Illinois Cultural Groups

Online Resources

 * Illinois State Archives Servitude and Emancipation Records, (1722-1863).



Records and histories of minorities and ethnic groups may provide clues to immigrant origins, migration information and previous residences. See United States Minorities for further sources on ethnic, racial, and religious groups.

African American

 * See African American Resources for Illinois

Belgian
Many Belgians settled in Rock Island County.


 * Center for Belgian Culture 712 18th Ave. Moline, IL 61265 Phone: (309) 762-0167

British
British Interest Group of Wisconsin and Illinois (BIGWILL). Their British Genealogist's Library collection is available at McHenry Public Library.

Czech and Slovak
The Paul M Nemecek Research Library of the Czech &amp; Slovak American Genealogy Society of Illinois (CSAGSI) offers an extensive ethnic collection, especially for Chicago and Cook County.


 * The CSAGSI Library is in the T.G. Masaryk School 5701 22nd Place Cicero, IL 60804

CSAGSI publishes a quarterly journal, Koreny (Roots)

German
GermanRoots

German Newspapers in Illinois available at Chronicling America,

Foreign Language Press Survey is collection of translated newspaper articles - many of which are German.

Brinkman, Michael. Quincy, Illinois, immigrants from Munsterland, Westphalia, Germany. Westminster, Maryland: Heritage Books, 2010. Available at: and

Dietrich, Julius. Bloomington’s Deutsche in Wort und Bild = Bloomington’s German Population in Word and Picture. Normal, Illinois: McLean County Genealogical Society, 1993. Available at: and

Holtschlag, Lester and Kimbrough, Lenore, translators. Bornmann’s Sketches of Germans in Quincy and Adams County. Quincy, Illinois, Great River Genealogical Society, 1999. Available at:

Ireland, Everett B. and Rossi, Peggy. Adam Vogt : German Immigrant, Illinois Farmer . San Diego, California: StorySeekers, 2008. Available at: and

LaSalle County Historical Society, Genealogy Guild. LaSalle County Cemeteries : St. Joseph's Cemetery, Bureau County, Illinois. Ottawa, Illinois: LaSalle County Genealogical Guild, 1991. Available at: and

Tolzmann, Don Heinrich, ed. Illinois’ German Heritage. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2005. This is the most exceptional resources for Germans in Illinois. Available at:

Woodruff, George, H., William Henry Perrin, &amp; W. Le Baron Jr. The History of Will County, Illinois. W. Le Baron, Jr., Co., 1878.

von Roeder, Flora. Deep in the Heart of America: A Chronology of six German Immigrant Lines to St. Clair County, Illinois. Houston, Texas: F. von Foeder, 1995. Available at: and

Illinois-Missouri: Don Heinrich Tolzmann, “The German Heritage of Southern Illinois and Missouri,” The Palatine Immigrant.

Military Records: Kircher, Henry A. and Hess, Earl J. A German in the Yankee Fatherland: the Civil War letters of Henry A. Kircher. Kent, Ohio, Kent State University Press, 1983. Available at:

Emigration:

Freund, Hanns Egon. Emigration Records from the German Eifel Region 1834-1911. Crystal Lake, Illinois: McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society, 1991. This has a focus of emigrants whose final destinations were Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. Available at: and

Klotz, Jane Smithenry. Immigrants from Mernes, Germany to Indiana and Illinois. Indianapolis, Indiana: J.S. Klotz, 1993. Available at:

Marxkors, Heinz, compiler. Emigrants from the former Counties of Büren and Paderborn in the former Province of Westphalia in the former Kingdom of Prussia emigrated to St. Libory, St. Clair County, State of Illinois. Bielefeld, Germany: H. Marxkors, 2004. Available at:  This is a wonderful resource for St. Clair County, Illinois and discusses St. Louis, Missouri historical associations.

Church Records: Cunningham, Julie. LaBounty, William, editor.Church Book for German Evangelical Lutheran: Combined Friedens Church, Bloomington, Illinois. Normal, Illinois: McLean County Genealogical Society, 1995. Available at: and

Early German Churches (before 1900) of Illinois. Quincy, Illinois: Illinois Chapter, Palatines to America, 1989. Available at: and

The Early German Churches of Illinois publication coupled with the Illinois, Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Parish Records 1729-1956 can be of assistance in establishing time-lines for Germans in Illinois.

Minert, Roger P., editor. German Immigrants in American Church Records, Volume 10: Illinois North Protestant. 10 Volumes. Rockland, Maine: Picton Press, 2011.

