The Chicago Genealogical Society is pleased to now announce a new ancestor certificate relating to a major event in the history of the city: the sinking of the steamship Eastland in the Chicago River in 1915. Hundreds died in that sinking, becoming the greatest loss of life in Chicago history.

Our society will be issuing a variety of beautiful frameable Eastland Disaster Certificates to those who can genealogically prove (with primary documentation) that they are the descendants of those who were involved in some way in the tragedy and/or its aftermath. Eastland roles include:

- Passenger

- Crew Member, Staff Member

- Responder – Fireman, Fire Insurance Patrolman, Policeman, U.S. Coast Guard

- Diver

- Other – Local Press, Funereal, Ecclesial, Narrowly Missed, Others who assisted, Witnessed, On Committees, etc.

In addition to the Certificates, the documented applications will be privately archived at Chicago’s Newberry Library.

Applicants for the new Eastland Disaster certificates need to complete a genealogical linkage form available online at ChicagoGenealogy.org, to be mailed in together with paper documentation. A small fee (as described on the application form) covers all certification, printing, and archiving costs. Additional duplicate certificates may also be ordered which can be used as gifts to members of your family. All certificates make great ways to ensure that your ancestors are remembered for generations to come.