Illinois Digital Archives
Illinois Digital Archives
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
The Illinois State Library has a large collection of materials relating to the life, political career, and assassination of Abraham Lincoln. In addition to biographies of Lincoln this collection includes contemporary accounts of the assassination and the trial of the conspirators; …
Collection provided by: Algonquin Area Public Library District
Collection provided by: Arlington Heights Public Library
Collection provided by: Arlington Heights Public Library
Collection provided by: Arlington Heights Public Library
Collection provided by: Arlington Heights Public Library
Collection provided by: The Art Institue of Chicago
This collection consists of Art Institute exhibition catalogues dating from 1882 to 1930. The catalogues document the earliest exhibitions of many important artists who studied and worked in Illinois, such as Walt Disney, William A. Harper, Archibald J. Motley, Jr., Georgia …
Collection provided by: Arthur Public Library
The community of Arthur, Illinois has a rich history, some of which has been recorded in the photographs in this collection. The first settlement of Arthur began about 1850. At that time, much of the area was swampland. Amish settlers arrived in 1865 and the Arthur area is now home to the …
Collection provided by: McLean County History Museum
The Bloomington-Normal Black History Project was founded in 1982 and its collections span the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection contains photographs, portraits, booklets, articles, and photocopies related to club organizations and churches of the local Black community. In …
Collection provided by: Calumet Heritage Partnership
The Acme Steel Company collection is curated and owned by the Calumet Heritage Partnership (http://www.calumetheritage.org), a group that serves the greater Calumet region at the southern end of Lake Michigan in Illinois and Indiana. CHP includes environmental, cultural and …
Collection provided by: Cary Area Public Library
Collection provided by: Flora Public Library
Charles Overstreet is a long-time citizen of Flora with a passion for photography. During most of his eighty years, Mr. Overstreet has used his camera to record images of history. During World War II, as a member of the U. S. Army, 252nd Field Artillery Battalion, he captured over 700 …
Collection provided by: Cherry Valley Public Library
The history of Cherry Valley in many ways typifies that of a small, mid-nineteenth century Illinois town. Its establishment in 1835, its mill on the Kishwaukee River, the coming of the railroad in 1852, its schools, businesses, civic organizations, and pioneer families - all the …
Collection provided by: Chicago Botanic Garden, Lenhardt Library
The rare book collection at the Lenhardt Library of the Chicago Botanic Garden offers a comprehensive perspective on five centuries of research in botany, botanical art, horticulture, agriculture, gardening and landscape design. The digitized rare books included in …
Collection provided by: Chicago Ridge Public Library
Chicago Ridge Public Library’s Online History Collection contains images and texts related to the people and places unique to the history of the village of Chicago Ridge, Illinois. The collection includes photographs, pamphlets, newsletters, brochures, scrapbook pages, …
Collection provided by: Coal City Public Library
Strip mining was a major source of employment and very important to the Wilmington Coal Field towns of Coal City, Braidwood, and Wilmington during the 1930's through the 1950's. The Wilmington Coal Field is located sixty miles south of Chicago. The growth of the city and its …
Collection provided by: Deerfield Public Library
Collection provided by: Des Plaines Public Library
Collection provided by: Dundee Township Public Library
Collection provided by: Eisenhower Public Library District
Collection provided by: Ela Area Public Library
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
Collection provided by: Gail Borden Public Library
Collection of photographs and postcards related to the history of the Elgin area. Includes topics such as Sears houses in the area, the tornado of 1920, the Elgin Watch factory, and the Northern Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane.
Collection provided by: Elgin Community College
Collection provided by: Highland Park Public Library
Collection provided by: Rockford Public Library
Collection provided by: Evanston Public Library
Collection provided by: Flora Public Library
This project is the first phase of a multi-phase project to digitize the local newspaper which is currently on microfilm. Funding for this project was made possible by a grant awarded by the Illinois State Library, a Division of the Office of the Secretary of State, using funds provided by …
Collection provided by: Lake County Discovery Museum
The Fort Sheridan Collection contains objects, photographs, and postcards dating from the 1890s to the 1980s, relating to military and civilian life at the former U.S. Army post.
For more information visit the Lake County History Archives web page.
Collection provided by: Highland Park Public Library
Collection provided by: Gail Borden Public Library
Collection of photographs of the Gail Borden Public Library from its location on Spring Street to its building at 270 N. Grove Avenue.
