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
Schools: locate the district before asking for a pupil
Daily registers and a district record offer different starting points: a possible classroom entry and the administrative geography needed to find it.
School Teachers' Daily Registers 1885–1976 · Accession 6/0429/01
School District Record 1860–1958 · Accession 6/0453/01
A focused question to ask
Which schools and districts are represented for my year, and what access conditions apply to the requested register?
Evidence limit: The county-level date span does not mean every school or child is included. Confirm volume coverage and any restrictions before requesting copies.
STOP 02 / SIU IRAD
Teachers: a professional association rather than a census
An association record offers a separate research route for an educator. Trustees’ minutes can provide context about the schools and their administration.
School Teachers' Association Record 1889–1930 · Accession 6/0246/01
School Trustees' Minutes 1864–1962 · Accession 6/0246/03
A focused question to ask
Does the association volume contain member lists, meeting entries or an index, and which school township is represented in the trustees’ minutes?
Evidence limit: The catalog title does not verify named membership, employment or the content of a particular meeting. An association entry alone is not proof of a teaching appointment.
STOP 03 / SIU IRAD
Alton: special assessments and improvements in the city court
Two narrowly dated city-court series may help investigate how a local improvement reached the court. Start with a street, parcel or project as well as a name.
Alton: City Court Special Assessment Record 1921–1925 · Accession 6/0367/14
Alton: City Court Special Improvement Record 1924–1932 · Accession 6/0367/15
A focused question to ask
Is there an index by project, street, owner or case number, and can staff explain how the two series relate?
Evidence limit: These are city-court records, not council minutes. A catalog listing does not establish who appears, whether an assessment was paid or whether construction followed.
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 Madison County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Teachers' Daily Registers
1885–1976
6/0429/01
School District Record
1860–1958
6/0453/01
School Teachers' Association Record
1889–1930
6/0246/01
School Trustees' Minutes
1864–1962
6/0246/03
Alton: City Court Special Assessment Record
1921–1925
6/0367/14
Alton: City Court Special Improvement Record
1924–1932
6/0367/15
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.