| Family History Library |
Cook County Circuit Court Archives |
IRAD (Illinois Regional Archives Depository) |
Illinois State Archives |
Newberry Library |
National Archives Great Lakes Branch |
Cook County Recorder of Deeds |
|
| Naturalizations | X | X | X | X | |||
| Probate, Guardianships, Wills |
X | X | X | X | |||
| Divorces (Filed in the Superior and Circuit Courts until 1963) |
X | ||||||
| Property or Land | X | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Burned Records* | X | X | X |
*Burned records are documents used to re-establish property ownership after the 1871 Chicago Fire.
Please contact individiual institutions directly to find out exactly which records they hold. Dates of records held vary by institution.
For vital record information, please see the Cook County Vital Records handout at the 2nd floor reference desk or online at http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/vital.html.
For more information about Cook County and Chicago court records, see Loretto Szucs' book Chicago and Cook County: A Guide to Research. (2nd floor reference desk.)
Family History Library
http://www.familysearch.org
The Family History Library has filmed many Chicago and Cook County records. Check the Family History Library catalog by doing a search for Cook as part of Illinois (a search for "Cook County" will not work). Look for subheadings such as "land and property", "court records", "guardianship", "probate records", etc. Readers may borrow film for $3.50 a reel to be delivered to the Newberry. Loan time is about a month. Film can also be ordered at any Family History Center. To locate a Family History Center near you, ask at the 2nd floor reference desk or see http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/frameset_fhc.asp
Clerk of the Circuit Court Archives Department
50 W. Washington Room 1113
Chicago, IL 60602
Telephone: (312) 603-6601
Fax: (312) 603-4974
http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt.org/Archives_/archives_.htm
The Circuit Court Archives has naturalization records from non-federal courts, as well as an index (1840-1950). They also have divorce records, probate and guardianship cases, law and chancery cases (include the Burned Records and name change cases). Adoption and mental health records are CLOSED to the public. Direct inquiries about adoption and mental health records to the Chief Deputy Clerk of the County Division. There are record request forms on the website. There is an index search fee of $6.00 per year, payable in advance. Certified copies are $6.00 per document, payable in advance. Uncertified copies are $2 for the first page, $.50 per page for the next 19 and $.25 after that.
Illinois Regional Archives Depository
Ronald Williams Library
Northeastern Illinois University
5500 N. St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-4699
http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/irad/iradhome.html
See reference policy at:
http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/irad/refpol.html
IRAD will search their records free of charge with information supplied by you. Searches are limited to two requests at a time, with a nominal charge for copies. IRAD will supply estimates for orders over $5.
Illinois State Archives
Reference Unit
Margaret Cross Norton Building
Capitol Complex
Springfield, IL 62756
Telephone: (217) 782-3556
Fax: (217) 524-3930
http://www.sos.state.il.us/departments/archives/services.html
Copies of original public domain land tract sales documents require payment of two dollars per document. Land document requests must be submitted by telephone or mail.
Newberry Library
60 West Walton
Chicago, IL 60610
Telephone: (312) 255-3512
http://www.newberry.org
The Newberry has limited court records, but check the online catalog under the subject heading of "Cook County, Ill - Genealogy" for some early probate and will indexes. Also check the subject heading "Cook County, Ill" and its sub-headings in the card catalog.
National Archives Great Lakes Branch
7358 South Pulaski Road
Chicago, IL 60629-5898
Telephone: (773) 581-7816
http://www.nara.gov/regional/chicago.html
This branch of the National Archives has federal naturalization records and indexes for the Chicago area and early government land records. They also have records of federal courts in Illinois. These records include cases of bankruptcy, draft dodgers, and treason as well as Prohibition cases.
Cook County Recorder of Deeds
118 N. Clark Street, Room 120
Chicago, IL 60602
Telephone: (312) 603-5050
http://www.cookctyrecorder.com
The Recorder of Deeds has records of transfer of ownership or sales of property and related documents. You can search indexes that are arranged by name of the seller/buyer (Grantor/Grantee), by the property's PIN (Property Identification Number) or by the property's legal description. For pre-Chicago Fire property records, contact Chicago Title & Trust at (312) 223-3016.