Discover history at your fingertips!

Research Online

You can access hundreds of stories in our digital exhibits, browse thousands of photographs in our online catalog, or use databases for research.

History Center Research Tools

Online Collections Catalog
Browse through over 10,000 photographs from our museum collection.

The History Center touchscreen stories online
With more than 400 stories, take a walk through local history.

Telephone Directories, 1900–1968
Transcriptions of historic Lake Forest/Lake Bluff telephone books; very helpful for genealogy or house history.

Timeline of Lake Forest History
Highlights chronological milestones in Lake Forest’s past. (Published in 2011 in honor of Lake Forest’s sesquicentennial.)

City of Lake Forest Officials Database
Find all the Lake Forest alderman, city managers, treasurers, city marshals and mayors and their years of service.

Lake Forest City Charter
Text from Lake Forest’s City Charter, approved in 1861, amended in 1869.

1877 List of Lake County Taxpayers (selections from LF/LB area)
Includes name, occupation, and occasionally biographical information. Transcribed from The Past and Present of Lake County, Illinois, Chicago: Wm. Le Baron & Co, 1877.

History Center collections spotlight

Archives of the League of Women Voters of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff
Records of the League of Women Voters include board meeting minutes, newsletters, membership directories, correspondence, news clippings, publications and administrative documents. Some records have been digitized and are searchable in full online. Those records that have not been digitized are available to browse in-person at the History Center’s Research Center.

Lake Forest Lodge 1026, Petitions for Membership and Degrees
A database of genealogical information taken from petitions for membership and degrees for Lake Forest Masonic Lodge 1026. (For petitioners born in 1913 or later, visit to access the complete archive.)

Outside Resources

Newspapers

The Lake Forester — via the Lake Forest Library
The Lake Forest Library has a digitized, searchable database of the local newspaper from 1899–1910 and 1917–1944, as well as other selected Lake Forest/Lake Bluff newspapers from the 1970s–1990s.
The Chicago Tribune — via the Lake Forest Library
With your Lake Forest Library card, you can use ProQuest to search the Historical Chicago Tribune from 1849–1989 (library card # required for login).
Lake Forest College Stentor — via Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections
Student newspaper; 1898–1921 available online.
Lake Forest College newspaper, The Black Rap — via Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections
Launched by Black students at Lake Forest College in the late 1960s and continued through the 1980s; recently relaunched in 2020.
Lake County newspapers, 1890s–1930s — via Cook Memorial Public Library
Includes both full-text and/or index searches of the Lake County Independent, Lake County Independent and Waukegan Weekly Sun, Lake County Register, and Libertyville Independent.
Highland Park newspaper database — via Highland Park Public Library
Digital copies of newspaper, 1874–1951. (Click newspaper icon in upper right-hand corner for newspaper page images.)
Deerfield newspapers, 1945–1960 — via Deerfield Public Library
Browsable PDFs of The Deerfield Review.
Wilmette newspaper database — via Wilmette Public Library
Includes both full text and/or index searches of Wilmette-area newspapers like Wilmette Life, Lake Shore News and The Local News, for various years.
Evanston History Center Historic Newspaper Collection — via Evanston History Center
Digitized images from the newspaper microfilm collection at the Evanston History Center, 1872–1922.
The Chicago Examiner — via Chicago Public Library
Digitized images of the newspaper held at the Harold Washington Library Center, 1908–1918.

Maps and Aerials

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Lake Forest — via the Library of Congress
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, Lake Bluff — via the Library of Congress
Map of Lake Forest, c. 1857 — via American Geographical Society Library Digital Map Collection, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Libraries
Federal Township Plats of Illinois, 1804–1891 (U.S. government survey maps) — via Illinois State Archives and Lake County GIS
Map of Lake County, 1861 — via Library of Congress
1948 reprint of 1861 Lake County map — via Lake County GIS and Mapping
Map of Lake County, 1873 — via Library of Congress
Illustrated Atlas of Lake County, 1885, with plats of townships and cities — via Library of Congress
Maps of Lake County — via Lake County GIS and Mapping
Click on the “four squares” in the upper right — the “Basemap Gallery.” If you scroll past the aerial photos, you can see survey plats, maps and atlases from 1840, 1861, 1873, 1885, 1907, 1960, 1972, and 1993.
Historic Aerial Photographs of Lake County, 1939–2017 — via Lake County GIS and Mapping
Aerial Photographs of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, c. 1960s — via Vintage Aerials

