Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	p. vii
	Introduction: Family History: The Ultimate Reality Show	p. ix
	Getting Your Questions Answered
	Where Do I Start?
	Gather Your Family's Information	p. 3
	Organize Your Information	p. 4
	Begin Research Using the Census, Vital Records, and City Directories	p. 8
	Three Beginner's Mistakes to Avoid	p. 13
	When (and Where) Was My Ancestor Born?
	Birth and Baptismal Records	p. 19
	Birth Announcements	p. 22
	Census	p. 22
	School Records	p. 24
	Social Security Application	p. 27
	Post-1906 Naturalization Records	p. 29
	Death Records	p. 30
	Who Were the Parents of My Ancestor?
	Birth and Baptismal Records	p. 34
	Delayed and Corrected Birth Certificates	p. 36
	Death Records	p. 40
	Census	p. 47
	Marriage Records	p. 48
	Who Were the Siblings of My Ancestor?
	Census	p. 55
	Death Notices and Obituaries	p. 55
	Proof of Heirship	p. 58
	Divorce Records	p. 60
	When (and Who) Did My Ancestor Marry?
	Civil Marriage Records	p. 68
	Church Marriage Records	p. 75
	Unindexed Marriage Records	p. 78
	Where Did My Ancestor Live?
	Sources for Addresses	p. 84
	Sources for Photographs	p. 93
	Fire Insurance Maps	p. 94
	What Occupation Did My Ancestor Have?
	City Directories	p. 101
	U.S. Census	p. 105
	State Census	p. 109
	Sources for Teachers	p. 112
	Sources for City Workers (Chicago)	p. 114
	Sources for Railroad Workers	p. 116
	Sources for Professionals	p. 120
	When Did My Ancestor Die and Where Is My Ancestor Buried?
	Determine the Death Date	p. 124
	Determine the Place of Burial	p. 128
	When Did My Ancestor Come to America?
	U.S. Census	p. 141
	Death Certificates	p. 144
	Late Nineteenth-Century Voter Registrations	p. 144
	Church Records	p. 148
	Naturalization Records	p. 149
	Passenger Lists	p. 161
	Practical Advice
	Nuts and Bolts of the U.S. Census
	Tips for Finding Your Ancestor's Entry	p. 176
	Census Indexes	p. 177
	Soundex and Miracode Indexes	p. 185
	Find Your Ancestor by Address	p. 190
	Where to Find the Census	p. 197
	Nuts and Bolts of Newspaper Searching
	Before You Start	p. 202
	Selected Chicago Newspapers and Where to Find Them	p. 203
	Indexes to Chicago Newspapers	p. 207
	Selected Suburban Cook County Newspapers	p. 209
	Obituary and Other Search Services	p. 209
	Nuts and Bolts of Birth and Death Records
	Birth Records	p. 213
	Death Records	p. 221
	How to Use Machines and Catalogs
	Microfilm and Microfiche Machines	p. 231
	Library Catalogs	p. 244
	What to Expect at Chicago-Area Research Facilities
	Chicago Historical Society (CHS)	p. 251
	Chicago Public Library	p. 254
	Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Archives	p. 257
	Cook County Bureau of Vital Statistics	p. 261
	Family History Center (FHC)-Wilmette, Illinois	p. 265
	Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD)	p. 268
	National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)-Great Lakes Region	p. 271
	Newberry Library	p. 275
	University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Richard J. Daley Library	p. 278
	Top Web Sites for Chicago-Area Research
	Local Institutional Web Sites	p. 287
	Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints	p. 292
	Free Internet Sources	p. 293
	Subscription Databases	p. 295
	Ethnic Resources
	General Resources	p. 301
	Resources by Ethnic Group	p. 303
	Cultural Organizations	p. 309
	Beginner's Bookshelf	p. 312
	Index	p. 314
	About the Author	p. 323

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