Private Organizations in Chicagoland

1601 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Phone:312-642-4600 (Research Center)
Fax: 312-261-2077
Website: http://www.chicagohistory.org
Website: http://www.chicagohistory.org/collections/genealogy.html
                    (Heraldry & Genealogy Research)
Website: http://www.chsmedia.org/househistory/nameChanges/start.pdf
                             (Chicago Street name changes)
Website: http://www.chsmedia.org/househistory/1909snc/start.pdf
                           (1909 address conversion table)
Website: http://www.chsmedia.org/househistory/polk/start.pdf
                       (Chicago City Directory 1928/1929)
Website: http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11479.html
                  (Fire Maps (Robinsons) of the City of Chicago for 1886)

Description of Resources:

Of particular interest and value is a complete collection of Chicago city and telephone directories. The city directories (for 1839 to 1917, 1923 and 1928/9) are available in hardcopy in the Research Center or on microfilm. Also available are the Chicago "crisscross" directories (on microfilm) for 1928, 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1978 to the present, and suburban telephone directories for 1920 to 1971, and 1978 to the present. The volumes of the Chicago Blue Book for 1890 to 1916 serve as directories of the more prominent citizens of the city.

Access to records and fees:

Inquiries by phone or by visiting museum research center.

Website: Chicago Tribune Historical Archive (via Library subscriptions only)

Description of Resources:

Two versions of these complete on-line copies of the Chicago Tribune are available.

1. Newsbank (www.newsbank.com) offers a subscription website that has two search windows. The one on the left searches transcribed death notices and allows you to specify a specific year and also allow you to add an additional text search to narrow down the results. It returns in text format the death notices for individuals who meet the criteria. The window on the right allow for search of the complete newspaper. The project is evolving and while it currently covers (1860-2000) there may be some gaps and you cannot use it for a conclusive search of the Chicago Tribune.

It can be found at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Chicago Public Library, Skokie Public Library, and Chicago Historical Society, Godfrey Memorial Library

2. ProQuest provides a scanned version of the Chicago Tribune (1890*-1984) via its Proquest Historical Newspapers service. These are searchable by entering the text you are searching. Be sure to read the "Search Tips" to aid your search. The results are adobe acrobat (pdf) files. If you are searching for death notices the results of your search will be the complete list of notices for a specific day. It contains a complete copy of the newspaper including ads and images.

* While the collection's title indicates that it starts in 1890, we have been able to find articles as early as 1849.

It can be found at the Newberry Library, Skokie Public Library and other libraries subscribing to this national service of newspapers.

Access to records and fees:

Accessible at public libraries mentioned above at no charge.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons) plays a major role in the collection, storage, and distribution of genealogical information throughout the world. Their main repository, the Family History Library, is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Through their genealogical programs they have amassed more than 2 million rolls of microfilm and over a half million microfiche. These include virtually every type of record available and includes records from all around the world. These resources are made available to the public and are not restricted to members of their church. Their catalog is now available on their website at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In addition, they have established a system of branch libraries, called Family History Centers, which now number over 1600 in 57 countries. A number of these Family History Centers are located in the Chicago metropolitan area. These FHCs are allowed to order (on loan) microfilms and microfiche from the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, which can then be viewed in the local center. In addition, the FHCs have a number of microfilms on permanent loan which are of special interest to Chicago researchers. We will list here only the resources that are available at the local centers on permanent loan.

The centers have irregular hours and thus you should call first.

          Wilmette FHC
            2727 Lake Avenue
            Wilmette, IL 60091
            Phone: 847-251-9818

This is the oldest and largest center in the Chicago area.

Description of Resources:

1. Death Records:

1871-1933 Chicago Death Record Index (film)
1871-1916 Cook County Death Index (fiche)
1878-1915 Chicago Death Certificates (film)-all
1916-1947 Chicago Death Certificates-all
1878-1909, 1914, 1906-1922 Cook County Death Certificates-over half

2. Marriage Records:

1871-1916 Chicago Marriage Index (film)
1871-1920 Chicago Marriage Licenses (film)-all through 1916

3. Birth Records:

1871-1915 Chicago Birth Register (film)
1878-1915 Chicago Birth Certificates (film)-all
1871-1948 Chicago Delayed Birth Certificate Index
1896-1933 Births Northwestern Memorial Hospital: Chicago
1871-1916 Cook County Birth Record Index (fiche)

4. Census Records:

1880 Federal Census CD)-Complete index
1860 Census Index (Cook County) film
Ancestry on-line subscription -1920, 1930 all states.

5. Naturalization Records:

6. Hamburg Departure Index:

Covers departures for 1855-1921. Each film of the index covers a 2-6 month period.

7. World War I draft records:
Have maps helping you determine which draft board the individual belonged to.

Access to Records and Fees:

Copies at the center are 25 cents per page. If you need to request an item from Salt Lake City, the fees are as follows at the Wilmette FHC:

Microfilm

30 day loan	$5.75 per film
60 day loan (additional 30 days)	$5.75 per film
Indefinite loan (additional after 60 days)	$5.75 per film

Microfiche $1.50 per order

An order consists of:

-several fiche with consecutive numbers having the same title
-several fiche with one number which are listed as being part of the same set of fiche (i.e., Fiche 1 out of 2, etc.)

