 This web page includes links to the various historically significant buildings in St. Charles and the surrounding area. Brief descriptions and backgrounds of each building are given in order to give an overview of the building's history. Included in most of the sketches is information concerning construction dates, architectural styles, builders, architects, owners, and the building's purpose throughout history. Details concerning the life, occupation, and accomplishments of local people associated with a building's history are also included. Each description includes the sources used and links to other related buildings.
***HINT: If you don't know a building by name, use the Site Search to search for it. For example, if you want to find information about a building at 103 W. Main, type "103" in the site search box. The results will provide a link to information about the building. |
Researching
the Information
St.
Charles Public Library Sources
Local History Files and Reference Area
Much
of the information used to create this web site was found
at the St. Charles Public Library. The resources found
in the Local History Files and Reference area of the library contain information that can be valuable
when researching local historical buildings and people.
Local
History Vertical Files
Newspaper
clippings, pamphlets, and other paper based resources
are compiled and organized according to topic. These
files are located just to the left of the information
desk.
Some
especially useful files include:
- Historic
Buildings
- Files
on local families, industries, and businesses that
have a long association with St. Charles
Also
located above the vertical file cabinets are blue
binders which contain information on more prominent
citizens and certain businesses that have made headlines
in local newspapers.
- St.
Charles, Illinois Biography
- St.
Charles Business and Industry
Reference
Local
history books on St. Charles and Kane County are available
in the Reference section of the library. Not only
are these sources helpful in finding information on
historic buildings, they are also valuable tools for
finding information on residents or businesses associated
with the buildings.
| REF
720.977323 ARC |
Architectural
Survey, St. Charles Central District, St. Charles,
Illinois. St. Charles: St. Charles Historic
Preservation Commission, 1995? |
| REF
720.9773 BAD |
Badger,
David Alan. St. Charles of Illinois. Havanna,
Illinois: D. Badger, 1985. |
| REF
977.32 BED |
Bedrosian,
Ruth Ann. The Role of Historic Preservation
in St. Charles, Illinois, 1983. |
REF
977.323 KAN
ONLINE |
Biographical
Record of Kane County, Illinois, Illustrated.
Chicago: S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1898. |
| REF
977.32 BOR |
Borman,
Phyllis. Abstractions from the Valley Chronicle
and the St. Charles Chronicle, 1895-1899.
Geneva: Kane County Genealogical Society, 1983. |
REF
977.32 BOR
ONLINE |
Borman,
Phyllis. All Name Index to The Settlement and
Growth of St. Charles by Alice L. Davis. Geneva:
Kane County Genealogical Society, 1983. |
| REF
977.32 BOR |
Borman,
Phyllis. Index to Our Community, St. Charles.
Geneva: Kane County Genealogical Society, 1983. |
| REF
977.32 CLA |
Clauter,
Hazel. Our Community, St. Charles, Units I-IV:
Historical Information Compiled for Third Grade
Teachers. St. Charles: St. Charles Community
Unit School District, 1990. |
REF
977.323 DAV
ONLINE |
Davis.
Alice. The Settlement and Growth of St. Charles.
St. Charles: n.p., 1940. |
| REF
977.323 COM |
Durant,
Pliny. Commemorative Biographical and Historical
Record of Kane County, Illinois. Chicago:
Beers, Leggett, & Company, 1888. |
REF
977.3230081 DUR
ONLINE |
Durant,
Pliny. Passing in Review: Reminiscences of
Men Who Have Lived in St. Charles. St. Charles:
Elizabeth Beckstrom, 1994. |
| REF
977.323 IND |
Eder,
Linda. Index to Commorative [sic] Biographical
and Historical Record of Kane County, Illinois.
Elgin: Eder, 1979. |
| REF
977.323 EDW |
Edwards,
Wynette. St. Charles, Illinois. Charleston:
Arcadia, 1999. |
STORAGE
ONLINE
|
Ferslew,
William. Ferslew's Kane County Directory and
Business Adviser. Geneva: Ferslew & Company,
1857. |
| REF
977.323 IND |
Geffinger,
Ruth Whitchurch. Index to Past and Present
of Kane County, Illinois. N.p., 1975? |
| REF
977.323 HAY |
Hayes,
Jo. Kane County Celebrates Illinois Sesquicentennial,
1818-1968. N.p. n.d. |
| REF
977.323 ILL |
Illinois
Historic Structures Survey. Inventory of Historic
Structures in Kane County. Chicago: Illinois
Department of Conservation, 1972. |
| REF
977.323 JON |
Jones,
Carolyn. History of St. Charles. St. Charles:
School District #303, 1987. |
| REF
977.323 JOS
|
Joslyn,
Rudolphus Waite. History of Kane County, Illinois.
