Family History Research
The Research Center has a number of resources that can help in researching Chicago family history, although we do not collect standard genealogical materials. The nearby Newberry Library and the National Archives and Records Administration–Great Lakes Region can also assist in your search.
Directories
- We have a complete collection of Chicago city and telephone directories, dating from 1839 to the present. A searchable database is available for the years 1844, 1851, 1859-68, 1871, 1873, 1881, 1890, 1910, and 1917.
- We have suburban telephone directories for 1920-1971 as well as scattered holdings between 1978 and 1996.
- We have Chicago criss-cross directories for 1928, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1978 to the present. You can consult the 1928 criss-cross directory online. We also have a few suburban criss-cross directories.
- The Chicago Blue Book (1890-1916) serves as a directory of the more prominent citizens of the city, with entries organized both by name and by location.
When doing research on past addresses, it is important to remember that in 1909, Chicago changed its street numbering system. Street names also changed periodically through Chicago’s history. It may be helpful for you to have both old and new addresses.
Help with street number changes
Paper copies of these guides are also available.
Newspapers
- We have databases for the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Defender.
- The Research Center has an extensive collection of Chicago newspapers. Search our online catalog for specific holdings.
- We have newspaper clipping files covering Chicagoans active from the 1940s to the late 1980s as well as more notable Chicagoans from earlier years. We also have clippings on businesses, community areas, streets, and churches.
Additional Resources
- Biographical entries in the card catalog (usually limited to birth and death dates and occupation)
- Biographical dictionaries
- Yearbooks from Chicago high schools and professional schools
- Church publications, particularly histories of individual congregations
- Material on Chicago businesses, such as trade catalogs and anniversary publications
- Material on Chicago neighborhoods, such as newspaper clipping files, photographs, published histories, fire insurance maps, and neighborhood newspapers
- Resources for researching the history of Chicago homes or buildings.
Other Sources of Genealogical Information for Chicago
Consult your local public library for general materials on family history research. Loretto Szucs’ Chicago and Cook County Sources (1986) and Grace DuMelle’s Finding Your Chicago Ancestors (2005) can help you get started. These books are available at the Research Center Reference Desk. The Chicago Genealogical Society can also be a valuable resource for the family historian.
For local and family histories, census information, etc.:
Newberry Library
Local and Family History Dept.
60 W. Walton St.
Chicago, IL 60610
312.255.3512
For Cook County birth, marriage, and death records:
Cook County Clerk
Bureau of Vital Statistics
118 N. Clark St.
Chicago , IL 60602
312.603.7790
For divorce, probate, and other court records:
Circuit Court of Cook County
50 W. Washington Room 1113
Chicago , IL 60602
312.603.6601
For military, immigration and naturalization records, and census information:
National Archives and Records Administration-Great Lakes Region
7358 S. Pulaski Rd.
Chicago , IL 60629
Phone: 773.948.9001
Fax: 773.948.9050
For cemetery records:
There is no central repository for Chicago area cemetery records. You will need to contact the individual cemeteries for their records.
For good quality photocopies of Chicago maps:
Northern Map Co
P.O. Box 129
Dept. LTOL
Dunnellon , FL 34430-0129
352.489.3967
For information on other areas in Illinois:
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
112 North Sixth Street
Springfield , IL 62701
Telephone: 217.558.8844
Fax: 217.785.6250
Illinois State Archives
Norton Building
Capitol Complex
Springfield, IL 62756