biographies[edit | edit source]
- The Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois has a Kendall County edition. This includes a state history section along with a county history and biographies of Kendall County residents. See the wiki article for links to available copies and indexes.
Business, Commerce, and Occupations[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1850 | 7,730 | — |
| 1860 | 13,074 | 69.1% |
| 1870 | 12,399 | −5.2% |
| 1880 | 13,083 | 5.5% |
| 1890 | 12,106 | −7.5% |
| 1900 | 11,467 | −5.3% |
| 1910 | 10,777 | −6.0% |
| 1920 | 10,074 | −6.5% |
| 1930 | 10,555 | 4.8% |
| 1940 | 11,105 | 5.2% |
| 1950 | 12,115 | 9.1% |
| 1960 | 17,540 | 44.8% |
| 1970 | 26,374 | 50.4% |
| 1980 | 37,202 | 41.1% |
| 1990 | 39,413 | 5.9% |
| 2000 | 54,544 | 38.4% |
| 2010 | 114,736 | 110.4% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
Church 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 Kendall County Church Records directory of Kendall County churches, and links to several compiled church records.
- Dickson, Elmer George. The Ministers; Priests of Kendall County, Illinois. Chico, California: E. Dickson, 1992. WorldCat 44171342; FS Library film 1698079 Item 7; book 977.3263 K2d
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Catholic
- 1800-1976 Illinois, U.S., Catholic Diocese of Joliet, Sacramental Records, 1800-1976 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African American
- African American Research (US) has more information about the kinds of records
- Illinois African-American Resource Guide by the Illinois State Archives describes what records are at the State Archives with an online method for ordering records.
- African-American Resources for Illinois
Funeral Homes[edit | edit source]
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Genealogies[edit | edit source]
Guardianship[edit | edit source]
Land and Property Records[edit | edit source]
Original land records are held in the office of the County Clerk . See Illinois Land and Property for more information about using land records.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- 1796-1907 U.S. General Land Office Records found at Ancestry ($)
- 1841-1926 Deed records FS Library film 1403516 (first of 16 films)
- 1841-1892 Grantor index FS Library film 1403532
- 1841-1891 Grantee index FS Library film 1403533
- Family Maps of Kendall County, Illinois (2005) plats the land of many nineteenth-century Kendall County residents. The publisher's bookstore includes a free online surname index. FS Library Book 977.3263 E7b
- 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.
- Land Records Kendall County, Illinois at ILGenWeb, includes indexes to federal lands sales, and the 1859, 1870, 1922, and 1941 plat maps of Kendall County.
- Illinois Federal Township Plats at Illinois Digital Archives - images; by County
- Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales at the Illinois State Archives - index; by purchaser's name and by legal description; Also at Ancestry ($).
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Maps and Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- Maps of Illinois (1788-1940)
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military Records[edit | edit source]
War of 1812
Dickson, Elmer George Kendall County veterans of the Civil, Mexican & Spanish-America wars and the War of 1812 (Chico, California: E. Dickson, c1993) pages 39 FS Library Book 977.3263 M2
Civil War
Regiments. Civil War service men from Kendall County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies or regiments that were formed from men of Kendall County.
- - 4th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company C (Also known as Dollins' Cavalry Company).
- - 15th Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, Company I.
- - 20th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K.
- - 36th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies D, E, F, and I.
- - 89th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company H.
- - 91st Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company E.
- - 127th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Companies A, F, and K.
- - 132nd Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company C.
- - 141st Regiment, Illinois Infantry (100 days, 1864), Company F.
- - 147th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company C.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1800-1998 Illinois, County Naturalization Records, 1800-1998 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1856-1991 Illinois, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1856-1991 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-Current Illinois, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and EventsIndex, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
- 1831-Onward Illinois Obituaries at MyHeritage — index ($)
Other Records[edit | edit source]
Public Records[edit | edit source]
- 1841-1992 Public Records at IRAD-NIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1772-1999 Illinois Wills and Probate Records 1772-1999 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1819-1988 Illinois Probate Records, 1819-1988 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Images only
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records[edit | edit source]
Social Security Records[edit | edit source]
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital records consist of birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Original birth and death certificates recorded until the year 1916 are kept by the Kendall 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 following abstracts and copies of original records may be accessed through online databases, the FamilySearch Library and the Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) located at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) - search for Kendall County records. For information on how to use IRAD see the IRAD Wiki page.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1887-1903 Kendall County Birth Records at USGenWeb Archives
- 1877-1918 Birth Records and Index at IRAD-NIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1877-1918 Birth Record Index at IRAD-NIU, FS Library film 1403534 Items 5 - 6
- Kendall County Vital Records at ILGenWeb, includes births, marriages, and deaths.
