National Archives at Chicago

02/04/2026

Congress has restored funding of appropriated activities, and the National Archives has begun to restore normal operations. We are working to open to the public as soon as possible. Please check our website for updates.

02/02/2026

We’re sorry, but we will not be able to post updates to our social media channels during the government shutdown. All National Archives events– virtual or in person– are canceled until further notice. We will be unable to reply to messages or emails until the government reopens.

12/05/2025

11/13/2025

Congress has restored funding of appropriated activities, and the National Archives has begun to restore normal operations. We are working to open to the public as soon as possible. Please check archives.gov for updates

10/01/2025

We’re sorry, but we will not be able to post updates to our social media channels during the government shutdown. All National Archives events–virtual or in person–are canceled until further notice. We will be unable to reply to messages or emails until the government reopens.

08/19/2025

Thanks to an historically-conscious couple in California, the Pearl Harbor Navy (PHNY) Logbook from March 1941-June 1942 —which records and documents the December 7, 1941 attack as it occurred— was recovered by the U.S. government, resides in the National Archives and is now available to the American people.

This special item is one of the few surviving records that helps tell the story of the "date which will live in infamy."

Read about the recovery efforts in Washington Post: washingtonpost.com/history/2025/08/18/pearl-harbor-navy-attack-book-lost-archives-found/.

📜: Entries from Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Pearl Harbor Navy Yard Logbook, December 6-7, 1941. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/552663772

08/06/2025

Students from the Newberry Consortium in American Indian and Indigenous Studies (NCAIS) Summer Institute visited the National Archives at Chicago for the second year as part of their research with the Newberry Library. Their visit was focused not just on receiving an informational tour of the facilities, but also to learn about conducting research onsite, especially with records from Record Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The students viewed a wide range of records from Record Group 75, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Record Group 77, Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, and Record Group 21, Records of District Courts of the United States.

The students, instructors, and Newberry representatives asked engaging and thought-provoking questions throughout their visit with our archivists and spent much of their time reviewing the records brought out for display.

Examples of the records viewed during the visit include the following:

The Bad River Census for 1897 is from the series Census Rolls for the Bad River Band, 1865–1927, NAID 235127128

Pka-wah-ash-kum vs. Edward Sorin, Benjamin Sooy and Patrick Flanigan is from the series Civil Case Files, 1871–1911 for the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern (Chicago) Division of the Northern District of Illinois, NAID 7000125

07/28/2025

The crew of the Jackson Park Life Saving Station in Chicago started the day of Sunday July 27th 1919 doing routine work under clear skies with a calm surf. At 4:30 PM they were called to recover a drowning victim near the 29th St Beach, 4 miles North of their station. After three hours of searching, they found the body of Eugene Williams. Williams was spending the day with friends on a raft, which drifted across the invisible line separating the racially segregated beach. As previously written about by the National Park Service, “George Stauber, a 24-year-old White man, began throwing rocks at the youths. One rock struck Williams, who fell off the raft and drowned. The police at the murder scene refused to arrest Stauber. The riots began at the beach on July 27th and lasted until August 3rd, 38 people were killed and 537 injured during the Chicago Race Riots.”

The included entry is from the series Life Saving Station Logbooks, Jackson Park, IL, 1893-1941 NAID 2612219

See more at "Carl Sandburg and the Chicago Race Riots 1919" https://www.nps.gov/carl/learn/historyculture/chicago-race-riots.htm

07/24/2025

On July 24, 1915, the Steamship Eastland partially capsized in the Chicago River, resulting in the deaths of over 800 passengers: employees of the Western Electric Company heading to a picnic in Michigan City, IN. The case was initially brought before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern (Chicago) Division of the Northern District of Illinois, but was soon transferred to Grand Rapids, where the ship’s owners hoped for a more friendly environment.

The case United States vs. George T. Arnold, William H. Hull, Robert Reid, Charles C. Eckliff, Harry Pedersen, and Joseph W. Erickson includes hundreds of pages of transcripts describing the history of the ship, the competence of the crew, and the events on the day of the disaster. Clarence Darrow appeared for the defense.

One striking image is of the ship after the rescue and recovery mission was complete, and shows the Eastland still capsized in the river.

NAID 6279938

07/23/2025

July 24th marks the 110th anniversary of the 1915 Steamship Eastland partially capsizing in the Chicago River, resulting in the deaths of over 800 passengers, mostly employees of the Western Electric Company heading to a picnic in Michigan City, IN.

The court case was initially brought before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern (Chicago) Division of the Northern District of Illinois, but was soon transferred to Grand Rapids, where the ship’s owners hoped for a more friendly environment. Titled "United States vs. George T. Arnold, William H. Hull, Robert Reid, Charles C. Eckliff, Harry Pedersen, and Joseph W. Erickson", the documents include hundreds of pages of transcripts describing the history of the ship, the competence of the crew, and the events on the day of the disaster.

Clarence Darrow appeared for the defense. Some of the posted documents from the criminal case include a drawing of the capsized ship in the river, a letter to the master of the ship, Harry Pederson about the planned excursion, a description of the indictment and a list of the original Chicago indictments, and a list of the amount of passengers carried on the Eastland, the most being the day of the disaster.

NAID 6279938

07/10/2025

⚡ in 1856, Nikola Tesla, one of history's greatest inventors, was born. While Tesla is best known for his work with electricity and alternating current, did you know his ideas also extended to aviation?

In 1928, Tesla patented an airplane design that combined elements of a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. His visionary concept aimed to improve speed and efficiency, showcasing his boundless imagination and drive to push the boundaries of innovation.

Explore Tesla’s airplane patent in the National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/353760319

✏️: Method of Aerial Transportation patent by Inventor Nikola Tesla, January 3, 1928. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/353760319?objectPage=22

United States Patent and Trademark Office

05/29/2025

Discover how troublemakers—and those who pursue them—can leave a record behind them! Tune in on Tuesday, June 3, at 1 p.m. ET as archivist M Marie Maxwell presents on personnel and criminal cases from the Washington Metropolitan Police Dept. spanning from 1861 to 1991.

The broadcast will be streamed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EVCpFOS3VGE?si=IEKZ0PFiwcdQSHlX

Learn more about the 2025 Genealogy Series and view the schedule of upcoming sessions: https://www.archives.gov/calendar/genealogy-series/2025