MicrofilM and Microfiche

Our Center has a large collection of films including the Chicago/Cook County records listed below. Indexes to many of these records can be found online. See our Chicago Research page for more information and on-line resources.

  • Cook County Birth Index, 1871 – 1916

  • Chicago Delayed Birth Index, 1871 – 1948

  • Chicago Birth Registers, 1871 – 1915

  • Cook County Birth Registers, 1878 – 1894

  • Chicago Birth Certificates, 1878 – 1922

  • Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878 – 1894, 1916 – 1922

  • Northwestern Hospital Births, 1896 – 1933

  • Chicago Delayed Birth Index, 1871 – 1948

  • Sam Fink’s Index to Marriages Mentioned in Chicago Newspapers, 1833 – 1871

  • Chicago/Cook County Marriage Licenses, 1871 – 1920

  • Cook County Marriage Index, 1871 – 1916

  • Chicago Death Index, 1871 – 1933

  • Sam Fink’s Index to Deaths Mentioned in Chicago Newspapers and in Recorder’s Office Volumes, 1856 – 1889

  • Chicago Death Certificates, 1878 – 1947

  • Cook Death Certificates, 1878 – 1909, 1916 – 1922

  • Cook County Death Certificates, 1916 – 1947

  • Coroner’s Death Certificates and Inquests, 1879 – 1904

  • Out-of-town Death Certificates, 1909 – 1915

  • Archdiocese of Chicago Parish Records to c. 1915

  • Calvary Cemetery Interment Records

  • Chicago City Directories 1839 – 1861, 1864 – 1901

  • Lurie Index of People in Chicago in 1937

  • Naturalization Declarations of Intention 1871 – 1929

  • Naturalization Petition Records for Circuit, County, Criminal, Superior, and District Courts, years vary

Film and Call Number Resources

  • Pre-1916 Chicago Death Certificate Film Number List

  • 1916-1947 Chicago Death Certificate Film Number List

  • 1916-1947 Cook County Death Certificate Film Number List

We also have many international films from countries such as Poland, Germany, Lithuania, and England. Browse our card catalog at the FamilySearch Center or, even better, check the FamilySearch Library catalog to identify films of interest and follow the instructions at the bottom of this page to see if we have those reels.

How to check our microfilm holdings

Curious to know if we have a specific film in our collection? Here’s how to check.

  1. Create a free account at FamilySearch.org and sign in.

  2. Click on “Search” near the top right of the home page, and then choose “Catalog.”

  3. Click on “Film/Fiche/Image Group Number” and enter the film or digital file number.

  4. Click the button labeled “FamilySearch Center” and choose “Wilmette Illinois Family History Center” from the drop-down list.

  5. Click on the blue box labeled “Search.” If the page that come up says, “No results found,” it means we don’t have the film. If a description of a database comes up, we own the film.

In addition to Chicago records, our collection includes films of interest to patrons with immigrant ancestors from places like Germany, Poland, and Scandinavia. Check our card catalog when you’re at the center or use the search strategy described above to learn about our holdings.