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 / NIU IRAD
Galena: investigate movement at the bridge
Bridge toll books provide a distinctive municipal route for a narrowly framed question about movement or local commerce. Ask what was recorded before planning a name search.
Do these toll books identify people or only receipts and totals, and how are the surviving volumes arranged?
Evidence limit: The catalog does not establish that travelers were named. A toll entry would not by itself prove local residence or kinship.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
Galena: a short firemen roster
A specifically cataloged firemen roster gives a focused lead for investigating local service in the late 1880s. Request the exact two-year series rather than assuming a broader personnel archive.
What identifying information accompanies each roster entry, and are both years represented in the surviving material?
Evidence limit: The date range is narrow. The roster cannot establish service before or after those years without additional evidence.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Schools: elections and teachers’ annual reports
School election papers and teachers’ reports can illuminate district administration from different directions. Begin with the district number, school location and research year.
School Election Papers 1913–1949 · Accession 1/0201/06
School Teachers' Annual Reports 1912–1950 · Accession 1/0201/03
A focused question to ask
Which districts and years survive, how are the papers indexed, and what fields appear in the teachers’ reports?
Evidence limit: Series dates are not a guarantee that every district or year survives. Teachers’ annual reports should not be presented as pupil-level records until their contents are checked.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Call to ask a question or schedule an appointment. The IRAD office is in Founders Memorial Library, Room 265, on the second floor. For a remote request, follow the statewide telephone/mail policy and confirm the current mailing address with staff.
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 Jo Daviess County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Galena: Bridge Toll Books
1848–1856
1/0235/04
Galena: Firemen Roster
1887–1888
1/0219/17
School Election Papers
1913–1949
1/0201/06
School Teachers' Annual Reports
1912–1950
1/0201/03
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.