| Vital Records | Newspapers | Directories | Census | Church Records |
| Cemeteries | Obituary Indexes | Buildings and Streets | Miscellaneous |
The Newberry does not have Cook County vital records. Microfiche of these indexes are behind the 2nd floor reference desk:
The Sam Fink index microfilm (inquire at 2nd floor reference desk) indexes newspaper marriage notices 1833-1871, newspaper death notices 1856-1889 and official death records 1878-1884.
Polish Marriages in Chicago through 1915. Marriages in Catholic parishes in Chicago. Compiled by the Polish Genealogical Society of America.
Request forms for copies of Cook County birth, death, and marriage certificates are available at the 2nd floor reference desk. See also the Cook County Vital Records guide.
Full list of Chicago newspaper holdings.
Chicago Daily News. 1879-1935. Open-shelf microfilm behind 2nd floor reference desk.
Chicago Tribune
Illinois Newspaper Project. Search by town of publication or by specific title if already known. The database will provide you with a list of libraries in Illinois that have copies of the newspaper. Includes Newberry Library holdings. There is good coverage of Chicago newspapers.
DIRECTORIES AND TELEPHONE BOOKS
Chicago city directories. 1839-1870 (irregular), 1871-1917 (every year), 1923, 1928/29 on microfilm behind 2nd floor reference desk.
Chicago telephone books. Incomplete holdings.
Chicago criss-cross directories. 1952, 1953, 1955. 1928 Reverse Directory available on-line from the Chicago Historical Society (requires Adobe Reader.) Gives spouse's names in many cases.
Complete list of Chicago directories, including social, ethnic, fraternal, and other directories.
Complete federal census on microfilm 1840-1880, 1900- 1930. Printed indexes through 1870. On-line indexes and images available for all years in the reading rooms.Soundex index for 1880, 1900, 1910 (Miracode) and 1920. Map finding aids for 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930. Enumeration district description available for 1920 and 1930. Ask at 2nd floor reference desk for assistance. See A Look At Cook for district boundaries, 1870-1880, 1910-1930. For more information, see the Illinois section of the Census Bibliography.
Guide to Chicago Churches and Synagogues is available at the 2nd floor reference desk and on-line. Contains listings for Church records and publications held by the Newberry and other repositories. Indexed by congregation name and ethnicity.
First Bethlehem Lutheran, 1645 W. LeMoyne.
Call # Microfilm 1173 (2nd floor open shelf).
First Immanuel Lutheran, 1124 S. Ashland.
Call # Microfilm 867 (2nd floor open shelf).
St. James Evangelical Lutheran, 2248 N. Fremont.
Call # Microfilm 374 (2nd floor open shelf).
First Saint John Lutheran Church, Superior and Bickerdike, then moved to N. Hoyne and W. Walton.
Call # Microfilm 1262 (2nd floor open shelf).
Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Luke, 1500 W. Belmont. Call # Microfilm 544 (2nd floor open shelf).
Old St. Mary's (Catholic), 25 E. Van Buren.
Call # Microfilm 706 (2nd floor open shelf).
St. Mathews Evangelical Lutheran, 2108 W. 21st.
Call # Microfilm 1204 (2nd floor open shelf).
First St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran, 1301 N. LaSalle.
Call # Microfilm 1076 and1077 (2nd floor open shelf).
First Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church, 19th and Peoria.
Call # Microfilm 1260 (2nd floor opwn shelf.)
For more church records, consult the Family History Library (Salt Lake City) catalog. Among others, some Archdiocese of Chicago church records are available. Through a loan program, microfilm can be ordered for use at the Newberry. Ask at the 2nd floor reference desk.
Bohemian National Cemetery. (5255 N. Pulaski.)
Call # F548.61.B64 (2nd floor open shelf). Index now available on-line from the Chicago Genealogical Society.
Cook County Honor Roll, 1956. Veterans' graves.
Call # E181.I34 1956 (2nd floor open shelf.)
The Roll of Honor: …Soldiers, Sailors and Marines…buried in the cemeteries of Cook County.
Call # E494 .L67 1922 and E494 .L67 1922 Index
Norwood Park Home Cemetery, in Chicago, Illinois. (6505 Northwest Highway.)
