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Ogle County History & Genealogy

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Ogle County
Established: January 16, 1836, organization completed in 1837
Named for Joseph Ogle, pioneer politician and Lieutenant of the Territorial militia.

Present area, or parts of Ogle County, were formerly included in:

1836-1837: Attached to Jo Daviess 1831 - 1836: LaSalle 1827 - 1836: JoDaviess 1825 - 1831: Putnam 1823 - 1825: Fulton 1821 - 1823: Pike 1819 - 1821: Clark 1816 - 1819: Crawford 1815 - 1816: Edwards 1812 - 1815: Madison 1817 - 1821: Bond 1795 - 1812: St. Clair County Seat: Oregon

Ogle County History

OGLE COUNTY, next to the "northern tier" of counties of the State and originally a part of Jo Daviess. It was separately organized in 1837, and Lee County was carved from its territory in 1839. In 1900 its area was 780 square miles, and its population 29,129. Before the Black Hawk War immigration was slow, and life primitive, Peoria was the nearest food market. New grain was "ground" on a grater, and old pounded with an extemporized pestle in a wooden mortar. Rock River flows across the county from northeast to southwest. A little oak timber grows along its banks, but, generally speaking, the surface is undulating prairie, with soil of a rich loam. Sandstone is in ample supply and all the limestones abound. An extensive peat-bed has been discovered on the Killbuck Creek. Oregon, the county-seat, has fine water-power. The other principal towns are Rochelle, Polo, Forreston and Mount Morris. "Historical Encylopedia of Illinois" 1901, Transcribed by K. Torp, ©2004 OREGON, the county-seat of Ogle County, situated on Rock River and the Minneapolis Branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 100 miles west from Chicago. The surrounding region is agricultural; the town has water power and manufactures flour, pianos, steel tanks, street sprinklers, and iron castings. It has two banks, water-works supplied by flowing artesian wells, cereal mill, and two weekly newspapers; has also obtained some repute as a summer resort. Population in 1880 was 1,088; In 1890 - 1,566; in 1900 - 1,577. "Historical Encylopedia of Illinois" 1901, Transcribed by K. Torp, ©2004 FORRESTON, a village in Ogle County, the terminus of the Chicago and Iowa branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and point of intersection of the Illinois Central and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railways; 107 miles west by north from Chicago, and 12 miles south of Freeport; founded in 1854, incorporated by special charter in 1868, and under the general law in 1888. Farming and stock-raising are the principal industries. The village has a bank, water-works, electric light plant, creamery, village hall, seven churches, a graded school, and a newspaper. Population in 1890 was 1,118; in 1900, it was 1.047. "Historical Encylopedia of Illinois" 1901, Transcribed by K. Torp, ©2004 MOUNT MORRIS, a town in Ogle County, situated on the Chicago, & Iowa Division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, 108 miles west by north from Chicago, and 24 miles south west of Rockford; is the seat of Mount Morris College and flourishing public school; has hand some stone and brick buildings, three churches and two newspapers. Population (1900), 1,048. "Historical Encylopedia of Illinois" 1901 Transcribed by K. Torp, ©2004

Ogle County Online Data
Updated 30 August 2008

Mount Morris - Early History of Mount Morris Banditti of the Prairie NEW! Biographies: William A. Long Obituaries UPDATED Death Records: A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I --J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- Q -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- Y -- Z Newspaper Stories and Clippings Cemetery List Some burials in Riverview Cemetery Pioneer Peter Knodle's Diary 1864 Diary of Civil War Soldier Uriah S Beechly 1865 Diary of Civil War Soldier Uriah S Beechly Ogle County Residents in the 1880 Census of Patients at the Illinois Northern Hospital for the Insane 1850 Mortality Index 1860 Mortality Index for the Town of Buffalo Ogle County residents in the Joliet State Prison (link to our database at IL Trails' main website)

Townships of Ogle County Brookville Buffalo Byron Dement - Formed from Flagg on February 13, 1856. Eagle Point - Formed from Buffalo in September, 1869. Flagg Forreston - Formed from Brookville on March 4, 1857. Grand Detour Lafayette Leaf River Lincoln - Formed as Haldane from Buffalo and Mt. Morris in September, 1869; changed name from Haldane to Lincoln in December, 1873. Lynnville Marion Maryland - Name changed from Harrison on November 12, 1850. Monroe Mount Morris Nashua Oregon Pine Creek Pine Rock - Name changed from Eagle on November 12, 1850. Rockvale - Name changed from Brooklyn on November 12, 1850. Scott Taylor White Rock Woosung - Formed from Buffalo on September 15, 1880.

Towns and Cities in Ogle County: Adeline Byron Creston Davis Junction Forreston Hillcrest Leaf River Mount Morris Oregon Polo Rochelle Stillman Valley Township Map (off-site, provided by IRAD) Links to Off-site Online Data Ogle County Almshouse Register Index, 1878 - 1933 Ogle County Court Naturalization Papers Index, 1872 - 1906 1872 Patrons Directory of Buffalo Township presented by the Polo Historical Society Polo Business Directory of 1872 presented by the Polo Historical Society

Ogle County Courthouse P.O. Box 357 Oregon, IL 61061 County Clerk - (815) 732-1110 Circuit Clerk - (815) 732-1130 Recorder - (815) 732-1115

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Ogle County Is Bordered By These Counties:

Stephenson ¤ Carroll ¤ Whiteside ¤ Lee ¤ Dekalb* ¤ Boone* ¤ Winnebago* *Available for Adoption

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