Index to Deaths Mentioned in Chicago Newspapers, 1856-1889 (Sam Fink's)
About this index"Sam Fink's" is an index to marriages and deaths that were mentioned in early Chicago newspapers. The marriage index covers 1833-1871 and is available as part of the Illinois Statewide Marriage Index. The death index has four sections (1859-1874, 1875-1879, 1880-1884, and 1885-1889) and is available on FHL Film #1321939.
Newspapers covered include the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Evening Journal, Chicago Democrat, Chicago Evening Post, Chicago Record-Herald, Chicago Daily News, Chicago Examiner, Inter-Ocean, and Democratic Press .
Why search this index?
If you find an entry in this index, you can
pursue the newspaper death notice/obituary and/or a death certificate. It's an
especially useful tool to use when looking for evidence of deaths that occurred
before the time period covered in the Cook County
Death Index, 1871-1916.
Information included in the index 
deceased's name newspaper date code for title of newspaper (see below)
Search tips
The newspaper codes used in the index are as follows:
Chicago Tribune *
Chicago Times %
Chicago Evening Journal $
Chicago Democrat #
Chicago Democratic Press #
Chicago Evening Post ?
Chicago Record-Herald "
Chicago Daily News @
Chicago Examiner ˘
The Inter-Ocean :
Check online newspapers to see if the titles you
need are available. The Chicago Tribune is available in the Chicago
Tribune Historical Archive, a subscription database from NewsBank which can be
accessed through many Chicago-area libraries. Chicago Tribune
obituaries, 1850-1985, are also available in Historical Newspapers,
Birth, Marriage, & Death Announcements, 1851-2003 at Ancestry.com. The
Inter-Ocean, 7 Jul 1874 through 31 Dec 1889, is available at GenealogyBank.com
.