Mercer County: School and college yearbooks, early tax lists and remembered places
The Mercer County Historical Society and Essley-Noble Museum offers several distinct research routes: school publications, land-related reference material and locally contributed memories.
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 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Essley-Noble Museum: school and college yearbooks
The society’s collection reaches beyond ordinary high-school annuals to Roosevelt Military Academy and William & Vashti College. Other listed communities include Aledo, Alexis, Keithsburg, New Boston, Sherrard, Viola and more. No complete year-by-year inventory was verified.
A focused question to ask
Which years survive for the institution, and are names indexed or searchable within the volume?
Evidence limit: The society explicitly notes gaps. Yearbook presence does not establish attendance or graduation without examining the entry.
STOP 02 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Early tax lists, maps and plats: reconstruct a local setting
Land-related lists and later maps can help frame a township or property question. Compare their dates and creators rather than treating them as one continuous series. Tax lists cover 1823–1858 with gaps; directories, maps and plats span 1864–2016 with gaps. The latter can identify farms, businesses, schools and churches.
A focused question to ask
Which exact tax-list year or map edition covers this township, and is the material an original, copy or transcription?
Evidence limit: The society notes gaps in both collections. A name in a land or tax source does not by itself establish residence.
STOP 03 / COMMUNITY COLLECTION
Memoirs and Memories: investigate how a place was remembered
The society collects written personal recollections of Mercer County life, offering leads about schools, farms, businesses and local places. The society says submitted memoirs will be available at the museum, with some selected for its newsletter. Ask about current holdings and access for your subject.
A focused question to ask
Has a memoir been received for this school, community or business, and what can be consulted or copied?
Evidence limit: This is a collecting program, not a published complete inventory. Memories need comparison with contemporary evidence; a submission invitation does not establish that a specific story exists.
STOP 04 / WIU IRAD
County almshouse registers: investigate an institutional residence
The county-home series provides a separate route when other evidence suggests a person lived in the almshouse.
Is the requested historical year accessible, what information is recorded, and does an index exist?
Evidence limit: Ask about privacy restrictions and permitted copying, especially for later entries. The cataloged span does not establish complete coverage or unrestricted access.
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 Mercer County
Record series
Catalog dates
Accession
Almshouse Registers
1859–1986
2/0097/01
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.