Materials in the Local History Room 

If your ancestor was from Wilmette, the Local History Room may have some useful resources, including biography files, photographs, city directories, local business files, oral histories, yearbooks, and more. Learn more about the Local History Room’s resources. Most Local History materials, with the exception of yearbooks, require an appointment to view. Contact a librarian to schedule an appointment.

 

Local History Digital Collection

Some materials from our Local History Room are available online. See our digital collection, as well as search the index of our newspapers and vertical files, on our Local History website

 

Local Newspapers

Including the Wilmette Life, Wilmette Beacon, Lake Shore News, and Local News. Learn more about our local newspapers

 

Obituary Index

You'll find obituaries in our digitized local newspapers from 1898-1939 (many early issues are missing). Obituaries from 1949 - present have been indexed on the library’s Local History website

Reference books and research guides

Available in the Nonfiction section at 929.1, and in the genealogy reference section.

 

Periodicals

Magazines such as Family Tree Magazine and Internet Genealogy, as well as Illinois Heritage, the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, and The quarterly : journal of the Illinois State Genealogical Society. Look for current issues in the genealogy reference section on the first floor.

 

Databases

Access genealogy databases that may help you with your research, including Ancestry.com, HeritageQuest, and FindMyPast. Use the links below to access them.

 

Scanners & Digitization

The library has scanners and other digitization equipment that you may use if you want to digitize your old family photos, slides, documents, videos, and audio cassettes. Visit the Computers & Media Stations page to learn more.

Genealogy Databases

Access these databases within the library, or remotely with a Wilmette library card.

Chicago Tribune Historical 1849-1986

Chicago Tribune Historical

The Chicago Tribune offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue (April 23, 1849).

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Find My Past

Find My Past

Find My Past hosts billions of searchable genealogical records, drawing from census, directory, and historical information.

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Fold3

Fold3 in blue print

Provides convenient access to military records, including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. Offers a wealth of searchable original documents for genealogists.

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Heritage Quest Online

Heritage Quest Online

HeritageQuest Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogical sources, including unique primary sources, local and family histories, and finding aids.

 

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HeritageHub

HeritageHub

Explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today.

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Local History Digital Collection

wpl logo

Access digitized materials from Wilmette Public Library's local history collection including photographs, newspapers, and indexes.

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New York Times Historical 1851-2017

New York Times Historical 1851-2017

Full-text content including articles and obituaries from the New York Times archive, covering 1851-2017. 

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Newspaper Archive

Newspaper Archive

NewspaperARCHIVE.com is a historical newspaper database that contains tens of millions of newspaper pages from 1607 to present.

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Newspapers.com

Newspapers.com

Newspapers.com provides access to historical newspapers from locations across the U.S. and worldwide.

 

 

 

 

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