Track your family history, find your roots, and discover interesting information about the history of Kane County with the help of these databases! Please have your library card handy as many of these databases require your library card number.
Research Databases
This online digital library is a comprehensive, easy-to-use database of full-text articles and documents. This database is sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the United States Department of Education.
Inkie.org is a suite of resources – available to everyone in Illinois at no charge – that supports local authors with online creation and publishing tools and allows readers to access locally-produced content.
FamilySearch.org houses the largest library of free genealogy records with over 3.3 billion records and over 12 billion names. This resource is free, but requires account registration.
Fold3 Historical Military Records features premier collections of original military records. These records include the stories, photos, and documents of those who served in the military.
Ancestry Library Edition provides patrons instant access to a wide range of resources for genealogy and historical research.
With Findmypast you’ll gain access to the ever-expanding collections of over 2 billion historical records from around the world, including US censuses from as far back as 1790.
HeritageQuest Online is a comprehensive treasury of American genealogy sources—rich in unique primary sources, convenient research guides, interactive census maps, and more.
This collection contains local newspaper issues dating back to the 1800’s. This newspaper archive can also be searched in order to find local obituaries.
Free Local History & Genealogy Resources
Access Genealogy
Access Genealogy has been online since 1999. What started out as a small 50 page website has evolved over the years to one of the leading websites in providing free genealogy. With over 240,000 links it is also one of the largest directories of genealogy websites found online.
Association of Professional Genealogists
Association of Professional Genealogists helps you locate and contact a professional genealogist.
Cindy’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet
Cindy’s List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet is one of the most comprehensive lists of genealogy websites. Organized according to categories, this site offers easy access to thousands of links. This is a great starting point for any genealogy researcher.
Ellis Island Records Ellis Island Records
Ellis Island Records Ellis Island Records contains a searchable database of over 22 million names of immigrants, passengers, and crew members that came through Ellis Island and the Port of New York from 1892 to 1924. The transcriptions were done by volunteers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Findagrave.com
Findagrave.com is an online database containing millions of burial records world-wide.
Google Books
Google Books provides full-text access to millions of books in the public domain.
Immigrant Ships Transcriber’s Guild
Immigrant Ships Transcriber’s Guild includes sites to research emigration, immigration and, naturalization, passenger list sites, ethnic research, libraries and archives, passenger ship types, descriptions, and images as well as additional worldwide maritime information.
Legacy.com
Legacy.com is an online obituary service.
Linkpendium
Linkpendium lets you search up to 2.5 million pages of free genealogy data with a single search.
MapofUS.org
Maps of Us offers maps of the United States for the purchase of genealogy research.
Old Maps Online
Old Maps Online is a great resource for local and world maps.
Refdesk.com
Refdesk.com provides links to the top 70 internet sites related to family history.
RootsWeb
RootsWeb is the Internet’s oldest and largest free genealogy web site and contains millions of names and genealogies. RootsWeb also hosts other databases and projects:
RootsWeb Surname List
RootsWeb Surname List is a list of surnames. Associated with each surname are dates, locations (showing migration), and information about how to contact the person who submitted the information.
Roots-L
Roots-L is a free list serve/mailing list for people interested in genealogy.
Obituary Daily Times
Obituary Daily Times contains an index to over 8 million obituaries in North America.
The USGenWeb
U.S. Genealogy Web Project is a massive website run by volunteers. There is a website for each of the 3,125 counties in the United States. These county pages contain county histories, biographies, census, cemetery, marriage, birth, and bible records, and lists of local newspapers, among other things.
WeRelate.org
WeRelate.org is the world’s largest genealogy wiki.
World GenWeb Projects
World GenWeb Projects is divided into fifteen world regions arranged by country and usually run by someone living in that country. Each country is divided into individual provinces, states, or counties (terms vary depending on locale).
You can search these sites to find maps, how-to information, history, translation help, vital records, passenger ship lists, property records, other useful information, and to make contacts with people living in the country you are researching.
State, National, & Local Resources
LOCAL GOVERNMENT RESOURCES
Kane County Genealogy Online provides online access to thousands of birth, marriage, death records from Kane County Illinois dating from 1836
DeKalb County Clerk’s Office provides online access to thousands of birth, marriage, and death records from DeKalb County Illinois.
NATIONAL RESOURCES
Allen County Library is one of the largest genealogy departments in the United States. Allen County Library boasts family histories, census records, passenger lists, military records, Native American records, African-American sources for various states and countries.
Bureau of Land Management contains two million land patents and provides live database access to federal land conveyance records for thirty-two states issued between 1820 and 1908. This does not include the original thirteen colonies, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, and Hawaii. Land patents document the transfer of land ownership from the federal government to individuals.
Library of Congress, Local History and Genealogy Room services are described. Online catalog link is here.
National Archives and Records Administration provides information about many of the finding aids, guides, and research tools that can prepare you for a visit to one of their facilities or for requesting records from NARA. The site contains information about the federal census, court records, military records, naturalization records, visa, alien registrations, and some passport records, African-American, and Native American materials. You can find a guide to the records that have been microfilmed by NARA. These films can sometimes be borrowed from your Family History Center or purchased from the National Archives.
Vital Records Information: The United States provides information on obtaining birth, death, marriage and divorce records from agencies in states and counties. Includes years for which records are available, associated fees for obtaining records and links to foreign vital records and adoption resources.
