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 / WIU IRAD
School pupils: examinations and daily registers
Ask about a particular school and year before searching for a child. Examination records and daily registers provide two different routes into school administration.
School Pupil Examination Record 1897–1917 · Accession 2/0217/04
School Teachers' Daily Registers 1914–1957 · Accession 2/0127/01
A focused question to ask
Which districts and schools are represented for my target year, and is there a pupil index or school-level inventory?
Evidence limit: The catalog date span does not establish complete countywide coverage. A register or examination entry must be inspected before drawing conclusions about attendance or performance.
STOP 02 / WIU IRAD
Lewistown: public health alongside city decisions
The Board of Health minutes offer a less familiar route into local conditions. City council minutes may provide related decisions during the overlapping years.
Lewistown: Board of Health Minutes 1915–1946 · Accession 2/0088/02
Lewistown: City Council Minutes 1898–1983 · Accession 2/0088/03
A focused question to ask
Do these minutes have subject indexes, and which volume covers the health issue, neighborhood or year I am researching?
Evidence limit: Board minutes are administrative records, not a promised list of patients or deaths. Related entries across the two series have not been established.
STOP 03 / WIU IRAD
St. David: road taxes and village business
A short run of road tax lists can provide a tightly dated starting point. Village trustees’ minutes offer a longer record of local government activity.
St. David: Road Tax Lists 1899–1900 · Accession 2/0173/04
St. David: Village Trustees' Minutes 1885–1961 · Accession 2/0173/01
A focused question to ask
Can the 1899–1900 road tax lists be searched by name, and are related road decisions indexed in the village minutes?
Evidence limit: A tax entry does not by itself establish land ownership, residence or family relationships. The road tax series is limited to the cataloged two-year span.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Western Illinois University, Macomb. 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-WIU, University Libraries, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455. WIU does not accept IRAD research requests by email. Call before visiting; university closures and seasonal hours affect access. Ask about copying charges before ordering.
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 Fulton County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Pupil Examination Record
1897–1917
2/0217/04
School Teachers' Daily Registers
1914–1957
2/0127/01
Lewistown: Board of Health Minutes
1915–1946
2/0088/02
Lewistown: City Council Minutes
1898–1983
2/0088/03
St. David: Road Tax Lists
1899–1900
2/0173/04
St. David: Village Trustees' Minutes
1885–1961
2/0173/01
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.