House Research

Many owners of historic buildings want to fully understand the history of their property. While unlocking the past of your home can be rewarding, the task of researching and establishing the validity of information can lead you to many sources.

How to Research A House in Kane County

A comprehensive review of sources for local house research. How to Research A House in Kane County covers resources available to you through city and county offices as well as sources available at the library.

Sources at the library include:

City of Elgin

Historic Preservation on
the City of Elgin’s Website

Building Plaque Program
from the City of Elgin
 

Digital Archives

Elgin Area Memories showcases Elgin history through photographs, books, newspapers and audio/visual recordings.

These materials are also part of the Illinois Digital Archives, which contains information from throughout the state of Illinois

 

 
 

Getting Started

cover of genealogy handout

Download this short guide to local resources. 

Elgin Newspaper and Vital Record’s Index

The Elgin Newspaper and Vital Record’s Index is a searchable database of articles from the Courier News and Daily Herald for articles concerning Elgin.

Additional Online Sources

Kane County Recorder

Kane County Assessor

Elgin Township Assessor

Cook County Assessor

There Used to Be:
A Look Back at Elgin’s Architectural History
A website based on the publication by the Elgin Historical Society. Original book by Steven Stroud.

 

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