Obtaining Chicago & Cook County Vital Records On A Budget

Vital records for Cook County, and specifically Chicago, are available on microfilm for a significantly reduced cost, compared to requesting the documents through the Cook County Clerk or Vital Records. Below you can find details of what is available and how you can order copies of these records. Copies of these certificates and licenses are only $6.50, compared to the $15-17 per document through Cook County.

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed a majority of documents and registers, so no vital records exist prior to then. Both birth registers (certificates exist post-1878) and marriage licenses began again in 1871, whereas the death certificates didn't begin again until 1878.

Image source: Hearst's Chicago American, January 2, 1902, Page 8
(Click to enlarge)

Cook County also didn't require the official registration of births until January 1, 1902, once a bill in the Illinois State Senate passed and became law. Along with the new law to urge Chicago residents to register their children's birth, was allowed "25 cents for every baby born and registered." By the second day the County Clerk had received more than 80 applications. However, the County Clerk neither had the actual certificates to issue nor the money to provide to applicants for the registrations. The County Clerk at that time, Mr. Knopf, explained he would issue certificates but they had not been supplied to him by the secretary of the State Board of Heath. Mr. Knopf furthermore stated that the County Board would need to supply the money.

How To Order Copies:

Birth certificates and registers are available on microfilm from 1871-1922 and can be ordered through the link here.

Death certificates are available on microfilm from 1878-1945 and can be ordered through the link here.

Marriage licenses are available on microfilm through 1871-1920 and can be ordered through the link here.

Surname Saturday #19: Gotowy

The Gotowy family had been a struggle for me for a very long time, until I stumbled upon the  Poznań Project, a few years ago. Thanks to that wonderful website, I was able to determine where in Poland my Gotowy ancestors came from. Here is what I know:

1. Agnieszka (Agnes) Gotowa
b. 07 Jan 1869, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
d. 25 Oct 1917, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
m. Martin Domagalski; 26 Oct 1885, St. Mary's Church, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Josephine Domagalski, 04 Sep 1886, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Ignacy Domagalski, b. 01 Mar 1888, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*John Domagalski (later Smith), b. 23 Dec 1889, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Lucy Domagalski, b. 11 Dec 1891, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Clara Domagalski, b. abt Oct 1893, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Wladislaw Domagalski, b. 16 Jun 1896, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Eleanora Domagalski, b. 15 Jan 1899, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Frank S. Domagalski, b. 05 Feb 1901, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Edward Domagalski, b. 10 Apr 1903, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Roman Domagalski, b. 15 Feb 1904, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Cecilia Agnes Domagalski, b. 22 Nov 1906, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Helen A. Domagalski, b. 06 Dec 1908, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

2. Stanislaus Gotowy
b. 07 May 1840, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
d. 14 Nov 1919, Medina, Orleans County, New York
m. Jozefa (Josephine) Leśniewska; 24 Nov 1867, Głuszyna, Poznań, Poland
*Agnieszka Gotowa, (above)
*Apollonia Gotowa, b. 04 Feb 1871, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Michal Gotowy, b. 23 Aug 1872, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Marianna Gotowa, b. 04 Jan 1874, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Katarzyna Gotowa, b. 06 Feb 1876, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Jozef Gotowy, b. 14 Feb 1877, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Cecelia Gotowa, b. 22 Oct 1881, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Thomas J. Gottovi, ba. 14 Dec 1884, St. Mary's Church, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Stanislaus Gottovi, ba. 18 Apr 1886, St. Mary's Church, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Catherine Gottovi, ba. 06 Nov 1887, St. Mary's Church, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Edward M. Gottovi, b. about 13 Apr 1887, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Anthony Gottovi, ba. 24 Nov 1889, St. Mary's Church, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Anna M. Gottovi, b. Oct 1890, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Ellen A. Gottovi, b. 13 Apr 1892, Medina, Orleans County, New York

3. Kazimerz Gotowy
b. 25 Feb 1811, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
d. 20 Mar 1882, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
m. Marianna Leżałka; 21 Oct 1832, Głuszyna, Poznań, Poland
*Eva Gotowa (twin), b. 15 Dec 1833, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Eva Gotowa (twin), b. 15 Dec 1833, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Tomasz Gotowy, b. 13 Dec 1834, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Agnieszka Gotowa, b. 09 Jan 1837, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Szymon Gotowy, b. 06 Oct 1838, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Stanislaus Gotowy, (above)
*Agata Gotowa, b. 22 Jan 1842, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Michal Gotowy, b. 24 Sep 1843, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Marianna Gotowa, b. 29 Jun 1846, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Jakub Gotowy, b. 30 Jun 1850, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Wojciech Gotowy, b. 02 Apr 1853, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland

4. Wojciech Gotowy
ba. 20 Apr 1766, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
d. 24 Oct 1830, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
m. Marianna Mądrzonka/Mądry; none found
*Jozef Gotowy, ba. 20 Mar 1791, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Piotr Gotowy, ba. 30 Jun 1793, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Katarzyna Gotowa, b. 15 Nov 1795, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Agnieszka Gotowa, b. 06 Jan 1799, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Konstancja Gotowa, b. 06 Apr 1801, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Andrzej Gotowy, b. 20 Nov 1803, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Wojciech Gotowy, b. 14 Apr 1806, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Kazimerz Gotowy, (above)

