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Lee County History and Information |
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County History |
Court Records |
Vital Records |
CENSUS Records |
TAX Records |
Military Records |
Church & Cemetery | Maps & Atlases | Genealogy Addresses | Genealogy Related Sites | |
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Lee County was created on February 27, 1839 (Laws, 1839, p. 170) and was formed from Ogle County . Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: Ogle County (1836–1839), [Eastern Part: LaSalle County (1831–1836), Putnam County (1825–1831)], [Western Part: JoDaviess County (1827–1836), Fulton County (1823–1825), Pike County (1821–1823)], [Eastern Part: Clark County (1819–1821), Crawford County (1816–1819), Edwards County (1815–1816)], [Western Part: Bond County (1817–1821), Madison County (1815–1817)], Madison County (1812–1817) and St. Clair County (1801–1812). The County was named for Richard Henry Lee, an orator and statesman of the Revolutionary period, a member of the Continental Congress, a Representative in Congress and United States Senator from Virginia. The County Seat is Dixon (1839-Present). See also County History for more historical details. Counties adjacent to Lee County are Ogle County (north), DeKalb County (east), LaSalle County (southeast), Bureau County (southwest), Whiteside County (west). Lee County Townships include Alto (Formed from Willow Creek on February 28, 1860), Amboy, Ashton (Formed as Ogle from Bradford on February 12, 1861; name changed to Ashton on November 7, 1867), Bradford, Brooklyn, China (Name changed from Fremont on May 14, 1850), Dixon, East Grove (Formed from Hamilton on November 9, 1864), Hamilton, Harmon (Formed from Marion on March 3, 1857), Lee Center, Marion (Formed from Hamilton and Amboy in September, 1854), May (Formed from Hamilton in September, 1854), Nachusa (Formed from China on February 8, 1871), Nelson (Formed from Dixon on February 28, 1860), Palmyra, Reynolds (Formed from Brooklyn in September, 1858), South Dixon (Formed from Dixon on February 12, 1867), Sublette (Name changed from Hanno), Viola (Formed as Stockton from Brooklyn on February 12, 1861; name changed to Viola in September, 1861), Willow Creek (Formed from Wyoming in September, 1854), Wyoming (Name changed from Paw Paw on May 14, 1850) Townships Cities, Towns and Communities include Amboy, Ashton, Compton, Dixon, Franklin Grove, Harmon, Nelson, Paw Paw, Steward, Sublette, West Brooklyn
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The Official County website is located at http://www.countyoflee.org/. All departments below at located at the Lee County Courthouse, P.O. Box 329, Dixon, IL 61021 , unless a different address is listed below. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time. Lee County Circuit Court Clerk has Probate Records from 1839 and Court Records from 1840 and is located at the address above. Phone Number: (815)
284-5234 Lee County Recorder has Land Records from 1838 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (815)
288-3309 Lee County Clerk has Birth / Death Records from 1877 and Marriage Records from 1839 and is located at the courthouse. Phone Number: (815) 288-3309
Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Lee County Court Records by clicking the link below:
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Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, 605 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62702-5097. It can take up to 6 weeks to get a vital record from Illinois. A number of resources are available for individuals doing genealogical research using vital records filed in the state of Illinois. Births and deaths before January 1, 1916 and marriages before January 1, 1962 are recorded only in the office of the county clerk where the event occurred. Most county clerks have indexes to the records that are prior to 1916 that are available for the purpose of genealogical research. These indexes generally provide the name, date and place of occurrence and are located in county courthouses located throughout the state. Although self-service access to the indexes is generally permitted, the law limits physical access to the individual records to the clerk's staff. When you locate a record from the index, it will be necessary for the clerk to pull the record for you once you have paid the appropriate search fee. Please check with the county clerk for fees and policies on reviewing indexes.
Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Lee County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
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Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Lee County, Illinois are 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your Family Tree in Lee County, Illinois are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms and U.K. Census Extraction Forms. See Also Statewide Records that exist for Illinois Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Lee County Census Records by clicking the link below: |
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Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states. You can view rotating animated maps for Illinois showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Maps. Email us with websites containing Lee County Maps by clicking the link below: |
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The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Lee County Military Records by clicking the link below:
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The first known tax authorization in Illinois fell under the jurisdiction of the Territory of the United States North West of the River Ohio. The tax was based on every hundred acres of unimproved uncleared prairie or wood land, divided into three classes based on quality of earth surface and soil. The rates were thirty, twenty, and ten cents, to be paid annually. Property with delinquent taxes was sold at public auction. There do not appear to be any surviving tax records from this territorial period. Beginning with statehood, tax records form a large part of county archival material. The 1819 laws provided the first taxation process, imposing taxes on land, bank stock owned, slaves and indentured negroes or mulattoes, plus a poor tax. The tax was collected by the county with income divided between the county and state. Taxpayers lists were eliminated in 1824, and in 1825 a county road tax and school taxes were enacted. Original and microfilmed tax records at Illinois Regional Archives Depositories include taxable land lists, assessors books, railroad tax books, road tax records, and collectors books, the earliest record dated 1817. Other county tax records are located in county seats. Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Lee County Tax Records by clicking the link below: |
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The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over. Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Lee County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
