Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Springfield

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is one of the best research institutions for the study of Abraham Lincoln and of early Illinois. An interactive museum features several Exhibits dedicated to the 16th president and Illinois’s place within American history. Its Library Collections include over 12 million Manuscripts dating back to the 18th century, over 5,000 Newspapers on Microfilm, hundreds of thousands of Published Materials, and of course an extensive selection of Lincoln Artifacts. Items held by the Library may be searched with its Card Catalog. The Library has several Research Divisions, including its Papers of Abraham Lincoln. There are also many Digital Resources at the Library. Research funding is provided through the annual King V. Hostick Award.

Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

Not only is the Art Institute of Chicago a world-renowned art museum, it also is an excellent place to find early American sources. Its Ryerson and Burnham Libraries hold significant collections for art history and architectural history. These Collections are comprised of over 600,000 published works and 100,000 auction catalogs. Special focus is given to 18th and 19th century architecture, as well as 19th century paintings, prints, drawings, and decorative arts. Finding Aids and Research Guides are available, and scholars may search the libraries’ holdings through their Online Catalog. Much of the libraries’ material has been digitized and can be viewed through the Ryerson and Burnham Archives Digital Collections.

Charles Deering Memorial Library

Evanston

Located at Northwestern University, the Charles Deering Memorial Library houses a solid selection of early American sources. Most of these items are kept at the McCormick Library of Special Collections and University Archives. Most of the McCormick Library’s Collection Highlights focus on the 20th century, but the Michael McDowell Death Collection has some materials from 19th century America. Other collections related to early America include the Charleston County, South Carolina Records, the African American Documents 18th-19th Century Collection, and the Manasseh Cutler Collection. Several Search Tools are available to assist researchers, including an Archival and Manuscript Collections Portal and the Deering Library’s online catalog, NUsearch. Much of the McCormick Library’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through Northwestern Libraries’ Digital Collections.

Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago

The Chicago Botanic Garden houses one of the United States’ premiere collections of rare horticultural prints. Its Lenhardt Library curates these Collections. Chief among them are the Lenhardt Library Rare Book Collection, which consists of 2,000 rare books and 2,000 rare periodicals related to the histories of botany, botanical art, horticulture, agriculture, gardening, and landscape design. The Lenhardt Library also holds approximately 1,000 nursery catalogs. Items held by the Lenhardt Library can be searched with its Online Catalog. Many of the Library’s rare books have been digitized and may be viewed with its Digitized Rare Books and Special Collections.

Chicago History Museum

Chicago

The Chicago History Museum houses the material artifacts and documentary holdings of the Chicago Historical Society. Much of these items chronicle not just the early history of Chicago and Illinois, but also of the United States. Physical objects that are part of the Museum Collections are displayed in the Museum’s Exhibitions. The Museum also maintains several Research Collections which are kept at its Abakanowicz Research Center. These collections include Architectural Drawings and Records, Prints and Photographs, and Books and Other Publications. There are also extensive Archives and Manuscripts that date back to 1683 and cover various aspects of North American history. A Guide to the Research Center is available. Items held by the Research Center can be searched through its online catalog, ARCHIE. Hundreds of thousands of the Museum’s holdings have been digitized and can be viewed through the Chicago History Museum Digital Images. Other Online Resources include the Collections Online Portal and Digital Chicago.

Chicago Public Library

Chicago

The Chicago Public Library (CPL) maintains a solid collection of early American sources. Its Harold Washington Library Center (HWLC) manages several collections of Civil War materials, including the sizeable American Civil War Documents, Manuscripts, Letters and Diaries and Grand Army of the Republic Collections. The HWLC also serves as the City of Chicago’s official repository, materials of which form the Library’s Municipal Reference Collection. These items date to the mid-1800s and document the administrative history of the city. Also of interest is the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, the Midwest’s largest assortment of African American history and literature materials. This collection is housed at the Woodson Regional Library. Finding Aids are available for the CPL’s archival materials. Much of the CPL’s archival materials have been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Collections.

