Ancestors2Illinois
Tracing the journeys that brought our ancestors to northern Illinois.
Search by surname, place or year — or browse every ancestor A–Z.
Find an ancestor
Thirty-one people, documented from records rather than remembered from stories. A few of them are below; the full list is arranged A–Z by surname.
Read the latest
Short pieces on what the records turn up — and what they refuse to settle.
Our Mayflower Ancestor Wasn’t a Pilgrim
Richard Warren sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 as a merchant, not a Pilgrim. He signed the Mayflower Compact, and all seven of his children survived.
The Ancestor Who Chose the Other Side
Ebenezer Samis of Huntington, Long Island signed an oath to the King during the Revolution. Patriot, Loyalist, or simply trying to protect his family?
The Ancestor Who Was Hanged for Murder
Thomas Cornell was hanged in 1673 for murdering his mother, after her brother claimed her ghost named the killer. A family historian revisits the case.
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