Place:DeKalb, Illinois, United States

NameDeKalb
Alt namesDe Kalbsource: Getty Vocabulary Program
De Kalb countysource: USGS, GNIS Digital Gazetteer (1994) GNIS17021906
DeKalbsource: USGS, GNIS Digital Gazetteer (1994) GNIS17003256
TypeCounty
Coordinates41.917°N 88.75°W
Located inIllinois, United States     (1837 - )
See alsoPutnam, Illinois, United StatesParent county (source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990)
source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
source: Family History Library Catalog


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 100,420. Its county seat is Sycamore.

DeKalb County is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

DeKalb County was formed on 4 March 1837, out of Kane County, Illinois. The county was named for Johann de Kalb, a German (Bavarian) hero of the American Revolutionary War. DeKalb County's area is approximately 632.7 square miles, and is located 63 miles west of Chicago. There are 19 townships in the county with the county seat at Sycamore.

Between 1834 and 1837, settlements were formed in DeKalb County along streams and wooded areas due to fertile soil, wild game, and food and water opportunities. Primary growth stemmed from the introduction of the railroad which brought easier methods of transportation and opportunities for industrial growth. Early industries based in DeKalb County included Sandwich Mfg. Co, Marsh Harvester Co, barbed wire, and Gurler Bros Pure Milk Co.

The county is noted for agriculture. In 1852, the DeKalb Agricultural Society produced the county's first Agricultural Fair, in Sycamore. Eventually farmers, businessmen, bankers and newspapermen organized to become the DeKalb County Soil Improvement Association, which later was split into DeKalb County Farm Bureau and DeKalb Agricultural Association (DEKALB AgResearch, Inc., Monsanto). DeKalb County is credited with being the birthplace of the Farm Bureau movement. DeKalb County is also the 2nd largest hog producing county in Illinois and the 66th largest in the nation.

Education has played an important role in the area with Northern Illinois University located in DeKalb and Kishwaukee College located in Malta. Except for 2020 (COVID-19), a major fair has been held each year since 1887 at the Sandwich Fairgrounds in Sandwich.

Timeline

Date Event Source
1837 County formed Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1837 Marriage records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1837 Probate records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1838 Court records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1838 Land records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
1840 First census Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1840 No significant boundary changes after this year Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
1877 Birth records recorded Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources

Population History

source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
Census Year Population
1840 1,697
1850 7,540
1860 19,086
1870 23,265
1880 26,768
1890 27,066
1900 31,756
1910 33,457
1920 31,339
1930 32,644
1940 34,388
1950 40,781
1960 51,714
1970 71,654
1980 74,624
1990 77,932

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of DeKalb County, Illinois, United States

Research Tips

External links

  • Outstanding guide to DeKalb County family history and genealogy resources (FamilySearch Research Wiki). Birth, marriage, and death records, censuses, wills, deeds, county histories, cemeteries, churches, naturalizations, newspapers, libraries, and genealogical societies.
  • www.dekalbcounty.org/


This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at DeKalb County, Illinois. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.