O'Brien land in the present

 

Google Maps. LaSalle, Illinois.

Two years ago I looked at the land deed for John and Bridget O'Brien, where they purchased the east half of Lot 5, Block 61 in LaSalle, Illinois on 27 May 1854. It looks like the land today is located on the red pin in the Google Maps image above, on a block between 5th and 6th Streets, bounded by Hennepin and Tonti Streets. It's interesting to see this is a very close walk to St. Patrick Catholic Church, the same place where the O'Brien girls were placed with the Sisters of Charity some time before the 1860 US Census.

Ideogram. 1850s LaSalle, Illinois.

Searching

Short of getting on a plane and driving out to LaSalle County, Illinois, I've about exhausted current available records on the usual sites (Ancestry, Newspapers, FamilySearch) in looking for records on my 3rd-great-grandmother Bridget and family. In the meantime I've reached out to the Northern Illinois University archives and special collections, and contacted the Illinois Regional Archives Depository at NIU. I've tried this route in the past, but that may have been 20 years ago. Perhaps by the time I return from current travels, there may be an envelope waiting with some newly discovered records.

I have also contacted the Catholic Diocese of Peoria Office of Archives. One of the sisters responded, and directed me back to St. Patrick's Church in LaSalle. I called the church, and they've given me a contact at the parish office.

Here's what I'm hoping to find:

• Probate or guardian records following the death of Patrick Dooner and sons John and Hugh Dooner in LaSalle in July-August 1849. All three died from cholera. Bridget delivered her son Michael Dooner after the death of Patrick.
• Baptismal records on John and Hugh Dooner in LaSalle, between 1845-1847 (ideally mentioning Bridget's maiden name)
• Baptismal record for Michael Dooner between 1850-1851
• Any other reference to the Dooner family in the St. Patrick's records between 1844-1852
• Marriage record for John O'Brien and Bridget in LaSalle between 1850-1852
• Baptismal records for Anna Maria O'Brien (1852), Isabella O'Brien (1853), John O'Brien (1854), Agnes O'Brien (1858)
• Death record for Bridget O'Brien in 1859 LaSalle
• Other probate or guardian records mentioning the children prior to the placement of the girls with the Sisters of Charity convent in LaSalle in 1860.
• A record listing Bridget's maiden name prior to her marriage to Patrick Dooner (this would be genealogical gold)

New records become available all the time, and I continue to check for Illinois newspapers of the day that might contain a mention of the Dooner and O'Brien families. 

Historic Mumbai

 

Mumbai, 1860s. Google Arts & Culture.

One Year Ago

 

Photo by Patrick Jones. RootsTech. SLC, 6 Mar 2025.

RootsTech 2026 underway

Although I'm not at the conference this year in person, virtual RootsTech is underway and sessions are available online. I am looking forward to following the sessions and learning something new. On my schedule are virtual keynotes, the Tech Forum, updates from Ancestry, FamilySearch and MyHeritage, several sessions from Diahan Southard on "DNA Swim School", sessions on German genealogy, AI & genealogy, and the genealogy YouTubers panel.

I'll be taking notes on how sessions are delivered, and use those observations for a potential talk proposal for RootsTech 2027. I'll also try to have a remote RootsTech wrap-up once I'm back from travel.

I am hoping to be in person for RootsTech next year, as the conference dates may align for travel to Salt Lake City and then I can continue on to Europe for meetings.