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DeKalb County

Established
March 4, 1837 (Laws, 1837, p. 97)

Origin of the name of the county
Named for Johann DeKalb, a German baron, who served in the Colonies during the Revolution, and was mortally wounded at Camden, South Carolina in 1780.

Present area, or parts of it, formerly included in
1836–1837 — Kane
1831–1835 — LaSalle
1825–1831 — Putnam
1823–1825 — Fulton
1821–1823 — Pike
1819–1821 — Clark
1816–1819 — Crawford
1815–1816 — Edwards
1812–1815 — Madison
1795–1812 — St. Clair

County Seats
1837–1839 — Orange—Name later changed to Sycamore.
1839–1840 — Coltonville
1840–  — Sycamore

History of county governing board
1837–1850 — County Commissioners’ Court
1850–  — County Board of Supervisors

Township Government
Adopted — November 6, 1849

Township Names
Afton — Formed from DeKalb and Clinton on February 18, 1856.
Clinton
Cortland — First named Richland, then changed to Pampas on November 20, 1850 and to Cortland on February 1, 1865.
DeKalb — Name changed from Orange on November 20, 1850.
Franklin
Genoa
Kingston
Malta — Formed as Etna from DeKalb in September, 1856; name changed from Etna in December, 1858.
Mayfield — Name changed from Liberty on November 20, 1850.
Milan — Formed from Shabbona and Malta on February 23, 1858.
Paw Paw — Formed in March, 1850.
Pierce — Formed from Squaw Grove and Pampas (Cortland) before 1853.
Sandwich — Formed from Somonauk on July 14, 1896.
Shabbona
Somonauk
South Grove — Name changed from Vernon on November 20, 1850.
Squaw Grove
Sycamore
Victor — Formed from Clinton about 1853.

Township Map

Pertinent Databases
Federal Township Plats of Illinois
Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales Database
Illinois Statewide Death Index, 1916–1950
Illinois Statewide Marriage Index
Local Governmental Records Database
Name Index to Illinois Local Governments