LaSalle County Genealogy Guild

08/16/2026

Behind every digital image from the War of 1812 pension files is a real piece of history—and a team doing some serious heavy lifting to save it.

Our digitization team at the National Archives regularly encounters fragile, tattered records that require incredible patience to capture. Case in point: this 107-page pension file for Henry Wolcott, who served in the New York militia during the War of 1812.

Thanks to our crew's meticulous work, these delicate pages are preserved for researchers, genealogists, and history lovers everywhere. Swipe through the War of 1812 pension files FREE COLLECTION to see history up close! https://f3.social/6xyt

08/16/2026

Ottawa Debate Days kicked off with a great talk on tracing your Revolutionary War ancestors.

08/14/2026

Google translate does come in handy sometimes! Here is their translation of this document found in a probate file-
"To the highly commendable Court, Enclosed is the document of Eufemie Weutinek from Lipine and of Antonie Weutinek from Mysłowice. We are all very surprised that the deceased is said to have left debts behind, since she had calculated and assigned a specific sum to all heirs. We would greatly regret it if we were to receive less now. Please do not take it amiss. Most respectfully,Wilhelmine Wentinek in Lipine,Bahnstraße 27

08/13/2026

08/13/2026

Margaret Catherine Stout O’Donnell served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from 1943 to 1945. After completing her nursing education in West Virginia, she entered the Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. Her wartime service took her from Northern Ireland and England to field hospitals in ...

08/12/2026

DON'T FORGET- our upcoming program on researching your Revolutionary War ancestors- Saturday 15th August at 1 p.m. at the Guild (115 W. Glover in Ottawa). Scott Norrick will be leading us through the genealogical in and outs of this crucial period in our history.

08/10/2026

Irish ancestors? Most of Ireland became a REPUBLIC in 1922. Those records are in the National Library of Ireland and National Record Office in Dublin. Ulster (Tyrone, Derry, Antrim, Armagh, Fermanagh and Down) stayed part of the United Kingdom- their records are in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI).

08/07/2026

Mark your calendars! Witness a reenactment of the famous debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in Washington Park on Saturday 22nd August at 5 p.m. What were they were arguing about? Put your ideas in the comments below.

08/03/2026

There are often new nuggets of information to be found in a proof-of-heirship document. In this case, we find that the deceased had been married twice- the first time in Denmark.

07/31/2026

You think Wordle is hard? Decoding church records can be a real stumper - written in German, Latin or French by priests with terrible penmanship! Try phoning a friend! Our volunteers at the Guild will try to help you decipher them!