ABOUT SHS COLLECTIONS

DONATIONS

GENEALOGY

About the Collections
of the Skokie Historical Society

 The Society’s collections, maintained at the Skokie Heritage Museum, are wider in scope and more numerous in number than is represented online.  The availability of the online collections is a collaborative effort of the Skokie Historical Society, SkokieNet and the Skokie Public Library.  The Library has received grants from the Illinois State Library and the North Suburban Library System for the digitization of a large portion of the website content.

 The plan is to continue to add to the physical collection of Niles Center/Skokie history as well as expand the online information.  The following is a synopsis of the Society collection:

 Artifacts:  The artifact collection include objects from the Historic Log Cabin, wedding dresses, christening gowns, fire apparatus, community group scrapbooks, local merchant advertising giveaways, and general store ledgers.  Some of the objects date to the 1880’s.

 Documents:  The document collection dates to the mid-1800’s.  These holdings contain business invoices, business cards, invitations, school notices, village notes, some religious group histories, and community group histories.

 Maps and Plats:  The oldest maps and plats have been scanned and are available online.  The remaining collection consists of older zoning maps of Niles Center/Skokie.

 Microfilm:   All historical microfilm records are maintained in the Reference Area at the Skokie Public Library.   These microfilms include Skokie area Sanborn Fire Maps, Jean Doney scrapbooks, and select newspapers dating from the 1920’s through the mid-1980’s.

 Newspapers:   The local newspapers from 1979 to present are available at the Skokie Public Library.  Check the Skokie Public Library online catalog.  Some newspapers publishers now have issues available online.

 Photographs:  The photograph collection is categorized according to subject.    Please remember that the online photographs are only a small portion of the Society’s collection.  The topics vary in date and concentration of subjects.  Images are in the format of prints, negatives and slides.

 Publications:   Selected reference books are available online.   Other reference books such as pioneer related books, school yearbooks, other local community histories, and some cemetery records are available for examination at the Skokie Heritage Museum during regular hours of operation.  The Skokie Public Library also has reference books on area history.  Check the Skokie Public Library online catalog.

Audio/Video Recordings:   The audio collection includes forty oral histories of residents of Niles Center/Skokie, Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra recordings, and Niles East High School band recordings. The video collection includes recollections of pioneer families, Niles East High School 1930’s building construction, Niles East football games, “Skokie People Speaks” Series, and World War II veterans interviewed by high school students.  

Hours of Operation:
Thursday & Friday:                         
12:00pm to 4:00pm

Saturday & Sunday:

10:00am to 2:00 pm                          
Other hours by appointment