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1587-1959 Illinois, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index ($)
- 1763-1900 Illinois Statewide Marriage Index, 1763-1900 at Illinois State Archives
- 1805-1985 Illinois, Church Marriages, 1805-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index
- 1810-1940 Illinois, County Marriages, 1810-1940 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1833-1889 Illinois, Civil Marriages, 1833-1889 at FamilySearch — index
- 1841-1915 Marriage Records and Index at IRAD-NIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- 1841-1915 Marriage Records at IRAD-NIU, FS Library film 1403534 Items 1-4
- 1841-1915 Kendall County Marriage Records at USGenWeb Archives Illinois
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1749-1999 Illinois Deaths and Burials, 1749-1999 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1850-1880 Illinois Mortality Schedules, 1850-1880 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; Index and images
- 1877-1903 Death Records at IRAD-NIU, FS Library film 1403535
- 1877-1903 Kendall County Death Records at USGenWeb Archives
- 1877-1918 Death Records and Index at IRAD-NIU - images; physical holdings not online, copies can be requested, List of records available
- Pre-1916 Illinois Statewide Death Index, Pre-1916 at Illinois State Archives
- 1916–1950 Illinois Deaths, 1916-1950 at MyHeritage - index ($)
- 1916-1972 Database of Illinois Death Certificates, 1916-1972 - index
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Research Facilities[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Listed below are archives in Kendall County. For state-wide facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
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 Kendall 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
FamilySearch Centers[edit | edit source]
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Joliet Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Morris Illinois FamilySearch Center
- Oswego Public Library District - multiple locations - an affiliate library
- Plano Community District Public Library - an affiliate library
- Yorkville Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Listed below are libraries in Kendall County. For state-wide library facilities, see Illinois Archives and Libraries.
Oswego Public Library District
32 W. Jefferson Street
Oswego, IL 60543
Phone: 630-554-3150
Plano Community Library District
15 N. Center
Plano, IL 60545
Phone: 630-552-2009
Website
- Collection includes histories, directories, cemetery records, church and school records, and more.
Yorkville Public Library
902 Game Farm Road
Yorkville, IL 60560
Phone: 630-553-4354
Website
- The library has microfilms of census records and The Kendall County Record newspaper.
Museums[edit | edit source]
Little White School Museum
Box 23
72 Polk Street
Oswego, IL 60543
Phone: 630-554-2999
- The museum holds records of local interest, including indexes, histories, maps, photos, and more.
Check in advance for their limited hours.
Societies[edit | edit source]
Listed below are societies in Kendall County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Illinois Societies.
Fern Dell Historic Association
9 E Front Street
Newark, IL 60541
Phone: 815-695-5240
Email: info@ferndell.org
Fox Valley Genealogical Society
PO Box 5435
Naperville, IL 60567-5435
Email: info@ilfvgs.org
Website
Kendall County Historical Society
PO Box 123
7935 State Route 71
Yorkville, IL 60560
Phone: 630-553-6777
Library at Lyon Farm
Email: lyonfarmkchs1@gmail.com
Website
Oswegoland Heritage Association
PO Box 23
72 Polk Street
Oswego, IL 60543
Phone: 630-554-2999
Email: info@littlewhiteschoolmuseum.org
Website
Plano Historical Society
4 S. West Street
Plano, IL 60545
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Kendall County Kin
- Kendall County IL Genealogy
- Kendall ILGenWeb, ILGenWeb
- Kendall County, IL Linkpendium
- FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.
Research Guides[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ IL Individual County Chronologies
- ↑ Genealogy Trails History Group, “Kendall, Illinois Genealogy and History”, http://genealogytrails.com/ill/kendall/ accessed 04/17/2017.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kendall County, Illinois. Page 192-199 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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.
- ↑ IL Individual County Chronologies
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Kendall County, Illinois," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kendall_County,_Illinois, accessed 19 March 2020.