Randolph County Genealogical Society, compiler. The German English Lutheran Zion Congregation at Blair, Randolph County, Illinois, translated from the German Church Records. Chester, Illinois: Randolph County Genealogical Society, unknown date. Available at:

Schmidt, Martha Mae and Elsa E. History, Church Records, and Cemetery Burials of St. Peter's United Church of Christ, Lenzburg, IL 62255, 1878-1978. Marissa, Illinois: M.M. Schmidt, 1977. Available at:

Stopp, Klaus. The Printed Birth and Baptismal Certificates of the German Americans. Six Volumes, Volume VI has Illinois entries. Mainz, Germany and East Berlin, Pennsylvania: The Author, 1998. Limited printing. Available at: and

Wendelin History Book Committee, compiler. Holy Cross Church, 1871-1996, Wendelin, Illinois. Wendelin, Illinois: Wendelin History Book Committee, 1996.

Chicago specific: German Press Club of Chicago

Harzig, Christiane. Peasant Maids-City Women: from the European Countryside to Urban America. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1997. Available at:

Keil, Hartmut and Jentz, John B., editors. German Workers in Chicago: A Documentary History of Working-class Culture from 1850 to World War I. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1998. Available at:

Lundberg, Gertrude W., compiler. Some German Name Cemeteries, Cook County, Illinois. Glenview, Illinois: The Compiler, 1967. If entries are found, they can be looked up in theIllinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1922 database

Northern Illinois Chapter American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, compiler. Germans from Russia: Death extractions, years 1914-1915;from the John V. May Funeral Home, Chicago, Illinois. Palatine, Illinois: The Northern Illinois Chapter American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, 1997. Available at:

Szucs, Loretto Dennis. Chicago &amp; Cook County: A Guide to Research. Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1996. Pages 253-264 discuss resources and provide a tutorial.

If searching for German origins of ancestors who came to Chicago, the records of the German Aid Society of Chicago (Deutsche Gesellschaft) may be the key. Records from 1878-1977 include surviving applications and case histories and are housed at the University of Illinois at Chicago.


 * University of Illinois at Chicago Office of Public Affairs (MC 288) 601 S. Morgan St. Chicago, IL 60607-7113 Telephone: (312) 996-7000

Illinois Chapter, Palatines to America, is a resource for searching your Illinois German-speaking ancestors. They publish six newsletters a year.


 * Palatines to America - Illinois Chapter P O Box 9638 Peoria, IL 61612-9638


 * Otto, Ronald L. ed. Illinois German-Americana Genealogical Sources. Two Volumes. Quincy, Illinois: Illinois Chapter, Palatines to America, 1990–92. ;.
 * Tolzmann, Don Heinrich, ed. Illinois' German Heritage. Milford, Ohio: Little Miami Pub. Co., 2005. ;.

Huguenot

 * Huguenot Society of Illinois

Indigenous Peoples

 * See Indigenous Peoples of Illinois

Swedish

 * See Illinois: Swedish American


 * Swenson Swedish Immigration Center Augustana College 639 38th Street Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 Phone: (309) 794-7204 Offers Swedish immigration and genealogical research, their quarterly publication Swedish American Genealogist, and workshops.


 * The Swedish-American Historical Society 3225 W. Foster Ave, Box 48 Chicago, IL 60625 Phone: (773) 583-5722 Also houses the Swedish-American Archives of Greater Chicago


 * Swedish American Museum 5211 N. Clark St. Chicago, IL 60640


 * Olson, Ernst Wilhelm. History of the Swedes of Illinois. Tucson, Arizon : Filmed by W.C. Cox Co., 1974; original published: Chicago [Illinois]: Engberg Holmberg Pub. Co., 1908. Available at many libraries (WorldCat); (can be viewed online); Ancestry ($).

Some sources for early settlers of Kaskaskia and other French areas of Illinois are described in Illinois History.

General
See also United States Cultural Groups for additional resources.

Other records and histories of ethnic, racial, and religious groups in Illinois are listed in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:


 * ILLINOIS - MINORITIES


 * ILLINOIS, [COUNTY] - MINORITIES


 * ILLINOIS, [COUNTY], [TOWN] - MINORITIES

You will also find records in the Subject Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under:


 * AFRO-AMERICANS - ILLINOIS


 * Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum has materials on various ethnic groups and ethnic migration patterns as well as a collection of interviews conducted by the Springfield African-American History Foundation.

A brief history of ethnic groups and a bibliography of literature on German, French, British, Irish, Scandinavian, and Swiss immigrants can be found in:


 * Wyman, Mark. Immigration History and Ethnicity in Illinois: A Guide. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Historical Society, 19–?. Many libraries (WorldCat)

Ethnic organizations and societies may suggest additional avenues of research for specific ethnic groups. Addresses and information for ethnic societies can be found as follows:


 * Wynar, Lubomyr Roman. Encyclopedic Directory of Ethnic Organizations in the United States. Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1975. Available at: and.