When talking about the origins of ancestral roots in America, New York may come first to mind for many people. However, no major city can be ignored in research. Many people can trace their family trees through one or more ports and through one or more major metropolitan areas. Chicago was home to people from all over the world. Many immigrant families spent time or settled down in the windy city. Grace DuMelle literally wrote the book on searching one’s ancestral trail through Chicago. Her book is Finding Your Chicago Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide to Family History in the City and Cook County.
Other books on Chicago and Cook County exist. But none take the approach DuMelle has taken. As a reference desk professional staffer and researcher, she has learned to see the questions researches want to have answered. This book tries to help the researcher answer the questions they have. Instead of pointing to some records group and saying go there, DuMelle tries to instruct and guide the research to finding their own answers. Part I of this book attempts to help researcher answer basic questions:
- Where do I start?
- When was my ancestor born?
- When did my ancestor come to America?
- What did my ancestor do for a living?
- When did my ancestor live?
- Where is my ancestor buried?
These questions jump straight at the heart of research. Who was your ancestor and what can you learn about him/her.
Part II of this book takes research to greater specifics. Here the reader learns to go into greater depth on a topic, to find answers and ancestors. What the book doesn’t provide is information that changes too often to keep updated without costly new editions on a regular basis. Why tell how much copies were or what a books catalog number is a library, when that information may change tomorrow. However, knowing there is a library and what is hold is enough. Finding a records is easy with that information.
The book contains plenty of examples, tables, and illustrations to help the reader find and understand records. Addresses are given for major resource locations. Websites, too, provide online help not available just a few years ago. From the questions researchers ask to the nuts and bolts of researchers, this book cover what is needed to successfully find one’s Chicago ancestors.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Family History: The Ultimate Reality Show
Part I: Getting Your Questions Answered
1 Where Do I Start?
- Step 1: Gather Your Family’s Information
- Step 2: Organize Your Information
- Step 3: Begin Research using the Census, Vital Records, and City Directories
- Three Beginner’s Mistakes to Avoid
2 When (and Where) Was My Ancestor Born?
- Strategy No. 1: Birth and Baptismal Records
- Strategy No. 2:Birth Announcements
- Strategy No. 3: Census
- Strategy No. 4: School Records
- Strategy No. 5: Social Security Application
- Strategy No. 6: Post-1906 Naturalization Records
- Strategy No. 7: Death Records
3 Who Were the Parents of My Ancestor?
- Strategy No. 1: Birth and Baptismal Records
- Strategy No. 2: Delayed and Corrected Birth Certificates
- Strategy No. 3: Death Records
- Strategy No. 4: Census
- Strategy No. 5: Marriage Records
4 Who Were the Siblings of My Ancestor?
- Strategy No. 1: Census
- Strategy No. 2: Death Notices and Obituaries
- Strategy No. 3: Proof of Heirship
- Strategy No. 4: Divorce Records
5 When (and Who) Did My Ancestor Marry?
- Strategy No. 1: Civil Marriage Records
- Strategy No. 2: Church Marriage Records
- Strategy No. 3: Unindexed Marriage Records
6 Where Did My Ancestor Live?
- Strategy No. 1: Sources for Addresses
- Strategy No. 2: Sources for Photographs
- Strategy No. 3: Fire Insurance Maps
7 What Occupation Did My Ancestor Have?
- Strategy No. 1: City Directories
- Strategy No. 2: U.S. Census
- Strategy No. 3: State Census
- Strategy No. 4: Sources for Teachers
- Strategy No. 5: Sources for City Workers (Chicago)
- Strategy No. 6:Sources for Railroad Workers
- Strategy No. 7: Sources for Professionals
8 When Did My Ancestor Die and Where is My Ancestor Buried?
- Strategy No. 1: Determine the Death Date
- Strategy No. 2: Determine the Place of Burial
9 When Did My Ancestor Come to America?
- Strategy No. 1: U.S. Census
- Strategy No. 2: Death Certificates
- Strategy No. 3: Late Nineteenth-Century Voter Registrations
- Strategy No. 4: Church Records
- Strategy No. 5: Naturalization Records
- Strategy No. 6: Passenger Lists
Part II: Practical Advice
10 Nuts and Bolts of the U.S. Census
- Tips for Finding Your Ancestor’s Entry
- Census Indexes
- Soundex and Miracode Indexes
- Find Your Ancestor by Address
- Where to Find the Census
11 Nuts and Bolts of Newspaper Searching
- Before You Start
- Selected Chicago Newspapers and Where to Find Them
- Indexes to Chicago Newspapers
- Selected Suburban Cook County Newspapers
- Obituary and Other Search Services
12 Nuts and Bolts of Birth and Death Records
- Birth Records
- Death Records
13 How to Use Machines and Catalogs
- Microfilm and Microfiche Machines
- Library Catalog
14 What to Expect at Chicago-Area Research Facilities
- Chicago History Museum (CHM)
- Chicago Public Library
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Archives
- Cook County Bureau of Vital Statistics
- Family History Center (FHC)—Wilmette, Illinois
- Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)
- National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)—Great Lakes Region
- Newberry Library
- University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Richard J. Daley Library
15 Top Web Sites for Chicago-Area Research
- Local Institutional Web Sites
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- Free Internet Sources
- Subscription Databases
- 16 Ethnic Resources
- General Resources
- Resources by Ethnic Group
- Cultural Organizations
Beginner’s Bookshelf
Index
About the Author
Order Finding Your Chicago Ancestors: A Beginner’s Guide to Family History in the City and Cook County from Family Roots Publishing; Item #: LCP256, Price: $16.61.
Hi there,
My ancestor, who I have been trying to research for the past eight or so years, was born in Ireland as was his wife. He was born approx. 1808 – 1815 based on his death certificate. There is no father or mother recorded on his death certificate. I don’t know when he immigrated as he died before the 1900 census. I believe that he was married in the Cathedral that burned in the Chicago fire. He has a common Irish name. My parents and grandparents are dead, so no help there. They can’t even find him in Cavalry cemetery, which is where he is supposed to be buried. My question is this; Do you think your book can help me find such a long ago ancestor.
I would certainly think so, as dozens of sources and research strategies for finding your Chicago people are found in the volume. If you haven’t read the book, and already exhausted all these resources, it’s a must-read.