Founders Memorial Library

DeKalb

Founders Memorial Library serves as the main library for Northern Illinois University (NIU). Its Collections contain several resources related to early America. Many of these items are located at the Library’s Regional History Center and University Archives. A set of Regional Collections date back to 1800 and focus on the history of northern Illinois. Many of the Regional Manuscript Collections are from the 19th century and include family papers, organizational records, and public documents. The Library also has a strong selection of Rare Books and Special Collections. Early Americanists may be interested in both the African American Collection and the collections on American Popular Literature. Other resources at the Library include the Map Collection and Government Publications. Items held by the Library may be searched on its catalog, HuskieSearch. Much of the Library’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through the NIU Digital Library. Other digital resources include Lincoln/Net and Mark Twain’s Mississippi.

Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County

Quincy

The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County maintains several collections related to early Illinois. Its Research Library holds nearly 20,000 items that tell the history of Quincy and the surrounding area. These materials date back to 1825 and include books, photographs, maps, prints, drawings, deeds, diaries, and artifacts. Over 6,000 of these items can be searched and/or viewed through the Society’s Online Collections Database.

Illinois State Archives

Springfield

As the official repository for the State of Illinois, the Illinois State Archives is full of sources related to the early history of Illinois. Its holdings are arranged by Record Groups. Early documents can most easily be found in the Records of the Illinois Territory, the Records Relating to Governor, and the Records Relating to the General Assembly. Other resources include Databases, Federal Township Plats, Lincoln Documents, and materials for Genealogical Research. A Descriptive Guide to the Holdings of the Illinois State Archives is available. Many of the Archives’ collections have been digitized and can be viewed through the Illinois Digital Archives.

Illinois State Library

Springfield

The Illinois State Library serves as the official library for the State of Illinois. It holds an abundance of Genealogical Resources that may be of interest to not just to genealogists, but historians as well. Much of this material dates back to the early 1800s. Included are census records from Illinois’s territorial and early statehood period, military records from various conflicts, county histories, federal township plats, and microforms from other depositories across the country. The Library also maintains a robust collection of Maps. Items held by the Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the Library’s material has been digitized and can be viewed alongside other libraries’ holdings through the Illinois Digital Archives.

Illinois University Library

Urbana

The Illinois University Library serves as the main library for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Its Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) is home to various Collections on a number of subjects, including the American Civil War, the histories of economics, medicine, and science, notable literary figures, publishing history, and the history of radical literature. Research Guides for the RBML are available, and the RBML’s holdings may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the RBML’s material has been digitized and can be viewed through its Digital Exhibits and its Digital Collections. The RBML also offers Fellowships. Apart from the RBML, the University Library also maintains its extensive Illinois History and Lincoln Collections. These holdings consist of nearly 35,000 published works, 1,000 manuscript collections, and numerous maps, photographs, and other ephemera. Scholars may search these collections with the Library’s Manuscript Collection Database and Online Catalog. Some of these items have been digitized and can be accessed through the Library’s Digital Collections.

Joseph Regenstein Library

Chicago

The Joseph Regenstein Library serves as the main library for the University of Chicago. Its Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center is home to a vast array of early American sources, including some 340,000 Rare Books. The Research Center also holds a wide range of Manuscripts. These cover many aspects of American history, including the Early History of Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley, Abraham Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Civil War Era, and the History of Medicine. More information on the manuscript collections can be found here. The Research Center is also home to the University Archives. Researchers can browse the Research Center’s holdings through its Finding Aids and search its collections with the Library’s Online Catalog. Much of the Library’s Special Collections have been digitized and can be viewed through various Digital Resources, including the Library’s Web Exhibits and Digital Collections, as well as the University of Chicago Photographic Archive. Each year, the Research Center offers several Platzman Memorial Fellowships to help fund research within its collections.

