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 / EIU IRAD
Stanford Township: a burial-permit lead
This township record offers a separate route into a death or burial question.
Death and Burial Permit Record (Stanford Twp) 1902–1918 · Accession 5/0142/05
A focused question to ask
Is the volume indexed by deceased person, and does the entry identify the burial location?
Evidence limit: A permit is not proof that a burial occurred at the proposed location.
STOP 02 / EIU IRAD
School registers and district administration
Compare the daily register with the administrative district record.
School Teachers’ Daily Registers 1898–1971 · Accession 5/0144/03
School District Record 1855–1957 · Accession 5/0144/01
A focused question to ask
Which schools and terms survive, and are any pupil records restricted?
Evidence limit: The broad dates do not mean every school or year is included.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Flora Public Library: newspaper microfilm and digital editions
The library identifies local newspapers on microfilm back to the early 1900s and digitized Flora newspapers through 1926. Its holdings also include locally compiled photo and story books.
A focused question to ask
Which newspaper was published nearest the community, and does the required issue survive?
Evidence limit: The earliest digitized dates can represent isolated issues. Search results and OCR do not substitute for checking the page.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Eastern Illinois University, Charleston. 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, Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920. The depository is on Booth Library’s first level near the south entrance. Call before visiting to confirm access, university closures, seasonal hours, copying charges and accessible arrival arrangements. Follow the statewide telephone/mail research policy.
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 Clay County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Death and Burial Permit Record (Stanford Twp)
1902–1918
5/0142/05
School Teachers’ Daily Registers
1898–1971
5/0144/03
School District Record
1855–1957
5/0144/01
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.