House History Resource Checklist
Researching the history of a home in Champaign County, Illinois, begins in the Archives of The Urbana Free Library. The Archives has two indexes available free on the library website through its Local History Online database: Champaign County Historical and Genealogical Index, and the Urbana Municipal Documents Index. Search these index databases for addresses and for people’s names.
Resources in the Archives
- Vertical files by addresses in Champaign and Urbana—ask the staff for assistance
- Champaign County Plat Books both current and historical; use the Sidwell Plat Books to help calculate the tax number for the address of interest. The tax number is created using the permanent parcel numbering system, which is explained in the front pages of the Sidwell books.
- City and County Directories for 1878-present
- Cross-reference Directories
- Telephone Directories
- Title abstracts
- Grantee (Buyer) and Grantor (Seller) indexes to deeds for 1833-1928
- County Deed records on microfilm for Volumes A – Z; Volumes 1 – 75
- Building Plans and Permits
- Probate and Chancery Case Files involving resident families
- Biographical Sources: Early History and Pioneers of Champaign County; Biographical Record of Champaign County
- Histories of Champaign County: 1878; 1905; 1918
- Family Files
- Photographs and postcards
- Urbana-West Urbana Bowman Map (1858)
- 1863 & 1873 Champaign County Map
- Birdseye Views Maps of the cities of Urbana and Champaign
- Combined Atlases of Champaign County, Illinois, 1893, 1913 and 1929
- Aerial maps of Champaign County
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps [with color coding, black and white, and on microfilm)
Other Research Sources
The Champaign County Assessment Office maintains
(among other records) a current list of billing names and addresses
for over 68,000 parcels in Champaign County. You may visit their
office at Brookens Administrative Building; 1776 East Washington
St.; Urbana, IL. 61801. The property tax lists may also be searched
online at http://www.co.champaign.il.us/SOAOFF/Assessors.htm
The Cunningham Township Assessors Office is located at 205 West
Green Street; Urbana, IL. 61801.
