Our Favorite Websites
This is a list of our favorite genealogy and/or local history websites.
an archival products company
Association of Professional Genealogists
APG is a resource for networking, education, and arbitration. Their Code of Ethics sets the standard for professional conduct in genealogy.
An archival products company.
1898 to 1912 index to American Contractor Magazine. Search by street name, architect, or original owner.
(A fantastic free website created by the Department of Local and Family History of the Newberry Library, where you can find and share historical information about Chicago. Be sure to also check out the Tools tab, which has lots of handy links for Chicago researchers.--Colleen Ringel, 7/28/2010)
Chicago Daily News Digital Image Collection
The Chicago Daily News digital collection comprises over 55,000 images of urban life captured on glass plate negatives between 1902 and 1933 by photographers employed by the Chicago Daily News. Most of the photographs were taken in Chicago, Illinois, or in nearby towns, parks, or athletic fields. This collection is now
The Chicago Defender, founded in 1905 by Robert Sengstack Abott, is the oldest and most respected African-American newspaper in Chicago. This is an index to the paper from 1905 to 1975.
Chicago Street Name Changes by Chicagology
Chicago Street Name Changes from the Chicago History Museum
Computer Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois (CAGG-NI)
CAGG-NI traces its origins to the Northern Illinois PAF Users Group (NIPAFUG) in the early 1990s, but has evolved into a diverse support group for every kind of computer assisted genealogy technology.
Cook County Assessor Property Search
Search by address for a picture of a home where your ancestor ancestor lived.
Comprehensive for genealogy. 291,330+ links for family history! 281,420 in
180+ categories, 9,900+ new and uncategorized.
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
Daily newsletter for genealogy consumers, packed with straight talk. This is a good tool for awareness of events in the genealogy world.
Chicago metropolitan area history at your fingertips. 6 counties are included. Research people, neighborhoods, churches, ethnic groups,and more. Updated often.
For social networking with cousins you have never met.
Family Genealogy and History Internet Education Directory - Wiki
A portal to sub-sets that include databases of family history and genealogy records.
(although I like the original, I am loving the new FamilySearch.org that is still in beta, especially the search or browse collection section where you can actually limit your search to one file.--Colleen Ringel, 7/28/2010)
Family trees and social networking.
Harold Washington Library Center of CPL: newspapers
CPL has many local newspapers on microfilm, 1833 to present.
The Chicago Police Department Homicide Record Index chronicles 11,000 homicides in the city during these years.
The new home of the Digital Past collection. A visual index to local history.
Cl;ick the INP Database link to locate the newspapers you need.
Illinois State Archives Databases
(This is a good site for Illinois genealogy research. Searchable databases include pre-1900 marriage index, pre-1916 death index (recently added), state death index 1916-1950, plus land and military records. See databases to search marriages, deaths, and military service in Illinois.--Colleen Ringel, 7/28/2010)
Genealogy links by locale and surname.
an archival products company.
(The Department of Health and Human Services has a program called "My Family Health Portrait" that you can download to help write you family health history.)
National Archives Access to Archival Databases (AAD)
Search electronic records in NARA custody, including military personnel records, and other historic data files, from 1800 to the present.
National Institute for Genealogical Studies
(Online genealogy classes and certification for librarians)
Naturalization Petitions, Cook County
The Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Archives is home to more than 500,000 naturalization petitions covering the years 1871 to 1929. More than 400,000 of these records are Declarations of Intention, 1906-1929 which were usually the first papers to be filed by those who wished to become U.S. citizens. This database contains more than 150,000 Circuit Court records.
(Online databases at the website of the Polis Genealogical Society of America, containing death notice from Dziennik Chicagoski 1890-1971; Haller's Army; marriage index for Polish Parishes in Chicago through 1915; PRCUA insurance claim file index; and more.)
Polk's Chicago Directory 1928-1929
Chicago city directory organized by address, useful for identifying previous owners or occupants.
Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness
A global volunteer organization with over 4000 volunteers in every U.S. state and many international locations. In exchange for favors done for you, share unique local resources to which you may have access..
RootsWeb.com serves to connect people so that they can help each other and share genealogical research. Most resources on RootsWeb.com are designed to facilitate such connections, and include databases, email lists, message boards, volunteer projects, etc.
Social Security Death Index (Rootsweb)
In addition to finding your ancestor, it can generate a FOIA letter for you to mail to SSA to order copies of Social Security applications.
Tony Kierna, formerly with the Schaumburg Township District Library, coordinated this blog that is a great repository of local genealogical events and various changes and updates going on in the genealogy world.
Searc Ellis Island, Castle Garden, and other passenger list databases; determine ED numbers for large cities; and more.
Map where in the world family names occur.