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.
Museum hours, appointment notice and email contact confirmed by the society on October 30, 2026. Call or email before traveling to confirm availability.
STOP 01 / EIU IRAD
Cottonwood Township: follow a road through two records
Compare the road volume with township business for the same period.
Road Record (Cottonwood Twp) 1864–1890 · Accession 5/0131/02
Township Record (Cottonwood Twp) 1861–1934 · Accession 5/0131/01
A focused question to ask
Which road or township entries match this land description, and is an index available?
Evidence limit: Cottonwood Township coverage should not be generalized to the entire county.
STOP 02 / EIU IRAD
School registers and classification reports
Daily registers and term-closing reports are separate approaches to a school question.
School Teachers’ Daily Registers 1891–1959 · Accession 5/0103/01
School Classification Reports, Closing 1943–1948 · Accession 5/0103/03
A focused question to ask
Which school names and years survive, and what student information can researchers consult?
Evidence limit: Catalog dates are not a guarantee of continuous or unrestricted student records.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Greenup: county history and the military museum
The society maintains a historical museum complex and a military museum in the former Carnegie Library, dedicated to Cumberland County veterans.
A focused question to ask
What named-person material or supporting documentation survives for the veteran or local organization I am researching?
Evidence limit: The museum description does not establish a complete service-record archive or guarantee a named-person file.
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 Cumberland County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Road Record (Cottonwood Twp)
1864–1890
5/0131/02
Township Record (Cottonwood Twp)
1861–1934
5/0131/01
School Teachers’ Daily Registers
1891–1959
5/0103/01
School Classification Reports, Closing
1943–1948
5/0103/03
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.