Architecture and House History

Ragdale: A History and Guide — via Internet Archive
By Alice Ryerson Hayes and Susan Moon, 1990.
Lake Forest College Historic Preservation Master Plan (2008)
Note: site contains some pop-up ads.
Lake Forest sites on the National Register of Historic Places
- East Lake Forest Historic District (1978 nomination) — roughly bounded by Western, Westleigh, Lake Michigan, and the northern city limits. Revised Draft (2012) — temporarily available.
- Vine/Oakwood/Green Bay Historic District (1980 nomination)
- Green Bay Road Historic District (1995 nomination)
- Deerpath Hill Estates Historic District (2006 nomination): Frank Hibbard House, 301 North Chiltern | 380 Chiltern | 965 Castlegate Court
- West Park Neighborhood Historic District (2012 nomination)
- The Deer Path Inn, 255 East Illinois
- Lake Forest Cemetery, 1525 North Lake Road
- Ragdale, 1260 North Green Bay Road
- Helen Shedd Reed House, 1315 North Lake Road
- Mellody Farm (J. Ogden Armour House), 1500 W. Kennedy Road
- Noble Judah House, 111 West Westminster
- West View Farms (Robert P. Lamont House), 810 South Ridge Road
- Edward H. Bennett House, 89 East Deerpath
- Meadowood Dairy (Clifford M. Leonard Farm), Hathaway Circle and Inverleith Road
- Robert Hosmer Morse House, 1301 Knollwood Circle
- Westleigh (Louis F. Swift House), 255 East Foster Place
Lake Bluff sites on the National Register of Historic Places
- Lake Bluff Uptown Commercial Historic District (2006 nomination)
- Griffith Building, 103–113 East Scranton Avenue
- Lester Armour House, 700 Arbor Drive
- Tangley Oaks (Philip D. Armour III House), 900 Armour Drive
- Carolyn Morse Ely House, 111 Moffett Road
- Howard and Lucy Linn House, 555 Shoreacres Drive
- William McCormick Blair House, 982 Sheridan Road
Historic Resource Survey: Estate Areas of Lake Bluff — via Village of Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff Summary and Inventory of Historic Resources — via Village of Lake Bluff
Conducted 2018–19 by Benjamin Historic Certifications.
List of Preservation Award Winners — via Lake Forest Preservation Foundation
Includes articles with architectural information and images.
Overview of Estate Development and Lake Forest’s Historical Significance — via Lake Forest Preservation Foundation:
Part 1 |
Part 2
Images from David Adler’s working library (used as reference material) — via Liederbach & Graham Architects
Lake Forest Historic Districts and Landmarks — via GIS Consortium
Includes info like year built, style, and early owners — may want to corroborate facts with a second source.
Landscape Art, Past and Present, by Harriet Hammond McCormick — via Internet Archive
Includes details and images about the McCormick estate Walden.
Residences in Lake Forest, Illinois Designed by Edwin Hill Clark, Architect, compiled by Louise H. Huber — from Lake Forest Library via Illinois Digital Archives

Cemeteries

Lake Forest Cemetery listings — via Find A Grave
Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery listings — via Find A Grave
Saint Patrick Catholic Cemetery listings — via Find A Grave
Lake Forest Cemetery History
Text by Marilyn K. Alaimo, Chair, Lake Forest Cemetery Commission, 2001.
Lake Forest Cemetery on Facebook
With profiles and photos of prominent individuals interred there.

Records and Genealogy

Index to births, marriages, and deaths in Lake County before 1916 — via Lake County Office of the County Clerk
To order a record, forms and fees are involved.
Lake County Land Records search — via Lake County Recorder of Deeds
Note: not for the faint of heart. To use this database, you will have to create an account and may need to pay a fee.
Lake County links and facts at FamilySearch.org

