Genealogy and Local History

Calendar
Donate
Join the Mailing List
Search form
Site Search
Catalogs and Guides *⁄
Skip to Navigation â†“
Home > Research > Core Collections >
Genealogy and Local History
Manuel Rodriguez. Compendio Geografico, c.1768. Case broadside BX3706.A2 C56 1768.
Our Chicago Suburbs - Hinsdale, ILL. and the Residence of O.J. Stough, Esq. 1873. Case Wing H 94.005.
The Newberry has been collecting genealogy and local history materials since 1887. Staff at the Genealogy and Local History desk can help you explore the Newberryâ€™s rich collections of family histories; local histories; censuses, probate, deed, court, tax, and cemetery records; military rosters; periodicals; genealogical guides; and reference works.
Finding What We Have
Explore the Newberryâ€™s Catalogs and Guides, the primary tools for identifying and locating books, maps, periodicals, and manuscripts relevant to your research.

Catalog Search Strategies for Genealogists
Genealogy Collection Guides and Research Tools
Genealogy Blog
Genealogy for Teachers
Publications about the Newberry Local and Family History Collections
Newberry Research Guides (A-Z list)
Programs and Additional Support
Researchers may wish to acquaint themselves with our Rights and Reproductions and Interlibrary Loan policies for information about requesting photocopies of materials from the Newberry and elsewhere. Registered readers may order microform materials through the FamilySearch Family History Library Film program. For more information about the FamilySearch Family History Library Film program as well as for help in hiring a genealogy researcher, see Referrals. Contact a Librarian for assistance with research questions, or plan Research Visits and Group Visits for Genealogists.
The Newberry also offers an assortment of programs that may be of use to genealogical researchers. See Programs for Genealogists to learn more about upcoming lectures and workshops. See our Adult Education Seminars or browse Seminars by Subject for more programs which may aid the genealogical researcher.
Learn more about how to Donate Books and Materials to the Local and Family History Collection.
Genealogy Collection Strengths
Genealogies
The Newberry has over 17,000 published genealogies. The collectionâ€™s coverage of colonial America and New England is particularly strong. Many rare titles covering gentry and noble families of the British Isles are also included.
Local Histories
The local history collection includes county, city, town, church, and other local histories from all regions of the United States, as well as from Canada and the British Isles. The Newberry holds a comprehensive collection of New England town histories, as well as a strong collection of county histories from the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. The collection of local histories from the British Isles is also noteworthy.
Genealogical Source Material
Published indexes, abstracts or transcriptions of pre-twentieth century records of birth, death, and marriage, as well as probate, deed, court, tax, and cemetery records form an important segment of the Newberryâ€™s genealogy collection. These materials are primarily from the area of the Mississippi Valley to the Eastern Seaboard, as well as from Canada and the British Isles.
Military Records
The Newberry collects roster and pension reference works covering the colonial wars through the Civil War. Some materials on the Spanish American War and World War One are also available. The Newberryâ€™s collection of Civil War unit histories is one of the countryâ€™s best.
Electronic Resources
The Newberry has subscriptions to several Electronic Resources of interest to genealogists. Among them are American Ancestors, Ancestry.com, Fold3, Gen-line, and HeritageQuest Online. These databases are only accessible from within the Newberry.
Periodicals
The library has complete runs of many state and county historical and genealogical publications, as well as important regional and national journals such as The New England Genealogical and Historical Register, The American Genealogist, and The National Genealogical Society Quarterly. The Newberry also holds British journals of local and regional history.
Research Guides
Below is a list of guides related to this particular collection.
African-American Studies â€“ Reference Sources
Adoption Research
African-American Genealogy
African-American Studies
Alabama Genealogy
Arkansas Genealogy
Biographical Resources
Biography â€“ Reference Sources
Bohemian Genealogy
Catalog Search Strategies for Genealogists
1 of 9
next â€º
Digital Resources
Below is a list of related digital resources.
Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries is a reference work designed to provide information about the creation and boundary changes of every county in the United States, from the earliest county creation in the 1600s to 2000.
Chicago Ancestors
ChicagoAncestors is a project of the Genealogy and Local History section of the Newberry. The project is intended to help genealogists and local historians discover and share historical information about Chicago.
Chicago Genealogist
In partnership with the Chicago Genealogical Society, the Newberry has provided full-text searchable PDFs of volumes 1-39 (1969-2007) of the Chicago Genealogist.
Foreign Language Press Survey
The Foreign Language Press Survey is a collection of translated newspaper articles that were originally published in Chicago in languages other than English between the 1860s and the 1930s.

Search Catalogs

Online Catalog
Cartographic Catalog
Modern Manuscripts

More about our
Catalogs and Guides
Research QuestionsGot a question on your topic of research?
Contact a Librarian
Discover more about our collections and ongoing research in the Newberry Blogs.