Some public records are anything but

For Marilyn Halsey, her attempts to understand family history were stonewalled.

The Lewiston, Idaho resident and her husband traveled 800 miles to Green River to trace the history of his grandfather, a Hungarian immigrant who worked in the Gun coal camp outside of Rock Springs. Records she found painted the picture of a very proud American citizen who helped with local elections. Research conducted at the Sweetwater County Courthouse revealed the county paid him $6 for his work in a local election in 1915, shortly after he became naturalized. However, when Halsey discovered her husband’s...