Sources checked October 28, 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
Elgin: the files behind council proceedings
Council proceeding files are a separate research target from published minutes. Ask whether the relevant folder preserves supporting papers.
Elgin: City Council Proceedings Files 1854–1926 · Accession 1/0292/01
A focused question to ask
How are the council files arranged, and do files for [date and street or project] include supporting petitions or correspondence?
Evidence limit: The catalog title alone does not guarantee a petition, named resident or index in every file.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
Hampshire: village-clerk subjects and trustees’ decisions
A subject file can provide a route into a local issue; minutes can help establish what trustees actually decided.
Hampshire: Village Clerk's Subject Files 1863–1998 · Accession 1/0347/06
Hampshire: Village Trustees' Minutes 1876–2007 · Accession 1/0347/01
A focused question to ask
Is a folder list available for [subject or street], and which trustees’ volume covers the corresponding dates?
Evidence limit: The broad catalog spans do not mean every subject or year survives. Ask about restrictions and copying for later files.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Aurora and Elgin: identify the correct court
These separately cataloged common-pleas case files offer a specific court route when a name and approximate dispute date are known.
Aurora: Court of Common Pleas Case Files 1857–1906 · Accession 1/0269/01
Elgin: Court of Common Pleas Case Files 1857–1917 · Accession 1/0269/08
A focused question to ask
Which court handled [type of matter] around [year], and is there a party-name or case-number index for that series?
Evidence limit: Do not infer court jurisdiction from a person’s residence alone. A case allegation is not the same as the court’s finding.
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 Kane County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Elgin: City Council Proceedings Files
1854–1926
1/0292/01
Hampshire: Village Clerk's Subject Files
1863–1998
1/0347/06
Hampshire: Village Trustees' Minutes
1876–2007
1/0347/01
Aurora: Court of Common Pleas Case Files
1857–1906
1/0269/01
Elgin: Court of Common Pleas Case Files
1857–1917
1/0269/08
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.