Local Government Records
From the Special Collections + Archives
The Eau Claire Area Research Center (ARC) in the Special Collections Department of McIntyre Library includes both public records and manuscript collections for six counties of the Chippewa Valley.
The ARC houses county, municipal, and township records, including:
- Pre-1907 vital records
- State and federal censuses
- Naturalization records
- Circuit and county court case files
- Probate records
- Assessment and tax rolls
- County board minutes
- City council minutes
- Bounty records
- School records (censuses, school board, grade books)
Post-1907 vital records should be requested through the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services or the county register of deeds.
This chart provides information about some of our most requested local government records.
| Buffalo | Chippewa | Clark | Eau Claire | Rusk | Taylor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naturalization | ||||||
| Declarations | 1853 - 1950 | 1850 - 1959 | 1907 - 1951 | 1854 - 1980 | 1901 - 1951 | 1875 - 1952 |
| Petitions | 1858 - 1950 | 1870 - 1963 | 1895 - 1954 | 1906 - 1991 | 1885 - 1954 | 1865 - 1955 |
| Certificates | 1907 - 1929 | 1871 - 1923 | 1907 - 1927 | 1857 - 1928 | 1885 - 1954 | 1877 - 1927 |
| Probate | ||||||
| Cases | 1854 - 1901 | 1860 - 1900 | 1873 - 1918 | 1856 - 1953 | None | 1878 - 1946 |
| Circuit Court Cases | ||||||
| Criminal | None | 1854 - 1918 | None | 1857 - 1970 | 1901 - 1917 | 1877 - 1925 |
| Divorce | None | 1854 - 1950 | None | 1857 - 1972 | 1901 - 1917 | 1877 - 1925; 1931 - 1934 |
| Civil | None | 1854 - 1951 | None | 1857 - 1970 | 1901 - 1917 | 1877 - 1925 |
| Vital Records | ||||||
| Birth | 1852 - 1907 | 1852 - 1907 | 1852 - 1907 | 1852 - 1907 | 1852 - 1907 | 1852 - 1907 |
| Marriage | 1860 - 1907 | 1869 - 1907 | 1858 - 1907 | 1864 - 1907 | 1901 - 1907 | 1875 - 1907 |
| Death | 1874 - 1907 | None | 1879 - 1907 | 1876 - 1907 | 1901 - 1907 | 1877 - 1907 |
| Population Censuses | ||||||
| Federal | 1860 - 1930 | 1850 - 1930 | 1860 - 1930 | 1860 - 1930 | 1910 - 1930 | 1880 - 1930 |
| Wisconsin | 1855 - 1905 | 1855 - 1905 | 1855 - 1905 | 1875 - 1905 | 1905 | 1875 - 1905 |
| Property Tax Records | ||||||
| Assessment Rolls | 1858 - 1906 | None | 1859, 1861, 1870 | 1855 - 1879 | None | None |
| Tax Rolls | 1856 - 1870 | None | 1861 - 1975 | 1864 - 1890, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1998 | 1901 - 1904, 1930, 1940, 1950, 1980 | None |
| Land Records | ||||||
| Deeds | 1854 - 1887 | 1854 - 1888 | None | 1856 - 1886 | None | 1872 - 1929 |
| Grantor/Grantee | 1854 - 1892 | 1856 - 1885 | None | 1856 - 1889 | None | 1875 - 1899 |