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 / WIU IRAD
School registers: start with the district
The catalog separates teachers’ daily registers from school district administration. Ask which schools survive in these short date spans.
School Teachers’ Daily Registers 1879–1886 · Accession 2/0047/11
School District Record 1932–1934 · Accession 2/0047/04
A focused question to ask
Which district and teacher kept the surviving volume, and are pupil names or attendance included?
Evidence limit: These catalog dates do not imply that every county school is represented. Ask about restrictions before requesting student information.
STOP 02 / WIU IRAD
Road and school plats: locate the place
A plat can supply a place-based route into records when a family story names a road or school but gives no modern address.
Plat Record, Schools and Roads 1859–1895 · Accession 2/0047/25
Road Survey Record 1858–1862 · Accession 2/0047/17
A focused question to ask
Can staff identify a school site or road by its historical name, township and section, and is the plat cross-referenced to a survey?
Evidence limit: A mapped school or road is not evidence that every nearby family used it. Historical boundaries and road names may differ from current ones.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Calhoun County Historical Society Museum: local material culture
The county’s official visitor page identifies the society’s museum and its collection of local historical artifacts. Bring a specific community or family question when asking whether an item has donor or provenance information.
A focused question to ask
Does the museum have an object, image or documented local-history item associated with this community or family, and can I cite its provenance?
Evidence limit: No online item inventory or surname-file coverage was verified. A museum connection is a lead, not proof of a relationship.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Western Illinois University, Macomb. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Request research by telephone or mail to IRAD-WIU, University Libraries, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455. WIU does not accept IRAD research requests by email. Call before visiting; university closures and seasonal hours affect access. Ask about copying charges before ordering.
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 Calhoun County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Teachers’ Daily Registers
1879–1886
2/0047/11
School District Record
1932–1934
2/0047/04
Plat Record, Schools and Roads
1859–1895
2/0047/25
Road Survey Record
1858–1862
2/0047/17
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.