Collection provided by: Glencoe Public Library
Collection provided by: Glenview Public Library
Collection provided by: Graham Hospital School of Nursing
The celebration of the Graham Hospital School of Nursing’s 100th anniversary provided the impetus to begin a two-fold project documenting the history of the School through words and images. Images from the Past includes a digital collection of photographs and scanned …
Collection provided by: Henderson County Historical Society Museum
The Museum contains collections in frontier life, the development of an emerging agricultural economy, one-room prairie schoolhouses, the impact of both World Wars on rural Illinois, and the westward migration of the American population during the 19th century. The …
Collection provided by: Highland Park Public Library
Collection provided by: Urbana Free Library
Collection provided by: Aurora Public Library
The historic maps in this collection represent a unique historical resource. These maps show the physical changes and growth, over time, of Aurora. They also show changes in the city's political boundaries such as ward changes, street names, and, in some cases, building and business …
Collection provided by: Quincy Public Library
The Historic Quincy Area Photo Collection includes more than three thousand historical photographs covering more than a century of life in the Quincy area. The photographs have been digitized so that the images can be made available from Quincy Public Library’s website, …
Collection provided by: Park Ridge Public Library
Two history books about Park Ridge, Illinois: The History of Park Ridge, 1841-1926 by the Park Ridge Community Church Circle copyright 1926, and A History of Park Ridge by Orvis Jordan copyright 1961.
Collection provided by: Huntley Area Public Library
Collection provided by: Alliance Library System
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
Immediately following the capture of Fort Sumter, President Abraham Lincoln, on April 15, 1861, issued a call for 75,000 militia - thus putting an end to all speculation about whether there would be civil war. At this time, Illinois had no arms nor an effective militia force. Governor …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
The Illinois Blue Book is one of the most comprehensive sources of state government information. It is a nationally recognized source for information about Illinois' executive, judicial and legislative branches of government. Originating in 1861 as a privately published roster of …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
The first constitution of the State of Illinois (1818) was compiled mainly with provisions taken from the constitutions of Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. It was adopted by the delegates to the convention, but never submitted to the people of Illinois. This first constitution put virtually …
Collection provided by: Illinois Fire Service Institute
The Illinois Firefighter Line of Duty Deaths Digital Image Collection documents the ultimate sacrifice of Illinois firefighters who died in the line of duty over the past 150 years. Providing access to this history memorializes the firefighters, increases awareness of their …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Geological Survey Library
On May 12, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Agricultural Adjustment Act. This law was originally administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Adjustment Administration (USDA-AAA), and today the USDA-AAA is known as the USDA …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Fair Museum
The first Illinois State Fair opened on October 11, 1853 with an admission of 25 cents. The attractions included cattle, horses, and sheep venues, among displays of reapers, mowers, farming tools, and a variety of corn planters. On the third day, over 15,000 people attended. The fair …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
The history of the Illinois state highway map was written by Ron Peddicord and published as “The Evolution of the Illinois Official Highway Map, 1917 to 1992” in Illinois GIS&MapNotes, v. 11, no. 2, Summer 1993, p. 2-12. In that article, Ron details the evolution of printing in …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Libary
This collection includes full-text materials in numerous subject areas.
Collection provided by: Illinois State Archives and Illinois State Library
On October 27, 2000 President Bill Clinton signed into law Public Law 106-380 establishing the Veterans' History Project. This law charged the Library of Congress with the responsibility of collecting and preserving the wartime memories of our …
Collection provided by: Itasca Community Library
Collection provided by: Itasca Community Library
Collection provided by: Itasca Community Library
Collection provided by: Itasca Community Library
Collection provided by: The Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies
Collection provided by: Columbia Colllege
John Fischetti (1918-1980) was a political cartoonist who drew for publications such as the Chicago Sun, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, The New York Times, The New York Herald Tribune, and Stars and Stripes, among many other publications. A syndicated cartoonist, Fischetti reached a …
Collection provided by: The Illinois State Historical Society
The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society contains articles on every facet of Illinois history. The mission of the Illinois State Historical Society, founded in 1899, is to foster awareness, understanding, research, preservation and recognition of history in …
Collection provided by: Kewanee Public Library
Kewanee Public Library District was awarded an LSTA FY09 Digital Imaging grant. Thanks to this funding the library was able to digitize 162 volumes of both Kewanee and Wethersfield high schools entire collections of yearbooks dated from 1904 up to 2008. Due to grant restrictions each …
Collection provided by: Lake County Discovery Museum
The Lake County History Archives provides access to primary and secondary source materials documenting the history of Lake County, Illinois.
