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Guide to Wheaton Sources

The research process usually involves using the resources of a variety of places: county, city, and township offices, local museums, and of course, the Wheaton Public Library.

Use the Home History Research File (HHRF), available at the Reference Department, to help determine what information you’d like to search for, and then use this Guide to Wheaton Sources to locate where the information can be found.

There are two categories for admission to the Wheaton Register of Historic Places: buildings 50-99 years old and buildings 100 years or older. The criteria for admission are different for each category. Please refer to the Wheaton Register of Historic Places Program's webpage for additional information.

Where to find

Assessor’s Building Information: The Milton Township Office offers online lookups for basic information including date of construction. Note that dates prior to 1890 may not be accurate. To receive a copy of your property card which has additional information, you must submit a request via phone, email, or in-person.

Building Files: The City of Wheaton Building Department: requires a FOIA request and there are no online look-ups. The City maintains a file on each property in Wheaton which can include building permits and architectural plans. Building permits date back to approximately 1955.

Architectural/Building Plans: The City of Wheaton Building Department: requires a FOIA request and property owner permission. DuPage County Historical Museum: limited files.

Land Deeds: DuPage County Recorder’s Office's online search tool dates back to 1961 and has a link to the 1897 DuPage County Map. You can also search the Recorder's Office's online documents. Documents and a grantor/grantee search prior to 1961 must be done in-person at the DuPage County Recorder's Office.

Historic Tax Records: DuPage County Clerk Revenue Department. You can access the instruction page by searching DuPage County Historical Tax Records online.

DuPage County Property Lookup

Historic Maps:

  • Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: Wheaton Public Library (complete database without color coding online); DuPage County Historical Museum (some originals).
  • 1851 Map of the counties Cook and DuPage, the east part of Kane and Kendall, and the north part of Will, and the state of Illinois: Library of Congress.
  • 1870 Milton Township Map: Northern Illinois University Digital Library, (picture #37).
  • 1874 Combination Atlas Map of DuPage County: Wheaton Public Library, print copy; Illinois Digital Archive.
  • 1876 Atlas of Illinois: Wheaton Public Library, print copy.
  • 1882 Bird’s Eye View of Wheaton: DuPage County Historical Museum; Wheaton Public Library, online.
  • 1890 Snyder's Real Estate Map of the counties Cook and DuPage: Library of Congress, online.
  • 1892 Prout and Burnham’s Map of Wheaton: City of Wheaton Historic Commission, Sharepoint.
  • 1897 Map of DuPage County: Wheaton Public Library, print copy.
  • 1898 Snyder's Real Estate Map of the counties Cook, DuPage and part of Will: Library of Congress, online.
  • 1904 20th Century Atlas of DuPage County: Wheaton Public Library, print copy; Illinois Digital Archive.
  • 1906 Captive Airship Photo: DuPage County Historical Museum; Wheaton Public Library, online.
  • 1906 Aerial Photographs of Wheaton: Wheaton Public Library, online.
  • 1939 Aerial Photographs of Wheaton: Wheaton Public Library, online.
  • 1951 Farm Plat Book and Business Guide of DuPage County: Wheaton Public Library, print copy.
  • 1951 Indexed Pocket Map of Wheaton: No property owners shown but it displays the streets and their names in Wheaton.
  • 1979 DuPage County Atlas and Plat Book: Wheaton Public Library, print copy.
  • 1987 DuPage County Land Atlas and Plat Book: Wheaton Public Library, print copy.

DuPage County GIS maps:

  • Parcel Viewer: Search for parcels and other parcel related information. Please see the "Help" button and download the PDF help document on how to use the interactive web mapping application.
  • You can use the layer list on the right side to view archival images of the map starting with 1956 and progressing to present day.
  • In the Cadastral Real Estate pop-up window, there is a link to view tax and assessment information (current).

City and Telephone Directories: Wheaton Public Library (in-person viewing only; Genealogy Center on the second floor in a glass case, non-circulating); DuPage County Historical Museum (in-person only).

Cemetery Records: Wheaton Public Library (in-person viewing only; Genealogy Center on the second floor).

Census Records: Wheaton Public Library databases include Ancestry.com, American Ancestors, Family Search, Fold3, and HeritageQuest (requires a Wheaton Public Library card).

Newspapers: Wheaton Public Library databases and microfilmed local newspapers (in-person viewing only; Genealogy Center on the second floor); DuPage County Historical Museum.

Local History Books: Wheaton Public Library; DuPage County Historical Museum; Wheaton College Buswell Archives & Special Collections; online search of the four archival repositories of Wheaton College; and Buswell information.

Wheaton Real Estate Records: The DuPage County Historical Museum has an unindexed archive of early real estate listings from local realtors that date from the 1950s (in-person only).

Photos: Local history books; DuPage County Historical Museum; and Wheaton College Buswell Archives & Special Collections. You can also check with neighbors, especially longtime residents, and former residents.

Historic Aerial Photographs: There are a number of online sources for historic aerial photographs.

  • The DuPage County GIS Parcel Viewer allows the viewer to use the layer list on the far right side to view archival images of the map starting with 1956 and progressing to present day.
  • The Historic Aerials website allows the viewer to examine historic aerial photos with present-day streets identified. Viewers have the ability to purchase the photos.
  • Illinois Aerial Photo Project Illinois Digital Archive: See Historic Maps (1874 and 1904) and the Wheaton Public Library website.

USGS Historical Topographic Map Explorer

Resource locations and links:

Revised 6/10/2024