Lincoln Library

Springfield

The Lincoln Library is a public library that holds many items related to early Illinois. Several Genealogy & Local History Links are available. Its Sangamon Valley Collection consists of archival materials that date back to the 17th century. Most of its Manuscript Collections are from the 20th century, but several are from the mid-1800s. There are also Microform Resources, including censuses, cemetery records, city directories, architectural drawings, agency and organizational minutes, business records, Illinois land records, and much more. Much of the Sangamon Valley Collection has been digitized as the Sangamon Valley Digital Collection.

McLean County Museum of History

Bloomington

The McLean County Museum of History curates various items related to early Bloomington and the surrounding region. Its Object Collections consist of approximately 20,000 items that represent McLean County’s diverse history and physical environments. The Museum is home to the Stevenson-Ives Library, which holds more than 15,000 books and periodicals related to McLean County genealogy and history. Manuscripts can be found in the Museum’s Archives. These materials date back to the 1820s and include personal papers, journals, photographs, maps, newspapers, and other documents. Finding Aids and Research Guides are available.

The Newberry

Chicago

The Newberry is a world-renowned independent research library with significant holdings for early America. Its Core Collections are very diverse and focus on American History and Culture, American Indian and Indigenous Studies, Chicago and the Midwest, Genealogy and Local History, the History of the Book, Maps, Travel, and Exploration, and Religion. Many of these materials date back to the 16th century and include the personal papers of both prominent and lesser-known historical figures, rare books and unique prints, government documents, military records, and several other primary source types. Researchers may browse the Newberry’s collections with its Research Guides or search its holdings through its Online Catalog. The Newberry operates various Research Centers, including the D’Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Cartography, and the Chicago Studies Program. Much of the Newberry’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through Digital Newberry. Several Fellowships are offered by the Newberry each year.

Richard J. Daley Library

Chicago

Located at the University of Illinois Chicago, the Richard J. Daley Library holds several collections of early and unique American publications. These prints form part of the University’s Special Collections & University Archives. Special Collections oversees a robust selection of Rare Books. Highlights include the Atlantic Slave Trade Collection, the Chicago Prefire (1871) Imprints Collection, the Lawrence J. Gutter Collection of Chicagoana, the Irwin T. and Shirley Holtzman Collection of American Indian Literature, and the Political and Social Activism Pamphlet Collection. There are several Finding Aids and Special Collections Research Guides available. Items held by the Daley Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. Much of the Daley Library’s materials have been digitized and can be viewed through the University’s Digital Library Exhibits and its Digital Collections.

Quincy Public Library

Quincy

The Quincy Public Library (QPL) is home to several materials related to the early history of Illinois. Most of these materials can be found in the QPL’s Illinois Room. Here, researchers have access to genealogical resources, city directories, plat books, court records, censuses, area newspapers, various microfilm collections, and much more. Items held by the Library may be searched with its Online Catalog. The QPL also maintains some digital resources, including the Historic Quincy Area Photo Collection, the Quincy Architecture Database, and the Quincy Historical Newspaper Archive.

Other Illinois Archives & Sources

Several Illinois counties retain their earliest records. Check with local county clerks to see what materials they have available. Sangamon County has scanned its circuit court records from 1821 to 1982. They can be found here. The Illinois State Historical Society keeps a Directory of Illinois Historical Societies. Several Chicago research libraries provide access to their digital resources through Chicago Collections. Statewide digital resources include the Illinois Digital Archives and the Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections.

Many regional repositories hold materials related to early Illinois. They include the the Detroit Public Library, the Filson Historical Society, the Indiana Historical Society, the Missouri Historical Society, the Ohio History Connection, the Sac and Fox National Public Library, the State Historical Society of Iowa, the William L. Clements Library, and the Wisconsin Historical Society. Early Illinois sources can also be found at the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Prior to American colonization, the area that became Illinois was colonized first by the French and later by the British. As such, early Illinois sources can be found in France at the Archives Nationales d’Outre-Mer and Bibliotheque Nationale de France, and in Great Britain at the British Library and the National Archives at Kew.