The online collections include: Civil War era letters, diaries, and photographs from the Minto Family, 1918 school histories written by …
Collection provided by: Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy (LFA) was established in 1857 as the boys’ preparatory department of Lind University (later renamed Lake Forest University). The girls’ preparatory department was added in 1869; it was called the “Young Ladies’ Seminary at Ferry Hall” until 1887 when it …
Collection provided by: Lake Forest Public Library
Selected Lake Forest places of architectural significance are represented in this collection of photos, postcards, articles, and reports.
Collection provided by: Cook Memorial Public Library District
Enjoy selected items from the archives of the Libertyville-Mundelein Historical Society, including postcards and photographs of early Libertyville, telephone books, wedding dresses, and mail order houses.
Collection provided by: Illinois State Archives
The Illinois State Archives serves by law as the depository of public records of Illinois state and local governmental agencies. This collection consists of official state documents that relate to Abraham Lincoln or his family. They include records from Lincoln’s tenure in the General …
Collection provided by: Lincolnwood Public Library District
Collection provided by: Lisle Library District
Collection provided by: The Illinois State Museum
The Living Museum has for decades been a rich source of information on Illinois art, natural history, anthropology, and history. This online project does not replace the print version of The Living Museum but makes this popular educational resource also accessible electronically to …
Collection provided by: Edwardsville Public Library
The creation of this collection serves to preserve and give access to a wealth of information about Madison County history. It contains keyword searchable versions of:
Cemeteries and Tombstone Inscriptions of Madison County, Illinois
Glenwood Cemetery, Collinsville, Illinois: A …
Collection provided by: Park Ridge Public Library
A collection of over 1460 index cards, some with newspaper articles, about Park Ridge residents who served during World War II. The Mel Tierney American Legion Post in Park Ridge collected the information during the war. Although this is a large collection, we are unable to …
Collection provided by: Rockford Public Library
Collection provided by: Mount Olive Public Library
"Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living", her words still inspire labor organizers, but who was Mother Jones? Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, known as the Miners' Angel, was once described by West Virginia District Attorney Reese Blizzard as "...the most dangerous woman …
Collection provided by: Mitchell Museum of the American Indian
Collection provided by: Sterling Morton Library
Collection provided by: Morton Grove Public Library
Collection provided by: Mount Prospect Public Library
This collection includes items related to the history of the village of Mount Prospect and some of the surrounding area. Businesses, churches, government agencies, organizations, residents, and schools are represented by photographs, newspaper clippings, oral histories, …
Collection provided by: Mount Prospect Public Library
The Mount Prospect Public Library collection includes documents, photographs, and ephemera related to the history and development of the Mount Prospect Public Library from the 1930s to the present. Among these are photographs of each the building the Library has used and the …
Collection provided by: Naperville Public Library
The Naperville Heritage Collection features books, pictures and films held by Naper Settlement and the Naperville Public Library. The collection includes telephone directories covering most years from 1909-1960, City Council minutes from 1857-1935, church histories and a number of …
Collection provided by: McLean County Museum of History and Illinois State University
The McLean County Museum of History offers access to a wide range of Native American objects. The collection includes pre-historic lithics and pottery fragments found in Central Illinois used in farming, hunting, and food processing. The collection …
Collection provided by: Niles Public Library
Collection provided by: Northbrook School District #28
The Northbrook Area History collection features photographs from Northbrook School District 28. The collection's photographs date back to the early 1930's and span the District's history of over 100 years. The photographs include students and faculty from the …
Collection provided by: North Suburban Library District
In 1994 the Friends of North Suburban Library formed a local history committee. Since that time they have collected scrapbooks, photographs, maps, yearbooks, diaries, letters and other memorabilia documenting the history of the communities that surround Rockford, Illinois: Loves …
Collection provided by: Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library; Oak Ridge Cemetery; Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library; and The Papers of Abraham Lincoln
Established in 1856, Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois, is the largest cemetery in Illinois in land area (365 acres). More than seventy thousand people are …
Collection provided by: Bensenville Community Public Library
The Bensenville Community Public Library has, over the past three decades, collected a substantial amount of material dealing with the transformation of Douglas Field from a World War II aircraft manufacturing facility into O'Hare International Airport. Contained within …
