Douglas County: Tuscola improvements, Arthur burial permits and county decisions
Follow local governance in Tuscola, distinguish burial and removal permits from death certificates in Arthur, and use county supervisors’ minutes for another jurisdictional trail.
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
Tuscola: a two-year improvement-board window
Tuscola’s local improvements board minutes provide a narrow 1929–1930 starting point. A longer city council series may help trace the municipal context.
Tuscola: Local Improvements Board Minutes 1929–1930 · Accession 5/0076/02
Tuscola: City Council Minutes 1862–1951 · Accession 5/0076/03
A focused question to ask
Which meetings concern the named street or improvement, and are there indexes or references to ordinances and assessment records?
Evidence limit: These are decision records, not a verified resident or property-owner index. Related assessment papers are not established by this listing.
STOP 02 / EIU IRAD
Arthur: distinguish burial permission from the death record
Burial and removal permits and death certificates are separate municipal series. Ask about both when investigating a death, burial or movement of remains connected with Arthur.
Arthur: Burial and Removal Permits 1918–1964 · Accession 5/0029/03
Arthur: Death Certificates 1918–1972 · Accession 5/0029/02
A focused question to ask
Is the requested person indexed, what locations do the permits cover, and what access or copying restrictions apply? Can a permit be compared with the corresponding certificate?
Evidence limit: A permit is not proof that a planned burial or removal occurred. Do not assume coverage of every nearby cemetery or all deaths in the wider county.
STOP 03 / EIU IRAD
County supervisors: look for the decision and then its supporting file
Board of supervisors’ minutes provide a separate county-government route when a question falls outside a village’s authority. Start with an issue and approximate meeting date.
Board of Supervisors' Minutes 1868–1906 · Accession 5/0052/01
A focused question to ask
Can staff identify a subject index or meeting reference for the county matter, and do the minutes refer to separately held supporting documents?
Evidence limit: Minutes summarize official business and are not a census substitute. Supporting petitions, accounts or correspondence must be located and verified separately.
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 Douglas County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Tuscola: Local Improvements Board Minutes
1929–1930
5/0076/02
Tuscola: City Council Minutes
1862–1951
5/0076/03
Arthur: Burial and Removal Permits
1918–1964
5/0029/03
Arthur: Death Certificates
1918–1972
5/0029/02
Board of Supervisors' Minutes
1868–1906
5/0052/01
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.