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March 12, 2010
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Genealogy and Local History

Premium Genealogy Databases

ANCESTRY PLUS (in-library use only)

HERITAGEQUEST

Additional Online Resources

Local Information

Wilmette Life Newspaper Index - prepared by the Wilmette Public Library

Wilmette Life Obituary Index 1978-2002 - prepared by the Wilmette Public Library

Wilmette Historical Museum - Wilmette's local history resource

Kenilworth Historical Society - Local history resource for Kenilworth

Digital Past - North Suburban Library System local history images project

Search Digital Past collection for Wilmette items:

  

General Information

American Family Immigration History Center
Between 1892 and 1924, 22 million people came through Ellis Island and the Port of New York. Passenger records from these ships are now available at this site.

Ancestral Findings.com

Ancestry.com

Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet

Family Tree Maker

FamilySearch.org (published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Genealogy.org

Genealogy RefDesk.com

National Archives and Records Administration: Genealogists/Family Historians

Passenger Lists on the Internet

Rand Genealogy Club

RootsWeb.com

Surname Genealogy Search

Yahoo! Genealogy Pages

Genealogy Newsgroups and Discussion Groups

Genealogy newsgroups generally have the headings:
alt.genealogy or soc.genealogy

Search for specific groups using the following search sites:

Google Groups

Genealogy Resources on the Internet:
USENET Newsgroups

Or use a general search engine and limit your search to "USENET," "newsgroups" or "discussion groups." Try:

Dogpile

Metacrawler

Hotbot

Discussion Groups (sometimes called a "Listserv"© ) are delivered to your email and must be subscribed to.

Compilations of such mailing lists may be found at:

Cyndi's List: Mailing Lists and Newsgroups

Genealogy Resources on the Internet: Mailing Lists

Genealogy and Local History in the WPL Local History Room

Biography Files
Interfiled obituaries, wedding announcements, letters, and general news items clipped from the local paper into one alphabetic file under the heading Biography. This is the first place to check for information on a family.

Business
Check these files if the ancestor had a business in Wilmette. The files are organized under the heading Business, and then by name of business. The Local History files also contain WILMETTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE business directories for 1968-69, 1987-89, 1999-current year. Older directories contain name and address of owner as well as information about the business.

Census
Photocopy of the New Trier Township Federal Census of 1880 is filed under CENSUS.

Churches
Information on Churches is listed under the heading of Churches, and then by denomination, and name. Information on individuals is sketchy in these files, but it is worthwhile to check them. The file for St. Joseph Catholic Church, for example, includes an annual statement from 1903 with a list of members.

Clubs and Associations
The family historian might be interested to know what organizations his ancestor belonged to. These materials are organized under the heading GROUPS in file cabinets in the local history room. The library owns some directories published by local clubs and associations. The Woman's Club of Wilmette directories, for example, date from 1913-1915, 1922-1965, 1972. The Wilmette Garden Club directories date from the 1940s.

Histories
Published histories of the village and the county sometimes include names of individuals, especially if they were prominent in some way. These books have largely been cataloged and can be located by using the library's computerized catalog to search under "Wilmette-History", or "Cook County-History."

New Residents
Chamber of Commerce newsletters publish lists of new residents from time to time. Current newsletters are filed under WILMETTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE in the Local History files. The Wilmette Historical Society has the newsletters from1998 to the present. New residents who purchased a house in the village after October 1997 can also be tracked through the library's index to the Wilmette Life.

Obituary Index
The library has an obituary index for the local newspapers for the years 1890, 1894, 1896- 1897, 1900-1902, 1905, 1912, 1914, and 1978-2001. After this date the obituaries are included in the more comprehensive index to the Wilmette Life, 1991to the present. These indexes are kept at the Readers' Assistance desk. The State of Illinois Death Index 1916-1950 can be used as a supplementary finding-aid for the unindexed years of microfilm.

Photographs
All identified photographs of people have been indexed. The index and photographs, filed by topic, are in binders in the wooden cabinet opposite the work counter. Photographs may not be Xeroxed, but printed copies can be made for a fee through a program with the Wilmette Historical Museum. An on-line database of digitized pre-1926 photographs is being prepared at www.digitalpast.org through the North Suburban Library System.

Polk City Directories
We have a few city directories for the years 1893, 1927-28, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1939. These directories can be used to confirm the residence of the family in Wilmette, to get their street address, and in some cases to obtain information on occupation. Directories are kept in the glass-fronted cabinets in the Local History Room. (Ref/ Local History/ 977.31 PO)

New Trier High School has published a directory of alumni, 1901-1992. It is cataloged and shelved in the Reference Room (R920.73 NE). The Local History Room contains two slim volumes on the history of New Trier Township High School 1901-1981, and New Trier West 1965-1981, and recently donated copies of New Trier East yearbooks for 1972 and 1973.

Taxpayers, Lists
Published lists for 1909, 1913, 1924, 1931-1936, organized in rough alphabetical order by name with address. Filed in Local History Room under TAXPAYERS.

Telephone Books
The library has telephone books for Wilmette and Kenilworth for the following years: 1909-1912, 1924-1942, 1945. The books are kept in the wooden cabinet opposite the work counter in the Local History Room.

Voters Registration
An issue of the Wilmette Life dated September 4, 1952 contains a list of all registered voters in the Village by precinct. A precinct map is included in the issue. This paper is kept in the local history files under VOTERS. An earlier list also exists, the Men Voters Poll Book for the election held at the Village Hall of Gross Point, 15 April 1919. This second list is filed under ELECTIONS 1873-1929.

War Memorial
Information on Wilmette residents who died in war, and whose names are on the Village War Memorial, can be found in the Local History Room. A large blue notebook with biographies of the soldiers is kept in the glass fronted cabinets (Local History R920.7731/ WI).

Wilmette Life Index
Newspaper is indexed from 1991--present. We have also indexed scattered issues from the period 1916-1920. Indexes are kept at the Readers' Assistance Desk.

Return to the WPL page of RECOMMENDED WEB SITES.