Other Resources

A History of Lake County, Illinois (1912) (PDF) or Google Books
Edited by Lake Forest College professor John J. Halsey, published 1912.
Historical and Statistical Sketches of Lake County (1852) (PDF)
By Elijah M. Haines.
Past and Present of Lake County, Illinois (1877)
Published by William LeBaron & Co., 1877. Also via Google Books.
Lake Forest, Illinois; History and Reminiscences, 1861–1961
By Edward Arpee, published 1963.
“A Special Place: Lake Forest and the Great Depression, 1929–1940” — via JSTOR
By Frederick Mercer Van Sickle, published in 1986 by the Illinois Historical Journal.
Lake Forest: Art and History Edition — via the Internet Archive
American Communities Company, 1916 — includes photographs and descriptions of many Lake Forest residences.
Second Book of the North Shore: Homes, Gardens, Landscapes, Highways and Byways Past and Present (1911) — via Internet Archive
By Marion Ainsworth White, published 1911 — includes photographs of many Lake Forest residences. Also via Google Books.
“We’re in the Movies: The Lake Forest Connection” — via Lake Forest Library
Article listing the various films shot in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.
History of Deerfield Illinois (1928) — via Deerfield Public Library
By Marie Ward Reichelt. Includes details about the history of west Lake Forest and residents.
Worship, Fellowship, and the Work of the Kingdom: The First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest — via Internet Archive
By Christine Chakoian, 2013.
Chicago Yesterdays, by Caroline Kirkland (1919) — via Internet Archive
Includes essays by local residents including Grace Farwell McGann (“Early Lake Forest”), Hobart Chatfield-Taylor, Mrs. Arthur Meeker and others.
30 Miles North: A History of Lake Forest College, Its Town and Its City of Chicago — via Internet Archive
By Franz Schulze, Rosemary Cowler, and Arthur H. Miller (2000).
Lake Forest Estates, People, Culture — via Internet Archive
By Arthur H. Miller and Shirley M. Paddock (2000).
Boy Scouting in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff
Long-time Highland Park Scout John Ropiequet has written a comprehensive illustrated history of Scouting in our communities from its start in 1910 through 1944, based on over 1,000 items from The Lake Forester and other materials.
Lake Forest College yearbook, The Forester — via Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections and the Internet Archive
Years 1892–2002 available, with a few missing because yearbooks were not published.
Student Protest at Lake Forest College — via Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections
Online exhibit curated by Lillie Therieau ’20 examining the history of activism at LFC, focusing on the 1960s and 1970s.
Historic Preservation Master Plan, Lake Forest College
Published 2008.
History of Lake Forest College — via LFC website
Lake Forest Country Day School: The First Century
Published 1988; relates the history of the Alcott School, Bell School, Lake Forest Day School, and their merger to become Lake Forest Country Day.
Lake Forest High School, The First Thirty Years
Written in the 1970s by LFHS teacher Donald Spooner and his class of history students.
Lake Forest Academy History Timeline — via Lake Forest Academy
Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall Archives — via Illinois Digital Archives/Lake Forest Academy
Digitized images, programs, and advertisements from Lake Forest Academy and Ferry Hall.
Vickerman School History, 1918 — via Illinois Digital Archives
History project completed by students at Vickerman School in 1918 in honor of the state of Illinois centennial. Original housed at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum.
Rondout School History, 1918 — via Illinois Digital Archives
History project completed by students at Rondout School in 1918 in honor of the state of Illinois centennial. Original housed at the Bess Bower Dunn Museum.
Deerfield-Shields High School yearbook, The Deerfield — via Highland Park Public Library
Year range 1912–1935. (This was the high school attended by LF students prior to construction of LFHS.)
Lake County, Illinois History
History articles and essays written by Diana Dretske, curator and Lake County historian for the Bess Bower Dunn Museum in Libertyville (part of the Lake County Forest Preserve District).
Villa Turicum and Villa Turicum Blog
Resources, images and articles gathered about the Edith Rockefeller McCormick and Harold F. McCormick estate in Lake Forest.
Encyclopedia of Chicago
Lake Forest Library Archives — via Illinois Digital Archives
Images and articles related to Lake Forest Library, City Hall, Market Square, Edwin Hill Clark, and Villa Turicum.
Lake Forest College Digital Collections — via Lake Forest College
Photos and archives from Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections.
Lake Bluff Online Collections Database — via Lake Bluff History Museum
Digitized photos and archives housed at the Lake Bluff History Museum.
Explore Chicago Collections
Online portal for searching photographs and archives housed at institutions throughout the Chicago region.
Online Resources from the Chicago History Museum
Online catalog, digital images, online exhibits, Encyclopedia of Chicago, and more.
Illinois Digital Archives
Online repository for the digital collections of the Illinois State Library as well as other libraries and cultural institutions in the State of Illinois.
CARLI Digital Collections
Repository for digital content created by member libraries of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois — includes images and special collections.
Garden Club of America Collection — via The Smithsonian Institution
Digitized slides and glass lantern slides showing Lake Forest/Lake Bluff gardens, largely c. 1930s. The Lake Forest Garden Club was a founding member of the Garden Club of America.

Schedule a Research Appointment

Visit our Research Center and work with our wide-ranging collections.

Discover facts about your home or property
Do genealogy and learn about your family’s past
Document the history of your business or organization
Study maps or photographs from bygone eras
Access books and articles on Lake Forest/Lake Bluff history

Make an appointment or submit your research question via the form below, by emailing lstein@lflbhistory.org, or by calling 847.234.5253.

The Research Center is open by appointment Tuesday through Thursday from 10am-4pm.

PLEASE NOTE: All Research Center visitors must check-in first at the museum front desk in the main building (the former church).

Use the form below to schedule an appointment for in-person research or to submit a research question to our museum staff.