Chicago: Pioneer Publishing Company, 1908.
|
| REF
977.323 ALL |
Klinkey,
Joan. All Name Index, History of Kane County,
Illinois. St. Charles: Joan Klinkey, 1979. |
REF
977.323 ALL
ONLINE |
Matthies,
Catherine. All Name Index, History of Kane
County, Illinois, Volume II. Kane County Genealogical
Society, 1984 |
REF
977.323 ALL
ONLINE |
Nelson,
Cynthia Christ et al. All Name Index, History
of Kane County, Volume I. Elgin: Kane County
Genealogical Society, 1979-1982. |
| REF
977.32 PEI |
Peirce,
Henry. Past and Present of Kane County, Illinois,
Containing a History of the County. Chicago:
William Le Baron, 1878. |
| 977.32 |
Pearson,
Ruth. Reflections of St. Charles: a History
of St. Charles, Illinois, 1833-1976. Elgin:
Brethren Press, 1976. |
| REF
977.323 ST |
St.
Charles Historical Society. All Name and Place
Index to Celebrating History, a Pictorial Essay
of St. Charles, Illinois. St. Charles: St.
Charles Historical Society, 1990. |
| 977.323
CEL |
St.
Charles Historical Society. Celebrating History:
A Pictorial Essay of St. Charles, Illinois.
St. Charles: St. Charles Historical Society, 1990. |
| 977.323
MAY |
St.
Charles Historical Society. Mayors of St. Charles.
St. Charles: St. Charles Historical Society, 198? |
| REF
720.9773 BUS |
St.
Charles Historical Society. St. Charles Historical
Society Bus Tour of Historical Homes, October
22, 1978. St. Charles: St. Charles Historical
Society, 1978. |
| REF
977.323 STC |
St.
Charles On Parade: 150 Years, 1834-1984. St.
Charles: Sesquicentennial Commission, 1994. |
REF
977.32 ALL
ONLINE |
Swanson,
Viola Ashman. All Name Index: the Biographical
Record of Kane County, Illinois Indexed by Viola
Ashman Swanson. Geneva: Kane County Genealogical
Society, 1983. |
| OVERSIZE
977.323 THO |
Thompson & Everts. Republication of Combination Atlas
Map of Kane County, Illinois. St. Charles:
Dunham-Hunt Historical Preservation Society, 1992. |
| REF
977.32 HIS |
Wilcox,
John S. Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois
and History of Kane County. Chicago: Munsell
Publishing Company, 1904. |
Internet
Resources
Subject Guides
The following resource guides to the St. Charles Public Library collection are for individuals attempting to research local historic buildings and homes. They also includes sources for authentic period restoration and decoration.
Web Sites
Illinois
Digital Archives
Look into the past right
from home! Log on to Illinois
Digital Archives to research the events and people
that shaped St. Charles' history from the early 1800s
to the present. Thanks to a grant from Secretary of
State/State Librarian Jesse White, the Library has
digitized old maps, militia records, newspapers, photographs,
diaries and other materials from the Library's archived
collection.
Historic Architectural and Archaeology
Resources Geographic Information System
The Preservation Services
Division of the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency
has created the Historic
Architectural and Archaeology Resources Geographic
Information System (HAARGIS) to enable the public
to see the location of and information about Illinois'
cultural resources.
Reference Room Resources
Some
sources which are too brittle or old to be kept in
public areas are available for patrons. On request,
reference librarians will be glad to bring these fragile
historical documents to the front for patrons to view.
St. Charles Heritage Center
Staff
members of the St. Charles Heritage Center are especially
helpful in locating information on the history of
St. Charles. The St. Charles Heritage Center
is located in the former McCornack Oil
Company building (215 E. Main Street, 630 584 6967). Researchers are able to make appointments to study
the documents and photographs contained in the Heritage
Center's archives. The St. Charles History Museum
also has exhibits highlighting local
history.
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