5. Maciej Gotowy/Cauponis
b. unknown
d. unknown
m. Marcjanna Piduscianka; 12 Nov 1758, Głuszyna, Poznań, Poland
*Stanislaus Kostka Gotowy, ba. 23 Nov 1760, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Katarzyna Gotowa, ba. 20 May 1764, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Wojciech Gotowy, (above)
*Marianna Gotowa, ba. 29 Mar 1768, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Anna Gotowa, ba. 29 Jul 1770, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland
*Agnieszka Gotowa, ba. 03 Jan 1773, Daszewice, Poznań, Poland

Surname Saturday #12: Wozniak

I don't know too much about this branch of my family, because church records are not readily available on microfilm. Here is what I do know:

1. Rozalia Zofia Wozniak
b. 1887, Osobnica, Jaslo County, Rzeszow Province, Poland
d. 22 Oct 1959, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
m. Wojciech (George) Czarny; 26 Oct 1908, Saints Peter & Paul Church, Chicago
*Children omitted for privacy reasons.

2. Wawrzyniec (Lawrence) Wozniak; (supposedly a 'mayor')
b. possibly Osobnica, Jaslo County, Rzeszow Province, Poland
d. possibly Osobnica, Jaslo County, Rzeszow Province, Poland
m. Agatha Turek; date unknown (may have died young?)
*Rozalia Zofia Wozniak, (above)
*Andrew Wozniak, b. 15 Sep 1889, Osobnica, Jaslo County, Rzeszow Province, Poland

Surname Saturday #11: Domagalski

This has been one of my most dead-end lines up until a few years ago, thanks to the Poznan Project. This is the family of my 2nd-great-grandmother, Josephine Domagalski:

1. Josephine Domagalski
b. 04 Sep 1886, Medina, Orleans County, New York
d. 14 Nov 1958, Manteno State Hospital, Manteno, Kankakee County, Illinois
m. Joseph Adas; 11 Oct 1903, St. Joseph Church, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Anna Adas, b. 26 Jul 1904, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Thomas L. Adas, b. 19 Dec 1905, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Joseph Vincent Adas, b. 27 Oct 1907, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Lawrence Adas, b. 01 Sep 1909, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Edward Robert Adas, Sr., b. 14 Apr 1911, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Raymund Adas, b. 18 Aug 1913, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

2. Martin (also Marcin) Domagalski
b. abt 1861-1865, Poland
d. 05 May 1917, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
m. Agnieszka Gotowa; 26 Oct 1885, Medina, Orleans County, New York
*Josephine Domagalski, (above)
*Ignacy Domagalski, b. 01 Mar 1888, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*John Domagalski (later Smith), b. 23 Dec 1889, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Lucy Domagalski, b. 11 Dec 1891, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Clara Domagalski, b. abt Oct 1893, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Wladislaw Domagalski, b. 16 Jun 1896, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Eleanora Domagalski, b. 15 Jan 1899, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Frank S. Domagalski, b. 05 Feb 1901, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Edward Domagalski, b. 10 Apr 1903, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Roman Domagalski, b. 15 Feb 1904, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Cecilia Agnes Domagalski, b. 22 Nov 1906, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
*Helen A. Domagalski, b. 06 Dec 1908, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois

3. Wojciech Domagala/Domagalski
b. abt 1814-1817, Poland
d. aft 1876, Buffalo, Erie County, New York
m1. Margarita Bogaczyk; 25 Oct 1841, Słupy, Gmina Szubin, Bydgoszcz, Poland
m2. Marianna Gadacz; 14 May 1853, Brzyskorzystew, Gmina Żnin, Bydgoszcz, Poland
m3. Magdalena Welniak; 31 Jul 1865, Słupy, Gmina Szubin, Bydgoszcz, Poland
*Jan Domagala, b. 29 May 1842
*Michael Domagala/Domagalski, b. 03 Aug 1843
*Jakub Domagala, b. 22 Jul 1846
*Franciszka Domagala, b. 15 Aug 1849
*Franciszek Domagala, b. 29 Aug 1852
*Anna/Antonia Domagala/Domagalski, b. 16 Jul 1857
*Jozefa Domagala, b. abt 1857
*Martin/Marcin, (above)
*Martina, b. abt 1863

4. Jan Domagala
b. unknown
d. bef 31 Jul 1865, Poland
m. Marianna
*Wojciech Domagala, (above)

Researching Chicago Family Trees

I'm becoming quite the whiz at researching families from Chicago and the Chicago area. There are so many resources available online now, that it just makes it so much easier to do. Here are some great links I use on a regular basis with my research:

Cook County, Clerk of the Circuit Court

Index to Naturalizations-Declarations of Intention, 1871-1929

http://198.173.15.34/NR/

Cook Count Clerk's Office - Genealogy Online

http://www.cookcountygenealogy.com/

Databases at the Illinois State Archives

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/archives/databases.html

A Look At Cook

Street and ED Guide for Census for Cook County

http://alookatcook.com/

Polish Genealogical Society of America

http://www.pgsa.org/

FamilySearch & RecordSearch

http://www.familysearch.org/