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 / NIU IRAD
School visits: follow the superintendent’s working record
Daybooks and visitation records offer a route into the administration of local schools. Ask about the school district before searching for a family.
School Superintendent's Daybooks 1857–1923 · Accession 1/0214/24
School Superintendent's Visitation Record 1872–1885 · Accession 1/0214/05
A focused question to ask
Which volume covers this district and year, and does it name teachers, pupils or visitors? Is there an index?
Evidence limit: The catalog establishes the series and date span, not that a particular pupil appears or that every school was visited.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
Pupil truant registers: start with the matching index
The register and its separately cataloged index share the same date span, making a focused pupil-name inquiry possible.
School Pupil Truant Registers 1919–1923 · Accession 1/0214/02
School Pupil Truant Register Index 1919–1923 · Accession 1/0214/25
A focused question to ask
Can staff check the index for this name and district, then identify the corresponding register entry and any access restrictions?
Evidence limit: Truancy is the record creator’s classification. Absence from this series does not establish attendance, and an entry needs context rather than a judgment about the child.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Dalzell: village finances as a local-history lead
Annual audit reports can frame questions about village services and spending in the years a family lived in Dalzell.
Dalzell: Village Annual Audit Reports 1955–1972 · Accession 1/0115/02
A focused question to ask
Which reports survive for my year, and do they include detailed schedules or only financial summaries?
Evidence limit: These are village financial reports, not a resident directory. Named vendors, employees or individual payments have not been verified.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call to ask a question or schedule an appointment. The IRAD office is in Founders Memorial Library, Room 265, on the second floor. For a remote request, follow the statewide telephone/mail policy and confirm the current mailing address with staff.
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 Bureau County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Superintendent's Daybooks
1857–1923
1/0214/24
School Superintendent's Visitation Record
1872–1885
1/0214/05
School Pupil Truant Registers
1919–1923
1/0214/02
School Pupil Truant Register Index
1919–1923
1/0214/25
Dalzell: Village Annual Audit Reports
1955–1972
1/0115/02
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.