The Archives Department of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County was established in 1992, to collect, preserve, and make available to researchers the non-current records created by the Cook County Court systems. Holdings date back from the 1871 Chicago Fire. This is a great stepping off place for genealogical research.
Please note that this holdings list is only a brief overview. Researchers should always contact the Archives staff for assistance. Contact the Archives staff as follows: Archives, Richard J. Daley Center, Room 1113, Chicago, IL. Phil Costello, the Archivist, can be reached at 312-603-6601 or via fax at 312-603-4974
Some records are stored offsite and transferred to Archives for viewing (allow 2-10 working days). Indexes are located in the Archives unless otherwise stated. Archives patrons should be aware that the Clerk's office began computerized indexing and docketing of court cases in the early 1980s, which may affect their research.
|