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