Local Genealogy Societies

If you're looking to join a genealogical society this year or want to plan ahead for upcoming genealogy programs, here's a roundup of nearby societies and their 2015 events calendars:

North Suburban Genealogical Society
Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society
Chicago Genealogical Society
Lake County Genealogical Society
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society
Illinois State Genealogical Society

And don't forget to put the DuPage County Genealogical Society's annual meeting on your calendar!
Or if you're willing to travel, the National Genealogical Society's Family History Conference will be held in St. Charles, MO!

And for ethnic genealogy:

Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois
Polish Genealogical Society of America
Irish American Heritage Center
Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago
Czech & Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois
Swedish American Museum
Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture
National Hellenic Museum
Casa Italia

Genealogy First Tuesday

Join us on the first Tuesday of the new year! Bring your questions and your research to the Genealogy & Local History Room between 2 and 4:30 on Tuesday, January 6.

Rock Island County Genealogical Society

The Rock Island County Genealogical Society has a nice website and offers great services if you're

looking for ancestors from the Quad Cities area of Illinois.

Their online records includes:

• Obituary Index
• Funeral Home Memorial Cards
• Surnames Index
• Cemetery Facts

There is plenty of other great information to be found on the site too!

DNA Kits and Genealogy Research

Genetic genealogy is growing in popularity and if you're looking for a fun genealogy project or gift for the holidays, several DNA testing companies are having holiday specials.

Ancestry DNA is having a holiday special on DNA tests. Save 10% on a DNA kit until December 21.

23andMe has a special offer of buy one and get 20% off each additional kit you buy.

Family Tree DNA also has some good deals on the variety of tests they offer.

Still have questions about genetic genealogy, DNA tests, and how it all works? CeCe Moore has written a good introduction to genetic genealogy on the Geni Blog.

Holiday Gift Guide for Genealogists

Family heirloom 'scrapbox' from wholeliving.com

Trying to find family history-themed holiday gifts this year? Here are a few ideas:

Check Pinterest for crafty, DIY family history projects. This board in particular has some really unique craft ideas!

The GenealogyBank blog offers great ideas for sharing your family history this season:

• Ancestor Booklets
• Old Fashioned Recipe Books
• Family Cookbooks
• Family Advent Calendars

Family Tree Magazine also has a good list of things to buy for genealogy enthusiasts.

If you're looking to splurge on something really memorable, plan a trip to the family's country of origin. Visit and learn about your family's homestead and organize a research trip to the local archives!

Genealogy First Tuesday

Join us Tuesday evening in the Genealogy & Local History Room for Genealogy First Tuesday. Drop by anytime between 6:00-8:30pm. Bring your research and your questions!

Searching for early American colonists

During the Thanksgiving holiday season, we often think about the first colonists in America.

Searching for your early colonial ancestors can be tough though. There are few online resources or digitized records for colonial genealogy research but here are a few books from our collection that can help with your search:

• The Original Lists of Persons of Quality, 1600-1700 by John Camden Hotten (online resource)
• Passenger and Immigration Lists Bibliography, 1538-1900 by William P. Filby 
• A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, Showing Three Generations of Those Who Came Before May 1692, on the Basis of Farmer’s Register by James Savage 
• New England Marriages Prior to 1700 by Clarence Almon Torrey
• Dutch Colonists in the Americas, 1615-1815 by David Dobson
• A List of Emigrants from England to America, 1718-1759 by Jack Kaminkow

These are only a few resources in our collection. We have early vital records, passenger lists, and local histories for specific colonies too. We also have records on Mayflower and Jamestown ancestors.

And don't forget to look in the Lundberg periodical collection. Many early records and town histories are transcribed by local historical and genealogical societies and published in their journals and newsletters.

American Indian Records in Ancestry

Ancestry recently partnered with the Oklahoma Historical Society to add more than 3.2 million new American Indian records to their site.

Some of their new collections include:

• Oklahoma, Indian Land Allotment Sales, 1908-1927
• Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Indian Photos, 1850-1930 
• Oklahoma and Indian Territory, Marriage, Citizenship and Census Records, 1841-1927
• Records Related to Enrollment of Eastern Cherokee by Guion Miller, 1908-1910
• Ratified Indian Treaties and Chiefs, 1722-1869 

These are great new collections to help you find your American Indian ancestors!

The History and Achievements of the Fort Sheridan Officers' Training Camps

Veterans Day may have passed but the Genealogy & Local History collection has great resources to honor veterans year round.

One interesting book in the Lundberg Collection is about nearby Fort Sheridan: The History and Achievements of the Fort Sheridan Officers' Training Camps published in 1920 by the Fort Sheridan Association.

The book is an excellent resource for learning about how the army prepared its soldiers during World War I. It's also a neat bit of area history and should definitely be consulted if you're researching WWI ancestors who may have been stationed at Fort Sheridan.




The History and Achievements of Fort Sheridan details how the soldiers prepared for war, gives the full schedule of each week of training camp, describes how the men entertained themselves, and what some officers accomplished during the war.

It's also incredibly well illustrated with photographs of the soldiers during training and also goofing off.

There is a very nice (and sadly very long) section of photos and short biographies of all of the men from Fort Sheridan who died while fighting in WWI.

The book also includes a full roster of every man who trained at Fort Sheridan during World War I. I found two men from Glenview in the ranks:

A.W. Burnham

Alvin G. Gyllenhaal

Teddy Roosevelt visits the troops at Fort Sheridan

The Lundberg Collection includes many interesting military histories particularly from the Civil War. The collection even houses military rosters, records and pensions from states across the country. Drop by the Genealogy & Local History Room to research the veterans in your family!

Free Access to Ancestry Military Records

In honor of Veteran's Day, Ancestry is offering free access to military records. You can search Ancestry's military collection from home for free today and tomorrow. Get started here.

And don't forget that you can always use Ancestry for free in the library.