The Chicago Genealogical Society recent webinar featured the Communities of Garfield Ridge and Clearing. Rob Bitunjac, president of the Clear-Ridge Historical Society and Branch Manager of the Clearing Library, discussed the history of the Chicago communities of Garfield Ridge and Clearing as well as some of the surrounding areas. Also, resources the Clear-Ridge Historical Society and the Chicago Public Library have to offer as far as genealogical research was shared. A recording of the webinar is available to CGS members in the members only section of the Chicago Genealogical Society website.

The Clear-Ridge Historical Society maintain historical files about the neighborhoods of Clearing, Garfield Ridge and the surrounding areas of Summit, Stickney and Bedford Park. We recommend visiting the Historical Society’s website to learn more and check out their great photo collection. https://clearridgehistory.weebly.com 

If you are researching these communities, they have published 3 books that maybe of interest. More information available on their website.

The History of Garfield Ridge

A Little Known History of the Land Called Clearing

Gleanings of Archer Road

*The picture is of former Chicago Mayor "Long" John Wentworth's farmhouse that he built in 1868 on the corner of what is now Archer Avenue and Harlem Avenue, taken in 1936. Courtesy of the Clear-Ridge Historical Society.

Great news! Chicago Building Permits for 1872-1954 have been digitized and available free online! No more going to the Chicago History Museum or the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Library to sit at the microfilm reader to find this information.

The collection includes:

The Chicago Building Permit Street Index

The Chicago Building Permit Ledgers

City of Chicago Fire Reports

Building Construction Data

This collection is handwritten and not searchable. There is a “Browse Building Permits” button. We highly recommend reading all of the guide to get a clear understand of the collection to help you with a successful search.

Included is an informative guide and how to:

Find a permit

• Using the digital reel
• Using the street index – Note which direction you are looking for (North, South, East and West). Number addresses will be next to each other.  Some are really hard to read.
• Using the ledger Books
• Ledger detail for pre-1912
• Ledger detail for post-1912

Supplementary information – **important to read to understand the collection

Fire reports for 1933-1968 – 12 ledgers, handwritten index in front of each ledger, helpful reel index that shows date ranges and index starting page.

Building construction data from 1917-1925 – 4 ledger books

So, locate those addresses and dig in to see what you can find.

Introduction - Chicago Building Permits Digital Collection 1872-1954 - Subject and Course Guides at University of Illinois at Chicago (uic.edu)          

https://researchguides.uic.edu/CBP/home

Thank you UIC – University Library for digitalizing this collection and making it available free online.

CGS Members,

The Latest Chicago Genealogist is Here!

See the online 2021 Winter Edition, Vol. 54, No. 2

To access the electronic version - on this website sign into the Members Only Section (button on the upper right side). Select The Chicago Genealogist tab. Look for the newest version “Vol 54, No 2 2021” on the top row. Click on it and then you can read & enjoy the newest issue.

Requested paper copies will be mailed once the printing is finished.

The Chicago Genealogical Society’s Special Military Afternoon

this Saturday!

Are you registered? Don’t miss out on this special event. 

December 4th - 1:00pm & 2:30pm

Military Doubleheader! Two military webinars in one afternoon!

Roll Call of Resources: Researching Revolutionary War and U.S. Civil War Ancestors

Join us for this special afternoon to learn about military resources with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

1:00pm – Revolutionary War

2:00pm – 30-minute break

2:30pm – U.S. Civil War

Learn the best primary resources available both online and in local and regional archives. Learn how to find from Muster Rolls to Pension files for your ancestors. Also learn how to "Adopt the Regiment" to better understand the story of your ancestors through the stories of his fellow veterans. These lectures will allow you to obtain the necessary military proof for joining an associated hereditary society.

David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society since 1993. David is an internationally recognized speaker and author on the topics of genealogy and military history. David is co-host of Extreme Genes radio show and podcast since 2015. David's expertise is New England, Atlantic Canada, British Isles and military records.

www.chicagogenealogy.org/event-4385746

Cost: $10 members (that’s only $5/per webinar!) and $20 non-members. Register at CGS website under events. Space is limited to 100 spots. A waitlist option will be available. No refunds after November 27, 2021. The online payment service fee of $1.50 will be deducted from refunds. These presentations will not be recorded.

A new research guide is out on Chicago City Governmental Records.  You can find the guide on the Northeastern Illinois University Libraries website Home - Chicago City Government Records - Research Guides at NEIU Libraries (libguides.com)

The purposes of the guide: offer an overview of the structure of city government and identify its principle office-holders over time, help researchers understand what records exist for conducting research on Chicago city government & officials and point researchers to the various digital and brick-and-mortar archives that house City government records.

Sections include:

• Departments and Agencies
• City Council
• City Officials
• City Courts
• Archives

Check out the videos on collection overviews and how to access records.  