Collection provided by: Centralia Regional Library District
In 1975 a project to commemorate the American Revolution Bicentennial was undertaken by the Centralia Public Library. The result is this collection of oral histories created by local residents who talk about their personal experiences and their family histories. Topics …
Collection provided by: University of Illinois at Springfield
The Oral History Collection at UIS consists primarily of material collected by the Sangamon State University Oral History Office from 1971 to 1991. Some oral history memoirs have been added in recent years by volunteers and UIS graduate history students. The collection …
Collection provided by: Park Forest Historical Society
Park Forest began in 1946 as a dream held by Carroll F. Sweet, Sr., to build a "G.I. Town" for returning veterans. Due to the lack of building during the Depression and World War II, the returning veterans and their young families faced a severe housing shortage. Carroll F. Sweet, …
Collection provided by: Peoria Public Library
Collection provided by: Park Ridge Public Library
Park Ridge’s history includes everyone from government to businesses to the citizens themselves. In the library’s Heritage Room, we already had some photographs and papers, but we knew it was just a small piece of the historical puzzle. We contacted City Hall, the Fire …
Collection provided by: Plainfield Public Library District
Collection provided by: Polo Public Library
This collection consists of cemetery records dating to the 1850's. Volunteer members of the Polo Historical Society walked through each of the individual cemeteries and recorded information from stones and markers.
Collection provided by: Prospect Heights Public Library
Collection provided by: Lake County Discovery Museum
The Curt Teich Postcard Archives’ Chicago collection includes the Grant B. Schmalgemeier Century of Progress collection, and postcards printed by Curt Teich & Company (1898 – 1978) , V.O Hammon Publishing Company (1904 – 1923), and the Detroit Publishing Company (ca. 1900 …
Collection provided by: Lake County Discovery Museum
The James R. Powell Route 66 Collection consists of printed and real photograph postcards of the highway and roadside architecture, mainly dating from the mid-1920s through the 1960s.
For more information, visit the Curt Teich Postcard Archives (www.teicharchives.org) web page.
Collection provided by: Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by the Lake County Discovery Museum
Collection provided by: Prospect Heights Public Library
Collection provided by: Melrose Park Public Library
The Melrose Park Public Library digitized copies of our local newspaper, The Herald, from the WWII years of 1941-1945. These papers depict life during the war years for the residents of not only Melrose Park, but neighboring communities including Maywood, Bellwood, Forest Park, …
Collection provided by: Pullman State Historic Site
The Pullman State Historic Site museum (http://www.pullman-museum.org) focuses on their special collection archive of images and information relating to Pullman and Roseland history. The grant project focuses on Pullman's industrial and labor history featuring historic …
Collection provided by: Roosevelt University
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a lifelong sailor and former assistant secretary of the Navy, sent Winston Churchill a handwritten note, in which he included a quotation from an 1849 William Longfellow poem, “The Building of the Ship,” which began “Sail On, O Ship of …
Collection provided by: Thomas Ford Memorial Library and Western Springs Historical Society
Remembering the Houses of Western Springs is a collection of photographs of 19th century houses, with dates and some background information on each house. The Western Springs Historical Society took the photographs in 1977, and Thomas Ford …
Collection provided by: Rockford College
Collection provided by: Rockford Public Library
Collection provided by: Round Lake Area District Library
Collection provided by: St. Charles Public Library
The St. Charles Public Library (SCPL) digital collection chronicles the events and people that have shaped the history of St. Charles, IL from the early 1800s to the present. Materials include old maps (including the city of St. Charles, St. Charles Township and Campton Township), …
Collection provided by: St. John's College Department of Nursing Library
This collection of images represents a portion of the rich history of St. John’s College in Springfield, Illinois. The images cover the time from the School’s inception in 1886 as St. John’s Hospital Training School to the demolition of the old …
Collection provided by: Skokie Public Library
Collection provided by: Skokie Public Library
Collection provided by: Skokie Public Library
Collection provided by: Skokie Public Library
Collection provided by: Elmhurst College
Since its founding in 1871, Elmhurst College has been a community where spiritual life, humane values, mutual respect, service to others, and responsible citizenship are practiced. Throughout its history, these values have led the College and its students to participate in the social activism …
Collection provided by: Southeast Chicago Historical Society
The Southeast Chicago Historical Society (http://www.neiu.edu/~reseller) curates a collection particularly strong in materials related to industrial and labor history. Included in their collection are artifacts related to numerous industries in the area including Wisconsin …
