Miscellaneous Things in the Recorder's Office

In most United States counties, the county recorder is charged with recording deeds and other documents, usually vital records. Most recorders though have a miscellaneous record where anything can be recorded  a variety of documents may be recorded--not just deeds and vital records. My uncle had his medical license recorded at the recorder's office in the 1950s and another relative had a copy of his divorce decree from Florida filed in the Illinois county where he married twenty years previously. You ever know what's in that miscellaneous record--take a look.

Note: we've slightly modified this from the "unedited" version that ran originally. Thanks to a reader for catching that. "Anything" is too strong of a word, but readers need to be aware that there are a variety of materials that can be in the "miscellaneous" volume and that recording laws vary from one state to another and over time.