Calumet Heritage Resources Directory
Calumet Heritage Resources Directory
Local archives, such as the ones listed here, can play a major role in telling stories of national importance. While these are not all of the heritage resources found within the Calumet Region, the organizations listed below are a rich sampling of the archives and historical centers throughout the region. We’ve highlighted a few noteworthy organizations as well.
The information listed here is newly compiled by The Field Museum on 10/26/2013. If we have missed any sources of local history, please contact Madeleine Tudor at [email protected] so that the resource guide can be updated.
A printable version of the Calumet Heritage Resources Directory is available in PDF format.
Explore the local history of Pullman, Riverdale, Roseland, South Deering and South Holland while in the heart of downtown Chicago. Bulletins, photographs, brochures, yearbooks and local family histories from as early as 1850 are included in the CPL’s extensive collection.
Harold Washington Library Center
Special Collections and Preservation Division Reading Room, Floor 9
400 South State Street
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: (312) 747-4875
Website: www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/cplarchive/archivalcoll/crcc.php
Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
The Calumet Environmental Resources Center (CERC) is a unique resource library, meeting place and referral network where local community residents, government officials, nonprofit environmental organizations and others can learn about and respond to pressing environmental issues. The CERC’s extensive resource collection is constantly expanding and contains a comprehensive assortment of reports, documents, maps, books, photographs, scientific research papers and industry profiles.
Williams Science Center
9501 S. King Drive
Chicago, IL 60628
Phone: (773) 995-2964
Website: http://www.csu.edu/cerc/
Hours: By appointment Monday – Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Dedicated to preserving and documenting the history of Indiana’s Calumet region for the use of scholars, students and the general public. Diaries, scrapbooks, maps, pamphlets, photographs and films provide a rich resource on a variety of topics in the Calumet history. A user friendly website makes information readily available to the public.
John W. Anderson Library
3400 Broadway
Gary, IN 46408
Phone: (219) 980-6580
Website: http://www.iun.edu/~cra/
Hours: Monday – Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Gain a better understanding of the complex national and international influences on Pullman’s industrial society throughout the 19th and 20th century. The Pullman State Historic Site, the Southeast Chicago Historical Society, and the Calumet Heritage Partnership have also made a concerted effort to make much of the industrial archives accessible online.
11111 S. Forrestville Avenue
Chicago, IL 60628
Phone: (773) 660-2341
Website: www.pullman-museum.org/
Hours: By appointment only Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
View photographs of the Calumet Club, the Calumet National Bank and other architectural landmarks of the Calumet region during the Libraries’ new extended hours. Make sure to check out the website for quick and easy search of archival collections and view photographs digitally.
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60603-6404
Phone: (312) 443-7292
Website: http://www.artic.edu/research
Hours: Public Hours: Wednesdays and Fridays 1:00–5:00 and Thursdays 10:30–8:00; Research Appt: Mondays and Tuesdays 1:00–5:00
South East Chicago James P. Fitzgibbons Historical Museum
The history of industrialization, unionization, immigration, and urbanization in Chicago’s Southeast side are preserved by this Society. Active in the community since 1977, it established the Fitzgibbons Historical Museum and several restoration projects in the region.
9801 S. Avenue G
Chicago, IL 60617
Phone: (773) 721-7948
Website: http://www.neiu.edu/~reseller/sesidewlcme.html
Hours: Thursday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., Closed Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Genealogists and researchers, beginning and advanced, can utilize the wealth of local records and history curated by this society. Library facilities are available and well suited to meetings and research. Eleven monthly newsletters and regular outreach education programs make information accessible to anyone interested in this historical region.
3000 West 170th Place
Hazel Crest, IL 60429-1174
Phone: (708) 335-3340
Website: www.ssghs.org
Hours: Monday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Tuesday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., Wednesday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Thursday CLOSED, Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., First and Second Saturday of the month 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sunday CLOSED
Additional Resources
525 Broadway
Beverly Shores, IN
Phone: (219) 871-0832
Hours: Open Sat. and Sun., May thru December
Blue Island Public Library lower level
2433 York Street
Blue Island, IL 60406
Monday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday 12:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday CLOSED
Website: http://blueislandhistory.org/
Albee House
13018 Maple Avenue
Blue Island, IL 60406
Phone: (708) 371-8546
Website: https://blueislandhistoricalsociety.com
Hours: By appointment only or scheduled event
3606 Belshaw Road
Lowell, Indiana
Phone: (219) 696-0769
Website: http://www.lakecountyparks.com/parks/buckley_homestead.html
Hours: May – October weekends and reservations
760 Wentworth Avenue
Calumet City, IL 60409
Phone: (708) 832-9390
Website: www.lakenetnwi.org/member/cchs
Hours: Thursday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
13300 S. Baltimore
Chicago, IL 60633
Phone: (312) 646-0436
Website: www.calumetheritage.org
Lake Front Drive,
Beverly Shores, IN
Phone: (219) 874-5322
Hours: Drive by viewing only
1601 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: (312) 642-4600
Website: www.chicagohistory.org/research
Hours: Monday CLOSED, Tuesday – Friday 1:00 – 4:30 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Sunday CLOSED
Carter G. Woodson Regional Library, Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection of Afro-American History and Literature
9525 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60628
Phone: (312) 747-6900
Website: http://www.chipublib.org/branch/details/library/woodson-regional/p/FeatHarsh/
Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Chicago Defender & Chicago Tribune Historical Archives
Website: http://www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/research/database_atoz.php
122 N. Main St
Crown Point, IN 46307
Phone: (219) 663-0270
Website: http://crownpointlibrary.org/
Hours: Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8 p.m., Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
9410 Old Lincoln Hwy
Hobart, IN 46342
Phone: (219) 947-1958
Website: http://www.lakecountyparks.com/activities/deep_river/woods_mill.html
Hours: Sunday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
1 East Gateway Park
Gary, IN 46402
Phone: (219) 882-6873
Website: http://ghcsinc.tripod.com/
Hours: Monday – Friday, Weekends by appointment only
Governors State University Library
1 University Parkway
University Park, IL 60484-0975
Phone: (708) 534-5000
Website: www.govst.edu/library
Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Griffith, IN 46319
Phone: (219) 924-9019
Website: http://www.griffithhistoricalsociety.org/
Hours: June – August, Sunday 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
564 State Street
Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: (219) 931-5100 x306
Website: www.hammond.lib.in.us
or http://www.hammond.lib.in.us/PDF/Brochures/Calumet%20Room%2004.pdf?
