Tazewell County clerk unveils AI search that makes 19th-century handwritten records searchable

The Tazewell County clerk announced at a press conference that the county’s Clerk and Recorder of Deeds office has integrated an AI handwriting-recognition search into its public archives, making handwritten county board minutes and historic military discharge records searchable for the first time.

The enhancement cost $46,832 and was paid from the clerk’s office modernization funds, the clerk said. The search feature has been live on the county website for about a week and can be accessed free from home, libraries or schools through the county’s county board minutes and military discharge archives pages.

Why it matters: The clerk cited a 2021 example in which a highway department employee found an 1833 right-of-way entry in the handwritten minutes that led Ameren to pick up the cost of relocating 25 telephone poles, saving Tazewell County taxpayers about $250,000. "That just…