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 / SIU IRAD
School finances: a different route to a local school
Cash books can suggest a focused inquiry into school administration, payments or local suppliers.
School Treasurer's Cash Books 1838–1873 · Accession 6/0337/02
School District Record 1881–1889 · Accession 6/0337/01
A focused question to ask
Which schools or districts appear, and are payees or teachers indexed?
Evidence limit: The catalog title does not establish a list of all pupils or continuous coverage.
STOP 02 / SIU IRAD
Shawneetown council minutes: investigate the town before relocation
Use a known street, business or event date to ask about a municipal decision.
City Council Minutes (Shawneetown) 1901–1936 · Accession 6/0408/01
A focused question to ask
Which volumes cover the location, and are street names indexed?
Evidence limit: This span ends before 1937; do not assume it documents the later relocation itself.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Shawneetown Public Library: family files and relocation history
Betty Head’s surname-arranged research and newspaper-column binders sit alongside Shawneetown and Ridgway yearbooks, obituary clippings and binders about the 1937 flood and town relocation.
A focused question to ask
Could staff check the surname files, a named yearbook or a relocation-history binder for my question?
Evidence limit: A clipping or compiled family file is a lead. Record its source and verify names against original records.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call before visiting the IRAD facility in the Library Storage Building, 1835 University Press Drive, Carbondale. It is separate from the main library. Follow the statewide telephone/mail request policy; reduced summer hours and university closures can affect access.
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 Gallatin County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Treasurer's Cash Books
1838–1873
6/0337/02
School District Record
1881–1889
6/0337/01
City Council Minutes (Shawneetown)
1901–1936
6/0408/01
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.