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 / ISU IRAD
School registers: connect a pupil to a local classroom
Ask which schools are represented in the daily registers, then use the 1913 visitation record for possible institutional context.
School Teachers' Daily Registers 1890–1961 · Accession 3/0185/02
School Superintendent's Visitation Record 1913–1913 · Accession 3/0045/05
A focused question to ask
Which school districts and volumes cover my location and year, and are name indexes or access restrictions involved?
Evidence limit: The catalog does not establish that every district, year or pupil survives. A visitation record is not a substitute for an enrollment entry.
STOP 02 / ISU IRAD
Ogden: village decisions and police magistrate cases
Compare the village trustees’ record with a separately created court series when investigating a local dispute or official action.
Ogden: Village Trustees' Minutes 1892–1999 · Accession 3/0180/03
Is there a name or subject index for the target years, and what information is needed to locate an Ogden case?
Evidence limit: A municipal decision and a court case are different evidence. Their overlapping dates do not prove that a specific matter appears in both.
STOP 03 / ISU IRAD
Rantoul: follow the paper trail of village utilities
Utility and treasury books offer a route into municipal services and finance that ordinary family-name searches can overlook.
Rantoul: Water and Electric Department Account Books 1950–1956 · Accession 3/0036/05
Rantoul: Village Treasurer's Account Books 1890–1967 · Accession 3/0036/03
A focused question to ask
Do these volumes record individual customers or only departmental finances, and how are accounts arranged?
Evidence limit: The catalog title alone does not establish customer names or addresses. A financial entry would not, by itself, prove residence.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Illinois State University, Normal. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Research visits are by appointment only. Call ahead. ISU accepts IRAD research inquiries by telephone or mail, not email. Confirm the mailing address and any copying charges before sending a request or traveling.
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 Champaign County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Teachers' Daily Registers
1890–1961
3/0185/02
School Superintendent's Visitation Record
1913–1913
3/0045/05
Ogden: Village Trustees' Minutes
1892–1999
3/0180/03
Ogden: Police Magistrate Dockets
1884–1909
3/0180/02
Rantoul: Water and Electric Department Account Books
1950–1956
3/0036/05
Rantoul: Village Treasurer's Account Books
1890–1967
3/0036/03
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.