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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
COMMENDING ALL THE PAST RECORDERS OF DEEDS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR THEIR PUBLIC SERVICE
WHEREAS, The Cook County Recorder of Deeds accurately records, stores and maintains land records and other official documents in perpetuity for public and private use, facilitating home ownership and mortgage lending, a public duty that can be traced back to the Old Testament where Jeremiah said “…So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open…and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase…Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days…”; and
WHEREAS, Though the official minister of such land records offices have taken many titles throughout the centuries, such as recorder of deeds, registrar of titles, register of deeds, and registrar of deeds, the purpose of the office has remained the same: to provide a public registry of land so as to effectuate the ownership of property; and
WHEREAS, The Cook County Recorder of Deeds, under the leadership of Recorder Karen A. Yarbrough, has undertaken its first known effort to trace and document the history of the Cook County Recorder’s office, an effort that included searches through newspaper archives, historical photo registries, and visits to warehouses holding documents over one hundred years old, and
WHEREAS, Recorder Yarbrough’s staff has compiled all photos of past recorders along with historical photos relevant to the history of Chicago and Cook County, and installed a permanent display of the office’s history, a display that charts the history of the Office from 1831 alongside other significant historical events both in the Chicago area and around the world, and
WHEREAS, On this day, November 18, 2015, the Recorder’s Office welcomed all past living recorders - Jesse White, Carol Mosely Braun, and Eugene Moore - as well as family members of Recorder Harry “Bus” Yourell, Recorder Edmund J. Kucharski, and Recorder Joseph T. Baran, and officially unveiled the display to the public, an act to both strengthen the public record and honor those who have served in this most important role, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the members of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, commend Recorder Yarbrough and the staff of the Recorder’s Office for demonstrating pride in their duties and for working to make the duties and history of the office known to more people, and to make the public’s visit to the Office - whether it be to utilize office services or for research - an educational experience, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the members of the Board of Commissioners of Cook County, commend all the past Recorders of Deeds and their families for their public service, and present to them each a copy of this Resolution as a token of our gratitude and esteem.
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