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
Teachers and pupils: choose the right school series
Teacher certification examinations and pupil examinations answer different questions. Start with the school and period.
School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record 1894–1914 · Accession 6/0448/03
School Pupil Examination Record 1936–1977 · Accession 6/0449/01
School Teachers' Daily Registers 1888–1969 · Accession 6/0438/01
A focused question to ask
Which districts are represented, is the relevant name indexed, and what access limits apply to later records?
Evidence limit: The catalog does not establish every school, pupil or teacher is included. Later student records may require access review.
STOP 02 / SIU IRAD
Territorial county court: consult a WPA transcription
A short territorial-period series offers an early administrative lead for a place or dispute.
Territorial County Court Minutes, WPA Transcription 1813–1817 · Accession 6/0278/01
A focused question to ask
Can staff identify the entry and tell me where its original source can be compared?
Evidence limit: This cataloged item is a transcription, not the original minutes. Cite it as such and check uncertain readings against the underlying record when possible.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
A teacher’s recollections: add context to the school record
The Johnson section lists Mary Belle Mason’s account of 38 years of teaching, alongside interviews about Vienna childhood and Cypress industry.
A focused question to ask
Which interview passage concerns my school, workplace or neighborhood, and what contemporary source could corroborate it?
Evidence limit: Recollections are evidence of an interviewee’s account, not independent confirmation of every event. Preserve speaker, interviewer and page when citing.
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 Johnson County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Teachers' Certificate Examination Record
1894–1914
6/0448/03
School Pupil Examination Record
1936–1977
6/0449/01
School Teachers' Daily Registers
1888–1969
6/0438/01
Territorial County Court Minutes, WPA Transcription
1813–1817
6/0278/01
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.