Local History Collections and Archive

The Local History Collections and Archive is a part of the Adult Services Department, and exists to provide materials and support for those interested in doing research on the history of Rockford and Winnebago County.

Need information on articles that have appeared in local newspapers? We may have exactly what you are looking for in our Rockfordiana file – a collection of indexed local newspaper clippings located in the Local History Collections and Archive Room. Just stop by and our staff will be eager to assist you.

Click to Visit Our Local History Collections and Archive Website

(This link will take you away from the Rockford Public Library’s main website)

Local History Documents Archive

LOCAL HISTORY DOCUMENTS

1844 – 1981 Winnebago Co. Deaths
1855 – 1931 Winnebago Co. Births
1835 – 1956 Winnebago Co. Marriages (bride)
1836 – 1956 Winnebago Co. Marriages (groom)
1857 Rockford City Directory
1869 Rockford City Directory
1877 Boone Co. History and Directory
1877 McHenry Co. History and Directory
1877 Winnebago Co. History and Directory
1880 Boone Co. Census Index
1877 – 1906 Boone Co. Marriages
1877 – 1902 Boone Co. Births
1880 Rockford City Directory
1896 Belvidere, IL Illustrated History by the Belvidere Daily Republican Newspaper
1896 Belvidere & Rural Boone Co. City Directory
1903 Rockford, Illinois History
1906 History of Blaine & Hunter Farm Communities in Boone Co.
1909 Boone Co. Historical Encyclopedia
1910 Belvidere & Rural Boone Co. City Directory
1917 McHenry & Boone Co. Prairie Farmers Directory

DIGITIZED ROCKFORD SOURCES
FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

1891 Industrial and Picturesque Rockford
1891 Reminiscences, Sporting and Otherwise, of Early Days in Rockford, Ill.
1900 History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois, from the First Settlement in 1834 to the Civil War
1902 Winnebago County Map
1905 Past and Present of the City of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois

 MAPS

1859 Rockford, IL (City)
1859 Winnebago County, IL
1859 Winnebago County, IL (Township)
1880 Bird’s Eye View of the City of Rockford, Ill. from the Library of Congress
1891 Perspective Map of the City of Rockford, Ill. from the Library of Congress
1870 Boone County, IL
1856 Belvidere, IL (City)
1870 Belvidere, IL (City)
1876 Belvidere, IL (City)


YEARBOOKS

1892 RHS Yearbook
1894 RHS Yearbook
1895 RHS Yearbook
1897 RHS Yearbook
1898 RHS Yearbook
1899 RHS Yearbook
1900 RHS Yearbook
1901 RHS Yearbook
1902 RHS Yearbook

Research Databases

Click on the titles below to learn more. 
Follow the links in the drop downs to access RPL’s spectacular resources!

Search U.S. Immigration records, birth records, marriage records, death records, and U.S. Census records to find ancestors. This database is only available at the library. Includes Rockford City Directories from 1869-1960. To access these city directories from the Ancestry site, select Card Catalog under Search near the top of the screen. Then search by title for U.S. City Directories. Then select U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 from the search results. On the right side of the screen, under Browse this collection, use the state, city, and year filters to access the Rockford city directory of your choice. *Click here to use this resource (Available for in-library use only).

Provided through NewsBank, HeritageHub can help you explore your family history with the premier collection of U.S. obituaries and death notices for in-depth genealogical research from 1704 – today. HeritageHub helps you easily identify relatives, uncover new information and potentially unknown family members. Includes deep coverage from all 50 states, hard-to-find content from the mid 1900’s, and original obituary images. Access is available 24/7.

*Click here to login to HeritageHub using your library card number.

Find ancestors using census records from 1790-1930, Revolutionary War files, Freedman’s Bank, and other resources.
*Click here to login to Heritage Quest Online.

Accessible Archives provides access to full-text searchable 18th and 19th-century American history primary source material, including African American newspapers from the 1800s.
*Click here to login to Accessible Archives by using your library card number.

Digitized Rockford newspapers dating back to 1871. The database includes Daily Register, Daily Register-Gazette, Morning Star, Register Star, Register-Republic, Republic, Rockford Journal, Rockford Weekly Gazette, and Rockford Weekly Register-Gazette. This is an amazing resource of Rockford’s history.
*Click here to login to NewsBank Resources by using your library card number.

The Midway Village Museum Collections Department is pleased to provide online access to some of its most frequently requested photographs, postcards, and documents.
*Click here to view Midway Village’s digital collections.

The Illinois Digital Archives (IDA) was created in 2000, as a repository for the digital collections of the Illinois State Library as well as other libraries and cultural institutions in the State of Illinois.
Click here to access

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Obituary and death notice abstracts from the Rockford newspapers 1840-1869, marriage abstracts from the Rockford newspapers 1840-1869, specialized studies regarding the construction of the bridges over the Rock River in 1890, early history of the limestone buildings on S. Main Street, chronological account of Camp Fuller, the 1862 Civil War training camp, African Americans in Early Rockford, 1834 – 1871: Book written by local historian John Molyneaux.

Rockford Public Library proudly presents

Click Here to Learn More

LOCATION
Main Library
3rd Floor

CURRENT HOURS (subject to change):
Monday: 9:30 am – 3 pm; 4 pm – 8 pm
Tuesday: 9 am – 8 pm
Wednesday: 9 am 8 pm
Thursday: 9 am – 8 pm
Friday: 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm
Sunday: CLOSED

Click Here For Local History FAQs

Our Collections Include

  • Rockford City Directories
  • Rockford High School Yearbooks
  • Maps of Rockford and Winnebago County
  • Cemetery Records

  • Andrew M. Potter Collection