Finding Your Chicago Ancestors

Grace DuMelle
Lake Claremont Press (2005)
ISBN 1893121259
Reviewed by Kathleen Dowdell for Reader Views (7/06)

 

Did you know that in 1909 all residential streets in Chicago were renumbered? And that it was not an Illinois state requirement until 1916 to file birth certificates? These are just a couple of nuggets of information you will find helpful in your ancestral research when you read Grace DuMelle’s “Finding Your Chicago Ancestors”. This book is an invaluable tool for beginners as well as seasoned researchers looking for historical family back ground.

This book is comprised of 16 chapters that aid the researcher in tracing their Chicago ancestors. Each chapter ends with a Points to Remember section that condenses the information in the chapter into an easy to use checklist. What’s also unique is the unintended time line that explains where data can be found for the last two centuries.

Included in this 321 page book are numerous websites and buildings in Chicago and Cook County that house many materials that are not available on line.

This is one of the best genealogical resources for finding your ancestors that I have read. What makes it more unique is that its information is solely targeted for Chicago. But even if you’re not searching for a past family member of Chicago, this book is useful because it explains how to research using historical documents. There is so much hands-on interactive information that, with the help of this book, searching for the roots of your family tree will be fun and easy to do.

Grace DuMelle’s background in historical research and her connections with many Chicago historical organizations is quite striking. It’s a real bonus that she put all that knowledge and expertise into this great book for all to read. Definitely a book to own!

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