Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Celebrate your African American heritage this Juneteenth weekend by learning more about Black history in Illinois! The city of Peoria celebrates 7 Peoria natives who have made an impact in Illinois and beyond, including comedian Richard Pryor. Each has been made into a special collectible card that will be available at the Peoria Freedom Festival on June 19th! Naper Settlement is acknowledging the city of Naperville (and other U.S. towns) history of discriminatory housing with a new exhibit, "Unvarnished: Housing Discrimination in the Northern and Western United States." Learn more about the project HERE.   and in a Chicago Tribune feature.   Learn more about Juneteenth, its importance to African American family history, and find lots of resources from the National Museum of African American History & Culture. There is so much more to learn about Black history in Illinois- be sure to check out past posts on the ISGS blog for genealogy resources focusing on African Amer

The ISGS Booth in action for the first time since 2019! Candace Marx, ISGS Marketing Chair, attended the Lineage Society Day at the Cary Public Library on Sunday 6/12. ISGS' own Kimberly Nagy presented "What's My Lineage?" an informative lecture on lineage societies, what they do, and how to join- including ISGS' lineage certificate programs. Also in attendance was ISGS Membership Chair, Jenny Fisher, representing the DAR , and ISGS Associate Member, the McHenry County Genealogical Society. ISGS has some exciting updates about our Certificate Programs! Our Military Certificate Program has been renamed to Prairie Patriot Certificate! This program honors military veteran ancestors who lived, died, or were buried in Illinois. Updates coming soon to our website- learn more about the Prairie Patriot certificates HERE.  We are in the midst of planning a brand-new Pin Program for our Prairie Pioneer and Prairie Patriot Certificates, starting this Fall! ISGS Prairie Pi

Are you a Chicago resident, or planning a trip to the city? Be sure to check out Chicago for Chicagoans,   a non profit organization that offers "pay what you can" walking tours, scavenger hunts, and lecture events featuring Chicago neighborhoods and community history! Upcoming events will highlight many different neighborhoods, including Albany Park, Chinatown, Lakeview, Pilsen, and Lincoln Square. The Chicago for Chicagoans staff and collaborators are knowledgeable on a wide range of Chicago history topics, including industrial history, criminals, controversies, vintage advertising and journalism history, Black history, Irish and Jewish history, and LGBTQ+ history in the Windy City.  For genealogists, be sure to take a look at the Chicago for Chicagoans resources page , which includes a huge list of online research databases for Chicago history! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Come visit the ISGS Booth THIS SUNDAY at the Cary Area Public Library! We will be attending the library's Lineage Societies Open House, featuring a lecture by lineage society expert Kimberly Nagy. Kim is also the ISGS Prairie Pioneer and Prairie Patriot Chair! CLICK HERE for more info and to register for the event! Support our ISGS Associate Members! Registration is OPEN for these exciting Conferences! Click their logos below for more info and to register! The McHenry County IL Genealogical Society's Conference will be held Saturday July 9th! Do you have Indiana ancestors, or are planning a trip to the Hoosier state? Click on the below discount offer to learn more about a ticket discount for Indiana Historical Society events! Upcoming lectures from our member societies! The North Suburban Genealogical Society will host a hybrid Zoom and in-person (at the Glenview Public Library) meeting this Saturday, June 11th, at 1:00pm. Dan Jungclas will present "GENEALOGY....It's

The Wisconsin Historical Society offers tons of resources for family historians with Wisconsin roots, including genealogical webinars and workshops, and individual sites for each of their historical locations- Circus World, the Wisconsin Historical Museum, and much more! The Family History research page  is a treasure trove of genealogical information. Search more than 3 million Wisconsin historical records, including births, deaths, marriages, newspapers and photographs. Access maps, atlases, and local histories. Be sure to check out the research guides and instructions. You can also plan an in-person visit by learning about Wisconsin Historical Society research centers throughout the state- which participate in a courier service to have Archives materials transferred to the center nearest you! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

Eddie Winfred "Doc" Helm ISGS was thrilled to hear the announcement from Illinois State Archives Director David Joens, that the Doc Helm photograph collection is now available to view on the Illinois Digital Archives website! This is the first time that Helm's work will be made available to the public online! Eddie Winifred "Doc" Helm was the official State of Illinois photographer for nearly 50 years. He chronicled state history by photographing politicians, celebrities, and regular citizens, along with notable events and day-to-day government operations. The Archives received a generous grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, allowing them to digitize more than 21,000 negatives (and counting) of Helm's photographs. Check out the new collection on the Illinois Digital Archives website- CLICK HERE! Read more about the Doc Helm's work and the new collection in the Illinois Times! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogi