Index to Deaths Mentioned in Chicago Newspapers, 1856-1889 (Sam Fink's)
About this index
"Sam Fink's" is an index to marriages and deaths that were mentioned in early Chicago newspapers. The marriage index covers 1833-1871 and is available as part of the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. The death index has four sections (1859-1874, 1875-1879, 1880-1884, and 1885-1889) and is available on FHL Film #1321939.
Newspapers covered include the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Evening Journal, Chicago Democrat, Chicago Evening Post, Chicago Record-Herald, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Examiner, Inter-Ocean, and Democratic Press .
Why search this index?
If you find an entry in this index, you can
pursue the newspaper death notice/obituary and/or a death certificate. It's an
especially useful tool to use when looking for evidence of deaths that occurred
before the time period covered in the Cook County
Death Index, 1871-1916.
Information included in the index
- deceased's name
- newspaper date
- code for title of newspaper (see below)
Search tips
The newspaper codes used in the index are as follows:
Chicago Tribune *
Chicago Times %
Chicago Evening Journal $
Chicago Democrat #
Chicago Democratic Press #
Chicago Evening Post ?
Chicago Record-Herald "
Chicago Daily News @
Chicago Examiner ˘
The Inter-Ocean :
How to Find the Newspapers
If you live in the Chicago area you can visit one of the local repositories that have newspapers.
- Newberry Library (Newspaper Holdings)
- Chicago History Museum (Search their Catalog for holdings)
- Harold Washington Library (Newspaper Information
If you're in Springfield, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library has a large newspaper collection with titles from all over the state.
Also check the Illinois Newspaper Project database to see which newspapers are available at which repositories.
If you don't live near Chicago, some of the newspapers can be found online or you might be able to get them through interlibrary loan. Sites to check are ProQuest's Chicago Tribune Historical Archives (this may be available remotely through your local library), Ancestry.com (Historical Newspapers,
Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003), GenealogyBank.com (offers a number of Chicago titles including the Inter-Ocean), and Footnote.com (has the Chicago Tribune up through 1923).
.