Inside the Vault: The Woman Preserving Kane County's Story One Document at a Time

When Tracy Erickson accepted a temporary position scanning death certificates in the Kane County Clerk's Office 23 years ago, she had no idea she

had just found her life's work.   

In 2010 Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham created the office's first librarian position, and Erickson, equipped with a newly earned bachelor's degree in library science, never looked back.

"Once I saw the history associated with what I was doing, I was hooked," Erickson said. "No day is ever boring."

In addition to its many responsibilities, including administering elections, the Clerk's office also maintains vital and other permanent public records.

Those records eventually make their way to Erickson.

"I admit it," she said with a laugh. "I'm a document geek."

Her workspace is inside what she simply calls "the vault," a climate-controlled room housing hundreds of thousands of historical records stored in books, tapes, CDs and file folders documenting nearly every chapter of Kane County's history.

Among them are birth records beginning in 1855 and death records beginning in 1877, marriage licenses dating to 1836, Kane County Board proceedings dating back to 1887 and 84 additional categories of records, including petitions, oaths of office, contracts, FOIA requests, historic maps and much more. The oldest vital records are preserved in oversized handwritten volumes, offering a remarkable glimpse into the earliest times in Kane County's 190 years of history.

The work isn't glamorous, Erickson admits, but it is incredibly rewarding and necessary.

Every document follows a carefully organized process before finding its permanent home.

It begins with four bins labeled Administration, Vital Records, County Records and Tax. Each record receives a color-coded tracking form before it is indexed, verified, scanned, filed and archived.

"It tags what record it is and where the record is located so my verifier knows where I've put it and can check it," Erickson explained.

She also manages the County's records retention program, ensuring documents are preserved or destroyed according to Illinois law.

One of Erickson's largest ongoing projects has been digitizing Kane County's vast collection of paper records.

Since beginning that effort, she has scanned and indexed one million images, preserving fragile historical records electronically while making them easier to search and access. Under Cunningham's leadership, the Clerk's Office began digitizing records two years before any other county office or department.

Research is another major part of Erickson's job.

One day she may be researching the history of a century-old property. The next, she could be tracking the origins of a local business or helping County departments and municipalities better understand the history behind a community project.

To date, Erickson has completed more than 300 historical research projects.

"I help people every day," she said. “I am able to find the puzzle piece they're missing in regard to Kane County history and making sure someone's story isn't lost or forgotten."

One story stands out.

Working with other County staff, Erickson helped confirm that Army Sgt. Richard E. Crotty, killed in the Korean War, was from Kane County after the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency identified his remains decades later.

"We worked as a team to verify he was from Kane County, and now his name will appear on the Veterans Memorial outside the Kane County Government Center," Erickson said.

After spending years immersed in Kane County history, Erickson is still surprised by what she discovers.

"There wasn't a countywide elected official who was a woman in Kane County until the 1950s," she said.

Her fascination with Kane County's past doesn't end when she leaves work. Erickson often browses garage sales and used bookstores looking for publications that add another piece to the story of the County she has called home for nearly her entire life.

While Erickson oversees the historical records maintained by the Kane County Clerk's Office, other County offices preserve different pieces of Kane County's history. The Kane County Circuit Clerk​ maintains court records, while the Kane County Recorder's Office ​preserves documents related to land ownership.

Together, those offices safeguard Kane County's official history.

If you have historical documents, photographs or other materials related to Kane County that you would like to donate to the County's history collection, contact the Kane County Public Information Office at KaneCountyConnects@kanecountyil.gov.