Sources checked October 28, 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
Early school districts and school-land sales
A school-land transaction can offer a place-based route into early local administration even when no pupil register survives.
School District Record 1834–1854 · Accession 5/0064/02
School Land Sale Record 1834–1852 · Accession 5/0051/05
A focused question to ask
Which district or land description corresponds to [place], and is the school-land sale record indexed by purchaser or tract?
Evidence limit: A land purchaser is not necessarily a parent or pupil. Confirm the district and tract instead of assuming a modern school boundary.
STOP 02 / EIU IRAD
Oblong: follow an improvement into the minutes
Use the village trustees’ minutes alongside the short improvement-board series to distinguish a proposed project from a recorded decision.
Oblong: Village Trustees' Minutes 1883–1945 · Accession 5/0133/01
Oblong: Local Improvements Board Minutes 1925–1925 · Accession 5/0133/02
A focused question to ask
Can I consult the 1925 improvement-board entries for [street or project] and the related village trustees’ minutes?
Evidence limit: The improvement-board catalog span is one year. A proposal or authorization does not prove that work was completed.
STOP 03 / EIU IRAD
Robinson and Oblong: what the ordinances required
Municipal ordinances provide context for businesses, streets and public rules. Start with a topic and date rather than expecting a surname index.
Robinson: City Ordinance Record 1887–1913 · Accession 5/0013/01
Oblong: Village Ordinance Record 1923–1923 · Accession 5/0012/01
A focused question to ask
Is there a subject index for ordinances concerning [trade, street or public service] in [year]?
Evidence limit: An ordinance establishes a rule or action, not proof that a particular resident complied with it or was prosecuted.
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 Crawford County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School District Record
1834–1854
5/0064/02
School Land Sale Record
1834–1852
5/0051/05
Oblong: Village Trustees' Minutes
1883–1945
5/0133/01
Oblong: Local Improvements Board Minutes
1925–1925
5/0133/02
Robinson: City Ordinance Record
1887–1913
5/0013/01
Oblong: Village Ordinance Record
1923–1923
5/0012/01
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.