Illinois Online Historic Newspapers

Today’s post features links for Illinois Online Historic Newspapers to help your genealogy research. I’ve included both free and pay resources. Non-English and minority-focussed papers (like the Chicago Defender) are included. If you have additions to this list, please let me know here. And use the comments to let me know what state you’d like me to feature next.

Illinois Online Historic Newspapers at Public Libraries:

Barrington Review (1914–1930) Free
Bloomingdale (DuPage County) Public Library obituary index includes PDFs of many obits Free
Chicago Defender; Chicago, Illinois; (1905–1975)
Chicago Foreign Language Press Survey (1855–1938) Free transcriptions
Chicago Sentinel (1911–1949) Free
Chicago Sun-Times; Chicago, Illinois; (1986– ) in text Pay
Chicago Tribune; Chicago, Illinois; (1852–1984) in images and (1985– ) in text Pay
The Chicagoan magazine (1926–1935) Free
Dziennik Zwiazkowy, Chicago Polish-language newspaper (1908–1917) Free
Evanston Review Online Index (Evanston Public Library) (Obituaries, death notices and Evanston wedding/engagement announcements from current editions and articles from earlier years are continuously being added. Articles from 1925 and 1966-1972 are currently included in the index. A card file index to the Evanston Review, covering the years 1972-1999, and an obituary index, covering the years 1925-1999, are located in the Reference Department of the library. Call (847) 448-8600 for assistance.
Flora Digital Newspapers (1883–1926) Free
- Southern Illinois Journal & Weekly Journal (1883–1917)
- Southern Illinois Journal (1907–1908)
- Southern Illinois Record, Flora Record, and Flora Journal Record (October 1912–December 1926)
Geneseo Public Library newspaper collection (1856–1977) Free
- Geneseo Daily Arena
- Geneseo Enterprise
- Geneseo Journal
- Geneseo News
- Geneseo Republic
- Geneseo Republic and Henry County News
- Geneseo Weekly Sun
- Henry County Arena
- Henry County News
- People’s Union Mission
- Republic
- Standard
- Sun
- Union Advocate

Historic Illinois Newspapers Online at Chronicling America

- Click here for links to 22 online Illinois newspaper titles and span dates, including the following:
  - The Cairo Bulletin.
  - The Cairo Daily Bulletin.
  - The Cairo Evening Bulletin.
  - The Broad Ax. Chicago and SLC
  - Chicago Eagle.
  - Day Book. Chicago
  - Juliet (Joliet) Signal.
  - The Free Trader and Lasalle County Commercial Advertiser
  - The Illinois Free Trader. Ottawa, Ill.
  - The Ottawa Free Trader.
  - The Argus. Rock Island, Ill.
  - Rock Island Argus.
  - Rock Island Daily Argus.
  - The Evening Argus. Rock Island
  - The Rock Island Argus And Daily Union.
  - Union Advocate