In 1852, the Wisconsin Statutes specified that the birth registry contain the following data: full name of child, sex, color, name of other issue living, full name of father, occupation of father, name of mother previous to marriage, hour, day, month and year of birth, place of birth, name of physician or other person signing the certificate or making application, their residence, date of certificate, date of registration, and any additional circumstances to be noted. In 1898, this list was amended to include the birthplaces of the father and mother.
Though registration has been required since 1852, the early records are far from complete. Many births, particularly those prior to 1870, simply were not recorded. Conversely, many pre-1852 births were registered, including some dating back to 1808.
