Will County ILGenWeb

These pages are a part of the ILGenWeb Project. They provide a resource for genealogists searching in Will County, Illinois. You can post queries about surnames you are researching, see who else might be researching the same names as yourself, ask volunteers to do reference look-ups, volunteer to do reference look-ups, and get information on searching in Will County. My name is Dennis Partridge, and I am currently the host of Will County, you can contact me here, if you have any questions. I do not live in Will County, nor Illinois, but I will attempt to answer your research questions or point you in the direction of somebody who can.

Real Estate Owners D Surnames

Real Estate Owners extracted from History of Will County, Illinois Wm. LeBaron, Jr., & Co. 1878 Submitted by Margie Glenn D Surnames

Real Estate Owners C Surnames

Real Estate Owners extracted from History of Will County, Illinois Wm. LeBaron, Jr., & Co. 1878 Submitted by Margie Glenn C Surnames

Real Estate Owners B Surnames

Real Estate Owners extracted from History of Will County, Illinois Wm. LeBaron, Jr., & Co. 1878 Submitted by Margie Glenn B Surnames

Real Estate Owners A Surnames

Real Estate Owners extracted from History of Will County, Illinois Wm. LeBaron, Jr., & Co. 1878 Submitted by Margie Glenn A Surnames

Fact Sheet for Will County Illinois

IRAD Fact Sheet for Will County Compiled by Ted Cash. The below information was obtained from the Illinois State Archives Established: January 12, 1836 (Laws, 1836, p. 262) Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in: 1831–1836 Cook 1833–1836 Iroquois 1826–1836 Vermilion 1825–1827 Putnam 1823–1825 Edgar 1823–1825 Fulton 1819–1823 Clark 1821–1823 Pike 1816–1823 Crawford 1815–1816 Edwards 1812–1815 Madison 1801–1812 St. Clair 1790–1801 Knox, Northwest Territory County Seat: 1836– Joliet—Name changed from Juliet on May 24, 1845. History of county governing board: 1836–1850 County Commissioners’ Court 1850– County Board of Supervisors Township Government Adopted: November 6, 1849 Township Names: Channahon … Read more

History of Wheatland Illinois

Immediately north of Plainfield, lies the town of Wheatland-Township 37, Range 9–the northwestern corner of the county. With slight exceptions, this township remained unsettled until after 1840. Two things contributed to delay its settlement. Lying mostly outside of the Indian boundary line, it was not surveyed until 1837 or 1838, and not brought into market until 1841; and being entirely prairie (with a trifling exception in the northeast corner), it did not so early attract settlers as other portions. But this was also an advantage, as it was from these circumstances, kept out of the hands of speculators, and reserved.

History of Reed Township Illinois

The first Township in the Braidwood area, organized in 1850, was named “Clinton” and was then the largest in Will county. It extended six miles North from and Twelve miles East and West along the Will-Kankakee line, South and West of the Kankakee River. In 1875, the Will county Board of supervisors divided the large, unwieldly “Clinton” Township into two Townships, giving the name “Reid”, later changed to “Reed”, to the portions 3 miles wide and 6 miles long in the extreme southwestern part of the county. The name “Custer” was given to the Eastern Portion of the old “Clinton” … Read more

Photographs of Will County Illinois

Baumgartner Creamery

William Long’s Blacksmith Shop This is a picture of the blacksmith shop of William Millard Long who died in 1953 Channahon. He operated the blacksmith shop until after 1920 when he turned it over to his oldest son, Robert. William served as Channahon town clerk for a time. Submitted by Jill Doyle, Jul 2003   Four Generations of Hulberts, ca 1920 This photo was taken ca 1920 and is of four generations of Hulberts. From left to right: either Raymond or Joseph Hulbert, Charles Ray Hulbert, Clinton Raymond Hulbert, and Oren S. Hulbert. Oren settled in Will Co. in 1881, … Read more

Settlements Along Old Sauk Trail

In 1933, during the centennial celebration held by Chicago Heights, the early pioneers were honored by a marker placed in the forest preserve by the Chicago Heights Centennial commission and Sauk Trail chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. The bronze marker was mounted on a boulder on the south side of Sauk trail about opposite from the site of the McCoy homestead. Although it was plainly visible from the road and on public property, vandals soon pried the bronze marker off the boulder and there it stands today, a mute reminder of the unsuccessful effort to honor the … Read more