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There are many churches and cemeteries in Lee County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Lee County Tombstone Transcription Project. Despite the early Catholic missionaries in Illinois, their church had almost totally disappeared from the state by the time of the American Revolution. Later migration of English-speaking Catholics reestablished the church in the state. In 1850 the largest religious denomination in Illinois was the Methodists. Baptists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, and Congregationalists followed. Episcopalians had organized in the state in 1835, the Disciples of Christ were in Illinois prior to 1830, and the Lutherans grew in numbers with the German and Scandinavian emigration of the 1840s. The Genealogical Society of Utah and the Daughters of the American Revolution have compiled cemetery records for the state of Illinois. Soldiers' Burial Places in State of Illinois for Wars 1774-1898 is available on thirty-one reels of microfilm from the FHL. Local genealogical societies may have information and possible printed records of cemeteries in their locale. Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Lee County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
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When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Lee County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Lee County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
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In the early years of the 1800's this area, with its broad prairies which were then only traversed in all directions by herds of deer and antelope along with the bands of Indians which lived and hunted in this region. This section of the country was at the time the undisputed home of the red man and no white man was then a citizen of what was to become Lee County. A few white settlers had tried unsuccessfully to stake their claim but were quickly run off by Indians. In 1818 Illinois attained statehood and was rapidly sectioned off into areas known as counties. It would be some 21 years until the county of Lee would be formed. The earliest settlement that was made within the county was where the City of Dixon now stands. The early part of 1828 would have a half-breed named Joseph Ogee build a log cabin and establish a ferry across the Rock River. A year later a post office was established with a man named John Gay becoming the postmaster. On April 11, 1830, John Dixon a native of New York came here and located. He and Ogee were the entire population at the time. It was shortly thereafter that Mr. Dixon would purchase the interest of Ogee for a reported $1,800 and the place then shortly became known as Dixon's Ferry. James P. Dixon had received a contract for carrying mail from Chicago to Dixon's Ferry and it became necessary to establish a station some distance southeast of Dixon. Mr. Melugin quit his job as blacksmith and went to an area where the station would have to be located and made the first settlement in the county aside from Dixon's Ferry. This area became known as Melugin's Grove. Organization Of Lee County It was shortly thereafter on the 31st of May that Dixon was selected as the capital of the county. The County of Lee was named in honor of Richard "Lighthorse" Henry Lee, an orator and popular statesman of the Revolutionary Period. The county lies between 41 and 42 degrees of North Latitude. Its Longitude is about 12 degrees and 30 minutes west. It is bounded on the north by Ogle County, on the west by Whiteside, on the south by Bureau and LaSalle, and on the east by DeKalb. The county runs 36 miles east and west, and by 22 miles north and south. There are 22 townships located within which comprises 792 square miles or 506,880 acres. Pioneering Spirit As the population of the country steadily moved Westward, those that perhaps had left many of the cities, towns and villages in the East with the then modern day comforts and conveniences, only to venture into the wilderness were appropriately called pioneers. For the adventures that would be shared and the trails they would open to others that would follow them, would leave its mark in history. The hardships were many, some giving up and returning to their points of departure. Others, steadfast and unwavering ventured onward to the unknown, but with expectation and hope for a better life. Those that settled in this area of the Rock River Valley would encounter some hardships but not nearly as severe as others who would venture further West through the plains and mountainous regions. For those that stayed here and started a new life with only what a wagon could carry, would find that there was plenty of good land and an abundance of food and water. But why Illinois? And why this particular area? Due to the panic in 1837, times were hard in the Eastern part of the country. In Europe, because of the number of recent wars, times there were bad also. Additionally, many of the Eastern States only allowed property owners to vote. This excluded a vast number of people who were just as interested in their government and its issues. In Illinois, from its earliest days, the state gave the right to vote to any man who had lived in the state a year and could pay their county tax. Other significant factors were many of the settlers came with the idea of working in the lead mines at Galena, at least part of the year, or of profiting in some way through the seasonal migration of people to Galena. It would be a lucrative business, many thought, for travelers must have food and shelter along their journeys. In 1837 land was cheap, yet at $2 per acre, with a minimum of 640 acres, few people could buy it. But it was shortly afterward the price of land was lowered to $1.25 per acre, with a new minimum now set at 40 acres. Many could now afford to buy enough land for a really large farm. The thick groves of tall oak trees and areas along waterways provided the best home sites as these were quickly gobbled up. The trees would provide logs for a home, firewood, material for furniture, fencing and shade during the summer days. Pioneer homes in the early stages within this region were all very much alike. They were made of unhewed logs, chinked with wood and plastered over with clay mortar. Shakes for the roof were made of split trees, as was the floor. If shelves for dishes and pans were made, they were usually done by boring holes in the logs and driving long pins in, then laying boards across the pins. The room was warmed by a fireplace which also served for cooking. Bread was often made by being baked in iron kettles with iron covers, the kettle being placed in one side of the fireplace and then covered with coals and ashes. Corn was the staple food and found its way served in a variety of forms, bread, pudding, hominy and mush. Mills were located far away as a rule, so often the corn had to be pounded into a rough meal at home. Sweets consisted of wild honey and maple syrup. Wild fruits, such as plums, cherries, crabapples, grapes and berries were used and often were dried for use in the winter months. Nuts were usually plentiful in wooded areas. As soon as settlers were able to raise their own pork and beef, they then did their own butchering. Most of the meat was dried or cured for later use. The endurance, fortitude and will of the pioneer was strong. And so it was, a simple life filled with hardship and often tragedy, but the "pioneer" endured and conquered the obstacles placed before them. For those that lasted, it opened new trails for those that would follow in their footsteps. Growth And Prosperity Undoubtedly the railroads played a significant part in the development of the county. Towns sprang up all along the routes. Compton, Amboy, Ashton, Franklin Grove, all started to prosper for now there was a way of moving farm goods and materials easily and rapidly back and forth with major areas such as Chicago and Peoria. Gone are the days with the sound of the pioneer's axe, waging destruction to the tall majestic forest trees, the stillness and monotony which later on became broken by the shrill whistle of the "iron horse" or the almost ceaseless hum of machinery that filled the air. |
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