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-board nominations and changing districts
Petitions and district-reapportionment files offer a route into school governance rather than a pupil attendance search.
School Board Nomination Petitions 1946–1947 · Accession 3/0050/08
School District Reapportionment Files 1946–1959 · Accession 3/0050/01
A focused question to ask
Which district and candidate are represented, and do the files identify the boundary question or final decision?
Evidence limit: A nomination petition does not prove election. Administrative files are not pupil registers; ask about the surviving districts and contents.
STOP 02 / ISU IRAD
Piper City: follow a village action into the minutes
The trustees’ minutes provide a specific municipal trail for a road, business or public-project question.
Piper City: Village Trustees’ Minutes 1888–1974 · Accession 3/0198/01
A focused question to ask
Which volume covers the meeting date or issue, and is there an index or a reference to supporting papers?
Evidence limit: Minutes do not enumerate all residents. A decision may refer to separate papers that have not been verified as surviving.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Ford County Historical Society: maps and donated community material
The society describes a growing donated archival file and reprints of the 1884, 1904 and 1916 atlases and the 1917 Prairie Farmer directory. Ask about a place as well as a surname.
A focused question to ask
What archival material or atlas edition covers this township, school or family, and how can I consult it?
Evidence limit: No detailed archival inventory was verified. Museum exhibits and reprints are distinct from original documents; confirm research access separately.
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 Ford County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Board Nomination Petitions
1946–1947
3/0050/08
School District Reapportionment Files
1946–1959
3/0050/01
Piper City: Village Trustees’ Minutes
1888–1974
3/0198/01
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.