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
School money: loans and trustee decisions
School-fund lending records are a different research route from pupil rolls. Pair the financial entry with trustee minutes to understand the transaction.
School Fund Loan Record 1844–1874 · Accession 1/0307/02
School Trustees' Minutes 1844–1890 · Accession 1/0307/01
A focused question to ask
Which school township is represented, and are borrowers, securities or meeting decisions indexed?
Evidence limit: The catalog does not identify the township or guarantee named borrowers. A school-fund transaction is not evidence that a child attended school.
STOP 02 / NIU IRAD
Earl Township: trace a road through local decisions
A highway record can anchor a question about access, a route or public work. Township records provide a separate administrative trail.
Earl Twp: Highway Commissioners' Record 1887–1938 · Accession 1/0306/05
Earl Twp: Township Record 1899–1993 · Accession 1/0306/03
A focused question to ask
Can these be searched by road description or project date, and do indexes point to petitions, orders or related volumes?
Evidence limit: A proposed road and an authorized road are different events. Read the disposition and do not infer that a person lived on a route merely from a mention.
STOP 03 / NIU IRAD
Farm Ridge: drainage decisions and township business
Drainage records may explain changes to land use or public works. The township record can supply context for the same locality.
Farm Ridge Twp: Drainage District Record 1903–1982 · Accession 1/0319/03
Farm Ridge Twp: Township Record 1919–1974 · Accession 1/0319/01
A focused question to ask
Which drainage district does the volume cover, and are maps, assessment schedules or related petitions identified?
Evidence limit: A drainage district need not cover the whole township. The catalog does not prove which parcels or people appear.
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 LaSalle County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Fund Loan Record
1844–1874
1/0307/02
School Trustees' Minutes
1844–1890
1/0307/01
Earl Twp: Highway Commissioners' Record
1887–1938
1/0306/05
Earl Twp: Township Record
1899–1993
1/0306/03
Farm Ridge Twp: Drainage District Record
1903–1982
1/0319/03
Farm Ridge Twp: Township Record
1919–1974
1/0319/01
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.