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Doing Research at The Historical |
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Society of Oak Park and River Forest |
| 1897 science class at Oak
Park-River Forest High School, from the Historical Society collection. |
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| Preserving and making accessible
the history of |
| Oak Park and River Forest
people, places, and institutions. |
| Tel: 708/848-6755 for
a scheduled appointment Appointments
are Wednesday-Saturday afternoons-1-5 pm or by special request.
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| The
Historical Society can tell many stories about the past of |
| Oak Park,
River Forest, and the surrounding area. |
| Soon after The Historical
Society was formed in 1968, it began collecting a range of materials that
shed light on the history of the area. The archives has grown as
governments, libraries, organizations, and individuals have donated
documents and photos. Thousands of artifacts also help us interpret local
history. Research tools include newspapers, photos, real estate listings,
books, census and cemetery records, city directories, and materials from
clubs and businesses. These items are available at the Gale Research Center,
on the second floor of Pleasant Home. |
| Pleasant Home. From the
Historical Society collection. |
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Research Center Policies
The Historical Society has collected these materials on behalf of the
public; but to protect them, we have the following policies:
An appointment
must be made at least a day in advance. Please call (708) 848-6755 to arrange this appointment.
We are not a lending library; materials must remain on-site.
If you cannot visit our research center, we will assist you in research
for $20/hour, up to an agreed upon limit.
Use pencil when taking notes, and do not write on materials.
Staff members can make photocopies for 25 cents a page (10 cents for
Historical Society members). Photographic prints are available; cost
depends on size and use. You will be asked to sign a use agreement
limiting your use of the photo.
No food, beverages, or gum are allowed in the Research Center.
Handle all materials with care .
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Research Tools at The Historical Society
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The Research Center has several categories of
materials. Read on to learn about specific materials. Please call to
confirm that we have what you need.
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Photo of famous scientist and Oak Parker Percy
Julian, from the collection.
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Photos
Seven binders contain photos taken or
collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by local historian
Philander Barclay. Photos in archival files are organized by street,
business, subject, and name. Early promotional books contain pictures
of homes and streets. An index refers to portraits pictured in books.
Early aerial shots also are available. |
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Street files
Files organized by street contain documents
that trace house histories, such as building permits and news
articles. |
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Directories
From 1886 to the present, city directories
and phone books show addresses, phone numbers, and sometimes
occupations and family makeup. Directories are organized
alphabetically by name, and some contain listings by street. Some list
other local information, such as churches and their pastors,
businesses, and local government information. Blue Book and Elite
directories from 1883 to 1916 list names of Oak Park and River Forest
residents who met listing qualifications. Other directories include a
1918 directory of automobile owners and a 1907 directory of south Oak
Park. |
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Books
There are several general histories of Oak
Park, such as Gertrude Fox Hoagland’s HIstorical Survey of Oak
Park, Illinois (1937), and David Sokol’s Oak Park: Continuity
and Change (2000). Other geographical areas spotlighted in books
include River Forest, Forest Park, and eastern Oak Park. Other topics
include: |
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Architecture, such as The Hasbrouck-Sprague
Survey of Historic Architecture (1974),,A Guide to Oak Park’s
Frank Lloyd Wright and Prairie School Historic District (1999),
The Work of John S. Van Bergen, Architect, and Ridgeland
Revealed: Guide to the Architecture of the Ridgeland-Oak Park
Historic District (1993)
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Biographies of residents, such as The Woman Who Never Fails:
Grace Wilbur Trout and Illinois Suffrage (2000)
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Churches, schools, and cemeteries, such as Nature’s Choicest
Spot: A Guide to Forest Home and German Waldheim Cemeteries
(1998)
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 Selection
of books available for research
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Maps/ownership indexes
Sanborn Fire Insurance maps from 1895, 1926,
1930, 1951, 1968, and 1971 show street names, building addresses, and
information about buildings, such as construction materials used and
number of floors. Early township maps are available for parts of
Cicero, Proviso, and Lyons townships from 1893 to 1939. Ownership
indexes for River Forest span 1929-1963, and for Oak Park span
1926-1965. Plat maps and atlases cover various parts of Oak Park and
River Forest for 1968 and 1973. Other maps are available in the
subject files.
|
 Section
of 1895 Sanborn Fire Insurance map, from the Historical Society
collection. |
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Newspapers
Most issues of the Oak Leaves are
available from 1902 to the early 1990s. Forest Leaves is
available from 1914 to 1922, 1935, and most years from October 1940
through 1991. |
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Yearbooks
The Tabula yearbook for Oak Park and
River Forest High School covers most years from 1897 to 1994. A few
Fenwick High School yearbooks cover scattered years, and the Cadet
Call for Bishop Quarter Junior Military Academy spans 1952 to
1957. |
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Biographical files
Several hundred names are listed in a
biographical index. Files comprise obituaries, newspaper articles, and
original documents for prominent and “average” residents. Large
collections about certain families, such as the Scovilles and the
Postlewaits, are stored separately. |
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Subject files
The files contain listings on nearly 300
subjects, such as transportation and integration. Separate indexes for
Oak Park and River Forest list subjects in alphabetical order. |
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Organization files
Nearly 200 Oak Park and River Forest clubs
and organizations past and present are covered with original materials
and news articles. The collection also includes separately filed
material on certain groups, such as membership directories for the
Nineteenth Century Club. |
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Real estate listings
Realtor W.R. James Co. donated for-sale
listings for local homes from the 1950s through the early 1990s. They
include house information and photos. |
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Census records
Microfilm copies of U.S. census records from
1850-1920; includes Oak Park and River Forest and some surrounding
communities, depending on year. |
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Cemetery records
Microfilm copies of chronological burial
records of Forest Home and German Waldheim cemeteries. |
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Oral histories
Tapes and transcripts document several dozen
interviews of residents conducted by local author Lee Brooke and
others. Many interviews cover Oak Park and River Forest history as
early as the turn of the 20th century. |
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 Wedding
reception of Paul and Pauline David, 1954. From the Historical Society
collection. |
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| Research Center
hours: |
| Wed-Sat 1:00 to 5 p.m. |
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| Advance
appointment required |
Other Historical Society Services
We also offer a unique service -- our extensive archives of
Black & White photographs by
Philander Barclay and
others from the turn of the century -- like those on these pages and seen
in stores throughout the Villages -- are available for your personal or
business use, at a cost starting from $20. Check out our
Online
Archives for a sampling of these wonderful records of our shared
heritage.
Historical Society Members are free to use the Gale Research Center of the
Historical Society for research on:
Local Homes, Businesses, Past
Residents, Special Projects, or Just for Fun.
Join the Historical
Society, then make an appointment to explore our past!
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