Research: Genealogy

For genealogists and others researching people who once lived in Downers Grove, the following crowd-sourced genealogical websites can be useful. While these crowd-sourced websites contain content that some Downers Grove Historical Society members and others knowledgeable in Downers Grove history curate, the Society does not control the information in these websites. Information in these sites can be updated by anyone in their community.    

• FindaGrave.com – As the name implies this website contains memorials organized by cemetery.  For example, specific to Downers Grove, information about Main Street Cemetery is available at the FindaGrave page for Main Street Cemetery.  Other Downers Grove area cemeteries also have their own pages.
• BillionGraves.com – This website also has information about headstones organized by cemetery.  For example, specific to Downers Grove, Main Street Cemetery is available at the Billion Graves page for Main Street Cemetery.  Other Downers Grove area cemeteries also have their own pages.
• WikiTree.com – Users can contribute to a global family tree on this site. Some information is organized into various projects. For example, specific to Downers Grove, there are projects for cemeteries such as Main Street Cemetery, surnames such as Bartee, geographic projects like Downers Grove, and profile pages for people such as Pierce Downer.
• Familysearch.org – This website includes large number of records and a shared family tree. For example, specific to Downers Grove, here is the entry for Pierce Downer.
• Ancestry.com – This site contains numerous official records to assist in research.  Trees built on this site are specific to the individual.