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 / WIU IRAD
Teachers’ daily registers and school schedules
Start by identifying the school or district. These series are a stronger request target than a broad search for every pupil with a surname.
School Teachers’ Daily Registers 1876–1948 · Accession 2/0034/02
School Schedules 1826–1903 · Accession 2/0034/01
A focused question to ask
Which school districts survive for my years, and do their registers list pupils and attendance?
Evidence limit: The county-wide catalog heading does not mean every district or school year survives. Ask about individual volumes and access restrictions.
STOP 02 / WIU IRAD
Emmet Township school census reports
Keep Emmet’s locally identified records together. The census reports and schedules cover overlapping but different periods.
Emmet Twp: School Census Reports 1939–1945 · Accession 2/0138/08
Emmet Twp: School Schedules 1935–1946 · Accession 2/0138/03
A focused question to ask
Which districts are represented, and are the school census reports named lists or statistical returns?
Evidence limit: Do not infer the contents from the word census alone. The catalog does not confirm that a particular child appears.
STOP 03 / WIU IRAD
School-land sales: a different school connection
A family can enter school records as a land purchaser rather than as a pupil. Use a legal land description to frame the inquiry.
School Land Sale Record 1831–1847 · Accession 2/0020/03
A focused question to ask
Does this volume have a purchaser or legal-description index, and can I request the relevant entry?
Evidence limit: A land transaction is not evidence that a child attended school. Confirm the transaction’s parties and location in the record.
IRAD is an Illinois Secretary of State program administered by the Illinois State Archives. Depository location: Western Illinois University, Macomb. Direct IRAD research requests to the regional depository, not the university’s separate archives or special collections.
Request research by telephone or mail to IRAD-WIU, University Libraries, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455. WIU does not accept IRAD research requests by email. Call before visiting; university closures and seasonal hours affect access. Ask about copying charges before ordering.
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 McDonough County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
School Teachers’ Daily Registers
1876–1948
2/0034/02
School Schedules
1826–1903
2/0034/01
Emmet Twp: School Census Reports
1939–1945
2/0138/08
Emmet Twp: School Schedules
1935–1946
2/0138/03
School Land Sale Record
1831–1847
2/0020/03
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.