Genealogy Room | Premium Resources | Get Started | Local Obituaries | Military Family Research | Websites
For more information on Genealogy and Local History resources please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 815-385-0036.
McHenry Public Library Local History Archives - This is an ongoing project to preserve and document local history images. The items are available to view and it is also possible to comment, tag, and share photos. New! Share your 2020 Pandemic stories and photos for our archive.
MPLD Local History Blog | This blog is run by the library's Genealogy Librarian and features different historical articles on the City of McHenry and the surrounding areas. The blog will be updated monthly.
The Genealogy Room
Microform: There is a dedicated Genealogy Room with three microform readers, two of which are ScanPro 2000. The Northwest Herald, formerly The McHenry Plaindealer, is available on microfilm back to 1875.
The print collection: There are approximately 2,200 items, including half of the McHenry County Genealogical Society collection (approximately 900 items); and approximately 140 items from BigWILL (British Interest Group of Wisconsin & Illinois).
Magazines and Newsletters: include the American Ancestors New England and Beyond, Family Chronicle, Family Tree, Internet Genealogy, Illinois Magazine, MCIGS Connection Newsletter, MCIGS Quarterly, Journal of Illinois History, McHenry Area Historical Society Newsletter, and the McHenry County Historical Society Newsletter.
McHenry Plaindealer Obituary Index | This index includes Obituaries from the McHenry Plaindealer starting in August of 1875 through April of 1890. This is an ongoing project and we hope to have more newspapers indexed soon. Please keep in mind that the Plaindealer was a publication for the town of McHenry, it was not county wide news, the relative you are looking for may be memorialized in another newspaper.
Premium Resources
American Ancestors and Ancestry Library Edition are only accessible inside the Library.
American Ancestors | Founded in 1845, NEHGS (New England Historic Genealogical Society) is the country's leading resource for family history research. Only accessible inside the Library.
Ancestry Library Edition™ | Instant access to a wide range of unique resources for genealogical and historical research. With more than 1.5 billion names in over 4,000 databases, Ancestry Library Edition includes records from the United States Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists and more. These collections are continuously expanding, with new content added every business day. Only accessible inside the Library.
Newspapers.com Library Edition | Newspapers.com Library Edition is an extensive online database of 3,000+ historical newspapers from the early 1700s into the early 2000s. Distributed by ProQuest, it contains a diverse blend of well-known regional and local newspapers in Illinois.
From home: Click on this remote link
Genealogical Societies
McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society | click on Collection to see detailed title lists of the collection housed in both the McHenry Public Library and the Crystal Lake Public Library. Meetings are held at the Pointe on the second Thursday of select months at 7:00 pm.
McHenry County Historical Society & Museum Local History & Research Library | The McHenry County Historical Society Local History Research Library has as its purpose the acquisition, cataloging and preservation of documentary materials that relate to the history of McHenry County and its people.
Get Started
A series of lessons on how to begin family history research, gateway to other websites (including Ellis Island, Castle Gardens, and many more), and basic forms to begin research.
Local Obituaries
Northwest Herald Obituaries | archives are available online starting November 24, 2008 through today's most recent news. These archives are searchable and the articles from the last 7 days are free to read in full. After 7 days the articles are available for purchase through the terms indicated on the archives search page.
We have microfilm of the Northwest Herald available for viewing and printing for 10 cents a page. But narrowing down a date using the online searching method makes finding articles much easier.
McHenry Plaindealer Obituary Index | This index includes Obituaries from the McHenry Plaindealer starting in August of 1875 through April of 1890. This is an ongoing project and we hope to have more newspapers indexed soon. Please keep in mind that the Plaindealer was a publication for the town of McHenry, it was not county wide news, the relative you are looking for may be memorialized in another newspaper.
McHenry Plaindealer Obituary Index | This index includes Obituaries and Births from the McHenry Plaindealer starting in 1949 through 1984. This index if brought to you by the McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society and was compiled by T. Larry Phalin. Please keep in mind that the Plaindealer was a publication for the town of McHenry, it was not county-wide news.
Military Family Research
usa.gov | a U.S. Government website containing historical and government records, including military records, census data, documents, photos, recordings, and more.
The Virtual Wall | a virtual representation of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, a list of over 58,000 names of the veterans who lost their lives in the Vietnam War.
Websites
Family Search | FamilySearch is a non-profit family history organization dedicated to connecting families across generations. They have the largest collection of genealogical and historical records in the world. The McHenry Public Library is a certified FamilySearch Affiliate, meaning we can offer personalized one-on-one help using FamilySearch's resources.
Illinois Digital Archives | search for primary source materials in Illinois libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other cultural institutions.
Illinois State Archives | Records in the Illinois State Archive, Statewide Vital Records Database, and the Illinois Regional Archives Depositories. Marriages, deaths, 19th century veterans, place names, and much more from state government records.
National Archive | Databases include labor unions, passenger lists, military records, prisoner of war and much more.
Online Searchable Death Indexes & Records | This website is a directory of links to websites with online death indexes, listed by state and county. Included are death records, death certificate indexes, death notices & registers, obituaries, probate indexes, and cemetery & burial records.
U.S. GenWeb | free non-commercial site with genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States.
External links may be used as starting points in your research and are not intended to be exhaustive lists of all available external sites related to these topics. The library does not endorse or profit from these websites and external links are provided for use at your own discretion. For suggestions, comments, or to report broken links, you may contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
