Cook County, Illinois History and Biography

This database contains historical and biographical information of Cook County, Illinois. It is a general survey of Cook County history, including a condensed history of Chicago. Topics covered in this work include Indians and the discovery of the area, settlement, commerce, manufactures, politics, slaves, war, organization of the county, townships, and so forth. Biographical sketches of some of the more prominent residents of the area comprise the latter portion of this work.

Historical works contain valuable information that can be a great addition to your genealogical research. Although historical works will generally not mention your ancestors specifically (unless they were prominent individuals in the community), they do provide information on the time and place in which your ancestors lived, which will help you place your ancestors in a historical context.