Cofrin Library

Cofrin Library. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Connecting Learning to Life
Black and White photos from Special Collections photograph collection
Special Collections

Search & Copy Request Forms

We will check the following types of records in response to research questions. Each look-up costs $5.00 and must be paid in advance. Please print and complete the appropriate form(s) below to submit your request(s). We are sorry, but at this time we are not equipped to accept credit cards and, therefore, all requests must be submitted via non-electronic format.

Birth Records Request Form

Alphabetical and chronological index to births that were registered in the state of Wisconsin prior to 1907. Index covers the entire state; we only have actual birth registrations for the 11 Northeastern Wisconsin counties whose records are housed here. Records may not be found for all individuals. Sometimes the names are badly misspelled in the indexes. Also, it was not required by law to register births with government officials until 1907.

Death Record Request Form

Alphabetical index to deaths that were registered in the state of Wisconsin prior to 1907. Index covers the entire state; we only have actual death registrations for the 11 Northeastern Wisconsin counties whose records are housed here. Records may not be found for all individuals. Sometimes the names are badly misspelled in the indexes. Also, it was not required by law to register deaths with government officials until 1907.

Marriage Records Request Form

Alphabetical index by both bride and groom's name to marriages that were registered in the state of Wisconsin prior to 1907. Index covers the entire state; we only have actual marriage registrations for the 11 Northeastern Wisconsin counties whose records are housed here. Records may not be found for all individuals. Sometimes the names are badly misspelled in the indexes. Also, it was not required by law to register marriages with government officials until 1907.

Divorce Records Request Form

Use court records to find divorces, civil suits (disputes over property, nonpayment of debt, mortgage foreclosures, etc.) and criminal cases (murders, rapes, burglary, etc.) Adoptions/guardianship cases are normally handled through the Probate Court (use Probate Case File Request Form for these types of cases.)

Citizenship Record Request Form

These papers can contain helpful genealogy information such as: birthplace and birth date of the immigrant, date and port of entry in the United States, the name of the ship in which the immigrant traveled, or even the names of the immigrant's wife and children. Some papers contain very little information, while more recent papers may contain a lot of information. These records are referred to by a lot of different names: declarations, intentions, citizenship records, naturalizations, petitions, and immigrant papers. They all refer to the same set of records.

Circuit Court Request Form

Use court records to find divorces, civil suits (disputes over property, nonpayment of debt, mortgage foreclosures, etc.) and criminal cases (murders, rapes, burglary, etc.) Adoptions/guardianship cases are normally handled through the Probate Court (use Probate Case File Request Form for these types of cases.)

Probate Record Request Form

These files contain wills and documents pertaining to an individual's estate upon his/her death. A portion of probate case files also pertain to guardianship matters.

Census Record Request Form

Census records list valuable historical and genealogical information such as: names of individuals, and their family members, their occupations, number of years married, whether they are U.S. citizens, and much more. The earlier censuses do not give as much information as the later ones.

MapsOther

Use this form to request a search of other types of materials, such as: published sources, photos, vertical file, manuscript collections, [diaries, letters, business records], tax rolls, or anything not identified above.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take before you hear from us?

Requests are researched in the order they are received. We receive many requests for research, so it may be 4-6 weeks before you hear from us. Please do not resubmit duplicate requests if you have not heard back from us within 6 weeks. Instead, drop us an e-mail at speccoll@uwgb.edu to check on the status of your request. We will be happy to give you an update.

Do I need to send an SASE?

A self-addressed, stamped envelope (business size or larger) is appreciated. If copies to be sent are too big to be folded and put into your envelope, a pre-addressed label is appreciated. this saves staff time and helps us get you your results faster.