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Community History Archives

Community History Archive Partner

Thomas Ford Memorial Library

Western Springs, Illinois

Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Western Springs.

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2Titles

Explore publications and collections from the past.

1913 to 1959Dates represented

See individual titles for available dates.

45,196Archive pages

Historical pages reported for this collection.

Explore local history

Discover the people, places, and stories of Western Springs, Illinois.

Explore the past of Western Springs, Illinois through newspapers in the Thomas Ford Memorial Library's digital archive. The archive includes Western Springs Citizen and Western Springs Times, with material from 1913 to 1959.

You can open the archive using the link below.
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  • Selected titles

    Selected titles from Thomas Ford Memorial Library include “Western Springs Citizen” and “Western Springs Times”.

  • Free and open access

    No subscription or payment required.

  • A closer look

    An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.

Reporting from the time can reveal how people described the events, work and concerns of their day, placing a local story within the history unfolding around it. Whether you are tracing a family connection, exploring a local event or sharing history with a class, there is more to discover than names and dates alone. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.

Explore the collection

Titles in this collection

Explore Western Springs Citizen and Western Springs Times through 45,196 digitized pages, with material from 1913 to 1959. This collection is shared through Thomas Ford Memorial Library's partnership with Advantage Archives. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.

Follow a family connection or a question about the community through the titles below and the history they preserve.

Western Springs Citizen

10,230 pages from 1954 to 1959

Western Springs Times

34,966 pages from 1913 to 1954

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Local History

About the Thomas Ford Memorial Library’s Community & Local History Resources

The Thomas Ford Memorial Library , located at 800 Chestnut Street, Western Springs, IL 60558, offers free and open access to resources that support local history research, genealogy, cultural engagement, and community memory. As the public library for this Cook County village, it provides reference materials, newspapers, microfilm, maps, and genealogy tools—serving researchers, students, and residents interested in exploring Western Springs’ past and identity.

Thomas Ford Memorial Library photo 1

Local History

Local History & Genealogy Resources

  • Historic Local Newspapers & Microfilm — microfilm holdings include early issues of Western Springs newspapers such as the *Western Springs Times*, *Western Springs Citizen*, *The Villager*, and other local press, offering insight into community events, everyday life, and civic history.
  • Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps — historic fire insurance maps that illustrate the growth, development, and built environment of Western Springs, useful for property history and urban research.
  • Genealogy Databases & Reference Tools — in-library access to genealogical resources such as HeritageHub, Ancestry, and local indexes to support family history, obituaries, and demographic research.
  • Local History Reference Collections — vertical files, community history documents, and reference collections accessible through staff assistance that document Western Springs’ institutional, social, and cultural evolution.

Together these collections act as a portal to Western Springs’ collective memory—capturing people, places, and events that shaped the village’s identity over the decades while providing practical access to primary sources for genealogy, local history research, and community engagement.

About the Library

About the Thomas Ford Memorial Library

Thomas Ford Memorial Library is located at 800 Chestnut Street, Western Springs, Illinois 60558 , and serves the village and surrounding region with comprehensive library services for all ages. The public library holds a significant collection of books and media—serving about 13,000 residents—and circulates a substantial volume of materials annually, while offering public computers, digital resources, program spaces, and research support. The library’s hours are typically Monday through Thursday 9:30 AM–9:00 PM; Friday & Saturday 9:30 AM–5:00 PM; and Sunday 1:00 PM–5:00 PM. Contact: (708) 246-0520.

Library History

The History of the Library & Its Role

Founded in 1925 by local residents eager to establish a free public library, Thomas Ford Memorial Library was named to honor Thomas Albert Ford, a respected contractor and early resident—after his death his wife, Edith, donated land and funds for the library’s construction. The library opened in 1932 at the site of its present building; additions were completed in 1962 and 1996, preserving its architectural character while expanding service capacity. Over time the library has remained central to cultural life in Western Springs, offering programs, literacy support, community events, and research services that reinforce the village’s engagement with history, education, and civic participation.

About the Community

About Western Springs, Illinois

Western Springs is a village in Cook County, Illinois, with a population of approximately 13,629 as of the 2020 census, known for its community character, historic architecture, and suburban location near Chicago. Its history includes early settlement along rail lines, the establishment of civic institutions, and the development of cultural assets such as the library and local historical sites.

Local History

Did You Know?

  • The library’s genealogy area includes microfilm of early Western Springs newspapers and Sanborn fire insurance maps—valuable tools for property and family history research.
  • Thomas Ford Memorial Library publishes a quarterly newsletter, *The Ford Connection*, highlighting programs, collections, and community stories.
  • The building itself reflects the evolution of community investment in public education and culture, with expansions in 1962 and 1996 complementing the original 1932 design.

To explore archived newspapers, maps, genealogy tools, and local history reference materials, visit: Visit the Thomas Ford Memorial Library Digital Archives .

More ways to explore and share local history

Research Guidance

Read a report in its time and place

A family name, a familiar street or a story passed down through generations can lead to a closer look at the history of Western Springs. The digital archive shared by the Thomas Ford Memorial Library offers a place to begin. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story. Check nearby issues or another listed newspaper when available. Differences in timing and wording can add perspective to a story, while the issue date and surrounding articles help show what kind of account you are reading.

Follow a promising report into a nearby issue or another title where available. Compare dates and surrounding coverage; a single account is one perspective on a story. Use the surrounding account to shape your next question, while keeping each source's perspective distinct.

Keep the title, date, page, or item reference with each useful finding. Separate the words in a historical account from your interpretation, and note conflicting perspectives rather than choosing one too quickly. These notes help connect a local story to its evidence and show what remains uncertain.

Review collection titles

Community Partnership

Keeping local history a community resource

This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Thomas Ford Memorial Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.

Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.

Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.

Learn about partnerships
Read All About It

Stories, research tips, and archive news

Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.

Newest published articles

March 18, 2025

It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?

We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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