Call # F548.25 .N69 1997 (2nd floor open shelf.)
Records of Waldheim and Forest Home.(863 S. Des Plaines Avenue.) Organized by date of burial.
Call # Microfilm 1215 (2nd floor open shelf.)
Union Ridge Cemetery (6700 West Higgins.)
Call # F548.25 .U55 1995 (2nd floor open shelf)
Wunders 3963 North Clark Street):
Transcription of Wunders Cemetery. Chicago: Chicago Genealogical Society, 1985. Call # F548.61.W85 (2nd floor open shelf). Indexed transcription of gravestones at Wunders.
Wunders Cemetery Records. Microfilm 1261 (2nd floor open shelf.) Microfilmed ledger books, unindexed. Ask at 2nd floor reference desk for reel guide.
OBITUARY INDEXES
Husband, Lori. Deaths in the Chicago Defender, 1910-1920. Park Forest, Ill.: L. Hubbard, 1990. Call # F548.5 .H87 1990 (2nd floor open shelf).
Novak, Joe. The Denni Hlasatel Obituary Index. 1891-1995 in 2 volumes. Sugar Grove, Ill.: Czech and Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois, c1996. Served Chicago’s Bohemian community. 1891-1970: Call # F548.9.B67 N679 1996 and 1971-1995: Call # F548.9 B67 N6792 1997 (2nd floor open shelf.)
Hollowak, Thomas. Index to Obituaries and Death Notices appearing in the Dziennik Chicagoski. 1890-1929 in 4 volumes.Served Chicago's Polish community. Call # F548.9 P7 H65 1984 through F548.9 P7 H653 1991 (2nd floor open shelf). See also, www.pgsa.org/dzien9029.htm for 1890-1920 and www.pgsa.org/dzien3071.htm for 1930-1971.
BUILDINGS, STREETS & ADDRESSES
Cook County Assessor's Office. Search by address or neighborhood. Besides property value information, this site also provides an approximate age of the building and a recent photograph.
Plan of Re-Numbering City of Chicago. Shows house number changes that impacted most of the city in 1909. Ask at 2nd floor reference desk.
Now available on-line from the Chicago Historical Society (requires Adobe® Reader.)
Separate guide to the 1911 renumbering of addresses in the Loop available at 2nd floor reference desk and on-line from the Chicago Historical Society (requires Adobe® Reader.)
Chicago Historic Resources Survey. Information about pre-1940 buildings of architectural or historical interest. May yield more information about a residence (need current building address to search). . Call # NA735.C4 C395 1996 (3rd floor open shelf). Now available on-line from the City of Chicago Commission on Landmarks.
McNalis, John. Chicago Streets. Shows street name changes. Ask at 2nd floor reference desk.
Now available on-line from the Chicago Historical Society (requires Adobe® Reader).
See also, the on-line guide to Chicago streets on the Web site of the POINTers in Person Italian genealogy group.
Your House has a History: A Step-by-Step Guide to Researching Your Property. Chicago: Department of Planning and Development, 1998. Call # NA7238.C4 Z47 1998. (2nd floor open shelf) Now available on-line from the City of Chicago(requires Adobe® Reader.)
Database of Chicago Building Permits published in The American Contrator, 1898-1912. The database is searchable by architect, original owner, or street name. Created by the Chicago Historical Society.
Chicago Police Department Homicide Record Index, 1870-1930. The Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) in Chicago created this index of Chicago homicide victims.
Homicide in Chicago, 1870-1930. This database from the Northwestern School of Law is based on the Chicago Police Department Homicide Record Index, but provides more information and greater search capability.
Cook County Coroner's Inquest Record Index 1872-1911. Created by IRAD. Lists Coroner's inquests, which are investigations of deaths under criminal or suspicious circumstances.
Chicago and Cook County Biography and Industry File, third floor catalog. Indexes biographical sketches from over 25 local histories and biographical dictionaries.
Chicago Genealogist. Journal of the Chicago Genealogical Society. Call # F548.1.C45 (2nd floor open shelf).
Szucs, Loretto. Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research. 2nd ed. Call # Z1278.C5S97 (At 2nd floor reference desk).
See also, Biographical Resources, Cook County Court Records, and Illinois guides.