Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society

“…increasing and enriching public knowledge of our heritage”

  • Join Us/Renew
  • Events
  • Publications
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • What’s New
  • Our Library
    • Overview
    • Directions
    • Events Schedule
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Library Collections
      • Overview
      • Newspapers on Microfilm
      • Ortssippenbücher (OSB) Collection
    • Photograph Collections
      • Mystery Photos
      • Notable Men Photos
      • World War I Soldier Photos
    • Publications
    • FamilySearch Affiliate
  • Research
    • Family Histories
      • App Family Stories
      • Dully Family History
    • Maps
      • Township Boundaries
      • 1833 Tazewell County Map
      • 1836 Tazewell County Map
      • 1857 Tazewell County Map
      • 1873 Tazewell County Map
      • 1873 Tazewell County Map 2
      • 1896 Tazewell County
      • 1920 Tazewell County
        from Prairie Farmer Magazine
      • 1929 Tazewell County
        from Illinois Highway Map
    • Records & Indexes
      • Deaths 1877-1950
      • Deeds 1830-1929
      • Marriage Applications 2020 On
      • Marriage Divorces Granted 2021 On
      • Marriages 1869-1950
      • Prairie Pioneer Certificates
      • Surname Registry
      • The Monthly Newsletter Surname Index 1978-2020
    • Research Guides
      • Amish Mennonites in Tazewell County
      • Tazewell County Cemeteries
      • Tazewell County Education Records
      • Vital Records: Birth, Marriage & Death
      • Links to Other Resources
    • Research Services
  • Historical Tidbits
  • About
    • History of TCGHS
    • Mission & Purpose
    • Our Officers & Board
    • Our Facebook Page
    • Contact Info
    • Contact Us
    • Website Map
  • Support TCGHS
    • Become a Member
    • Donate Funds
    • Donate Items
    • Affiliate Shopping
    • Surname Tree
    • Business Plaque
  • Members Only
    • Content of Members Only Area
    • Login/Logout
    • Register for Members Only
    • Edit Members Only Profile
    • Members Only Assistance
    • Society Documents
      • Bylaws
      • Deadline Dates
      • General Policies
      • Job Descriptions
Home > Library Collections

The Ehrlicher Research Center Library currently contains almost 13,000 volumes. Here’s parts of our current collection we would like to highlight:

Newspapers on Microfilm

Cover of Pekin Daily Times 12/31/1945

Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society has a large collection of newspapers on microfilm.

Notable Men Photos

Photo of HH Cole

Pioneering photographer H.H. Cole created a historical picture gallery of notable Tazewell County residents—displayed at one time on the hallway walls of the Tazewell County Courthouse. Many of these photographs are of early Tazewell County notable men. Our archivists scanned over 1500 of the 5″x7″ photos that had been stored in the basement of the Tazewell County Courthouse for decades. Here’s your chance to own a photograph of your Tazewell County ancestor taken by the same man who photographed Abraham Lincoln.

Ortssippenbücher (OSB) Collection

Map of Ostfriesland Area of Germany

Many of the early settlers of Tazewell County emigrated from the Ostfriesland area of Germany. Ortssippenbücher (OSB) and Ortsfamilienbücher (OFB) books contain important genealogical information for Ostfriesen researchers such as family names, social status; occupations; family relationships; and dates of births, marriages, and deaths for families found in a specific church in an Ostfriesen village. Our OSB collection is currently thought to be complete and the largest in the State of Illinois.

World War I Soldier Photos

Photo of Lewis E. "Scoop" Lohmann in WWI Uniform

Included in the Society’s L Sidney Eslinger Glass Negative Collection are over one hundred glass plate negatives of identified Tazewell County area soldiers in uniform—probably from around World War I (1918). Our archivists have scanned these negatives (archival tiff format, 200 dpi). The original photographs were taken by Henry H. (“H.H.”) Cole—a pioneering Tazewell County photographer.

Visit Us

Ehrlicher Research Center
719 N 11th Street
PO Box 312
Pekin, IL 61555-0312
(309) 477-3044
Contact TCGHS
Map & Directions

Our Hours

Monday 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am-1:00 pm
  7:00 pm-9:00 pm
Wednesday   9:00 am-4:30 pm
Thursday 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Sunday 2:00 pm-4:30 pm

Quick Links

  • Join Us/Renew
  • Library Overview
  • Coming Events
  • Society Publications
  • Research Services
  • Donate to the Society
  • Contact Us

Resources

Website Map

Links to Other Resources

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

© 1999–2023 • Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society • All Rights Reserved

Copyright • Terms of Use • Privacy