Books
Historical Atlas of Ford County Illinois by J. H. Beers & Co, 1884
https://archive.org/details/il-ford-1884-beers
or
https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/67910680-8ba5-013c-4aba-02d0d7bfd6e4-e
Portrait and biographical record of Ford County, Illinois : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, and of the presidents of the United States
by Lake City Publishing Co., Chicago, 1892
https://archive.org/details/portraitbiographi00lake
History of Ford County, Illinois : from its earliest settlement to 1908
by Gardner, Ernest Arthur, 1862-1939, Volume 1
https://archive.org/details/historyoffordcou01gard
History of Ford County, Illinois : from its earliest settlement to 1908
by Gardner, Ernest Arthur, 1862-1939, Volume 2
https://archive.org/details/historyoffordcou02gard
Standard atlas of Ford county, Illinois, including a plat book of the villages, cities, and townships of the county. Map of the state, United States, and world. Geo. A. Ogle & Co. 1916
https://digital.library.illinois.edu/items/67a1c6e0-8ba5-013c-4aba-02d0d7bfd6e4-b
Ford County, Illinois, county directory. 1917
https://archive.org/details/fordcountyillino00unse
Early History of Paxton, Illinois by Taft, Oren B., 1919
https://archive.org/details/jstor-40187071
Centurama. Celebrating the first 100 years of Ford County, Illinois, 1859-1959
https://archive.org/details/centuramacelebra00ford
Wagons to Wings: History of Piper City, 1869-1969
https://ia601303.us.archive.org/9/items/wagonstowingshis00john/wagonstowingshis00john.pdf
"A lott of city in 100 years," 1871-1971; centennial history of Gibson City, Illinois
https://archive.org/details/alottofcityin10000gibs
Maps and Atlases
USGS Historical Topo maps
https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#4/39.98/-99.93
Official 3 year atlas Ford County, Illinois, 1961, 1962, 1963
by Rockford Map Publishers
https://archive.org/details/official3yearatl00rock
Ford County Soils Survey, 1933
https://archive.org/details/fordIL1933
Ford County Soils Survey, 1941
https://archive.org/details/fordIL1941
Ford County Soils Survey, 1990
https://archive.org/details/usda-general-soil-map-of-ford-county-illinois
Ford County Soils Survey, 2004
https://archive.org/details/FordIL2004
Historic Map Works
Libraries
Melvin Public Library
https://www.melvinpubliclibrary.com/
Moyer District Library, Gibson City
Paxton Carnegie Library
https://paxtoncarnegielibrary.org/
Piper City Public Library
Illinois State Library
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/library/
Library of Congress
WorldCat
https://search.worldcat.org/
Archives
Champaign County Historical Archives
https://urbanafreelibrary.org/local-history/using-the-archives
Illinois State Archives
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/archives/home.html
National Archives
Government
Gibson City
https://gibsoncityillinois.com/
Melvin
Paxton
Piper City
Ford County
https://fordcounty.illinois.gov/
Illinois
United States
Websites
Governor Thomas Ford Chapter, NSDAR
Gibson City Restoration Association
Genealogy ($ = pay sites)
Ford County, Illinois Genealogy Wiki from FamilySearch
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Ford_County,_Illinois_Genealogy
Ford County IL GenWeb
https://ford.illinoisgenweb.org/
Ford County, Illinois Genealogy Trails
https://genealogytrails.com/ill/ford/
Ancestry $
Family Search
My Heritage $
© Ford County Historical Society 2025