Collection provided by: Lincoln Library
The Springfield Aviation Company Collection, 1927-1955, was donated to the Sangamon Valley Collection at Lincoln Library in May 1995 by Craig Isbell, former co-manager of the company. Isbell formed a partnership with Gelder Lockwood in the late 1920s and operated this company at …
Collection provided by: Sterling Public Library
Collection provided by Rockford Public Library
Collection provided by: Towanda District Library and Towanda Area Historical Society
The Towanda District Library and the Towanda Area Historical Society collaborated on this project to digitize and make available Towanda area historical and cultural materials from the collection of the Towanda Area Historical Society. The focus of …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
Collection provided by: Illinois State University
The materials in this collection, dating from 1917-1919, document the participation of the students, alumni, faculty and staff of Illinois State Normal University in World War I. During the war, Illinois State Normal University Librarian Ange Milner corresponded with persons in …
Collection provided by: University of Saint Mary of the Lake
Collection provided by: The Field Museum
In October 2006, the Field Museum Library's Photo Archives began a project that was funded by the Library Services Technology Act through the Honorable Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian. The purpose of the project was to use digital technology to create …
Collection provided by: Lincoln Library
The Vachel Lindsay Collection is comprised largely of materials containing the published prose and poetry of Vachel Lindsay in formats such as posters, newspaper and magazine articles, booklets, pamphlets, magazines and books. Other items include newspaper and magazine articles that contain …
Collection provided by: Elmwood Park Public Library
Collection provided by: Ela Area Public Library
Collection provided by: Eastern Illinois University
The Warbler, Eastern Illinois University's student yearbook, provides a fascinating insight over the years into Eastern's history, from the perspective of its students. Published yearly since 1919, the Warbler captures information and photographs of students and faculty, …
Collection provided by: Indian Trails Public Library District
Collection provided by: Sparta Public Library
The William Hayes Papers are primarily family letters written from 1830-1857. However, they also inlcude legal documents, business letters, and copies of "Andrew Borders vs. William Hayes," his 1844 civil trial at Picnkneyville for helping five Borders slaves escape to northern Illinois …
Collection provided by: Wilmette Public Library District
The Wilmette Public Library history site displays photographs, letters, and documents to illustrate the history of the village of Wilmette and New Trier Township in Cook County, Illinois, U.S.A. A special focus of the collection is the history of the Wilmette Public …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
Hundreds of men, as well as many women, of Illinois were playing a part in the World War long before the United States entered the war. Some were fighting on the western front, some were Red Cross nurses or welfare workers. Others joined the Lafayette Escadrille (the American aviation …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
On December 7, 1941 Japan bombed the American Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor, prompting the United States to declare war on Japan. Although Illinois was divided on the issue of war or peace prior to December 7, the attack on Pearl Harbor caused a united front to form. While Springfield …
Collection provided by: Illinois State Library
During World War II the United States government issued posters on topics such as national security, rationing and conservation, investing in war bonds, military recruitment, civil defense, and industrial production. These posters were part of an aggressive propaganda campaign designed to …
Collection provided by: Coal City Public Library
Audio and video recordings of oral histories are accompanied by photographs, correspondence, and memorabilia from private collections to illustrate the home front and warfront lives of Coal City, Illinois area residents during World War II.
Special tribute is given to those who paid …
Collection provided by: The Field Museum
As the planned outcome of Chicago's 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, The Field Museum may well be called "the Fair that never ended."
In its special collections the Library holds important original materials from the Exposition and a wealth of material relating to the founding …
Welcome to the Illinois Digital Archives!
The Illinois Digital Archives (IDA) was created in 2000, as a repository for the digital collections of the Illinois State Library as well as other libraries and cultural institutions in the State of Illinois.
What can you find in the Illinois Digital Archives?
Copyright information:
Materials in IDA are generally in the Public Domain (no longer under copyright protection). However, some institutions may have received permission from the copyright owner to make the materials available. If you are in doubt about whether you can use an image, please contact the Contributing Insitution for permission to use the image(s) in question. Many of the collections have a Rights statement in the metadata for each image.
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