Local History

Local History Room

Batavia Public Library’s Local History Room contains printed and microfilm materials about genealogy and the history of Batavia and Kane County; some histories of the Fox River Valley and Illinois; and our Genealogy collection. Most collections in the Local History Room are for in-Library use only. 

Microfilm Collections Include:

  • Batavia Herald (1893-1976)
  • Batavia Chronicle (1976-1990)
  • Kane County Chronicle (1990-present)
  • Aurora Beacon (1848-1913)
  • Batavia Republican (1990-2000)
  • Life (1963-1972, 1991-2000)
  • New York Times Book Review (1992-2007)
  • Newsweek (1964-2016)
  • Time (1964-present)
  • U.S. News and World Report (1974-2011)
  • Census microfilm for Kane County from 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 

Other sources in the Local History Room include:

  • City Directories for the Tri-Cities (Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles) from 1910-present
  • Batavia Telephone Directories from 1916-1956
  • Batavia High School Yearbooks from 1912-present
  • Marriage records from 1836-1906
  • Naturalization records from 1857-1955
  • Typescript lists and indexes to Kane County census records
  • The Batavia Biography File in binders compiled by the Batavia Historical Society
  • Guides to cemetery records
  • Atlases and plat books for Kane County
  • Genealogy Collection