Residence records help us trace where our ancestors
lived in Chicagoland. The first fact one should know was that Chicago re-numbered their streets in 1908 which affected many of places where our
ancestors lived. Please read the FAQ
about this change.
The following record types will help you trace the journey of your ancestors: |
City Directories
Federal
Census
Voter Registration Cards
Property Records
City Directories
Federal
Census
| Chicago first appears in
the 1840 census after being incorporated as a city in 1833. Settlers
living in what is now Chicago were indexed in the 1830 census as part of
Putnam County. They appear in the 1820 census as part of Clark County.
Illinois became a state in 1818 and was not included in any prior
census.
Since 1850 the census was published every 10 years
(except 1890 lost due to a fire).
By law a census has to be over 72 years old before it is released. Thus the
latest census now available to the public is 1930. The Chicago
census can be found at:
|
Voter Registration Cards
The availability of voter registration records in Chicago
is very inconsistent.
The following
are available:
1888-1892: alphabetical listing including name, address, where born, date
of naturalization.
1921-1996: by precinct and ward, then alphabetically.
1940-1944: alphabetical listing. |
The best
place to call is Chicago
Board of Election Commissioners. Some of the
1888-1892 records are available at:
|
Property Records
Details
on how to obtain property records will provided at a
later time.
The Cook County Assessor has a
website with current photos of all properties in Cook County. Go to their website to view these photos.
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