I have used IRAD at Western Illinois for mail requests and they are absolutely wonderful in responding promptly. Pris Mowinkel ----- Original Message ----- From: Cindy Foster <cindyfoster@mac.com> To: <ILMCDONO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 08, 2000 4:15 PM Subject: [ILMCDONO] Re: Courthouse experience and IRAD > We too have just returned from a week's genealogy trip to Fulton, Schuyler > and McDonough Counties. Our experience with the Fulton Co. Courthouse was > similar Debra's was with the McDonough courthouse. They wanted $2 for > each marriage license, site unseen. I did manage to 'sweet talk' a viewing > of one license before paying for it and found it was the one I wanted. I > wanted to get copies of about 10 others but was unwilling to gamble on not > getting the correct items. > > Our experience at the Schuyler Co. Courthouse however was wonderful! The > staff was cheerful, helpful and friendly. We were able to look thru all the > legal documents and pick and chose which pages we wanted copied. They were > most helpful, including looking up the surnames we were interested in on > their computer and showing us the index of what they had for each. We were > able to discover the death of an illusive uncle thanks to them. > > The IRAD at Western IL University has a huge depository of information, > including McDonough Co. marriage licenses( the ones I neded were between > 1835 and 1880)-one could look at them then have copies made for 10 > cents/page. We would highly recommend visiting there. Check their website > www.sos.state.il.us for their holdings. > > I was warned that parking would be a problem, but this proved untrue. A > visitor can get a FREE daily parking pass by just stopping at the Mowbray > Building on Murray St., across from the student union. We told them we > were doing research at IRAD all day and needed a parking pass. > > Cindy Foster > > > > >I just completed a week's genealogy trip to Randolph Co., Cass Co., Schuyler > >Co., McDonough Co. and Henderson Co. Courthouses -- all in Illinois. I have > >to say that by far the most helpful employees were in Randolph County. They > >have a special room set up with excellent access to records. I was amazed to > >find all the "non-courthouse" records, such as census, county histories, and > >all the publications put out by the Genealogical Society. > > > >By comparison, the employees (in particular) Cass, Schuyler and McDonough > >Counties acted as though genealogy was the g---- word. They welcomed me like > >the plague, though I went out of my way to be as invisible as possible. One > >male employee in McDonough Co. would not even allow me to see a death record > >from 1913. I had to pay $2.00 to make a copy of it. I was not even certain > >I wanted the record, but since I could not see it, I paid the $2.00. Turned > >out it was an individual with the same surname, but from another part of the > >country -- no connection. > > > >It is too bad that the government officials at Cass, McDonough and Schuyler > >County view genealogists as a big imposition into their daily routine (which > >from what I observed consisted of non-stop gossip among the office > >employees). I wonder how many of our ancestors were responsible for founding > >the towns in which these employees now live and work? > > > >Anyway, the Randolph Co. people were a joy, and I will return at some time in > >the future. I see now why my ancestors stayed in Randolph Co. for more than > >125 years, where as Cass & McDonough were mere transitions for 1 or 2 > >generations. > > > >Debra >