The museum online catalog and archives provide resources used to research homes, people, local government and community activities. A brief description of resources available in our archives and areas where our volunteers can assist with research requests follows.
Sources for self-research:
We offer many resources to answer questions related to Lake Bluff history. These provide a good starting point for answering many patrons’ questions:
Our searchable online catalog provides access to many images and documents in the museum collection and is recommended as a starting point for research- The museum exhibits trace local history from the early 1800s until recent times – visit the museum or check out the Exhibits section of this website
Architectural surveys describe history and significance of many homes in east Lake Bluff and can be viewed in the museum- The museum’s personality and subject files provide information on people who played a significant role in Village history plus topics of interest including Early Settlers, Camp Meeting, Chautauquas, Dwyer Settlement, Artists, Childrens Home, etc.
- Phone books from 1909 provide information on who lived where – and when
- A complete set of Fourth of July programs is maintained in the museum
- A collection summary identifies information in museum archives
Services we provide:
Resources we may be able to offer, to help facilitate research include:
- Searching the history of a home’s prior ownership
Locating information on the Children’s Home in materials from the Home dating pre-1940s: pictures, records, scrapbooks, annual reports – The museum has access to records prior to 1940. Requests for records dating 1940 or later must be made to ChildServ, the successor organization to the Lake Bluff Childrens’ Home. Visit childserv.org for contact information.
Research Requests:
- If you are not able to find the information you want through the online catalog or a visit to the museum, please complete and submit our research request form. Be as specific as possible when describing the information you seek.