Sources checked October 29, 2026. Holdings checked against official catalogs and repository descriptions. Staff-confirmed details are identified below; other holdings are based on published sources. No name-level search; dates do not guarantee complete coverage or online images.
STOP 01 / UIS IRAD
Mills Township: roads and local decisions
Compare a road decision with the township record for a place-based question.
Highway Commissioners’ Record (Mills Twp) 1889–1947 · Accession 4/0353/04
Township Record (Mills Twp) 1889–1993 · Accession 4/0353/01
A focused question to ask
Which volume concerns this road or land description, and is there an index?
Evidence limit: These are Mills Township records, not a list of every county resident.
STOP 02 / UIS IRAD
Liquor license applications: investigate a business
Applications offer a targeted lead for a proprietor or premises.
Can the application be located by proprietor, establishment or year?
Evidence limit: An application does not establish that a license was granted or a business remained open.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Bond County Genealogical Society: ask for the room key
The collection includes village and church histories, family histories and county newspaper microfilm spanning 1858–2018. A room inventory helps locate material beyond an online surname search.
A focused question to ask
Which local history or newspaper reel covers my community and year?
Evidence limit: The microfilm span does not promise every issue or title. Compiled histories need source checking.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: University of Illinois Springfield. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call first. UIS official pages differ about appointment availability and whether email research requests are accepted. Mail is a listed request route; confirm current staffing, the mailing address, appointments and copying arrangements directly before visiting.
Start with no more than two names, approximate dates, the county and the record type. Include the township or school where known and the accession number above. Ask whether an index exists, which volumes survive and what copying will cost. For an unindexed series, agree on a manageable search before requesting a long period. The statewide policy directs research requests to telephone or mail rather than email; wait for a response before sending another request. See the statewide research policy ↗.
Request template: I am researching [person or place] in [locality] around [years]. Your catalog lists [title], accession [number]. Which volume covers that period, is it indexed, and how can I consult or obtain the relevant pages? Please let me know any gaps, restrictions and copying charges.
Collection dates at a glance
The table lists IRAD series with verified date spans. Community collections above may have different or unspecified coverage and separate access rules. Catalog spans are starting points, not guarantees of every year, locality or individual. Use the Research Planner to compare your years with these cataloged series.
Selected cataloged series for Bond County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Highway Commissioners’ Record (Mills Twp)
1889–1947
4/0353/04
Township Record (Mills Twp)
1889–1993
4/0353/01
License Applications, Liquor
1866–1906
4/0214/07
Keep the record and your interpretation separate.
Save the depository, collection, accession number, volume, page, dates and any copy correspondence. Record uncertain names as uncertain. A shared road, school or signature can suggest an association; it does not establish a family relationship.
Suggest a correction, an overlooked collection or an updated access detail. An official link or source helps us check it before making a change. Please leave out private family documents and sensitive personal information.