Databases & Research Tools
The Champaign County Historical Archives has a diverse array of resources to aid in research on local history and genealogy. They range from databases which provide access to genealogical resources worldwide to affiliations with other libraries and institutions to provide physical access to materials located elsewhere.
Online Library Databases | Other Databases | General Genealogy Resources | Books | Newspapers | Public Records | For Teachers | FamilySearch Affiliate Library Services
Online Library Databases - Available in Library or with Library card
Online databases are available at no charge to all users in the Library, or from outside of the Library using a valid Library card from The Urbana Free Library.
- Local History Online Catalog - Champaign County Historical Archives catalog.
- Ancestry Library Edition - Popular online genealogy resource that includes birth, death, marriage records, as well as searchable manuscript census records for the U.S. 1790-1940. Similar records are available for the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Available from home with valid Library card through March 31, 2021.
- FamilySearch - Convenient online access to FamilySearch’s image collections that contains billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land, and court records from over 130 countries. [expanded access is available in-library use only].
- Fold3 - Military records. Fold3 has significant collections covering the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and other aspects of military organizations and conflicts.
- Heritage Quest -Genealogical and historical sources for more than 60 countries including Africa, Asia, India, Central and South America, as well as the United States and Europe with coverage dating back as early as the 1700s.
- MyHeritage Library Edition - World-wide historical and public records, family tree profiles, US Federal Census (1790-1940), and much more.
- News-Gazette - Full-text articles of local news, June 1997 to October 13, 2019.
- Newspapers.com - World Edition (by Ancestry) - The largest online newspaper archive. 12,100+ newspapers from the 1700s–2000s. Millions of additional pages added every month.
Other Databases
African American Gateway - A growing resource for African American research compiled by Allen County Public Library of Fort Wayne, Indiana
Archives Grid - Catalog that includes over four million records describing personal papers, family histories, and more from over 1,000 archival institutions including the Champaign County Historical Archives
DAR Genealogical Research System - Online genealogical portal including their Ancestor Database, Member Database, Descendants Database, DAR Library Catalog, and DAR Genealogical Records Committee database
eBlack Champaign-Urbana - Collaborative portal providing a centralized repository for local African-American culture and history. Users are encouraged to contribute their stories and photographs
Find a Grave - Free resource for finding the graves of famous folks, friends and family members
Illinois State Archives - Illinois birth, death, marriage, and veterans records
Illinois State Genealogical Society - Indices and databases provided free to the public by the ISGS
Local History Online Catalog - Local history and genealogy resources at the Champaign County Historical Archives of The Urbana Free Library
PERSI (Periodical Source Index) - PERSI indexes journal articles published by thousands of local, state, national and international genealogy and local history organizations. It is free to search PERSI, but online access to articles is through subscription only. The Champaign County Historical Archives subscribes to over 100 genealogical and local history journals. You can search our catalog, Local History Online, to see if articles discovered in PERSI are present within our journal collection. For tips on how to use PERSI, see FamilySearch’s Research Wiki page.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - The University of Illinois' digital collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps includes maps of Illinois towns, including ones located in Champaign County. Sanborn maps are great for documenting family homes and businesses and provide an unparalleled look at how the built environment evolved over time. Maps in this image collection pre-date 1923.
General Genealogy Resources
Champaign County Genealogical Society - Selection of links to websites for resources mainly specific to Champaign County and Illinois
Cyndi's List - A free jumping-off point for online genealogical research
Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter - Daily online genealogy newsletter
Family Search Wiki - Genealogical research advice and information on where to find record collections
Illinois Online Genealogy Records - Find genealogy records: vital records (birth, marriage, and death), census, cemeteries, probate, land, libraries, societies, churches, newspapers, etc. for Illinois
National Archives: Genealogy Ethnic Heritage - Selection of links to websites that are useful for ethnic genealogical research compiled by NARA
National Archives: Resources for Genealogists - Selection of links for beginning genealogical research, searchable databases, and preservation tutorials
Champaign County History Books Online
The following books concerning Champaign County history are indexed in Local History Online Catalog and have been digitized and made available online through the Internet Archive.
Early History and Pioneers of Champaign County (1886)
Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County, Ill. (1887)
The Biographical Record of Champaign County Ill. (1900)
The History of Champaign Champaign County by J.O. Cunningham (1905)
A Standard History of Champaign County Illinois: Volume 1 and Volume 2 (1918)
Newspapers
America's GenealogyBank - Over 300 years of historical newspapers (including obituaries), books, pamphlets, and government reports
Illinois Digital Newspaper Collection - Over 100 newspaper titles and trade journals, including the Daily Illini (1874-1975), The Champaign County News (1903-1916), The Champaign Daily News (1895-1919), Urbana Daily Courier (1903-1935)
The News-Gazette - Full-text articles of local news, June 1997 to October 13, 2019
University of Illinois Historical Newspapers Online - Thousands of historical newspapers in digital format including U.S., Illinois, and international titles. (while many of these papers are freely available some do require a UIUC login)
Public Records
Champaign County Assessment Office - Property record search
Champaign County Clerk - Certified copy of vital records available for a fee (non-certified copies can be found at the Champaign County Historical Archives)
Champaign County Circuit Clerk - Access to traffic, civil, criminal, small claims, probate, city ordinance, and conservation records
Champaign County GIS Consortium Interactive Public Map - Interactive map of Champaign County
Champaign County Recorder of Deeds - Access to documents reflecting chain of title to land within Champaign County
Federal Land Patent Records Site - Live access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land States, including image access to more than five million Federal land title records issued between 1820 and the present
For Teachers
American History Teachers' Collaborative - lesson plans, local primary documents, and examples of best practices from a central Illinois collaborative led by the Urbana School District
DocsTeach - ready to use tools for teaching with documents prepared by the National Archives
FamilySearch Affiliate Library Services
The Champaign County Historical Archives is an affiliate library of the FamilySearch’s Research and Library System. This designation means library patrons have expanded access to FamilySearch’s image collections that contains billions of birth, marriage, death, census, land, and court records from over 130 countries. [in-library use only]
How to Find Digital Images on FamilySearch (PDF)
Note: Some digital images may have privacy, copyright, contractual, or other restrictions that limit access. If such restrictions apply, a notification will appear.
Not finding what you’re looking for?
Phone: 217-367-4025
archives@urbanafree.org