The collection is comprised entirely of 4” x 6” index cards. The cards contain
traverse numbers, sometimes referred to as parcels, as locations. Block numbers are
also listed on about half of the cards. The cards typically indicate who lived on
the property, who they bought it from, whether they owned or rented it, and if they
rented, who they rented it from. Many of the residents paid rent to the Illinois
Steel Company, while others paid a fee to the Jones Island Society which was
fighting in court the claims against the Illinois Steel Company. Some of the
residents owned their house, but not the land, so they would still pay rent for the
land and they may also have paid taxes to the city for their house. The cards
usually indicate the individual who provided the information.
On the back of each card are small, hand-drawn plat maps showing the property lines
and the structures on it. Some of the cards have updated information that may have
been added at a later date, such as other family members, new claims, when sold, and
death dates. The contents list summarizes the information on the cards; it is not a
complete transcription. Nor does it include any of the updated information. Some
cards may be missing and presumed non-extant. It should also be noted that since
some of the information was provided through an interpreter, spellings of names may
be inconsistent or incorrect; whenever possible alternate spellings are provided.
The name Budzisz, variously spelled Budzicz, Budish or Budzish, is the most common
example.
