Illinois ethnic group records

United States Illinois  Minorities



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.

You can find information on ethnic ancestors in most of the same records as other groups. Start your research in the same resources you would search for non-ethnic ancestors. The records listed in this section provide information about specific groups in Illinois.

African Americans
Some African-Americans may be listed in the comprehensive index of servitude and emancipation records at the Illinois State Archives. These records are also available in IRAD depositories. See also the following sources:


 * Tregillis, Helen Cox, comp. River Roads to Freedom: Fugitive Slave Notices and Sheriff Notices Found in Illinois Sources. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1988. The information was obtained from newspaper microfilm available at the Illinois State Historical Library.
 * Hodges, Carl G., and Helene H. Levene, comps. Illinois Negro Historymakers. Chicago: Illinois Emancipation Centennial Commission, 1964.

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

For further information, see: Illinois African Americans.

Online Resources:


 * Illinois State Archives Servitude and Emancipation Records Database (1722–1863) includes names of African American servants, slaves, or free persons from selected governmental records. A full description of this database can be found here.
 * African-American Genealogy (Newberry Library)
 * Illinois State Archives: African-American Records
 * Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature
 * Mapping the Stacks: A guide to Black Chicago's Hidden Archives

Belgian
Many Belgians settled in Rock Island County.


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

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

German
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


 * Otto, Ronald L. ed. Illinois German-Americana Genealogical Sources. Two Volumes. Quincy, Illinois: Illinois Chapter, Palatines to America, 1990–92.

Irish

 * Irish American Heritage Center 4626 North Knox Avenue Chicago, IL 60630 (773) 282-7035

Jewish

 * Jewish Genealogical Society of Illinois P.O. Box 515 Northbrook, IL 60056-0515 Telephone: (312) 666-0100


 * Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies 610 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60605 Telephone: (312) 322-1700

Lithuanian

 * Death Notices From Lithuanian Newspapers. Chicago, Illinois: Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture; Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1979. This is a microfilm of a card file of obituaries (1900–1979) from newspapers worldwide. It is not available at Family History Centers.

Norwegian
Norwegians settled in Illinois. For example, there was a Norwegian community in Boone County by 1870. Stimes' article Long Prairie Norwegian Farm Families in Boone County in 1870 demonstrates how to trace Norwegians whose names were changed in America.

Polish

 * Polish Genealogical Society of America (PGSA) 984 N. Milwaukee Avenue Chicago, IL 60642 In addition to a wealth of historical information about Polish ancestry, culture and immigration, the PGSA has a number of free databases specific to Chicago research. (Membership entitles you to additional access to some databases.)

Haller's Army: During World War I, soldiers for the Polish Army in France, commonly called Haller’s Army, were recruited among Poles living in the U.S. Two forms that contain genealogical information were filled out by the recruits. Form A contains the volunteer’s name, address, and marital status; the number of children he had; how his family would be supported if he was accepted into service; whether or not he was a U.S. citizen; his age, physical description, and signature; the recruiting station; and the date. Form C contains additional information, such as the volunteer’s date and place of birth; the address of his closest relative in America and in Poland; his previous military service; and remarks. All volumes of the collection are available through PGSA at the above address.


 * Haller’s Army Index Searchable by surname and first name, the index shows the volunteer’s surname and given name, the town and state where he volunteered, his form (A or C described above, or L, that is, loose papers), and page number.


 * United States (with Some from Ontario, Canada) Recruits for the Polish Army in France, 1917–1919.... Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1995. A microfilm copy of Form A records only. The forms are in Polish, but at the beginning of each film is a blank form printed in English. There is an alphabetical list of volunteers for each item.

Swedish

 * Swenson Swedish Immigration Center Augustana College 639 38th Street Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 Telephone: (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

Multiple Ethnic Groups

 * Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library 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. Search the card catalog.

A brief history of ethnic groups and a bibliography of literature on German, French, British, Irish, Scandinavian, and Swiss immigrants can also be found in Mark Wyman’s Immigration History and Ethnicity in Illinois, mentioned in the "Emigration and Immigration" section.

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


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

Family History Library
The Family History Library’s records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog. Copies of records on microfilm and microfiche can be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers. Search for records in the Family History Library Catalog by using a Place-name Search and then enter Illinois and the county of interest. (The name of the county can be selected from the drop-down list as it appears.) Select Search to locate the categories of records kept by the county. Also see the Illinois-Minorities topic page of the FHL catalog.