Illinois State Genealogical Society Blog

Today's Website of the Week is the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Cemetery Preservation page! Here you will find some great resources for learning about and preserving historic cemeteries in your area, including a list of do's and don'ts for cleaning grave markers. Here are some upcoming events from our Associate members! The Northwest Suburban Genealogy Society will present, "Your Next Step: Write Your Family History" via Zoom with Steve Szabados on Saturday March 5th. CLICK HERE for more info and to register! The St. Clair County Genealogical Society will present, "From Obscurity to Greatness: Illinois and Lincoln, 1830–1861" 3 March 2022, 7:00 P.M. (Central) via Zoom. Kevin Wood, an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar since 2015, will present a first-person portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in period dress speaking on how both he and Illinois rose from obscurity to greatness between the years 1830 to 1861.  CLICK HERE   for more info and to reg...

Here are some more great resources for researching African-American ancestors in Illinois and beyond! Freedom On The Move is a joint project of Cornell University and other universities across the country. It is a searchable database of "runaway slave" ads that provides a rich history of "stories of resistance" and a glimpse into the life of fugitive slaves prior to the Civil War. There are over 32,000 ads in the database and growing! The Legacy Tree Genealogists Blog offers several tips and resources for African American Genealogy Research - and explains how DNA has helped transform African American genealogy research. Great Books for researching the history of slavery in Illinois- by Local Authors! Larry McClellan: The Underground Railroad South of Chicago and To The River: The Remarkable Journey of Caroline Quarlls, A Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad (with Kimberly Simmons) Learn about the history of the Underground Railroad in Chicago and NW Indian...

Our Website of the Week is the Plainfield Public Library's Local History and Genealogy Collection!   The Plainfield Library provides a treasure trove of digitized genealogy resources that you can browse right at home! Here you can find many great, unique resources for researching ancestors from Plainfield, and Will & Kendall Counties, including: Tornado History of Plainfield, including maps and photos from the infamous 1990 tornado Digitized photograph collections from local families Digitized scrapbooks from local residents that include newspaper clippings, funeral cards, wedding announcements, and much more! A digital Local History collection that includes a searchable name database, maps and atlases, school yearbooks, telephone directories, and local histories Plus, you can learn about additional genealogy resources available in person at the Plainfield Library, including microfilm, maps, cemetery indexes, and much more! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Societ...

Cook County is the most populated area in Illinois, and chances are many family historians have encountered ancestors who resided in the area. But the size of the county, especially the City of Chicago, can make many researchers wary of searching through endless pages of census records to locate an elusive ancestor.  Did you know that there is a website that provides helpful tools for locating your Cook County ancestors in the U.S. Census? A LOOK AT COOK provides tools for locating ancestors in census records from 1870 to 1940, including maps and boundary descriptions for wards, townships and enumeration districts within Cook County. Additionally, there are links to reference guides for Chicago street name changes, the 1909 and 1911 street numbering changes, and a criss-cross street directory! Be sure to bookmark A LOOK AT COOK for the next time you encounter a late 19th/early 20th-century Chicago ancestor! © 2022, copyright Illinois State Genealogical Society

The Fox Valley Genealogical Society shares some excellent tips and resources on preparing for the 1950 census, from genealogist Thomas MacEntee! In the latest Fox Trails  Newsletter article, "The 1950 Census: Are You Ready?" Thomas answers some frequently asked questions about the census, and provides tips for how to prepare for the census release on April 1st. Plus, there is a list of great website resources included. Non-members can view the current Fox Trails  newsletter on the FVGS website- CLICK HERE-   and FVGS members have access to past issues, plus many more fantastic resources! ISGS Associate Members- How is YOUR Society getting ready for the 1950 Census? Let us know so we can share! Celebrate President Lincoln's life and legacy this February with the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum! For Springfield area residents: The ALPLM is partnering with the Lincoln Library, the Springfield Public Library, and Compass for Kids to hold the Lincoln Read...

The ISGS Blog is debuting a new feature called "Website of the Week!" Each Sunday, a new website will be showcased that focuses on researching Illinois ancestors. This week's pick is a brand-new site- African American Midwest.   AAMW provides tons of multimedia resources for researching African American ancestors that settled in the Midwest. You can start by selecting your state of interest to get a list of articles, biographies, and videos about African American history in that state. There is also plenty of history about other topics such as the Great Migration, and early African American settlers to the Midwest. There's even an interactive map of known Underground Railroad locations throughout the Midwest. Check it out! Associate Member News Associate Members- our first Society Forum for 2022 will be held THIS THURSDAY, February 10th, at 7:00pm. Contact our new Society Liaison, Byron Holidman, for more info- isgssocieties@ilgensoc.org The St. Clair County Genealog...

Celebrate your Illinois and midwestern ancestors this February with these fantastic upcoming events in honor of Black History Month! ISGS Associate Members Our friends at the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago can help you with your research questions, anytime- check out their website! Don't miss the South Suburban Genealogical & Historical Society's next meeting on Saturday February 12th, featuring "The Underground Railroad South of Chicago," with author Larry McClellan! Virtual Learning Events (most are FREE!) International African American Museum- "African American Genealogy Challenges," presented by Dr. Shelley Viola Murphy, February 5th International African American Museum- "Researching AFrican/Native American Genealogy, " presented by Angela Y. Walton-Raji, February 12th North Carolina AAHGS Regional 19th Black History Genealogy Virtual Conference- February 5th The City of South Fulton- "Getting Started-...