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
Wade Township: meeting decisions and roads
Pair the earliest meeting minutes with the road record for a neighborhood question.
Road Record (Wade Twp) 1860–1941 · Accession 5/0160/05
A focused question to ask
Which road, petition or meeting entry matches this person and section?
Evidence limit: A recorded participant or nearby landowner is an association, not proof of a family relationship.
STOP 02 / EIU IRAD
Grove Township: livestock and highways
An estray record offers a different route into everyday local affairs.
Estray Record (Grove Twp) 1861–1907 · Accession 5/0132/03
Highway Commissioners’ Record (Grove Twp) 1890–1953 · Accession 5/0132/01
A focused question to ask
Is the estray volume indexed by person, and can staff identify the exact locality in an entry?
Evidence limit: Estray entries concern reported stray animals; they are not a livestock census.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Newton Public Library and Museum: “With The Colors”
The library describes a digitized scrapbook of newspaper clippings about Jasper County servicemen during 1941–1945. It also holds local newspaper microfilm dating back to 1866 and an approximately 1890 county wall map.
A focused question to ask
Can staff help locate a clipping or newspaper issue and identify its original title, date and page?
Evidence limit: Clippings may omit full publication details. The advertised digital project needs a working item link; ask the library if its older EIU link is unavailable.
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 Jasper County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Township Meeting Minutes (Wade Twp)
1860–1894
5/0160/01
Road Record (Wade Twp)
1860–1941
5/0160/05
Estray Record (Grove Twp)
1861–1907
5/0132/03
Highway Commissioners’ Record (Grove Twp)
1890–1953
5/0132/01
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.