Welcome to Regional History Center and University Archives

Welcome to the Regional History Center, a unique component of NIU’s commitment to education, research, and public service. The Center’s mission is to acquire, preserve, and make available to the public the most significant historical records of the northern Illinois region. We actively collect from the eighteen northern counties of Illinois excluding Cook County. Since 1977 the Center has grown into a multifaceted research center which houses three related sets of historical records: University Archives, Regional Collections, and Local Government Records (Illinois Regional Archives Depository). The Regional History Center is always adding manuscripts to the collections. Please feel free to contact the center if you believe you have documents that should be preserved for future generations.