Core Exhibtion, Carriage House, 2024.
Explore the Lombard Historical Society's archives and collections, featuring oral histories, historical newspapers, and our new CatalogIt Hub. The Hub includes parts of our collection such as textiles, Little Orphan Annie memorabilia, and historic photographs. This ongoing project is dedicated to preserving and sharing Lombard's rich heritage.
Want to Make a Donation?
If you are interested in donating items to the Society’s collections, please contact the LHS staff via email or call 630-629-1885, before dropping off or mailing any items. Due to space limitations, the size of a donation must be taken into consideration.
Search the HUB
The CatalogIt Hub is an online platform used by museums, historical societies, and other institutions to catalog, manage, and share their collections. It allows organizations to create detailed records of their items, including descriptions, photographs, and other relevant information, which can be accessed by researchers, historians, and the general public.
Search the Lombard Historical Newspaper Collection
The Helen Plum Library in partnership with the Lombard Historical Society uses Advantage Archives to digitize and provide online access to local newspapers, including The Lombard Spectator, Lombard Suburban Life, and The Lombardian. This partnership creates a searchable, digital community history archive available on the library's website.
Lombard Press, Newspaper, c. 1919
Voices of the Past
Oral History Collection
In the 1970s, members of the Lombard Historical Society set out to collect the oral histories of long-time Lombardians. These voices of the past were recorded on cassette tape and in our continued efforts to make more of our collection available online, we are working on digitizing them.
Learn More About Lombard Cemetery
Reuben and Anna Mink donated part of their farm to serve as the municipal cemetery. The land was official donated in 1864 but the earliest burial was in 1851. There is no headstone for this memorial anymore. There are veterans from the War of 1812 through WWII buried here as well. in 1976, the Lombard Cemetery Association undertook a survey of the historic cemetery.
At the Lombard Historical Society, we welcome scholars, museum professionals, LHS members, and interested members of the public to submit a research request.
Have a question about your home, business, person, underground railroad, or genealogy?
Please note that general research requests are handled online by LHS staff and volunteers by filling out the form below.
For more information about research requests please read below.
Have a question? Click here to email one of our staff members.
Learn More About Research Requests
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Please fill out the request form online below. Please add as much specific information as possible including names and dates, as well as information and sources already found.
Requests are addressed in the order they are received.
One of our skilled volunteers will look into your request for you.
We charge a research request fee of $20.00.
Click here to pay the research request fee.
Members receive one FREE research request yearly.
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On-site research is available for in-person research by pre-approved appointment only to university students, scholars, and researchers. Scheduling is based on staff availability.
Photocopies will only be produced if the materials can be copied without damage, and the request is within the copyright law. Photocopies will be made by museum staff only.
There is no fee for students, scholars, and researchers
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Please be aware that all research requests are handled in the order in which they are received.
Response time is approximately 3-6 weeks depending on the request.
We charge a research request fee of $20.00. Members receive one FREE research request yearly.
Once a research request form is completed and payment submitted, am LHS Staff member or research volunteer will use the information provided to conduct a thorough search the LHS archives and collections.