Thanks to a great CGS member for sharing this new guide with us!

For a Limited Time! The Chicago Genealogical Society’s Quarterly Journal Special Edition 150th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire 1871-2021 is available in hardcopy $10.00 and pdf $5.00 for a limited time. You can purchase a copy on the CGS website under donate. www.chicagogenealogy.org ;    Reminder – Members can find a copy of the issue as a .pdf in the members only section of the CGS website.

The Chicago Genealogical Society continues to commemorate the 150^th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire.

We proudly present our CGS EXCLUSIVE video "150 Years Later: The Great Chicago Fire, Its Impact and our Ancestors' Firefighting History" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vtW3ZIGTI8

You can also find the link on the CGS website main page. Enjoy!

The Chicago Genealogical Society publishes a Special Edition 150^th Anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire 1871-2021 Quarterly Issue to commemorate this historic event that impacted so many Chicagoans.   

The cover map shows how large the burnt district was. It was published for the benefit of the Relief Fund. The issue is full of articles and pictures covering during and after the fire.

CGS Members - To access the electronic version, go to the Chicago Genealogical Society’s website at www.chicagogenealogy.org.  Sign into the website and select Members Only Section button on the upper right side. Select The Chicago Genealogist tab. Look for the newest version “Vol 54, No 1 2021” on the top row. Click on it and then you can read & enjoy the newest issue.

Exciting things are happening at the Chicago Genealogical Society! Announcing a special military afternoon:

4 December 1:00pm & 2:30pm –

Roll Call of Resources: Researching Revolutionary War and U.S. Civil War Ancestors

Military Doubleheader! Two military webinars in one afternoon.

Join us for this special afternoon to learn about military resources with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society.

1:00pm – Revolutionary War

2:00pm – 30-minute break

2:30pm – U.S. Civil War

Learn the best primary resources available both online and in local and regional archives. Learn how to find from Muster Rolls to Pension files for your ancestors. Also learn how to "Adopt the Regiment" to better understand the story of your ancestors through the stories of his fellow veterans. These lectures will allow you to obtain the necessary military proof for joining an associated hereditary society.

David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist of the New England Historic Genealogical Society since 1993. David is an internationally recognized speaker and author on the topics of genealogy and military history. David is co-host of Extreme Genes radio show and podcast since 2015. David's expertise is New England, Atlantic Canada, British Isles and military records.

Cost: $10 members (that’s only $5/per webinar!) and $20 non-members. Register at CGS website under events. Space is limited to 100 spots. A waitlist option will be available. No refunds after November 27, 2021. The online payment service fee of $1.50 will be deducted from refunds.  

How to Use Pinterest

Even if you “don’t do” Social Media, give the concept in this blog post a listen . . .

Wouldn’t it be great if you could find lists of websites that were curated by experts when you’re researching a genealogical topic?  Like a list of recommended research sources for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that was compiled by the Chicago Genealogical Society.  This is exactly what you’ll find if you go to our CGS Pinterest Board called “Recommended Great Chicago Fire Research Sources” at https://www.pinterest.com/ChicagoGenSoc/the-great-chicago-fire-of-1871-research-sources/

And wouldn’t it also be great to create your own list of your favorite websites and to borrow parts of other people’s lists that they update for you (so you don’t have to search for any new website links)?

This in a nutshell is Pinterest.  https://www.pinterest.com

After you create a free account, you can search for Boards (other people’s lists of websites).  When you look at a Board, instead of a bullet point list you’ll see descriptive Pins like the one at the right (small visual bookmarks with a link to a website).  When you click on a Pin, your computer opens a new window displaying that website.  You can always use other people’s Pins, or by clicking the red Save button inside of a Pin, you can save it to your own Pin collection. 

CGS has set up its Pinterest page at https://www.pinterest.com/ChicagoGenSoc/ with nine Boards:

• “About Us . . . Chicago Genealogical Society”
• “Blog Recommendations”
• “Chicago Military Research Recommendations”
• “Ethnic Chicago Genealogical Resources”
• “Of Interest”
• “Recommended Great Chicago Fire Research Sources”
• “Research Resources Recommendations”
• “Research Guide Recommendations”
• “Social Media . . . Chicago Genealogical Society”

If you’d like to get started with Pinterest, we suggest that you visit the Pinterest Help Center at https://help.pinterest.com/en  And here are some topics that can help you get started:

• “Find your Profile” https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/find-your-profile
• “Create a Board section” https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/create-a-board-section
• “Add Pins from the web” https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/add-pins-from-the-web

If you’re hesitant to join any Social Media platform due to privacy concerns, we recommend that you use a name other than your legal name, and you display a Profile photo of a sunset or other object.

We hope you’ll come visit our CGS Pinterest page and use our Boards to enhance your genealogical journey.