The orders generally take 1-2 weeks to arrive from Salt Lake City.

If it is not convenient for you to go to the center, ChicagoGenealogy.com provides a fast and economical service to obtain records.

Buffalo Grove FHC
15 Port Clinton Road
Buffalo Grove, IL 60090
Phone: 847-913-5387

Hyde Park FHC
5200 S. University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60615
Phone: 773-493-1830

Schaumburg FHC
1329 W. Schaumburg Road
Schaumburg, IL 60193
Phone: 847-885-4130

Arlington Heights Library also serves as a FHC to order materials.

60 West Walton
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312-255-3512
Fax: 312-255-3658 (to submit questions)
E-mail: genealogy@newberry.org
Website: www.newberry.org
Website: www.chicagoancestors.org (dedicated to genealogical records)

Description of Resources:

1. Birth, Death Records:

Illinois Death Index 1916-1947
Cook County Birth Index 1871-1916
Cook County Death Index 1871-1916

2. Chicago City Directories:

1839-1870 (irregular)
1871-1917 (every year)
1923, 1928/29

Chicago criss-cross directories 1952, 1953, 1955

3. Federal Census:

1790-1850 All states
1860-1880 select states
1900-1920 Illinois
Book indexes through 1790-1850
Some book and CD-ROM indexes for 1860
CD-ROM indexes for all states in 1870
The 1880 National Index and Census CD-ROM set
1880 Soundex for select states
Soundex index Illinois for 1900-1920.

4. Cemetery Records:

Records of Waldheim and Forest Home; Microfilm ca;; # 1215
(need more detail)

5. Cook County Voter Registration:

1888-1892 registrations

6. Newspapers:

Chicago Daily News 1879-1935
Chicago Tribune 1849-1872, 1928-1939, 1940-1964

7. Gazetteers and Maps:

Cohen, Chester G., Shtetl Finder:Jewish Communities in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries in the pale of settlement of Russia and Poland, and in Lithuania, Latvia, Galicia, and Bukovina, with names of residents.

Mokotoff, Gary. Where Once We Walked: A guide to Jewish communities destroyed in the Holocaust.

8. Chicagoancestors.org

Honorary Street Names (some streets in Chicago have 2 names; the official name and an honorary name.

Chicago City Directory and Street Guides:
1866, 1870, 1871 1875, 1880, 1885, 1892, 1900, 1910, 1923

1866 City Directory (front section - business-government/organizations
1870 City Directory (front section - business)
1871 Edward's Census
1880 City Directory

Favorite links to other Chicago sites.

Synagogues

Find over 250 historic Jewish Synagogues and locations.
Click on the browse tab-use the down arrow to find
"Synagogues Cllection" and submit.

9. Immigration:

Immigration & Naturalization Service Naturalization Index for
Chicago and Cook County Naturalizations 1871-1950

Sack, Sallyann Amdur. The Russian consular records index and catalog. Call # oCS856 J4 S23 1987. Indexes immigration, passport, visa and related records of citizens primarily between 1917 and 1926.

Germans to America, 1850-1897 (ongoing). Ed. Ira A. Glazier et al. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 1988-. Call # E184.G3 G38 1988 (2nd floor open shelf).

The publishers have issued a second series of Germans to America, covering the 1840s. The Newberry has volumes 1-4 (Jan. 1840-Oct. 1848) of this series. Call # E184.G3 G39 (2nd floor open shelf).

Migration from the Russian Empire: Lists of Passengers Arriving at the Port of New York, 1875-1891. Ed. Ira A. Glazier. Call # E184.R9 M54 1995 (2nd floor open shelf).

Moser, Geraldine. Hamburg Passengers from the Kingdom of Poland and the Russian Empire: Indirect Passage to New York, 1855-June 1873. Landsmen Press, 1996. Call # folio E184.J5 M667 1996. Names are listed alphabetically and by date.

Sack, Sallyann Amdur. The Russian Consular Records Index and Catalog. New York: Garland, 1987. Call # CS856.J4 S23 1987 (2nd floor open shelf). Indexes immigration, passport, visa, and related consular records of Russian citizens, primarily between 1917-1926.

Filby, P. William with Mary K. Meyer. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, plus supplement volumes (Call # CS68.P636, 2nd floor open shelf). Indexes published passenger lists (from journals, books, articles) and other immigration-related records only. Note the code number in bold after the passenger's name. This code refers to the published item cited in the front of the volumes, many of which are available at the Newberry.

Moser, Geraldine. Hamburg Passengers from the Kingdom of Poland and the Russian Empire: Indirect Passage to New York, 1855-June 1873. Landsmen Press, 1996. Call # folio E184.J5 M667 1996. Names are listed alphabetically and by date.

Morton Allan Directory of European Steamship Arrivals for the Years 1890-1930 at the Port of New York and for the Years 1904-1926 at the Ports of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Baltimore. New York: Immigration Information Bureau, 1931. Call # HE945.A2 M678 1931 (2nd floor open shelf). Ships are listed by year, ship line, and date of arrival.

Access to Records and Fees:

Free and open to the public.