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 12:00 – 5:00 p.m., Wednesday 12:00 – 9:00 p.m.
700 W. Porter Ave.
Chesterton, IN 46304
Phone: (219) 983-3600
Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Website: www.heritagequestonline.com
Little Red Schoolhouse
7205 Kennedy Ave.
Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: (219) 844-5666
Hours: By appointment only
Hour Glass Museum
8 Lupine Lane
Ogden Dunes, IN
Phone: (219) 762-8665
Website: http://odhistory.org/
Hours: Third Sunday of the month 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
706 E. Fourth St.
Hobart, IN 46342
Phone: (219) 942-0970
Website: http://hobarthistoricalsociety.org/
Hours: Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
507 Mulberry St.
North Judson, IN 46366
Phone: (574) 223-3834
Website: http://www.hoosiervalley.org/
Hours: Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. (winter weather permitting)
Website: www.idaillinois.org
Old Lake Courthouse
Courthouse Square, Suite 202
Crown Point, IN 46307
Phone: (219) 662-3975
Website: http://crownpoint.net/museum.htm
Hours: May – October, Thursday – Saturday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. or by appointment
7408 Constitution Ave.
Cedar Lake, IN 46303
Phone: (219) 871-0832
Website: http://www.cedarlakehistory.org/museum.php
Hours: Thursday – Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
809 State Street
LaPorte, IN 46350
Phone: (219) 326-6808 x276
Website: www.lapcohistsoc.org
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
405 Prospect Street
Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: (219) 397-2239
Website: http://www.marktown.org/tour.html
Hours: Tours by appointment only
813 School Ave.
Matteson, IL 60443
Phone: (708) 748-3033
Website: http://www.villageofmatteson.org/departments/historicalmuseum/
Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 – 4:30 p.m.
201 East Main Street
Lowell, IN 46356
Phone: (219) 696-8137
Hours: By appointment only
13 West 73rd Ave.
Merrillville, IN 46321
Hours: Open May – October every Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Kaske House
1005 Ridge Road
Munster, IN 46321
Phone: 219-836-6530
Website: http://www.munsterhistory.org/_index.php
Hours: Open the second and fourth Saturday of the month
60 West Walton Street
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: (312) 943- 9090
Website: www.newberry.org
Hours: Monday Reading Rooms CLOSED Exhibition Galleries 8:15 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tuesday – Friday Reading Rooms 9:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. Exhibition Galleries 8:15 a.m. – 7:30 p.m., Saturday Reading Rooms 9:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. Exhibition Galleries 8:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Sunday CLOSED
400 Lakewood Blvd
Park Forest, IL 60466
Phone: (708) 747-3571
Website: www.parkforesthistory.org
141 Forest Blvd
Park Forest, IL 60466
Website: www.parkforesthistory.org/museum-home.html
Hours: Wednesday and Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Closed January and most major holidays
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Room 2
227 Monee Road
Park Forest, IL 60466
Website: www.parkforesthistory.org/archive-home.html
Hours: Friday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. or by appointment
Countryside Museum
5250 E. US Hwy 6
Portage, IN 46383
Phone: (219) 762-8349
Hours: Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
153 S. Franklin St.
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Phone: (219) 465-3595
[email protected]
Website: http://pocomuse.org/
Hours: 9 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, except during most holidays, with extended hours on Thursday nights until 8 p.m.
10621 S. Seeley Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643
Phone: (773) 881-1675
Website: www.ridgehistoricalsociety.org
Hours: Tuesday 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., Thursday and Sunday by appointment only
208 W 144th St
Riverdale, IL 60827
Hours: Monday-Tuesday 12-8; Wednesday 10-6; Saturday 10-4
1515 Old Lincoln Hwy.
Schererville, IN 46375
Phone: (219) 322-5428
Hours: By appointment only
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.amfed.org/mwf/states/Illinois/SouthSuburban.html
P.O. Box 917
Homewood, IL 60430
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://march14th.org/
401 S. Main Street
Knox, IN 46534
Phone: (574) 772-5393
Website: http://www.starkehistory.com/index.htm
Hours: Tuesday – Friday 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
114 N. Hunter Street
Thornton, IL 60476
Phone: (708) 877-6569
Website: http://www.thornton60476.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={7F5AF14E-8F44-4331-AB8D-9FC8008FA818}
Hours: Every Saturday May – October 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., First and third Saturdays January – April 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Other times by appointment